Poets, Fire Lookouts & Desolation

Fire lookouts, they evoke images of small, weathered, glass encased huts on high peaks, wide views with clouds drifting over trees and an immense amount of solitude. Maybe they also bring up images of the lonely lookouts creating poems and literary works in their free time - sometimes this was the case. The fire lookouts of the North Cascades inspired a generation of beat poets, whose time spent in solitude and musings on society helped to inspire North American mountain culture and romanticize time spent alone in the wilderness. On our trip to North Cascades, we decided to backpack Desolation Peak, where Jack Kerouac worked as a fire lookout and drew inspiration for Desolation Angels and Dharma Bums. Who knows, maybe this trip would inspire some musings of my own.

The Trip

We arrived at the Ross Lake Dam Trailhead parking lot around 8am feeling a little uncertain, the information we read online was a bit vague on how to get to the Ross Lake Resort boat dock, there seemed to be only one trail leading away from the parking lot, so we followed it along with two other groups that were heading out at the same time. The trail descended down through a fir and cedar forest, passing by a waterfall and crossing a stream, I would describe this part of the mile hike in as pleasant if I wasn't feeling a bit pressed for time and also thinking about how I would need to hike back up it on our way out the next day! After about a half of a mile the trail spilled out onto a dirt road with options to go left or right on the dirt road, for the resort ferry we headed to the right after consulting the sign and followed the road down to a small dock. There was another party of two already at the dock waiting for the ferry, I felt a bit relived that our ride would be cheaper, at least in this direction.

I could see the resort across the lake, charming, floating wooden cabins with blue and white striped cloth lounge chairs sitting in front of them, the last of the morning mist drifting lazily across the tree the mountains of the North Cascades rising behind it. Shortly before nine am, our departure time, I could see a small boat leaving the resort and speeding towards our dock. The boat docked and Sam, the captain, had us and our packs loaded into the boat and was pushing off again in minutes. The lake was quite calm or so Sam said and based on the conditions we experienced the following day it was true, Sam also pointed out some of the notable peaks, glaciers and islands around Ross Lake. He also suggested that if we made it back to North Cascades in the future that we should rent a boat at Ross Lake and spend a few days boating and camping on the islands in the lake. After dropping the other party off at their trailhead, it was our turn to be dropped off at the little dock at Desolation Trailhead. The boat sidled up to the dock, Sam helped us unload our packs and confirmed our pickup time the next day before departing, the boat zipping across the lake and we were left alone at the trailhead to start our hike.

The trailhead is comprised of a small dock and next to it a "beach" where you could pull a kayak ashore. An old wooden sign indicating that it's 4 & 1/4 miles to Desolation Peak, while a trail leads away from the dock into the forest. The only amenity here is a pit toilet a short way up the trail. The morning was a bit cloudy and overcast, a fact that I was thankful for as we started along the trail surrounded by a dense cedar and fir forest, with Ross Lake popping in and out of view on our left. The elevation gain started immediately, from my research I knew that the trail had almost 1000 feet of elevation gain per-mile, so I was mentally prepared to be going up the whole hike, I had been training quite a bit on the stair-stepper and incline walking on the treadmill so I was hoping that my legs were prepared. As expected, with my allergies and deviated septum, I was huffing and puffing the whole way to the top of the mountain. Not only did the elevation gain start right away, but so did the downed trees. Going uphill we often had to take off our packs and pass them over or under the trees before clambering over ourselves, it was quite annoying and tiring, every time a new tree across the trail came into view, there was collective swearing.

We encountered an intersection in the trail with a sign indicating that Desolation Peak was to the left and Lightening Creek was to the right, if you opt to hike in this is where you

intersect with Desolation Trail. We continued trudging up the trail, enjoying the sounds that only solitude can bring; wind through the trees, bird calls, small animals scampering in the forest around us, after the hustle and bustle of Diablo Lake the day before, this solitude was welcomed and what I was craving for a wilderness adventure. We came out into an open area where people have clearly camped in the past, and I could see why, it had a stunning view out over the lake and the jagged granite peaks of the Cascades and would no doubt be spectacular at sunrise or sunset. We found remnants of an old shirt that was further evidence this spot had been used as a campsite, as a reminder of LNT principles you should only camp in already established campsites to help preserve the delicate ecosystems that exist in these wild places.

