Yellow Aster Butte

Yellow Aster Butte trailhead is just under 4.5 miles up the Twin Lakes road 3065
that begins at the highway maintance buildings on Highway 542. Many other WTA reports list the boring stuff. For me the trail, a bit stiff at times, was a highway to a wonderland. The fall colors are working towards their peak very soon. The whole area is a geological Disneyland. You see quartz blocks weighing 100 pounds, rocks streaked with copper, obsidian and a lot of others I can't name. The meadow where you camp has 10-15 little lakelets or tarns and everywhere you look there are amazing views of Shuksan and Baker. Baker in the morning is unreal with intense gold over white. The american border peaks reflected in the sunset is equally amazing. Hawks were constantly putting on an aerial show as they searched for dinner. Grouse were frequent too but although it should be prime Bear and deer country I didn't see any for the three days I was there. Conditions are very dry up there no streams were running except between the tarns and other than a couple when I climbed Tomyhoi, the place was dry.Both nights were so warm I could sit outside my tent with no jacket and be amazed by something you rarely get to see anymore.. The milky way and so many constellations. very wonderful place...shh..don't tell a soul. My photos are 8 MB. I just caught on that they are too big to put on here...sorry, they are great.