Heybrook Lookout — Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026

The wind was blowing pretty hard in the foothills this AM so I decided to just do a quick one today. I reached the parking area just off the shoulder of Highway 2 at 9:15am and saw just four other cars there, with one leaving. It was chilly and the sky was spitting ice pellets, but it wasn't too bad otherwise. The trail was in pretty good shape for the most part, with just a couple of minor blowdowns near the top that were easily stepped over. Halfway up there was a slight dusting of snow off the trail, but the trail itself was clear aside from snow that blew off the trees overhead.

I passed a couple of groups going up but had the lookout tower to myself for 15 minutes. Some of the steps going up the tower were a little icy, so it's a good idea to hold onto the rails as you climb or descend. Surprisingly the wind wasn't too bad at the top of the lookout, more of a strong breeze than any gusts. I just got a new iPhone with better zoom capability than the old one so I took some closer shots of Index, Baring and Bridal Veil Falls.

Coming down I passed multiple people, most with dogs. Everybody was friendly and in good spirits. Unfortunately I did find some trash on the trail. I picked up what I could but I had no way to handle a couple of items that appeared to be biohazards. I guess the next time I hike this one I'll need to bring rubber gloves and a trash bag. I also forgot to bring a small wooden sign I made to tack on the small snag that shows where the Heybrook Ridge trail connector is.

I was back at my vehicle by 10:30am and by then there were 11 vehicles in the lot.