Flickr: http://bit.ly/park-butte My friend Keith recently posted a video clip of him hiking to Park Butte last weekend. When I saw his view of Mount Baker from the lookout tower, I was immediately hooked. I got some info from Keith and did the hike the very following weekend. The weather forecast was said to be partly sunny in the national park area, but when we arrived it was a different story. Many cars were parked in the temporary parking area, two miles before the actual trailhead. There were a few snowmobilers but they all soon passed us by once we started hiking. With the number of cars parked in the lot, I was surprised not seeing anyone on the trail. I kept my fingers crossed for sun at some point, but more and more clouds rolled in with no intention of dissipating any time soon. The usual trail would have followed Rocky Creek up through the meadow, but we ended up scrambling to the right of the ridge just east of the creek and came out at the head of the creek. Once in the meadow, we were completely drenched in clouds, the minimum visibility made the hike uneventful. We followed the GPS closely and eventually navigated our way through a blanket of clouds to the east ridge of Park Butte. From there it was a straight shot to the lookout area. Nearby ridges would go in and out of the clouds along the way, it was mirage-like and rather creepy. Microspikes alone provide enough traction for the entire way, bought my snowshoes along just in case. The lookout tower was perfectly situated for the magnificent view of Mount Baker. Although we got no views, we hung out in the tower the entire time. It was the first lookout tower we were able to get inside, the others I've been to were all padlocked. We spend enough time to eat and take pictures before we headed back down. The parked cars didn't seem to have moved an inch since the morning. Where was everyone?

Like most, I tend to seek out destinations that are wild with silence and solitude, but this year’s snowpack seems to be intent on an encore performance, rendering other late-spring goals too “steep & deep”.  So Park Butte was it for me, right in the middle sno-mo country.  I resolved to be at peace with the bargain; for a sunny weekend on a summit I would just have to suck some fumes and trade away any expectation of quiet.   In a bid to beat the petrol-based recreationists, I left the house at 5a, and parked the truck at 2800’, 2.5 miles from the TH.  I was walking by 7a.  All was quiet as I skinned upward on the promised wave of high pressure; the drizzle had stopped and the clouds were dissolving away.  Tele skis were not necessary since the snow was well-enough consolidated, however, they would make departure day more fun.  This was likely my last trip on them having just gathered a used A/T outfit (the new Dynafit bindings arrived in the mail Thursday).   My “winter” route ascended Rocky Creek to about the 4300’ level where I attained the west moraine ridgeline before cornices became a barrier; this also has the added benefit of easing passage over the creek itself, being entirely buried by snow at that point.  I then roughly traversed to Morovitz Meadow through old-growth at 4500’.  The remaining 900 foot ascent was in the open.  It took 4 hours.    Other than capturing a moonless starscape, a new moon in the west, and spending long periods in indolent fraternization with our local volcano, I wanted to document the winter damaged railing to share with the Forest Service for later repairs (although it was mostly about the indolence part).     Friday was relatively quiet, but by 9:30a on Saturday I could hear the drone of machines in the distance; it had the same effect on me as would a mosquito hovering near my ear.  All hell broke loose by 10:30 as machines crossed the Wilderness boundary 300m away to park just below the LO.  One would have parked right up to the railing had I not been sitting on the snow reading (almost runn’d me over).  This went on till 5p, nonstop, posse after posse riding up, smokes & beers…  Nice folks though; I enjoyed chatting with most of them.  I learned a lot about their machines (2 stroke, 4 stroke, turbo, 5000-$20,000 machines) and why it is such a special area to ride.  Some of them are funny without even trying, like those who scream up near-vertical slopes hanging on by a gizzard under the threat of avalanche, yet skitter around the LO catwalk hugging the walls like acrophobic mice.    Nights were pretty sweet, true darkness only squeezed into the hours between 10:30 and 3:30.  I left the door open to Ridley Creek’s distant roar.  After photographing sunset, sunrise, and some of that precious starlit darkness, little time was left for sleep.  As described above, siesta was out of the question.  (I was a bit sleep-deprived after 3 days & 2 nights of this).    The ski out was quite a rollick.  I had to wait till about ten so the snow was soft enough.  I am not a very accomplished tele-skier, especially with a full pack, so “turns” included some head-over-heels type.  My delayed start meant plenty of speeding machines on the way out.  It was only threatening on the road section where it was tight quarters.  High speed + curvy road+ washboard= marginal control; mix in a representative from an alternative user-group and you get irritated sledders, sometimes almost ramming into each other while hitting the brakes.  Thrilling.   So that was it, for 40 hours of silence and fresh air all I had to endure was 6.5 hours of shrieking machines and 2 stroke exhaust; not much worse ( but worse none-the-less) than hanging out on a downtown Seattle street corner at rush-hour.  Throw in the spectacular accommodations and call it a deal I say! 

