Getting back into something is hard. I stopped writing, I stopped hiking biking climbing swimming surfing basically everything besides working this summer. Work had consumed my life, and not in a good way. So I think, to get back into writing, I’ll do the same as I did with every other hobby I have. I did some short pop culture hikes. I went on 2-3 mile runs. I sat on a surfboard for 90min and caught like two waves (I wasn’t sitting, I actually paddled a lot, I just ended up being every freaking wave). My first day back at the climbing gym I don’t think I tried anything harder than a 5.9. I couldn’t even do 15 push ups straight. But that was three months ago and now I’m running daily and climbing 5.10’s and the occasional 5.11 and can definitely do 15 push ups straight. And I’m on a new team at work! So time to get back to writing blog posts, starting with minimal words. The pictures are pretty, and they still say something about the trip. And eventually the rest of the words will come.

Lookout Mountain Lookout, off Cascade River Road outside of Marblemount. This has been on my OG hikes list from moving here in 2014, except first I wanted to save it for an overnight, then I wanted to get up there in winter or early spring on skis, finally I gave up and Sarah was free and I convinced her to do this butt kicker of a hike even though neither of us were in the mental or physical shape to do it. She told me daily leading up to the hike that she might have to turn around. I’ve already turned around on this hike like three times for varying reasons (dog paw injury, friend’s knee, third time must have been my fault bc I’ve blocked it from memory) so a fourth bail wouldn’t be the end of the world.

• Distance: 9.5mi round trip
• Elevation gain: 4,500 gain (5,700 highest point)
• Weather: 70’s and sunny, a bit smokey
• Commute from Seattle: 2:30 without traffic
• Did I Trip: I don’t remember, so I will assume yes, because I am a klutz

Here is what I remember:

It is steep

We took like 800 pictures of a butterfly that was really hamming it up. Sarah was responsible for 793 of those. I took 7.

Sarah has an insane eye for color and lighting and notices things I’d never see myself but I think I’m getting better the more I hike with her

It was the longest 4.5mi to the top of any hike I’ve ever done

Definitely bring hiking poles, and lots of water. It’s 90% in the forest so sun was not a big problem. Sarah says that’s the only reason she had a shot at success.

There was paintbrush that was like traffic orange, I have never seen anything like it before. And I’ve seen a lot of paintbrush.

We made it to the lookout. 10/10, would return for overnight. Monogram Lake/Teebone Ridge better for skis.

Sarah’s phone died, so I gave her mine for the way down because she was having artist withdrawals not being able to take pictures

Then she immediately took the best wildflower photo of the day, never mind my prior 230 attempts. Quality > quantity

We also spent probably 20min watching squirrels chase each other around a tree like we were in a Disney movie

It was the longest 9.5mi hike I’ve ever done