Steep, hot, and dusty is an accurate description of this hike up the western edge of the Monte Cristo Range, but the views from the summit of Little Huckleberry Mountain are astoundingly beautiful. And don't be fooled by the name-there is nothing little about the big, juicy huckleberries you gobble down while plodding along the ridge trail.
From the trail, you'll enjoy views east to Mount Adams, and south to Oregon's Mount Hood. The 9-mile long black scar of the Big Lava Bed can also be viewed to the west. The trail starts in cool forests where you'll find the berry bushes thick and heavy with fruit, but the best picking is near the top of the trail, where more sun reaches the berries, creating sweeter, juicier delights for you and the resident birds and bears.

The route leads up through a thick stand of timber along a ridge on the north face of the mountain. Near the top the trees fall away to reveal a broad, open meadow on the summit. Enjoy the views west over the scarred landscape of the Big Lava Bed and beyond to Goose Lake. Beyond those big lava scars you'll see the lava producers: Mount Adams and Mount Hood punctuate the horizons east and south.

Little Huckleberry's 4781-foot peak was home to a fire lookout cabin from 1924 to 1970 when it was destroyed as new technology replaced the need for human fire-watchers.