Geologic Secrets of Redfish Lake and the Spectacular Sawtooth Range of Central Idaho

Journey from the beautiful shores of Redfish Lake into its namesake canyon in the rugged Sawtooth Mountains with geology professor Shawn Willsey. Learn how glaciers, rockfall, and earthquakes have shaped and continue to shape this spectacular landscape in central Idaho.
00:00 video location
00:16 intro, Redfish Lake
02:27 Redfish Lake moraine and giant boulder
03:45 Redfish Creek
04:09 Sawtooth Pluton granite
08:22 rockfall and destruction from 2020 earthquake
12:29 Garden of the Giants
15:08 Redfish Creek, outro
You can order SIGNED copies of my books that cover this area: Geology Underfoot in Southern Idaho (a whole chapter on this area) and Roadside Geology of Idaho. Purchase here: shawn-willsey.square.site/
Support these videos! Your generous support allows me to travel to these locations and create videos. Send support via:
PayPal: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...
or click on the "Thanks" button above.
or a good ol' fashioned check to:
Shawn Willsey
College of Southern Idaho
315 Falls Avenue
Twin Falls, ID 83303

[@shawnwillsey]

You can support my field videos by clicking on the "Thanks" button just above (right of Like button) or by going here: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=EWUSLG3GBS5W8

[@talldog7632]

You've so impressed my 9 year old, that he now wants to become a university geology professor. No joke. He talks about rocks non-stop.

[@shawnwillsey]

Holy cow! This might be the best comment yet. Please foster his love while he has interest.

[@georgesheffield1580]

Keep him interested in science 👍

[@largewoollybugger]

I still get chills every time I hear "Potassium Feldspar"

[@corrinneloudon525]

Thank you for a brilliant field trip! Being a wheelchair user, there's no way that I would be able to tackle this in person... Your videos really help satisfy my 'geology itch'.

[@shawnwillsey]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@charlieswearingen500]

I have gone scuba diving in Redfish Lake, and the flat sandy bottom of the lake is dotted with car-to-house-sized boulders. It's a beautiful sight to see.

[@davidk7324]

Thanks Shawn. My old stomping grounds -- Stanley to Cape Horn to Lowman -- from 1968 until 1977 when I joined the Army. God's country is an understatement. I'm heading up in 2 days to Lowman to assess the Huckleberry situation.

[@AKUSUXs]

Redfish Lake and the Stanley Area is so beautiful. I think it is my favorite area in Idaho. Redfish is so clear, seeing trees and other stuff 50 or more feet underwater is also amazing.

[@craighoover1495]

Thank you for taking us here. Redfish is a place that has a lot of history for my family since 1970 when my father was able to park a trailer behind the lodge each summer for about three years. We would spend the summer months there as an escape from the heat of Mtn. Home AFB. So many good memories for all of us. The place was an impetus for me to become interested in natural history and conservation related employment opportunities.

[@phylxguy5547]

Super neat stuff Sir thanks for sharing your interestingly informative adventures happy trails & safe travels. If you ever get a chance to visit our natural waterslide up north around Coolin, I believe that is the Kaniksu lobe of the Coast Mountain Batholith but I don't know for sure but regardless very interesting areas of the country of beautiful Idaho as well Sir.

[@Anne5440_]

As I was younger and riding through Idaho, the Sawtooth mts were my favorite to watch and wonder about. I never got to go to them. Thanks for this glimpse. They are as wonderful as I imagined. Thank you for the lesson in erosion. I took several geography classes thinking to major in that. But the math for meteorology was my undoing. That's when I found my home in Athropoloy. I have been through many rock fall areas. The rocks landing and bouncing never made me think of them making pits as they moved down the mountain. I'm deep into Iceland volcano watching. I've learned to cast the cam youtube to my larger tv. I'm learning and reading in my Volcanism text by Schmincke. What beautiful granite in the Sawtooth.

[@marklang5169]

Beauty. Thank You for the tour!

[@dancooper8551]

I spent a half day hiking around redfish lake in 2014 on my way to Boise. I seem to recall an interesting fish hatchery nearby. Beautiful area.

[@shawnwillsey]

Yes hatchery is out by highway and a bit south of turnoff to lake

[@skagited9617]

Thanks for posting, Shawn!! Beautiful place, & awesome geology!! Definitely a 👍👍!!!! Looking forward to the 'rock climb'... !!!

[@shawnwillsey]

Climbing video will drop next week while I am in Grand Canyon.

[@YewtBoot]

Thanks for this. Takes me back to when friends and I Nordic skied across the lake [possibly not wise, but we made it ] in March or April of 1978. We skied to above the Garden of the Giants which has a much different feel with spring snow amounts. The ski back was more pleasant, since we had a freshly done trail.

[@whitby910]

Thank you.

[@michaelnancyamsden7410]

This is lovely.

