[wildernessed]

Location : SW of Twisp, Wa Access : Twisp River Rd. > Lookout Mtn. Rd. as far as you can get Maps : GTM – Twisp, TOPO Stats : 8 mi, 3200’, 7 hr. r/t (our route / conditions)

Lookout Mountain Area

Last week we did McClure Mtn to not only check it out, but to recon conditions and a route up Lookout Mtn., which has a functioning Lookout. We also wanted to see the area where the “Lookout wolfpack” hangs. We were on the packed down road hiking at 1000 hrs. under blue skies and sunshine, and a tolerable 32 degrees. Steve said, “ Clear blue skies, sunshine, no wind. It doesn’t get any better than this”, and it was sweet, but the snow was highly variable, and as we gained elevation the wind was again quite fierce. On the road we saw some fresh wolf tracks, and once we exited taking a North ridge to gain the open East ridge the fun began. It’s like the forest is saying “Gotcha”, as you walk up slope maybe 100 yards through the trees and brush, the snow is holding and then, the floor caves in and your waist deep in loose snow, and have to put your snowshoes on in it, then wallow up to the main ridge (in snowshoes) hundreds of feet.

Wolf track in the snow from the Lookout Pack.

Gaining the East ridge from a Northern spur. Deep loose snow, made it a workout.

Steve doing the zig zag up the slope, I'm wallowing in it, I'm 40 lb heavier .

Getting there.

Once on the East ridge it was fairly steep in places, sometimes a snow shoe scramble. The snow was highly variable, but not bad with the emerging views. The final push to the summit was on / through windblown snow and snow drifts, with the eventual summit a wide treeless area with an anchored down lookout.

W on a snowshoe scramble

Pushing forward

On the main East ridge on snow, sometimes your up and sometimes your down.

View of the ridgeline to Lookout's summit.

East ridge

Isabella Ridge in the Pasayten Wilderness.

East ridge

Zoomed in view of the Lookout on Lookout Mtn from the East ridge.

More ridge

Windblown section with light crust and deep powder beneath.

Peaks beyond the end of the Twisp River Valley,

Robinson - Beauty - Scramble - Goat etc...

Tiffany Peaks area

More ridge

The top, the Lookout, and burning cold winds from the Southeast

The views were just incredible. We were able to climb the lookout and sit on the wind protected walkway, eat lunch, take pics, and look through the binoculars. The angle of the views were different than what we were use to, and had us questioning many peaks that we had previously done, and peaks far back into / beyond the Twisp River Valley were all guesstimates, we probably should have brought along a Ouija board or something.

Oval - Duffy - Scaffold Peaks, and I think that is Duckbill in the background.

Humpback - Reynolds - Williams Butte and a group of peaks around South - Twisp - Copper Pass.

Abernathy - Gardners peak / ridge and Storey Peak.

Ravens Roost

Crescent (left) - Gilbert (center) Mtn's and Kangaroo Ridge to the right.

Ravens Ridge and Hoodoo Peaks.

The cold wind from the SE drove us down quicker than we would have liked to have left, but it was bitter cold with blue skies and sunshine once again.

Methow Valley from the rounded ridge.

Twisp and the Methow River far below.

Looking down ridge on the return.

Steve descending.

W descending to warmer conditions

Tracks

Ridge

It was an awesome trip again, thanks for sharing the good time Steve. Definitely a peak to do for spectacular views. There is, when the snow melts a trail which comes up from the North and the West.

Center - Abernathy Ridge and Abernathy

East Ridge Pano 1

End Mountain to Foggy Dew Drainage

End of Twisp River Rd and beyond

First Sweeping views from the East Ridge

Gardners and Storey Peaks

Go West !

Wowza ! Peaks to the West up Twisp River.

Isabella Ridge with Burgett and Sherman Peaks

Looking down ridge

Looking SE at Smith Canyon, McClure, Leecher, and Goat Mountains

Methow Valley from Lookout Mtn

2 labels

More !

Name these Peaks

Navarre to Oval

Oval Peak

Pasayten Peaks

Pasayten Peaks 2

Pasayten Peaks 3

Pasayten Peaks 4 Isabellas Ridge - Tiffany Peaks and

Ravens Ridge - Hoodoo Area

Reynolds - Gilbert - Abernathy - Gardners - Storey - Robinson and

Reynolds - Williams Butte Area

Robinson, Beauty, Scramble and

Snowshoeing out of a basin from the North

Too Much to comprehend !

Walking the Ball

[bobbi]

i need to wear shades with all that sunshine and views! what a day for you!

[BeyondLost]

Just awesome! And I am so envious. Those are just fantastic pics. Looks like you earned them, though. Neat to see the wolf tracks too. I'll be spending the next couple of days in East Texas river bottoms. Lots of coyotes and white tail deer but no wolves. Maybe we could import a few and get rid of all the feral hogs.

[wildernessed]

A good day to do a TR and drink coffee. I've got sunburn, windburn, and I'm in recovery mode. One forward somersault when I postholed and my snowshoe got hung up in some rocks, and one backward somersault when we downclimbed facing a near vertical section of slope that eroded and I put my weight on snow covering a rock slab. Two excellent accidental landings.

[BeyondLost]

[gone]

What an effort, incredible views and shots! That Oval Peak is gorgeous!

[EastKing]

Excellent photos and great TR!!

[Scrooge]

Oval Peak

"Oval" peak, huh? Someone in the cartographer's office was severely deficient in imagination. What's the snowline like, Rob? There's still a little snow showing, almost all the way down to Twisp.

Somehow, I'd gotten the impression that the Eastside had mostly been spared our latest round of Spring snow.

[BeyondLost]

My son reported that we got a few inches in the upper Methow with the last storm and it melted within hours. Snowpack is down to about 6 inches now at our home. That's 2400 feet.

[wildernessed]

[Scrooge]

SummitPost said Oval Peak was a talus fest, but this is ridiculous.

[wildernessed]

[aywolfpac]

I agree with everyone above here. Some amazing views and Oval Peak is spectacular.

[kyle d]

Nice looking trip, too bad you couldn't get many pictures

[wildernessed]