Hidden Lake Lookout at Last

Those four miles were some of the most stressful of my life. At the end I was shaking, sweating and cursing. And I hadn't even started hiking yet.

Yeah, I'm not talking about the four miles up to lookout, though they were hard as well. I'm talking about FS 1540. It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have a giant Hummer type vehicle with all it's bright as hell headlights blazing in my rear view while it drove up my ass the entire way up. I suppose I could have squeezed over in a spot or two to let him pass, but I was too afraid he'd get the last parking spot. So I drove WAY too fast instead...though still not fast enough for him, apparently. But we both made it up none the less, and even with a few parking spots left to spare. 

To avoid all this anxiety, you really should plan on getting to the Hidden Lake trailhead earlier than 9am. (And don't even bother if you don't have a moderately high clearance vehicle. That road is seriously bad.) This is one of the most popular hikes in the North Cascades - #9 in my "Classic Hikes in Washington" book that I mentioned last post. I was saving it all these years, contemplating trying to actually stay in the lookout. An overnight in a lookout is a big bucket list item for me, as it is for many hikers. Including Rachel Lakoduk. 

When she went missing over five years ago, I don't think I've ever been so emotional over someone's disappearance. It was all so overwhelmingly tragic. Therefore, Hidden Lake Trail got put on further hold as it felt like hollowed ground to me. But in case you didn't know, she was miraculously found in 2021 - two whole years after her heartbreaking death. (Article here.) 

And so I felt ready to finally cross this one off the list, even without a lookout stay. I'm actually really thankfully I let go of that idea, because WOW...that last boulder scramble to the top is something else. And you really need to have your full backpack with you if your intention is to stay; because chances are it'll be full and you'll have to climb back down and find somewhere else to lay your head. And it won't be at Hidden Lake unless you have a coveted permit - thus staying a Hidden Lake Lookout is a complected and risky endeavor. 

If you zoom in hard, you can see the lookout precariously perked atop...yikes

Day hiking it is hard enough. The instructions in my book were to expect to be hiking for 8 hours, which I foolishly thought I could beat, even with my slow speed. It took me exactly 8 hours, and I spent very little time in the lookout. (Though I did spent a bit of time picking berries - SO many next to the trail!) So I guess I'm not exactly the "slowesthiker" (another way to find this blog) but just your very average hiker. But I'm an alive hiker, and for that I'm very grateful. Happy "and also mixed with sadness" trails.