Forum Index > Trip Reports > Lookout Mountain 2/7/09
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raising3hikers
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Joined: 21 Sep 2007
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Location: Edmonds, Wa
raising3hikers
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PostSat Feb 07, 2009 7:22 pm 
After yesterday's cloudy hike up Pratt Mtn., I couldn't waste a good sunny forecast for saturday. So I headed up to the North Cascades to check out the Cascade river road. I had a few ideas but they depended on how far the road was plowed. I soon got my answer cause at about 7 miles, the plowing had stopped. I parked right before the Lookout Creek bridge and walked up about a quarter mile to the Lookout mountain trail head. The hike started at 7 a.m. while it was still a little dark. The sun came up quickly and I was on my way up the many switchbacks. There wasn't that much snow on the trail, maybe a foot, and there were even areas without snow. At about 3500', I put my snow shoes on and made my way through a nice higher elevation old growth forest. There were big hemlocks and Alaskan cedars. The way I was going got pretty steep, my ice ax came in very handy. The higher I got, the more open the forest became and the sun was shining brightly. So I took a break to get my sunglasses out and dropped them down a steep slope. Oh well, I continued without them. I eventually reached a flatter area and walked a ridge toward Lookout. From here I could now see to the North with Baker to the Pickets in view.
early morning in the north cascades
early morning in the north cascades
fog over the Cascade river
fog over the Cascade river
Baker and I think Bacon
Baker and I think Bacon
After the ridge I had to drop back down a little and start traversing some extremely steep slopes. I would like to see how the trail looks in the summer cause today it was full of powdery deep snow. I would take 2 steps foward and slip 1 step backwards. It was tough but I headed straight up the hill. As I got closer, the pitch lessened a little and the lookout was in sight. The mountain has an elevation of 5719'. I got there at 11:30 and I could see 100's of peaks in all directions. I took about a half hour break before heading back down. It was a lot easier and I got back to my truck at 2:30. If the avy conditions were risky I wouldn't have tried this one. Trip stats-9 miles, 5200 elevation gain in 7.5 hours.
mountains and the steep slope
mountains and the steep slope
Lookout Mountain 5719'
Lookout Mountain 5719'
near the top
near the top
El Dorado
El Dorado
more North Cascade peaks to the southeast
more North Cascade peaks to the southeast
more North Cascade peaks to the northeast
more North Cascade peaks to the northeast
green moss on the lower part of the trail
green moss on the lower part of the trail

Eric Eames
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Highwalker's Daughter
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Joined: 12 Aug 2006
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Location: Bothell, WA
Highwalker's Daughter
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PostSat Feb 07, 2009 7:55 pm 
Great pictures! It's interesting to see it in the winter as I've been there only in the summer. Thanks for sharing.

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EastKing
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Joined: 28 Mar 2007
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Location: 77 miles from Seattle!
EastKing
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PostSun Feb 08, 2009 1:47 am 
Great TR and photos!! Looked like great fun!! up.gif up.gif Is Lookout glissadable??

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
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Location: Inexorable descent
Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostSun Feb 08, 2009 9:00 am 
Very nice work. Heckuva an effort! up.gif

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Tazz
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Tazz
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PostSun Feb 08, 2009 9:06 am 
great day for this one! Eldorado needs more snow!

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Gabigabs
Trail Breaker



Joined: 07 Nov 2007
Posts: 841 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle
Gabigabs
Trail Breaker
PostSun Feb 08, 2009 11:22 am 
Beautiful day to be outside ang gorgeous pics. Thanks for sharing.

Life is simple... Eat, Sleep, Hike!
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Schmidt Alti-Dude
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Joined: 06 Jul 2007
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Location: Looking for Adventure 201!
Schmidt Alti-Dude
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PostSun Feb 08, 2009 3:01 pm 
up.gif

Anything stated by me in no way reflects the attitudes or opinions of my wife
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Opus
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Joined: 04 Mar 2006
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Location: The big rock candy mountain
Opus
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PostSun Feb 08, 2009 3:20 pm 
Very cool! Did you go inside the tower? Is this one open during the winter?

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raising3hikers
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Joined: 21 Sep 2007
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Location: Edmonds, Wa
raising3hikers
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PostSun Feb 08, 2009 5:13 pm 
Opus-The tower was locked but I could see inside and there were sleeping bags set up. Looks like it would be a fun place to stay the night. EastKing-It was too steep in my opion to glissade without an area that leveled off at the bottom. Nothing to stop me except a few trees if I couldn't stop myself. I had to play it safe. On some similar slopes, I could tell that there were some small avalanches from a while back and I didn't want to set one off on my path.

Eric Eames
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Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis



Joined: 01 Nov 2007
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Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis
PostSun Feb 08, 2009 10:50 pm 
Nice photos! Looks great! up.gif

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ericrjensen
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ericrjensen
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PostSun Feb 08, 2009 11:30 pm 
Very cool! I was there in the summer with my brother and we stayed in the lookout, it was the most comfortable night I've had in the mountains, I highly recommend it. up.gif It was quite a hike up there this summer, I was exhausted, I imagine that it would be that much more difficult in winter, nice work!

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