Just read “Summit stewards make the steep trek to Green Mountain Lookout“. Ah, visions of Kerouac on Desolation Peak! Well, this isn’t quite so literary, I guess.
If you don’t know Kerouac’s connection to the Pacific Northwest, below are few links for you (and if you don’t know Jack Kerouac, please fix that. I always start such things with Wikipedia).
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- Climbing a Peak That Stirred Kerouac: The New York Times
- Art on High: Beat Poets on the Fire Lookouts: Seattle Met
- Jack Kerouac in the North Cascades: North Cascades Institute
- If you haven’t already, read Kerouac’s Desolation Angels (affiliate link to Amazon…help feed this blogger!)
Anyway, I enjoyed the article, probably in no small part due to my literary fascinations. This looks like a fun, if aggressive hike. And staying on top of a mountain (I doubt there’s wifi) would be a great way to decompress. For me, personally, after this season’s hikes, I realize I’m not quite in good enough shape for hikes like this one. I’m building back up, though.
Below is a video of the current occupants of the lookout (as of the article’s writing, at least) created by the good folks at the Everett Herald.
https://vimeo.com/358390009
If you’re inspired to make this hike, check out the WTA’s (Washington Trails Association) page for the Green Mountain trail. And if you’re interested in the Kerouac/Beat pilgrimage to Desolation Peak, the WTA has your covered, too.
