As I was traversing back to our starting point, I saw a shiny square. All I needed was the memory stick! I debated going lower to check out a small black patch, but it was probably just another branch, maybe I should climb up and check the rocks above us. Well what I thought was my camera turned out to be a stick. I showed him the basic position and he kind of backwards hopped down the slope self arresting on his stomach.
HIDDEN LAKE LOOKOUT WASHINGTON HOW TO
What else can you do? We were just on snow, no rocks, so I mean… it wasn’t the WORST place to learn how to self arrest. maybe, sorta.” I stopped where I was and laughed. When I turned around to front point, I realized Quinn was wearing microspikes. I walked across in crampons and turned around to front point to drop down lower towards what I thought was the camera. Quinn and I headed across the traverse first, and went on Operation Camera Rescue while we waited for the others.
It was much more icy in the morning, and I’m very comfortable on almost anything in boots and crampons at this point. I decided on boots and crampons for the traverse on the way down. Cheryl and Dave I wasn’t sure, but they were in, and as soon as Kacie heard she’d have the lookout to herself, she declared she was opting out of the true summit and was going to enjoy having time to just be. Tony would want to ski down from it, so I figured he’d be in too. Quinn had boundless energy, I knew he’d be in. I somehow convinced most of the group to check out the true summit with me.
Looking across the traverse at the true summit (phone pic) I honestly didn’t think we’d see them until the lookout since we had taken a different route. “Wait, no it’s Tony.” “Dav- TONY?!? TONY!” Followed shortly by Cheryl rocking her snowshoes. Even lobster red.Kacie caught up next, and soon enough we saw a skiier! “It’s Tony!” Kacie said. I offered him sunscreen as well, but he insisted on working on his base burn. Disgusting until I was thirsty and needed salt, and then it was glorious.
HIDDEN LAKE LOOKOUT WASHINGTON FULL
My other waterbottle was full of a combo of salty Watermelon Gu tabs and Peach Iced Tea by Crystal Light. He was low on water, but I had 3 liters and as usual had only drank like half a liter (I’m in a perpetual state of dehydration) so I tossed him a liter. The pics I took the rest of the day were better. Quinn caught up first, and before he could sit I told him to “go stand over there so I can get a pic.” He obliged. Prints are easy to follow in snow, but better safe than sorry. I was happy to hit snow solid enough to kick steps, and Quinn broke trail for much of the way as Kacie lagged behind fighting a sleepy mental battle with herself (Tony nicknamed her “Night Rider” because her travel seems most efficient at night) and I tried to mediate between the two of them so we wouldn’t get too far apart. Kacie had a more in depth stare down with a tall log. I stared at a three foot tall mossy rock for a solid five minutes, knowing if I slipped with this pack on my back I’d be crabby about it. The snow in the forest was patchy, and the undergrowth slippery. We had a feeling that the other group might have just gone straight into the forest from the cars (at the switchback on the dirt road around ~3000ft) since I had sent them a map detailing such but frankly it looked like a pain in the ass and I’m lazy, so I figured we’d take the winter route I knew.We headed a quarter mile or so up the summer trail (which was a brutal, postholing, snow-bridge-collapsing endeavor) and left the trail at 4000ft to head south-southeast-ish (that’s an intercardinal direction, I swear). They napped (or tried to) for two hours, and we got up and had a snack and were moving by 6am. Quinn and Kacie got to the trailhead at 3am, because who needs sleep. The other three had left for the lookout Friday morning, and were already up there. I didn’t sleep, because I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Quinn and Kacie. Tony’s bright yellow FJ was parked and so was Dave’s truck, so I pulled over, pitched the tent, and got cozy. Well, to where the road became impassable due to snow, at least, which was about 2 miles from the trailhead. Both are dropbox, let me know if you’d like an old school map of if the link gives you issues. GPX files here (summer trail to ridge and true summit and lookout) and here (direct ridge from road to lookout).We only know because he lost his ski crampons. Tony wiped out on his skis but no one saw. Did I Trip: I postholed, I slipped, nothing epic unfortunately.Weather: 40’s and cloudy, teens overnight, 40’s and sunny.Elevation: 4200ft gain to the true summit.
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