Finally hiked Park Butte on Wednesday even though the weather was not ideal for views. I was trying to avoid the crowds and only ran into about 10 people on the trail. Trail is in great shape, just a few puddles and the creeks that required crossing didn't even get my feet wet. The road is manageable for most all vehicles but the washboarding and rocks are worse than I was expecting. No bugs but it was quite misty and foggy. Saw lots of blueberries but they're definitely getting picked over. Heard but didn't see marmots and pika. It appeared that someone was staying in the lookout so I didn't investigate but walked around outside and had snacks on the rocks before heading back to the trail head. Toilets were mostly clean but not a single square of toilet paper. Two other hikers were nice enough to share some that they brought- thanks ladies! 

Just a reminder that the Skagit Alpine Club will be doing work in/on the lookout Sept 14-15 so it will not be available to stay in. 

Since Monday was forecast to be about 10 degrees cooler than Sat. and Sun., we chose to hike on Labor Day. The 9 miles on the dirt roads have some washboarding (FS 12) and potholes (FS 13), but nothing to prevent any vehicle from reaching the trailhead. Arrived at the trailhead at 8:30 AM to find a dozen or so available spaces in the lot.   

The clouds were below us at the start of the hike, but occasionally they'd move up the valleys and obscure the views of Koma Kulshan. We even had a few short  periods of large raindrops as we approached the upper meadows. 

As mentioned in a previous report, the first (on the ascent)  of two large stream crossings was simple in the AM, but required a bit more planning in the afternoon due to increased flow. Poles are helpful for the rockhopping.

There were a few wildflowers along the way - pearly everlasting and fireweed in the lower meadows, one patch of lupins, and a few monkeyflowers near the stream crossings.  However, there are ripe berries along nearly the entire trail.  Mushrooms (amanita) were also popping up along the trail through the lower meadows.

Party of 4 (55, 63, 68, 73)

Arrived at the trailhead around 9 am. No issues with the parking. Plenty of space. Road to trailhead in good condition. Some potholes towards the end the road but still fine with an outback.

Weather was fantastic, sunny and hot (high 70s).

Meadows are beautiful. View to Mount Baker and glaciers magnificent! Crossing of the river (not the one with the bridge even though it was brown as well in the afternoon) was fine in the morning but when we returned in the afternoon the flow of the river had drastically increased and the water had turned brown (maybe snowmelt increased due to high temperature!). Crossing it was a bit more challenging as current was strong. Some people got wet feet!!

The steep part of the hike between the lower and upper meadows is steep!! Luckily, it's in the shade! The 360 views from the lookout are spectacular!

Tired but so happy after this great hike!

Bottom Line:

Berry season! The hike starts in meadows choked with ripe berries, and hints of fall color. There are views of the mountain the entire way, except for a set of switchbacks between the lower and upper meadows. This is among the best maintained trails in the Mt Baker area. The lookout approach is straightforward although it looks steep from a distance. The south views of Baker are unique, including neighboring Colfax and Shuksan, and there are distant views of countless peaks, from Glacier to Twin Sisters and Three Fingers. The meadows will likely have spectacular fall color in 1 month. Unlike hikes like Ptarmigan Ridge where one largely takes pictures into the sun, this hike has the sun behind you making for easier lighting.

Stats:

• Distance: 9 miles
• Duration: ~4 hours
• Vertical: 2250 ft
• Road/Parking: NF-13 off Baker Lake Rd is in good condition and doable by any car. The only rough road is on the final approach to the trailhead where there are some potholes. The parking lot is medium size, with overflow along the road. There are 1-night camping spots for hikers, toilets and a picnic area along a creek. National Forest Pass required. The lot was mostly full by 9am on this Thursday as lots of folks were backpacking or trying to catch sunrise from the lookout.
• Weather: Sunshine, whisper of wind, and 50s warming to 70s (descent was starting to get hot). It was windy with snow on the mountain in previous days, so in the afternoon that snow started to melt rapidly swelling the creeks into muddy torrents. Hopefully nobody got stuck at a bridgeless crossing later in the afternoon! No bugs. Fresh snow on the high peaks. NOTE: Haze in the valleys and to the south, but the mountain itself was crystal clear.
• Flora/Fauna: Lots of pika out today! Flowers are mostly done, but there are areas of fireweed, the aptly named pearly everlasting, and some monkeyflower and aster near a couple creeks.
• Water: There is filterable water at the trailhead (use picnic area to access the creek). This creek was still running clear in the afternoon. There are numerous glacial creeks after ~2 miles that were running clear in the morning (with some glacial silt that is sure to eventually clog your filter) but became muddy torrents in the afternoon! Once you enter the meadows, there are numerous tarns. Plenty of filter sources available, but I would carry at least some water.
• Trail: The trail is in good condition and is among the best maintained in the Mt Baker area. One starts in a lower meadow, ascends a set of switchbacks (steep at times) to an upper meadow, wraps west around a drainage basin, and then ascends south to the lookout tower. There are rocky sections of the trail near some creeks that are obvious flood zones. Some muddy sections on the switchbacks. The trail is mostly exposed (with excellent views) except the treed switchbacks between the lower and upper meadows. Overall, a moderate trail. CAUTION: There are a handful of rocky creek crossings in a wide flood plain that started with a summer trickle but then transformed into muddy torrents by the afternoon as temperatures rose and new snow started to melt. The main creek has a bridge, but others do not (see video for a before and after). It would be possible to get stuck if they swelled more - I left pretty early in the afternoon. I imagine that Heliotrope Ridge on the west side of Baker may have the same issue right now.
• Takeaway: The Railroad Grade looks like a great way to get closer to the mountain, and eventually ascend, but I did not have time yesterday for a detour. Next time! That said, there are a number if spurs on this trail which added to the total distance (the tarns to the left as you wrap around Park Butte on the backside are worth a look, making sure not to trample the meadows). The fall color in ~1 month is probably going to be pretty great on this trail. Mid-day the light was harsh for photography - I am sure sunset last night was AMAZING, especially with the haze down in the valleys.

I will try to post the video later today.

We left the parking lot at 11:00 am after grabbing one of the last spots. The toilets were out of TP but luckily I had a spare roll in my car. The trailhead and info boards were in fantastic shape. It is clear that this trail is well maintained. 

Zero bugs, zero trouble crossing the creek/river with the seasonal bridge, and zero evidence of waste left behind on the trail. The lookout was claimed by the time we arrived by 1:30, which did not dampen our hopes for the hike. The mountain had collected all of the clouds and was hiding from us. It was still a crisp beautiful day and I look forward to being here again.