Heybrook Ridge, Heybrook Lookout — Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017

Perfect clear winter day to try out this new low-elevation trail.  Thanks to the many volunteers who built and improved this very accessible trail.  Six cars at the trailhead for Heybrook Ridge at 9:30 am.  Trail is in great shape with the exception of a few downed logs, but none pose any difficulty.  Mt. Index and Bridalveil Falls are the main attractions from the south-facing viewpoint at the top of this trail, which features several log seating options.  Baring Mountain is also visible to the east.

We continued east on the ridge to try to find Heybrook Lookout.  For much of the way, it is pretty easy to follow the boot trail (much of it is an old, overgrown road) along the top of the ridge, which meanders up and down gently.  The ridge top is mainly populated with salal, sword ferns and mosses.  One downside is that you are walking under high power lines running along the top of the ridge.  After the sixth electric tower (at 0.9 miles from the viewpoint at the top of the Heybrook Ridge trail), the way becomes more difficult with steeper terrain, much thicker brush, and no obvious path.  (I also noted several bunches of fairly fresh elk or deer droppings in this section, which would have made nice bedding). We made our way to the forest on the right (south), where the bushwhacking uphill was much easier.  We found the Lookout in about 1.4 miles from the top of the Heybrook Ridge trail. Doing it again, I would cut over to the forest to the right almost immediately after the 6th tower, when you can see a very steep hill ahead to the east topped by another tower.  You can then join the last half-mile of the Heybrook Lookout trail to ascend to the Lookout tower--something we didn't figure out until we were coming down. 

The Lookout afforded an excellent view to the east and of Baring Mountain as well as back to Mt. Index and the Skykomish Valley.  Two hikers had secured hammocks to the posts at the top of the Lookout and were relaxing quietly.  Our total hike round-trip to the Lookout via the Ridge trail was 6.0 miles with 1550' elevation gain.  There were no other hikers on the boot trail portion from the Ridge trail to the Lookout.