The 98-degree day cooled down to 73 as we drove up the forest road, ready for a midweek microadventure. We arrived at the trailhead around 7:15pm to find the parking lot empty. That bode well for our hopes of a look inside the lookout at the top! Note for tiny bladders: There is no toilet facility anywhere on this trail. The last flush toilets you'll encounter (coming from the west) are those in Greenwater. The gas station has an outdoor restroom that requires no key. 👌
The first .7 miles of the trail are a very gradual, wide gravel road. As my hiking companion said, you could do it in flip-flops while carrying a glass of wine. At the large clearing that marks the end of this section is a killer campsite with (what would've been) stunning views of Rainier (had there been no wildfire smoke), but our sights were set higher. If you're staring at majestic Mt. Rainier from the clearing, the trail up the hill continues behind you and climbs very steadily up a rocky hillside. The switchbacks are short, steep, and in dry weather a little tricky due to loose rocks. But the walk itself is beautiful and so worth it. You're hiking up a trail carved right into the side of a rock face, past multicolored lichen. I liked having trekking poles for this section (but I also had a 25-pound pack on).
Other trip reports give the impression that the switchbacks are impossibly grueling; I found they were challenging enough that I felt accomplished but short enough that I wasn't completely taxed, and they were over before I knew it. The hike isn't done yet, though! There's still a long walk through an alpine meadow, which was incredible. Our views at the golden hour were unreal. The BC wildfire smoke occluded our mountain view, but left us with a hazy yellow backdrop for the wildflowers, which were popping hard.
Shortly before the lookout you'll pass another moderately well-established campsite, but we pressed on with hope. Just as the sun was setting—turning the smoke layer a brilliant salmon color—we hit the top of the butte and hustled to the lookout. A lookout that was empty. A lookout that was unlocked. OUR LOOKOUT!
We ran around the deck screeching about our good fortune for a long time, then set up our beds inside (on a cot and a wooden platform, both provided). We'd been prepared to bivy either on the deck or on the flatter ground far from the lookout. This was better. The smoke hung low on the foothills surrounding us, which made for a beautifully layered—if atypical—view from the top and Rainier poked her pretty little head out just to show off before the sky grew dark. Some folks have left a few treasures in the lookout: camp chairs, jugs of water and dog bowls, a can of Rainier beer (cute), a packet of freeze-dried ice cream, soap... It was great to see the place well taken care of. The stars came out and the smoke stayed low enough for a while that I got some great time just hanging out with the bright night sky.
Sleeping in the lookout is something I won't soon forget. The wind whistles loudly in the single-pane window frames (there's a sign saying the windows should not be opened) and something about sleeping in a fishbowl made me wake up several times imagining people were walking in (though we'd locked the door). No one was walking in. It was just us and the rocks and the wildflowers. (No marmots spotted, probably because we had a rambunctious dog with us.)
We woke up early with the sun, packed our bags, and tromped down the trail to head back to work. The bugs were worse in the morning (curious!) and the dust was quite...dusty. We headed back to the office and didn't stop smiling for days.
I look forward to doing this trail again, though I don't expect to be this lucky next time!
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