Yellow Aster Butte, WA
Awesome hike, indeed - stunning fall colors are prime at
Yellow Aster Butte right now. It was 72 degrees at 2500 feet....warm like
summer. This hike is really worth for driving 2.5hrs from Seattle….grand vistas
of spectacular alpine peaks(Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, Goat Mountain, Tomyhoi
Peak, Winchester and Canadian border peaks), wildflower meadows, and lakes/tarns.
Inter-connected trails also offer a variety of adventure to explore. A little glacier(snow) walk is an exciting
addition to this hike. Yellow Aster trail is similar to Artist Point/Heather
Meadow/Chain Lakes loop trails in many ways, or even better, I might say. I couldn’t go without stopping and pausing(awestruck!)
frequently for jaw-dropping views displayed before me. 7.5 mile RT and 2500 feet
elevation gain may sound easy, but not really. Switchbacks are rather steep,
and final ascent to the summit is a real thigh burner….it’s an equivalent of
West Tiger’s Cable Line(if you know what it is). Suck in lots of air and ascend
for the reward at the top! Trekking poles get handy for descending the steep
stretch. Wild heather’s fall colors spread
like a red carpet along the trail. I saw
quite a few overnight hikers on the trail, which made a good sense to me after
all…imagine seeing all the spectaculars at sunset and sunrise with nature’s
magical ingredients? Yellow Aster Butte will not only impress you with gorgeous
fall colors, but also feed your soul with N. Cascades alpine plateau and grand vistas.
Roundtrip | 7.5 miles |
Elevation Gain | 2550 ft |
Highest Point | 6150 ft |
How to get there:
From Bellingham take the Mount Baker Highway (State Route 542) and drive east
for 34 miles to the Glacier Public Service Center. Continue east another
13 miles, turning left onto Forest Road 3065, signed "Twin Lakes Road"(the turnoff is right at the Department of Transportation's Shuksan
garage). Continue on
FR 3065 for 4.5 miles to the trailhead (elev. 3600 ft).
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