Reddit reviews Trails of the Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains
We found 2 Reddit comments about Trails of the Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Absolutely!
Here's the website for the trailhead\campground (no fees for backpackers).
I think the best resource for hiking the area is a book by someone named Margaret Fuller. It provides in-depth info regarding the trails and destinations, as well as some great ideas for the different loops you can do.
Pretty good resources:
http://www.amazon.com/Trails-Sawtooth-White-Cloud-Mountains/dp/0966423380/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.com/Trails-Western-Idaho-Expanded-Updated/dp/096642333X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
It's not just bears you have to worry about. You also don't want little critters chewing through your expensive gear to get at interesting-smelling stuff. It's always a good idea to hang food, toothpaste, etc:
http://www.backpacker.com/skills/how-to-hang-a-bear-bag/
You can find hiking and backpacking groups on Meetup.com
If a gun gives you peace of mind, by all means take it. However, it's definitely not a necessity and I've never seen a backpacker carrying a gun in Idaho.
Good luck!