Fall trip to Idaho/climate question
 

We are having a spur of the moment idea to drive up from Oregon to see Spokane, Coeur D'Alene and down through Sun Valley. Our first free time will not be until about the third week of October.

Is this too late in the year for a car trip? Would we be likely to encounter snow in the mountains?

Maybe. It's my favorite time to travel though because the tamaracks are yellow. It's beautiful!

Be sure to get the <b>Sawtooth Mountains</b> in there somewhere... you can read the name and not think much of it, but when you first <b>see</b> them, it makes you laugh at how well-named they are!

And we don't know from what spot in Oregon you are beginning, but perhaps the path of the Columbia Gorge, all the way to Grand Coulee, and then back down to Spokane might be a good path for such a drive.

I have been to the Sawtooth Mountains multiple times but only in August-and agree they are spectacular. On our most recent trip it snowed the week after we left, but I doubt there was much if any accumulation.

I think I may have seen the Sawtooths in my youth. I had been to Sun Valley but had always wanted to see what was north of there.

However, obviously we will still have our summer tires on.

kureiff, last year I saw the tamaracks in the range of Blue Mts between Prairie City and Baker City--have always loved them.

So, any more to weigh in on snow, too cold for the lake, etc?