June 29, 2025 | Day 10

Sunday, June 29, 2025 | Day 10
Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho

This morning Jonny got up with the kids so I could sleep in, and when I got up they had collected wood and made a campfire.

We liked the beach near the North Shore Picnic Area at Redfish Lake so much we went back again today. The kids and I relaxed at the beach, giving Jonny a few hours of quiet to work in the van. I don’t know how we could have done this trip without Starlink! The kids discovered a few beach toys someone left behind, and Kaleo was especially excited about the mini saw. He dug in the sand and threw rocks in the water, content to play solo, basically the entire time we were at the lake. Xiomara enjoyed drifting in her floaty and observing the other beachgoers. I took this rare opportunity of quite with both kids happily entertained to read a couple chapters of “Anthem” by Noah Hawley. Thank you, Joseph, for the recommendation!

Later in the afternoon, when Jonny was done working, we walked the boardwalk trail at the Redfish Visitor Center. The trail is technically closed because the boardwalk is in bad shape with boards missing or portions collapsing, but a park employee said she walked it with her friends just a few days prior and thought it was fine if we went. The boardwalk was definitely sketchy in areas, but we managed to avoid any falls, and enjoyed having the whole area to ourselves. The birdwatching was good along the trail, and we spotted a deer near the stream.

This evening we had a reservation at Sunny Gulch Campground. It’s a really beautiful and quiet campground with sites that are spread out and private. There is a trail from the campground down to the Salmon River, which we hiked before dinner and s’mores. Jonny took pictures and flew the drone while the kids played at the river’s edge. Next time we come to Redfish Lake we will definitely stay at this campground. The only negative about it are the mosquitoes. Just come prepared with bug repellent!