Park Butte — Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

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!