Up, up, up we continued our hike, stopping for the occasional break and clambering over more downed trees. One of these downed trees was across the trickling stream of the only water source on the trail, fed from snowmelt from nearby Jack Mountain, it hadn't yet run dry. We passed by evidence of bear digs on stumps and old logs and even some old bear scat along the trail. The sun had burned of some of the haze and clouds from earlier in the day and as the terrain changed, the forest thinned and we moved into subalpine meadows

where wildflowers were just starting to bloom, roots mixed with rocks polished by years of exposure ran across the trail as the sun beat down on us. As the views opened up, we could see the towering spires of the Picket Range in the distance, "this is the kind of place that makes you feel small" I thought. In this section we also came across old Cougar scat, feathers from a Northern Flicker, easily identifiable with their vibrant orange coloring and an overly friendly Black Tailed deer. Sam had warned us that the deer would be completely unbothered by our presence and might even come up to us, Jim later echoed this and commented that if we heard anything outside our tents at night it was most likely a deer and not a bear or cougar. The deer wandered lazily onto the trail and stared at us while chewing its mouthful of leaves occasionally. After a brief stare down, it became clear that the deer was happy to stand there for ages, so we resorted to chasing it of the trail waving our arms to make it move.

According to my research and the sign for the junction with Lightening Creek, it was 4.7 miles to Desolation Peak lookout, and the camp was about a mile below the peak which in our estimation should have put it around 3.7 miles, which I was mentally prepared to hike, but 3.7 miles came and went according to Garmin and still no camp. Switchback after switchback passed, "where the fuck is this camp?" I wondered, there had been no other trails or intersections so there was no way we missed it. I called out to Ashley that I needed a break, mentally more than physically. It is a bit of a mind fuck to be mentally prepared to hike uphill for one distance and then find that it's actually farther, ah the joy. We were both a bit over walking up hill and wondering where this mysterious camp was. Pulling out our phones and consulting our offline maps we determined we had eight or so switchbacks to go until we reached Desolation Camp, the milage was unclear, after a snack, a drink and trying to mentally rally we continued on feeling a bit like Sam and Frodo trying to reach Mount Doom. Finally, we reached the sign indicating Desolation Camp was to the right and the lookout and peak was to the left, Garmin indicated that the camp was at 4.7 miles, almost a mile more than what the signage and AllTrails indicate, so either Garmin, AllTrails or the sign was lying.

Walking into Desolation Camp, we wasted no time in dropping our packs to the ground and walking around exploring the camp. There were two tent pads that looked out over Ross Lake with views of Jack Mountain and Nohokomeen Glacier, wildflowers were starting to bloom on the slopes below the camp in a small meadow. Continuing our exploration, we found a sign that said cook and a small trail leading away from the tents, heading down this path and navigating around yet another downed tree we came to the designated cooking and food storage area with some rocks that could be used as a table or chairs. further along into the camp and down another trail was the pit toilet with a fun in use/open sign to prevent walking "in" on someone who was on the throne looking out over the forest with their back to the trail.

After pitching our tents, stashing our bear can and resting for an hour, we decided to head to the peak, hoping to meet Jim the fire lookout who Sam had said was already up on the mountain. The hike to the peak started with more climbing and switchbacks before opening up into subalpine scrub along the ridgeline with wind whispering through the stunted fir trees, here we came across a few snow patches, the last remnants of the winter still clinging to the shadowy places, the weathered fire lookout in the distance sitting atop a granite outcropping with Hozomeen looming behind it. As we approached the lookout and noticed that although lookout was clearly open with the shutters raised, it was locked up and Jim was absent. I felt a bit disappointed that my questions would go unanswered. Hanging on the door was a container with paper and pens for visitors to leave a note that would be pasted into the visitor's log, a documentation of everyone who visits the lookout.

We wandered around the peak soaking in the 360-degree views of Ross Lake, Hozomeen towering to north and the mountains of Canada beyond it, Jack Mountain to the south, glacier carved valleys snaked down the tree covered mountainsides. Peering in the windows of the fire lookout I could see a mixture of older fire watch gear, now decorative relics mixed in with more modern additions, it felt a bit intrusive knowing I was looking into a space where someone was living. My thoughts wandered to Jack Kerouac and some of his musings and meditations inspired by his time in this place. There were clearly more modern amenities added since his time here in the 50s, such as a refrigerator, but there was still a basin sink setup, similar to what he described in his book.

