Sourdough Mountain - N. Cascades, WA 9-9-2016

No pain, no gain! This is a tough hike gaining 5,100 vertical feet in 5.2 miles, but the reward of reaching the summit and the lookout is tremendous with jaw dropping vistas of N. Cascades peaks/glaciers/valleys, Ross Lake and Diablo Lake. And, a sense of big accomplishment echoes within no doubt. If you want a physical (and also mental) challenge to earn amazing landscape and mountain views for your hike, this is a good one to try.

Trailhead
There is a big trail sign on Diablo St. Park your car along the street. There is a storage(?) building right there. You'll see a trail information board on the left of the building, but the actual trail is located behind the building on the right side.

Sourdough Mountain
The trail climbs steeply in the first 3.5 miles. You'll notice trail's steep grade from the beginning as the first 2 miles gain 3,000 vertical feet, which reminded me of the steep trails of Mailbox Old Trail and Mt. Rose. The journey goes through the dense forest and lush vegetation about 3 miles (making you feel it's endless!) until the treeline gradually thins out. To some point, I felt like meditating (mental challenge!), except I had to keep trekking instead of being still. In about 3.5 miles, views finally start to open. As you continue to gain elevations, the view gets better and better....wow! There is a creek to cross at Sourdough Camp, but it's almost completely dry and just a little streak of water running. So, bring enough water with you for this strenuous hike.

The last mile or so climbs the steep face of the mountain's hillside with switchbacks and gets a little rocky here and there. Wildflowers (paintbrush) are still blooming and fall colors are starting to show, too. And, there are so many wild berries there! Ripe and sweet!! I think I picked at least a half pint or so munching them along the way to the top. Yum!! Rejuvenated with berries sweet power, the final push to the summit felt a bit easier.

Lookout
To reach the lookout on the summit, continue to the right (east) following the trail, and soon you'll see the lookout standing on the hilltop not so far. The trail moderately gains elevation to the lookout in a short distance about 1/3 mile.

Take in the fantastic views! Wow! Before you is the reward after the grueling march ascending 5,100 feet! Spectacular vistas of high peaks and valleys of N. Cascades in all directions as far as you can see and Ross Lake and Diablo Lake down below. The colors of the lakes are amazing - deep blue and emerald green...another Wow moment. The summit is fairly spacious and covered with granite slabs/rocks so you can explore the area around the lookout (keep "minimum impact" in mind) and enjoy different perspectives of the views and terrains. You'll come to know why this mountain top was chosen for the "lookout" point.

The lookout is locked/closed to the public and it's the National Historic Lookout Register. It was one of the first lookout points established by the USFS in1915. Through the window you can observe what's inside. Items displayed inside look interesting....it's like a museum.

I guess this hike may be intimidating, probably because of the elevation gain for the distance with the steep trail, but it's doable if you are a fit or seasoned hiker. Just take your time and pace yourself. The reward you see from the top is beyond description. It took me 3 hrs going up and 2.5 hrs coming down. Hiking poles are useful to save your knees, specially in descending the last 2 miles/3,000 feet vertical down to the trailhead. And....pick a clear day to do this hike so that your sweat and effort are better rewarded with the breathtaking views at the top. Big effort, fantastic reward. Happy hiking! :)

 

 

Hidden Lake Lookout - N. Cascades, WA 8-25-2016

This is a great hike with jaw dropping views of N. Cascades including Mt. Baker, Glacier Peak and Mt. Rainier. If you like the hike of Cascade Pass/Sahale Arm, this hike will not fail you with sweeping vistas of amazing landscape and mountain ranges. However, no pain, no gain....be prepared for a strenuous journey as the trail continuously climbs up and up, and even gets rocky. Wildflowers are still blooming strong, particularly paintbrush is abundant at this point. But, summer is fading....so that could change any time soon.

The lookout is going through re-roofing now and the work may continue for a week. I saw two guys (Robert and Ethan) working on the roof. Many thanks for their work and dedication!....I should have brought them a bottle of sake for kampai (cheeres)! It made me realize once again the fact that it does take time and effort to preserve history and wilderness. Hike up there and witness the history and appreciate their work while re-roofing is in progress or completed.

Road condition
Cascade River Road is paved and in great condition. Drive about 10 miles to the junction/FS 1540. There is a sign for the Hidden Lake Trail. FS1540 is a narrow dirt road (rutted, rocky, pot holes). So, go slow and take it easy. My sedan could handle the road with no problem. In 4.5 miles you reach trailhead. There is one section on the road where it gets really narrow due to washout, but the spot is well marked with a white stick, so pay attention as you go....you don't want to drive off the edge!

Trailhead
Parking lot is small. When you park in the lot or on the road, make sure to leave enough room for other cars to drive in/out. No privy at trailhead.

Hidden Lake
The journey begins in the forest and the trail climbs steadily. In about one mile, views open up as the treeline thins out and you come to green meadows on the hillside in the valley. Wow, wildflowers galore! The higher you go, the more flowers blooming....particularly, paintbrush. The trail continues to climb steadily with switchbacks for another 1.5 miles or so. As you reach the saddle, look for Mt. Baker looming over the skyline. The trail levels out along the saddle. After the breather for 1/2 mile, the trail climbs up again and gets rocky. The views get better and better as elevation gains, however. Trekking up the steep and rocky trail about 1.5 miles, you reach the bottom of the summit block of Hidden Lake Lookout. From there, zoom in and look for the lookout sitting on a granite boulder pile at 6,900 feet. What a view! The trail continues to the ridge where Hidden Lake can be seen down below. There are some snow fields to traverse about 200 feet or so....it's slushy, but easy to cross. Enjoy the view of Hidden Lake!....with Forbidden Peak/Boston Peak/Sahale Arm/Johannesburg in background. Cascade Pass (another amazing hike!) is somewhere behind Johannesburg, you can visualize.

Lookout
The trail continues from the viewpoint of Hidden Lake. To reach the lookout, follow the steep trail climbing up with switchbacks to the summit. It's pretty steep ascent, but the route is solid with switchbacks....hopefully, you are not acrophobia!? A little scrambling and rock hopping are needed for the final push to the lookout.

Wow! Take in the sweeping vistas in all directions! Splendid! 360 panorama of jagged N. Cascades peaks with Hidden Lake as foreground, including Eldorado, Forbidden, Boston Peak, Sahale Mountain, Johannesburg, Spider Mountain, Mt. Formidable, Snowking Mountain and more. Glacier Peak, Mt. Baker, and Mt. Rainier are seen in the distance. When you stand on one of the pointy granite rocks and view those craggy peaks far and near, it almost makes you feel like you are standing on the Himalayas. It was also nice to happen to witness the work of re-roofing the lookout. Can you imagine what it would be like roofing the lookout standing on top of the granite boulder pile at 6,900 feet?

This hike is definitely one of the top 10 hikes among my favorites now....not only spectacular views, landscape, wildflowers and lookout, but also the hike gives you a sense of the experience of being out in a remote alpine wilderness. With extra sweat and effort, the reward you'll see is AWESOME! This is a hike that should be on your hiking list as a PNW hiker!!