RHH's photos with the keyword: fire lookout

This is the old fire lookout on Park Butte which was our destination on a recent hike and where we ate our lunch before hiking back. On a first-come-first-serve basis the lookout is available for overnight camping.

The photo, taken on a recent hike to Park Butte in the North Cascades of Washington, looks down the valley up which we came across a small lake aptly named, Pocket Lake. The inset is of the fire lookout on Park Butte where we ate our lunch before hiking down.

Yesterday we went hiking. We are in western Washington and had a day free so decided to hike the Park Butte trail on the southwest side of Mount Baker. The trail took us to an old fire lookout (see inset) on Park Butte and we had our lunch there. The lookout is no longer used to watch for fires but can be be used as an overnight cabin. This was the view of Mount Baker and Colfax Peak from below the lookout. We hiked nine miles and climbed and descended 2300 feet, most of the way through snow. There had been several inches of snow which fell the previous evening, but it did not hinder our hiking.

This was where we had out lunch yesterday, in the old fire lookout on Park Butte near Mount Baker. We hiked through several inches of snow and did nine miles and 2300 feet of elevation.

These photos are all from our hike up Lava Butte, an old cinder cone in Lava Lands, and part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The fire lookout at the top of the cone was manned and not open to the public. It was the stopping point for the shuttle bus that ran up from the visitors' center and most of those who used the shuttle rode up and rode back down. We walked around the rim of the cone before going back down and it was from the opposite side of the cone that this photo was taken.

The trail to Railroad Grade is also for part of the distance the trail to Park Butte, shown here from Railroad Grade. The old fire lookout at the top of Park Butte can just be seen in the photo as can parts of the trail. I hiked to Park Butte last autumn but we were tired and hot and did not feel like more hiking on this occasion.

This is Park Butte from Railroad grade looking across Morovitz Meadows. The fire lookout on the top of Park Butte can just be seen and the trail to Park Butte is visible on the right climbing up from the meadows and then again at the lowest end of Park Butte.

After having lunch at the Park Butte fire lookout, just visible in the photo on the top of the butte, I headed backed down to Morovitz Meadows and the beginning of the trail to Railroad Grade. I came to the fire lookout from the ridge on the left of the photo and would head more of less directly away from Park Butte on the next part of my hike.

This was my destination on the first part of my October hike, the Park Butte fire lookout, though I would come to it from the other side of this rocky outcrop. The fire lookout is available on a first come, first serve, basis for camping out and is no longer used for its original purpose. On this hike it was closed for the winter, though I ate my lunch on the walkway around the lookout.