Statistics
LENGTH 3.4 miles, roundtrip
ELEVATION Trip Report: Kelly Butte Lookout August 26, 2023
GAIN 1,100 feet
HIGHEST POINT 5,409 feet
Hiking uphill for 1.7 miles and gaining 1,100 feet doesn’t sound too difficult. But don’t be fooled. Some of this elevation gain happens over a short distance. It was a hot day and there was little or no shade on the 500-foot scramble up from 4500 to 5000 feet. We were thankful when the trail became reasonable after that. The shade and the cool breeze in the high alpine meadows nearer the top felt like they were sent from heaven.
To get there you follow Highway 410 east of Enumclaw about 20 miles and then turn onto about 15 miles of Forest Service roads to reach the trailhead. I felt lucky that we made no wrong turns. The WTA driving instructions are not perfect so be sure you have a good map or GPS showing the Forest Service roads. Although it says somewhere you need a National Forest Pass to park, we did not have one and suffered no consequences. There were about a half dozen cars at the little trailhead parking area.
The trail starts out on an old road grade for an easy 0.7-mile stroll in the shade.
Then it gets “interesting.” It immediately begins to get steep and at times, many times, you are walking up a stone stairway of switchbacks. Trekking poles are recommended. As I said, there is a reprieve from that punishment at the higher elevations. Beautiful meadows, subalpine fir trees, and granite outcroppings certainly create a lovely lofty alpine feeling as you approach the top. The wildflowers were in bloom and tons of cranberries were ripe for the picking.
There was a volunteer ranger manning the lookout when we got there. She and the other hikers were all very friendly. The skies were blue and although the views of Mt. Rainier were a little less than perfect, the air was much clearer than we expected. The view of the mountains far to the north at Snoqualmie Pass was perfect. The ranger said she had spotted and reported several fires caused by lightning in the last week or so.
Other than a moderately strong wind that felt nice and cool, the trip down was quick and uneventful. We did stop to marvel at the spectacular granite rock walls that loomed above us.
My friend and I had attempted this climb (twice) from the more difficult approach (Stampede Pass) in 1989 and were unsuccessful. We were elated to find a better route this time and finally nail the summit.
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