Little Huckleberry Mountain, a former fire lookout site, failed to live up to its name -- the huckleberry plants were bare of fruit -- but it did provide a vantage point from which to observe the Cascade Creek Fire on Mount Adams.

This is a no-nonsense trail that climbs steeply up 1,800 feet in 2.5 miles. The trail traverses shady forest until near the summit, where it enters a large open meadow.

On this day, low clouds enveloped the summit and the trail dust was dampened by fog drip from the trees. Where the trees intercept the clouds, moisture condenses on the needles of the conifer trees and drips down as water to the ground cover below.

When we reached the summit, a cold wind was whipping the clouds over the top. We dropped over the edge into the lee of the mountain to find a sheltered lunch spot. Cloud curtains alternately closed and opened to reveal view of Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood. Off to the east, we could see the Monte Cristo Range and the Trout Lake Valley, while at our feet to the west was the Big Lava Bed.

Suddenly, the clouds evaporated and we were under blue skies. We could see Mount Adams wreathed in smoke up to the 7,000 foot level and columns of smoke issuing up from Cascade Creek valley.

Mount Hood, to our south, was hazy from the smoke blowing north from the Pole Creek Fire near the North Sister. If we could have seen farther north, we might also have seen smoke from the South Point Fire near Packwood.

It was a fine hike, as always, but disappointing not to find a single huckleberry to eat!

  I enjoy greeting other hikers while on the trail, but I also love the solitude that the wilderness offers without anybody else around. Today's hike was just such a day as my dog, my daughter, and I had Little Huckleberry Mtn. trail #49 all to ourselves! Once we were at the summit, where an old fire lookout station once stood, we ate lunch and enjoyed the absolutley fantastic views of the southern Cascade Mountains. The trail mostly wanders through a forested area for about 2.5 miles. At about the last .25 miles, the trail begins to open up and becomes a little rocky, but easily navigated. A glimpse of Mt. Hood is visible at this point, but the real treat is the summit of Little Huckleberry Mountain. Once you are there, take your time and look around. At the summit, a lot of wildflowers were blooming,and there are some side trails that lead to nice views of Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood(although Mt. Hood is visible from the top). We really enjoyed the hike, as it was easy going with no major issues. We did encounter one small blowdown on the way, but we easily hiked around it. Little Huckleberry Mtn. will surely be on my mind until the next adventure into the wilderness!

  I would like to mention one thing here, we did use Dan Nelson's directions to find the TH, which were spot on. However, since I was somewhat familiar with the area, I decided to take FS60 back to Carson, and hit Panther Creek Road, instead of retracing our route back through Trout Lake. By doing this, I shaved off 30 miles of driving and about 20 minutes of time. The bonus was the view of the surrounding area such as the Big Lava Bed which, by the way, is visible from the summit of Little Huckleberry Mountain.
 
  Along the way back, you will also cross the PCT and run into Goose Lake which makes a fine resting area. To the left of FS60 is the Big Lava Bed, which is an amazing formation. This area is one of my favorites for good reason, as there are so much outdoor activities going on. So, if you plan to be in the area, then I would suggest Little Huckleberry Mtn. trail because the views are worth the short hike to the summit and back.