Hiker Headlines: Highway 20 Fire, Trail Work at Artist Point, Perseid Meteor Shower

**Update: At 5:30 p.m. on August 10 Highway 20 closed with no anticipated reopening**

It’s August 10. Highway 20 has reopened, though the Sourdough Fire continues to burn. Trail work at Artist Point means some trails may have detours. Bear hunting season is on, the Perseids meteor shower is this weekend, and some fun events are coming up next weekend! Read on to see what you might have missed this week.

Your nighttime skies may not look exactly like this in real life, but check out our night photography tips for ways to secure a good photo of the starry skies. Photo by Elizabeth Madigan.

Perseid meteor shower: The morning of August 13 is the peak of the Perseid meteor showers; one of the best of the year. Use our Hiking Guide (filtered for mountain views and established campsites) to find a good overnight spot, or check out darksky.org for a map of places with minimal light pollution (and optimal star-gazing). Already know where you're going? Check out our nighttime photography tips so you can get a nice picture of the starry skies.

Highway 20 reopens: The highway had reopened Wednesday morning, restoring cross-state travel on this corridor. Then later in the day, the highway closed again, with no anticipated reopening. Trails in the area remain closed due to the Sourdough Fire, including Ross Dam, Diablo Lake, Stetattle Creek, Thunder Knob, Happy Panther, Big Beaver, Sourdough Mountain, and Little Beaver trails. Stay tuned to WSDOT for changes in the highway status.

GAOA projects underway at Artist Point: Both front- and backcountry trails on the Mount Baker District of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest received a large amount of GAOA funding, and many of those projects are under way now. Reconstruction is happening on the Picture Lake ADA trail, Wild Goose, Bagley Lakes, Fire & Ice, and Artist Ridge. Visitors should expect temporary closures, detours or delays on any given day. Detours will be signed. If you visit, stay on trail and don't hike closed trails. The Artist Point landscape is extra-sensitive and off-trail travel causes more damage than you might suspect.

Mark your calendars for these hiker events coming next weekend:

• Refuge Outdoor Festival returns for its sixth year. This year's event (August 18-20 at Tolt-McDonald Park) is geared towards people of color but open to everyone, including allies. Participants can come out for a day trip, camp out for a night, or stay for the whole weekend. The festival focuses on offering an array of camping options and activities that allow people to create a self-guided outdoor experience for themselves that fits their comfort level with the outdoors.
• PCT Trail Days in the Columbia River Gorge. Celebrate hiking, backpacking, and outdoor stewardship at PCT Days 2023. This festival include food, beverages, live music, outdoor gear raffles, and more. Daily attendance is free, with a suggested monetary or non-perishable food item contribution for the Columbia Gorge Food Bank. Plus, you can catch northbound thru-hikers as they embark on the final (and best) leg of their hike: Washington!

Hunting season opens: Washington's main hunting season opens Sept 1, but black bear hunting season opened on the first of this month. Brush up on sharing trails with hunters and remember to wear bright colors! Hey, that's a good way to re-use any pink accessories you got for the Barbie movie!

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