I wondered what it would be like at night under a blanket of stars, or if the Northern Lights ever dance across the sky, how powerful do storms feel in the tiny hut with lightening

flashing around you. "Do you see any smoke?" a man's voice called out announcing the return of the lookout's current occupant. Jim, an older man, had gone to pick up a resupply of food as they didn't think a helicopter could bring anything for another week. He invited us into the lookout for a chat and to look around, we learned that he was born in Cuyahoga Falls, you really do meet people from Ohio in the strangest places. As we took our leave Jim offered to take our picture, and despite on recently acquiring a smartphone, he really did know the best spots for photos on the peak.

Heading back down to the camp, we made dinner and ate quickly as the flies were quite annoying, I had almost packed my bug net but left it out at the last minute, not for the last moment on this trip, I regretted that. Post dinner I lay in my tent, watching the sun drift and set across the mountains, sending colors dancing across granite peaks. I read Desert Solitaire, and contemplated solitude and wilderness, writing some of my thoughts down in the little notebook I brought with me, it made me think of my grandpa who carried a small notebook and pen in his shirt pocket and was always writing notes for himself. I even drew a little - an activity I reserve solely for camping and backpacking and thought about how I'd like to get a small watercolor paint set for future trips. Eventually I drifted off to sleep as the last of the light was fading on the mountains, I awoke during the night and looked out of my tent into the inky darkness, clouds drifting across skies dotted with what seemed like millions of sparkling stars, basking in the silence and solitude of this wild place I can understand why it's called Desolation.

I woke before my alarm, which was set to wake me up before sunset, a Black Tailed deer wandered by the open door of my tent as I was pulling on my fleece, it looked at me as if it was mildly affronted to my presence before continuing on through the camp. Exiting my tent, I wandered over to the little meadow and watched as the sun came up over the mountains in the east, moving higher in the sky it cast its rosy rays onto Nohokomeen Glacier and Jack Mountain bathing them in pink light. After the sun had finished it's show, we decided to make breakfast before the flies got bad, I took my coffee to my tent and read for a bit before falling back asleep for a bit. When I awoke again the sun was fully up, we packed up camp at a somewhat leisurely pace as our ferry wouldn't arrive until 3, after snapping some final photos we started our journey down the mountain.

As is the usual case with going downhill, it didn't take us as long as going up, I counted the downed trees as we went - there were 20 - Ross Lake was glittering in the bright sunlight to our right and we could see the waves being created by the wind. We reached the downed tree at the water source and were a bit startled to hear someone call out a greeting. Two day-hikers were making their way up the trail, they had kayaked to the trailhead and were heading to the peak. After a brief exchange of small talk and trail conditions, we parted, going our separate ways.

We arrived at the dock well before our scheduled pick-up time of 3pm, I had been looking forward to a lake bath, but watching the choppy white capped waves throw large pieces of driftwood, against the shoreline with some force change my mind. Instead, I stripped off the clothes I had been wearing, changing into my camp clothes and wandered onto the dock to rinse them off, I tried laying them on the dock in the sun to dry, but the wind was so strong that it kept blowing them away, I gave in and tied them to the railings of the dock to hang dry. I wandered back to the shade to get a snack from my pack and a butterfly that was flitting around me landed on my water bottle for a few moments before flitting off, the butterfly reminded me of my Nana and made me feel like she was joining me on this adventure into solitude, she would have loved hearing about my trip. Heading back to the dock I lay in the sun alternating between reading, dipping my feet in the cold emerald-green water and watching the clouds drift by lazily overhead. My thoughts wandered and I felt that I understood why these fire lookouts inspired men to become poets, surrounded by the expansiveness of nature and minimal human contact my brain seemed to naturally wander off into contemplation that sparked creativity.

Eventually, we heard the hum of a boat engine, hastily I changed from my camp clothes into my freshly lake rinsed sunhoodie and put my boots back on, we gathered our packs and brought them to the dock as the bat was sideling up to the dock. Sam helped us load our packs and gave us a warning that the ride would be bumpy and off we went. I felt that bumpy was an understatement as the boat skipped across the waves, Sam skillfully navigating around the plethora of driftwood in the lake. As Desolation Peak slipped out of sight behind us, I felt incredibly grateful for time spent so disconnected and in relative solitude, time in the wilderness, even in brief amounts, has the power to be transformative and inspirational.