After making it to the lookout on October 1st I decided to come back and this time bring a friend and spend the night in the shelter. Conditions hadn't changed in the few days since I'd last been up so check out my trip report at http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2010-10-03.1837950501 for more details. I just wanted to post a report saying that sleeping in the lookout is a very comfortable and enjoyable experience. The bed is comfy and there is everything you'll need except food and water. The nearest toilet isn't far down the trail if you need to use it. There are pots and pans to cook your breakfast or dinner in and it looks as though other visitors are considerate enough to wash up after themselves. There is even Scrabble and candles to see it with after dark. Make sure to take a walk around the catwalk when the sun goes down and gaze at the stars if the sky is clear. They're brilliant being that far from city lights and at such a high elevation. Try to wake up in time to watch the sun rise from the east and project its orange and red rays off the snowy glaciers of Mt. Baker. It is simply breath-taking! Also for a kick you can check out the old log books, some dating back to the 70's. It is great to see that hikers have been enjoying this lookout for that long, although by the sounds of it the place is in much better condition then it was back then. We can thank the Skagit Alpine Club for that!

I made this journey with my ever-present hiking companion, my dog Harley. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to make this ascent. It was about 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We left the parking lot at about 10:45 and hit the lookout about 3 hours later. There were definitely other hikers present but not so much as to be a nuisance. Just some nice folks to say hello to and keep on trekking. As another hiker pointed out on the 29th, the bridge has been removed. There is now a warning sign at the trail head. It is completely crossable but just plan on either taking off your boots or hiking with wet feet. On the way in my dog and I jumped rocks about 15 meters downstream but be careful doing this, they're pretty slippery. On the way back we just walked right through it. It is quick moving and can sweep you off your feet so be careful. In addition to the mountains in the distance there are plenty of things to see up close. There were blooming flowers which I was unable to identify (my botany skills are lacking), some gorgeous mushrooms which I have been told are highly poisonous and meadows turning brilliant orange and red colors for the fall. There are also still plenty of perfectly ripe blueberries for the picking. Yum! The views are every bit as beautiful as the hiking guides claim they are. Words cannot describe it-- they must be experienced first hand. The trail is very well maintained and the lookout on top is no exception. It has been very well stocked with maps, reading material, a stove, a nice cot, and some chairs. All the luxuries of home! Heading down we took a detour to check out the snowmelt ponds throughout the meadows. There are small side trails you can take so you don't have to trample the flora. On the way up we heard a strange high-pitched whistling sound I couldn't identify. When I got to the top another hiker asked me if I had heard them and he didn't have an explanation for it either. On the way back down I found the answer: marmots! A family of 3 or 4 good sized marmots were keeping an eye on us from about 150 yards off the trail. My camera isn't the best but I managed to get a shot of one sunbathing on a rock. After leaving the parking lot at 10:45 we arrived back at the car just a little after 4:00. This gave us time to spend about 30 minutes at the top and do a little bit of exploring the meadows. The first half of the hike has a few nice streams for your dog to hydrate in and for you to dunk your head in. I drank a bit of water out of one and didn't get sick, but do so at your own risk. I highly recommend this hike to others. I'd place it somewhere between moderate and difficult do to a few steep sections towards the end.

Warning: the bridge is OUT! Much to our surprise, after enjoying a gorgeous fall day at Park Butte and Railroad Grade, we arrived back at the crossing to see the bridge we had walked over earlier in the day dismantled. Huh? What was the Forest Service thinking- no warning at the trailhead and what makes Sept 29 bridge-dismantling day. The roaring, silty creek can be forded and there is a plank of the bridge to hold onto. The water will be up to your knees but is not terribly cold. Other than that obstacle, the only other concern is the bears who are gorging on berries. Make yourself heard so you don't surprise them and give them room. Enjoy the wonderful colors, berries and views!