[@skyedog24]

You can hike anywhere from grandjean up to where you're at and beyond and see great big boulders just like that all over strewn about. thank you for the explanation I've climbed on these things since I was a kid all over the forest there.long ago now.

[@1.0xY.m0r0n]

I live near(ish) to Redfish Lake and I HIGHLY recommend people come check it out, if you're ever in Idaho. It's an incredible place. The Sawtooths are also epic! Idaho is amazing and I'm glad to have grown up here.

[@davec9244]

When a rock falls in the woods does it make a sound. A rock that big shakes the world. thank you stay safe ALL.

[@geomodelrailroader]

Redfish is an amazing place I can't believe that one glacier formed all this and The Tooths millions of years ago.

[@mustangmorris53]

Been to Idaho when i was a teenager in 1969. visited the Craters of the moon park. What a wonderful Vacation that was.

[@hestheMaster]

Such beauty in the Sawtooth Mountains and yet such destruction as well. The view from nearby Thompson Peak and Williams Peak are incredible.

[@cadencejames3077]

Thank you for these videos. The entire Sawtooth valley has been my home away from home since I was born nearly 40 years ago. Interesting to hear about how it all happened over thousands of years. Well millions I suppose. Keep 'em coming!

[@Rachel.4644]

Gorgeous country, my favorite sort of hiking, and your descriptions of where the massive boulders came from is so cool. I've not thought of a moraine source before. Your posts are really enjoyable, and appreciated.

[@jackiekane297]

-Crossing the span of time beautifully in your video, again. It drew me into watching (again) your other Redfish Lake and Sawtooth videos; viewer should check them out! Your videos are the best way to learn.Thanks

[@shawnwillsey]

Thanks for the plug. Look for one more sawtooth video soon.

[@jackiekane297]

@@shawnwillsey will do, looking forward to it!

[@runninonempty820]

So much to see and do in the beautiful state of Idaho.

[@jonerlandson1956]

I've often wondered what caused massive amounts of broken rocks like that to appear?... but i think i understand now that it is like half dome in Yosemite where the internal forces that exist within the once deeply buried rock release once at the surface...

[@Diana-jx1ju]

Lovely to hear about and see a spot visited by my parents and me so many decades ago! Hadn't really realized that earthquake took place there and those boulders are a sight to be seen! Thankyou for this video!

[@jamescottingham2205]

We loved fishing there about 1/2 century ago.

[@JanetClancey]

Immense boulders wow!! Thank you

[@muzikhed]

Beautiful location. Interesting observations. Nice video Shawn. Cheers

[@johncooper4637]

We drove the loop around the Sawtooths in 2013 when we were following the Glacial Lake Missoula floods. Our interest in seeing the mountain range was the movie "Pale Rider". At the time we did not know about the lake.

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

There's just no other place like the Sawtooth mountains! It's been many years since I backpacked on those trails and it's wonderful to see it again with some geological history added to the experience. Thank you so much!

[@danniegibbs6535]

Beautiful place got to spend the summer before graduating high-school in 1982, drank my first beer with local kids from Hailey idaho

[@martidenton8410]

Thank you for this well done and interesting video highlighting this amazing area with your geological expertise! I have hiked the trail a time or two, so recognize a few landmarks. This beautiful area has always held a special place in my soul. Great job on this, both visually and from your teaching skills!

[@pnkbiankii]

We felt that 2020 earthquake over here in Baker City, OR, but I haven’t been over to the Redfish Lake area since. So interesting to see the changes there. Thx!

[@annnottingham2270]

This reminds me of field camp in the Black Hills. I envy your students if you do camp.

[@cw7429]

great vid!

[@valoriel4464]

Thx Prof for another interesting geo-adventure. ✌🏻

[@shawnwillsey]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@suecox8355]

Nice hike!

[@krisgalusha9820]

South of OKC by the Texas border is an up lift of pink quartz granite. Beautiful rocks.

[@stevewhalen6973]

Thanks!

[@shawnwillsey]

Awesome. Thanks!

[@johnfraser6013]

I just did a bit of hiking around Redfish lake this week, and am anxious to get back up there again. I plan to take that lake shuttle and would also like to hike on that same trail that you were on. Thanks for sharing! Subscribed. 👍👍

[@shawnwillsey]

Welcome aboard! Hope you enjoy perusing the existing videos I've made. Thanks again!

[@GregInEastTennessee]

It looks very serene back up in the mountains. Is there a danger of bears and snakes? The large boulder on the moraine: Can you consider it an erratic? I can't do the hiking, but I have added this lake to my must see list. 😀

[@shawnwillsey]

There are black bears. I’d guess very few rattlesnakes in mtns. Never seen one there.