Stats

Distance: 9.4 miles (WA Trails Assoc) Elevation: 4540 Ft Difficulty: Hard Time: 7-9 hrs

or overnight

Logistics & Planning

Planning this hike can seem a little intimidating and somewhat confusing at first, I didn't find a lot of clear or super recent information on this hike which is a little surprising since Jim told us he sees 300 - 400 visitors a summer. Here is some of the information I struggled to find and some other things to keep in mind.

• Permits & Camping: You don't need a permit for the hike itself, but you do need a permit to camp at Desolation Camp, the only official camp on this hike. You will see a spot a mile or so into the hike where people have clearly camped, but let's try to protect fragile environments and only camp in official camps/sites. You need to pick up your permit from one of the Wilderness Information Centers the day before your trip; the trip leader will need to attach it their pack while you're hiking and once you set up camp the permit should be attached to one of the tents. Permits are available on Recreation.gov beginning at the end of May and are listed under the East Bank Trail section with 8 permits available per day.

• Bear Cannister: Black bears are active in North Cascades and a bear cannister is required in the backcountry, if you don't have your own cannister or are traveling and don't want to bring your own, they are available to rend at the Wilderness Centers. We saw old bear scat on the trail and some bear digs on some of the fallen trees/tree stumps but didn't see any actual bears.

• Getting to the Trailhead: This is where there the lack of information made it a bit tricky to figure out how to get there. The Desolation trailhead is located about 18 miles

  - Hike in: It's important to note that the border crossing at Hozomeen is closed and you currently can't hike in from the North (sorry Canadian friends). From the Ross Lake Trailhead you can follow the East Bank Trail for about 18 miles until you reach the intersection with the trail for Desolation Peak. If you have the time and are looking for a multi-day trip this would be a great way to enjoy North Cascades.

  -Boat in: If you don't fancy hiking in you also have the option to boat in. You can rent a small powerboat from Ross Lake Resort and navigate your way to the trailhead on your own. It's also possible to kayak in, we ran into some day-hikers who had kayaked in. If you are going to kayak, be aware that Ross Lake is BIG and can be quite rough as it's usually windy.

  -Ferry: This is the option that we chose, it's the fastest way to access the trailhead taking about 30 minutes from the dock to the trail head, it is also the most expensive. The ferry is operated by Ross Lake Resort and runs mid-Jun through September; there are a number of spots around Ross Lake that the ferry runs to, and the price of your trip depends on two things: where they are dropping you and if there are other people sharing the ferry. I mentioned this is the most expensive way to access the trailhead, for 2026 it is $190 each way from Desolation. We were lucky on the way out as another party was also on the ferry so there was a 25% discount. The ferry can take a max of four passengers plus packs, and you pay the captain (cash or card) before they drop you at your destination or back at the dock. It's recommended that you book your ferry in advance, especially during high season to ensure you get the time slot you want. Our Captain (Sam from Maryland) told us that they do take last-minute trips depending on how busy they are with the ferry and the resort guests. Head here to make your ferry reservation with Ross Lake Resort.

• Trailhead & Parking: Parking is available at the Ross Lake Dam Trailhead; we arrived in the morning and there was plenty of parking, however, in the afternoon the parking lot can fill up, and you may struggle to find parking in the lot.

• Water: Desolation is a dry peak; there is a water source at abut 2.5 miles, but this dries up the farther into the summer that we get. Be prepared to carry all the water you think that you will need.

• Miscellaneous:

  -There is no cell service so make sure you download any offline maps you want/may need. You can find one on AllTrails or you can use my OnX map which you can find here.

  - I highly recommend taking an InReach or other SOS messaging device. I've seen many people arguing that these devices are no longer necessary with cellphones having satellite features, however, these have not been proven reliable in contrast to the InReach.

  -There are cougars in North Cascades, and we saw old cougar scat on the trail and Jim confirmed that he has seen them in the area. We brough bear spray more for cougars than bears, use your own judgement on what makes you feel safe.

  -LNT: Our parks and public lands are under stress with the number of visitors, reduced staff resources and the removal of reservation systems and timed entries to high-volume parks. We all need to do our part to protect these spaces by following LNT principles which you can find out more about here, and we should always strive to leave the places we recreate better than we found it.