I decided to skip the water taxi and hiked from highway 20 starting at the East Bank trailhead. I am a solo female backpacker and I admittedly packed my bag much heavier than I should have so East Bank trail took me longer than I expected, it's an incredibly well maintained trail though. Plenty, and I do mean PLENTY, of water sources along the entire trail (at least as of late August 2020). I have a small Grayl filtration water bottle which makes stopping for water on trails like this a breeze since you don't even have to take your pack off, I highly recommend the ultralight Grayl or something similar. Day one I hiked to Lightning Creek campground, 16 miles from the starting point on highway 20. Lightning Creek is a beautiful little basic campground, it does have the amenities of a bear box, pit toilets, and flat sandy spots for your tent. It's right along the lake so filtering water is a breeze.
The next morning I planned to hike to Desolation camp, so I relaxed and took my time preparing for the upcoming incline, ha! All trail reports inform you Desolation has no water, so I made sure to bring more than I normally would. I took a little over 5L. It's pretty flat from Lightning Creek camp to the base of Desolation, but after that prepare for the climb! It really is a pretty good workout and you definitely have to earn your views. I had a permit for the only campsite so I took my time knowing I wouldn't have to rush back down. I only encountered one group the entire hike, so you'll likely have the trail to yourself. It's a nice trail but the views really aren't anything spectacular (but do NOT get discouraged by this! What's waiting at the top is breathtaking!)
I finally reached the campsite and was more than happy to ditch my pack and relax. There is a pit toilet and a designated cooking area (bears really are everywhere) so use as advised. The campsite has BEAUTIFUL views of Ross Lake and the glacier on Little Jack mountain. It really is pretty "desolate" which was kind of intimidating for me being on my own, but the experience was worth it. Throughout the night the weather changed drastically and the wind picked up, rain was relentless and LIGHTNING! It was a nice reminder for myself that you really have to prepare for anything in the Cascades. Earlier in the evening as I was setting up camp, Jim who man's the lookout, came up the trail and introduced himself. He made me feel SO much better about being alone, and he gave me advice and also informed me about the last 1 mile of the trail I'd be hiking the next day to the summit.
Early morning the clouds started clearing and I knew I'd gotten very lucky. I left most of my gear at camp and hit the trail for the last grueling stretch to the lookout. It's the most beautiful part of the hike and best of all, FRESH BLUEBERRIES EVERYWHERE! I hit the jackpot as far as timing goes, I spent an extra hour picking blueberries (staying right on the trail). Of course this means you should be mindful of bears, but if you're calm and smart about using your canister and eliminating any scent of food, bears shouldn't be a problem for you. You reach a false summit and the trail starts to head down for a short bit, but if it's a clear day you can very obviously see the lookout above you. I promise that it looks further away than it is! After such a climb it can be so discouraging to see how much further the lookout appears, but truly you get there in no time!
The views from the lookout on a clear day are indescribably beautiful. Seeing where Ross Lake ends and it turns back into the Skagit river (the Canadian border), seeing all the glaciers, seeing Mount Baker peek through. And the star of the show, Hozomeen, is awe-inspiring.
Then there's Jim! If you're lucky enough to reach the lookout on a day Jim is there, you're in for a treat! He is possibly the kindest man I've ever met, and his knowledge on the area seems neverending. He answered all my questions and then some. He gave a tour of the lookout and had really interesting information on the history of it and the surrounding areas. He's definitely someone you wanna chat with!
After probably 2 hours at the top I went back down to break down camp and head down the mountain. Again I took my time because I had a permit to stay at Lightning Creek again. I had a relaxing afternoon and evening, then left early the next morning for the 16 miles back to the trailhead.
Overall I highly recommend this hike and I especially recommend actually hiking the whole thing vs using the water taxi. It really was quite a challenge for me and quite rewarding, it's one of my favorite adventures so far.
Of course I have to end with THEE Kerouac quote, "Climb that goddamn mountain!"
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