[@hunt4redoctober628]

What a stunning location! You're so fortunate to live in such a beautiful area with some incredible countryside and geology. How high are the Sawtooth mountains? They remind me a little of the Italian Dolomites given their scale and shape but the geology is clearly very different.

[@shawnwillsey]

Sawtooths are a real gem. Peaks rise to over 10,000 ft.

[@hunt4redoctober628]

@@shawnwillsey Now thats high! European Alps scale. Wow!

[@johnnash5118]

Moraines are over-looked features, when arguing against Pleistocene lake Missoula’s ability to dam 2,000’ of water, moraines are ignored. The argument rests on there being too much water pressure directly under the ice to dam the lake; but if lateral and terminal moraines are considered, there is no direct lake contact with the ice at the bottom of the dam, the Purcell moraines were over a thousand feet, perhaps 2,000’ high, where the pressures are far less severe. This lake and Wallowa Lake in Oregon are two prime examples, but would’ve been minuscule compared to the enormous Purcell Lobe two magnitudes larger.

[@66kbm]

Would it be correct to say that without the newer/more recent extension/range, these mountains/pluton could be back at the so called WISZ (Western Idaho Shear Zone) at the time Siletzia "docked"? It seems the same sort of time zone but....I am an Englishman living in the Netherlands who works in a Warehouse. I have a lot to thank both yourself and Mr Zenter for my interest in Geology even though it is 4000 miles from where i live. Keep them coming please.

[@shawnwillsey]

Thanks for watching and learning with me from the Netherlands. With the fault plane at an angle of about 60 or so degrees relative to horizontal, it would take a LONG time for the extension (produced by quakes) to move this area that far west. Plus there are other faults between here and there. In short, not likely anytime soon. Stay curious though.

[@melvynbuckton6881]

Well having read many comments there's little I can add other than thanks from all your watchers!

[@shawnwillsey]

Thank you too!

[@arthendrickson9479]

Redfish lake is softwater as are the campground spigots. I pulled the boat out 3 days later and there were no water marks. I inquired in the campground and confirmed its softness.

[@MelanieCravens]

Have you ever considered doing the Colorado Springs area? Pike's Peak. Cheyenne Mountain. Garden of the Gods. Glen Eryie.

[@shawnwillsey]

Would love to get over there sometime.

[@lauram9478]

❤

[@oddevents8395]

just getting a visual of how big a chunk of ice would be needed to move that big azz boulder at 3 min and all the others for that matter lol. could that one and the one toward the end been in the same glacier?

[@mch8172]

you should check out some of the 45-60 overhangs on those boulders. might have some v16-17 problems, brand new.

[@shawnwillsey]

There are some boulder problems on both the big boulders shown here.

[@3xHermes]

👍

[@vickihubach4388]

when were you there? I was there last week.... great video, thanks!

[@shawnwillsey]

July 19 was when I filmed this.

[@vickihubach4388]

@@shawnwillsey oh shoot, we did the boat shuttle on the 20th. It would have been fun to see you!

[@Kosmonooit]

Are the Sawtooths Granite then? Given that those Granite boulders come from them, but Granite outcrops or mountains I have seen tend to be domes. Awesome place though, thanks. Also was that a natural lake?

[@shawnwillsey]

Yes most of Sawtooths consist of granite of two types: Eocene Sawtooth granite and Cretaceous Idaho batholith.

[@PhilEbel]

Do you ever go to the "City of Rocks", south of where you teach? Geologically interesting as it close proximity to a metamorphic complex.

[@shawnwillsey]

Yes indeed. Great geology and climbing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJnFl36fhM96h9U&feature=sharea kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5vRpqaOmciBhJI&feature=sharea kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpCspaKfoZytqqs&feature=sharea

[@jonerlandson1956]

ah... some good news...

[@jackprier7727]

Okay, you did say "early morning" so that explains the dearth of frolicking-

[@jackprier7727]

Thanks for the vivid describing, as usual, of the recent rockfall. Actually nail-biting stuff.

[@candui-7]

Was the earthquake in 2020 related to Juan De Fuca subduction?

[@shawnwillsey]

No. Most likely Basin and Range extension which is responsible for uplifted Sawtooth range.

[@Tugela60]

Does redfish lake have red fish in it?

[@rickmessina5396]

Are there any reasons to look for some gold.????

[@leechild4655]

the area may lack the amount of sulfides to warrant a dig.

[@jackbelk8527]

Many old placer mines around the Sawtooths and gold can be panned in most any creek.

[@rickmessina5396]

@@jackbelk8527 ah, very good……Thanks…..

[@cann5565]

Spectacular

[@skyedog24]

Allegedly "if you were to flatten Idaho it would be the size of Texas"what would your thoughts be on this idea.Mr.Willsey

[@shawnwillsey]

I am vehemently against flattening Idaho.

[@shawnatitensor3499]

Beautiful area but lots of dead trees and smoke from fires.