Started early in the morning and made it up the road at 6am, started hiking at 7am. Switched from hiking boots to mountaineering boots at 5000 ft, where snow was consistent. Thankfully we started early because it was a warm day and we began postholing at 12-1pm. We stopped at the saddle and contemplated tagging Hidden Lake Peak but wanted to glissade down and avoid more loose wet avalanches. Another party went up the the ridge the previous night, but they didnt make it to the lookout. We chatted with them in the morning.
Trip Report
Hidden Lake Lookout — Saturday, Jun. 8, 2024
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
Type of Hike
Day hikeTrail Conditions
Minor obstacles posing few problemsRoad
Road recommended for high clearance onlyBugs
No bugsSnow
Trail snow-covered at times - gear and expertise recommended
Comments
In the current conditions, did you get the sense that the lookout was reachable with proper gear?
Posted by:
Owen Eastman on Jun 10, 2024 12:22 PM
Proper gear meaning: snowshoes, crampons, ice ax, helmet, mountaineering boots. Probably? Where there's a will, there's a way? I have been looking at the topo map and trying to see if you can gain it by the NE ridge and scrambling on exposed rocks or dropping towards the lake a bit and gaining the east ridge. My party was gassed and we didn't attempt.
Posted by:
atangsom on Jun 10, 2024 12:27 PM
Interesting, thank you for the insight I appreciate it!
Posted by:
Owen Eastman on Jun 10, 2024 12:50 PM