Forum Index > Trip Reports > Lookout Mountain Lookout, June 11-13, 2010
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D. Inscho
Not bored yet...



Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Posts: 973 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham,WA
D. Inscho
Not bored yet...
PostMon Jun 14, 2010 10:08 pm 
“Beautifully lost” I thought to myself, hiking through trackless old growth in a drizzling murk, as Swainsen’s & Varied thrushes called out in the wild cathedral. But not lost in a specific sense; somewhere beneath my boots, under several feet of snow was the trail, as long as I minded the map and that mystical needle pointing red toward the north.
Bodhran sniffs out the inbound route
Bodhran sniffs out the inbound route
Despite the spanking 4400’ of gain this trail dishes out, I love its narrow, intimate, and soft mossy margins. And of course the forest…! Snow began in earnest at about 4200’. The avy slope is partly clear having released to bare ground. The upper slopes are steep and deep with snow; passage without an ice axe is insanity. I ascended my preferred timbered ridgeline route which sticks close to the north cliff face. Snow consolidation was variable; glide cracks and spruce traps presented some difficulty. Climbing was a full-body effort. Bodhran, my faithful companion, was a good sport and hauled his load valiantly.
Off-duty lookout
Off-duty lookout
Bedroom in the sky
Bedroom in the sky
Chores
Chores
Lookout interior
Lookout interior
After 4 hours of toil there was no more up, save for the stairway to our warm & dry bedroom-in-the-sky. We planned to stay 3 nights, Friday through Monday. I was particularly excited about catching the new moon, which means good stars! Meanwhile, it drizzled merrily the rest of the day so I went to bed early for much needed sleep. I awoke at 1:30 to a magical transformation; the stratus deck hovered about 500’ below the summit and a galactic glow above. It motivated me to dress and descend to the snow for some star shots. The result was worth it; the only thing better than planetary beauty itself is capturing a bit of it in an image and taking it home (otherwise stars and mountains make lousy houseguests). I think this poem fits nicely with the star image: Coot and the Quiet- William Pitt Root Most of my adventures was of the quiet sort Like noticing one night how my old cedar dipper was as full of stars as water. Then I drank. A man inside four walls all his natural life cannot drink stars. Even the full moon can’t touch his sleep with the dream the likes of which only a creature knows, a creature touched with what is that lights up a man’s skull like a fire lights up a cave
Fire Lookout and Galactic Blaze-1
Fire Lookout and Galactic Blaze-1
I worked on the structure to earn my keep. If puttying windows is a lost art; I think I can safely say that I found some of it! Otherwise it was siesta, solitude, birdsong, and distant water sounds, all in the Bright Hush of the N. Cascades. Saturday & Sunday were sunny, but the NWS withdrew some of its optimism for Monday, so I packed up to descend as clouds rolled in about mid-afternoon. I’ll not grumble though; it was a fat banquet of stars, snow, silence, & sunshine. The hike out was harder on the legs than the climb; the pounding descent has me walking around like the Tin Man today.
Kulshan
Kulshan
Upper Cascade River valley
Upper Cascade River valley
Whitehorse and Three Fingers
Whitehorse and Three Fingers
Eldorado Peak
Eldorado Peak
Glacier Peak peek-a-boo
Glacier Peak peek-a-boo
Kulshan sunset
Kulshan sunset
The Pickets
The Pickets
Hidden Lake LO visible on peak to the right.
Hidden Lake LO visible on peak to the right.
Plenty of time to ponder the circularity of “mountains make the drainages make the mountains make the…” And so it is, like a serpent swallowing its tail. Beautifully lost I say…

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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NickJ
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Joined: 28 Aug 2009
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NickJ
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PostMon Jun 14, 2010 10:35 pm 
Awesome trip...I know this mountain is in the National Park - but are dogs allowed to go? I'd love to do this trip with my pup.

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D. Inscho
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Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Posts: 973 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham,WA
D. Inscho
Not bored yet...
PostMon Jun 14, 2010 10:43 pm 
Monogram is in the park, Lookout mountain is not.

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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NickJ
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NickJ
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PostMon Jun 14, 2010 10:44 pm 
Awesome. Goin on the list

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Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics
Location: Inexorable descent
Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostMon Jun 14, 2010 10:46 pm 
Mr Inscho, I am very glad to hear your thoughts and see your pictures here on this forum. up.gif up.gif up.gif

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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Backpacker Joe
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PostMon Jun 14, 2010 11:16 pm 
Yes welcome. Great post and I love the pics. Ten thumbs up! up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Gimpilator
infinity/21M



Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics
Location: Edmonds, WA
Gimpilator
infinity/21M
PostMon Jun 14, 2010 11:31 pm 
Re: Lookout Mountain Lookout
D. Inscho wrote:
Fire lookout and Galactic blaze
Fire lookout and Galactic blaze
Beautiful words and beautiful imagery. This night photo of yours is most impressive. Mind if I use it on the Lookout Mountain page I made for summit post? I'll give you credit in the description.

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D. Inscho
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Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Posts: 973 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham,WA
D. Inscho
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PostTue Jun 15, 2010 6:58 am 
LO image
Sure Gimpilator, flattered!

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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D. Inscho
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Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Posts: 973 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham,WA
D. Inscho
Not bored yet...
PostTue Jun 15, 2010 7:01 am 
Thanks for the welcome Magellan. I've been following your contributions for awhile; time to dive in. I formerly posted at WTA for years; this site seems to offer a more dynamic forum for wider sharing.

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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the Zachster
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the Zachster
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PostTue Jun 15, 2010 9:01 am 
Very nice! How did your dog do going down those steps? They're kind of steep! Zach made it down but I thought for sure he was going to end up flying down face first!

"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
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D. Inscho
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Joined: 28 Feb 2010
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Location: Bellingham,WA
D. Inscho
Not bored yet...
PostTue Jun 15, 2010 9:40 pm 
Zachster, You're certainly right about the steps, steep! It took Bodhran a couple days to be proficient on them; but he was only about a year old then.

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostSat Jun 19, 2010 8:53 am 
ditto.gif We have a calendar contest every year. I hope you will enter some of your images.

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seattlehikertoo
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seattlehikertoo
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PostSat Jun 19, 2010 11:47 am 
That picture is just fcking amazing. I went there 3 times last summer only to have to turn back twice because of lightening, hail, steep, dangerous snow, etc, until I finally got to the lookout. My pics don't even compare to that one of the night sky.

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Gwizzzard
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PostSat Jun 19, 2010 8:45 pm 
The star shot is absolutely fantastic! May I ask what camera, lens, and settings you used for that shot?

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Layback
Cascades Expatriate



Joined: 16 Mar 2007
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Layback
Cascades Expatriate
PostSat Jun 19, 2010 10:36 pm 
I can only say what everyone else has said. The night image is spectacular. up.gif up.gif

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