Winchester Lookout - a room with a view
by Tara Nelson
Mist before the peak
– the dream
goes on
The sound of silence
is all the instruction
You’ll get
– Jack Kerouac
For Bellingham resident David Inscho, the Winchester Mountain Lookout is like having a bed in the sky.
With 72 panes of glass and located at 6,400 feet on Winchester Mountain near the Twin Lakes, the lookout provides a glorious panoramic view of the Northern Picket range, Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan and Canadian and American peaks, as well as protection from the elements – all at no charge to overnight visitors.
But for Inscho, who heads the Mt. Baker Club’s Winchester Lookout restoration committee, it’s just a great place to take it all in.
“How many places can you sleep on public land or on a mountain summit without having to worry about being snowed on, blown off a cliff or struck by lightning,” he said. “That and as a photographer, all you have to do is sit at the desk and watch the light change until you have the right moment.”
Originally built in 1935 and staffed until 1966, it was slated for demolition until the Mt. Baker Hiking Club, led by Gary Haufle, worked out a deal with the U.S. Forest Service in 1982 to restore the building. The USFS provided materials and the club – later known as the Mt. Baker Club, to reflect the group’s ever-expansive outdoor activities – provided the labor. Since then, the club has continued to maintain the lookout on a budget of about $200 a year, stocking it with dishes, propane, pots and pans, a stove, a desk, chairs, a bed and maps.
“It represents great dedication by the club,” said Inscho. “It’s their crown jewel, a tangible achievement they can point toward and say, ‘We did this,’ and without their involvement, the work would not have been done.”
Winchester Lookout is a 14 by 14-foot single room building and one of 58 fire lookouts in Washington state, according to the National Historic Lookout Register. Located less than two miles from the Winchester Mountain trailhead (#685), the hike is steep and rated “more difficult” by the U.S. Forest Service with nearly 1,300 feet in elevation gain. The trail starts at theTwin Lakes and switchbacks through sub-alpine forests and meadows with constant views of the North Cascades before curving around the mountain to the fire lookout at 6,500 feet. Alpine flowers and wild blueberries are abundant along the trail and ripe for picking.
The lookout is generally inaccessible from early October until mid summer because of snow. If you are planning on spending the night in the lookout be aware the lookout may be occupied when you arrive. The lookout is available on a first-come, first-served basis. However, there are areas outside the lookout to pitch a tent. Although the lookout sleeps three, there is a limit of 12 overnight visitors.
The Mt. Baker Club organizes regular group excursions for hiking, biking, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, canoeing, and kayaking, as well as monthly social activities in the Mount Baker area. For more information about the club, visit www.mountbakerclub.org or call 360/392-1015.
Note: In the summer of 1956, writer Jack Kerouac spent 53 days in a lookout on Desolation Peak, hoping the absence of drugs, alcohol and other distractions would allow him to write. In this he was mistaken: according to David Wilma at www.historylink.org, he wrote only a letter to his mother, some haiku and entries in his journal.
Getting There
Take State Route 542 east past Glacier approximately 13.5 miles. Turn left on Forest Service Road 3065. Look for a sign that reads Tomyhoi Trail 5, Twin Lakes 7. The road is steep and rough for 4.5 miles to the trailhead of Yellow Aster Butte.
The last two miles to Twin Lakes are unmaintained with no room to pass and is extremely rough. This portion of road is often washed out in the early part of the season and is only fixed up by the miners at the Lone Jack Mine, if they decide to operate the mine that year based on the price of gold.
Four-wheel drive may be required past the Yellow Aster Butte trailhead so many individuals park and walk up the steep road. Campers should bring food and water and be prepared to carry out their own waste.
Note of caution
The Forest Service recommends indivuduals check with the ranger station for conditions before hiking. Also, use caution when crossing the rock wall mid-way on the trail, as it is steep and partially eroded.
The Forestry and Fire Lookout Association maintains an online database of fire lookouts in the United States. Their website is located at www.firelookout.org.
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