"Almost there, Nana"

 

Testerday we hiked to the top of Lookout Mountain, a wilderness area near Twisp. Well, close as the bird flies. The drive to the trail head from town takes about 45 minutes on a rocky, rutted, narrow dirt road. 

Go, Tom. 

Go, trusty old Toyota.

Honestly, I was a little apprehensive about this "moderately strenuous" hike for a lazy city walker. The trail winds along the side of the mountain, high switchbacks, narrow and rocky, for about 1.5 miles all uphill. And then, the old tired legs have to get you back down again.

Anyway, off we went, rewarded every step with spectacular views of the Valley below and the North Cascade Mountains. Lots of photo ops giving me an excuse to pause. Tom, the girls and Nica way out in front, and the faithful nurse keeping me company in the rear. 

One step in front of the other, slow and steady does the trick. Finally, one more switchback and there was the summit, but still looked so far off in the distance! I guess any climber will tell you, the last quarter mile is the hardest.

 

 

I could have sat on a stump and watched the birds and bees, but they kept me going with the "almost there now" pep talk.  

And the reward. A spectacular 360 degree view and another of Amanda's gourmet hike snacks. It was such a visceral top-of-the world feeling. I'm so lucky. It was unforgettable.

Maya, with her sharp eyes, always finds an insect or injured moth to befriend. Weather-wise it was a lovely day, warm and still. I can just imagine how the wind howls up here sometimes, and the hearty souls who manned this tower.

With encouragement (as in, you've come THIS far Nana so you HAVE to go up) I climbed the narrow wooden steps to the top for a dizzy view, clutching the rickety railing. It was scarier than it looks.

In one place, the wooden steps dead-ended with an open trap straight down to the ground. I was surprised we were allowed to climb on it at all. In the city, people expect to be protected from every possible thing. Nova said, "if your smart enough to get up here, you're smart enough not to fall off the tower." Spoken like a sensible country girl. 

Some history from the Twisp Chamber of Commerce recreation website:

Lookout Mountain Lookout was first established as a camp in 1916 then a log cupola was built in 1931. The present classic 14′ x 14′ L-4 with catwalk on a 25′ timber tower was constructed in 1937 and staffed every summer until 1997. Every fire season the lookout averaged over a dozen first reports of fires, giving it the distinction of being the lookout with the highest number of first fire reports in the Methow Valley. It was placed on standby status by the Okanogan National Forest in 1998 and remains on emergency status. It’s also listed in the National Historic Lookout Register as of November 8, 2000.