It might have been a case of biting off more than we could chew. Desolation Peak was known to be a challenging climb in North Cascade National Park. Not technical and certainly possible to do in a day. But it was a long, uphill climb and it was steep. Although it was basically a 12 mile round trip from the parking lot and back, it was the final 4.8 miles up that gave us pause. That 4.8 miles was a vertical distance increase of 4,400 feet. That’s a lot of switchbacks. In addition, we weren’t just going with day packs as most people were. We planned on camping out up top so we were also going to be lugging packs in the 40-50 pound range on our backs. Also, there wasn’t any water on the mountain to be had, so we had to pack in the water for two people and a dog for basically two days. That’s a lot of weight and space. The final consideration was that it had been hot. Hot as in the high 90’s. With that as a backdrop……Yup. Sounds good. Let’s go. No problem.

To be honest, if this mission failed it was going to be on my back. I was the one pushing for it. For one, I wanted to do a challenging hike, even though I knew that Laurie wasn’t sharing my confidence and, we would be bringing the dog with us. (I might have been harboring some doubts as well but pushed them deep down where I could imagine they didn’t exist) Like I said, we had been doing some hiking over the last few weeks and like it is with a lot of activities you become engaged in, the more you do, the more you want to do. But you don’t want to keep doing the easy ones, you want to start moving up so to speak. So it goes with hiking. So, there was this aspect to me wanting us to do the hike. There was something else though. For anyone who grew up in the 60’s, there’s a chance you were bitten by the allure of Jack Kerouac’s book, “On The Road”. I did and I was. That book really grabbed my imagination of travel and America and people and experiences and hey….wasn’t that what we were doing with our journey around America too? Well, Jack spent 63 days as a fire lookout in the fire lookout tower that is situated right on the top of Desolation Peak. The mountain we could climb! During his stint there, he jotted out the notes for two other books he would go on to write which was “Dharma Bums”, and, “Desolation Angels”. So, this was a chance to hike up to the spot where Jack spent time and mental energy formulating and creating some fine American novels that were impactful to many in my generation. And the fire lookout hut was the same one now as it was then, with the exception that it had been painted and had a new cedar shake shingle roof, and of course Jack was no longer there. He had been replaced a number of times but the current lookout was a man by the name of Jamichael Henterly. More about him later.

We had the wilderness camping permit affixed to my backpack, which we had picked up from the Ranger Station the morning before. This would allow us to camp out on the peak and we were going to be the only ones there, with the exception of the current fire lookout. The Rangers were also nice enough to loan us (with a credit card as collateral) a bear proof food container. Hey, what’s a few more pounds in my backpack in order to force the bears to find their own food. The trailhead for Desolation Peak is off the banks of Ross Lake, which is an absolutely beautiful and semi remote lake in the North Cascades. We decided to take a boat from the road to the trailhead in order to not add any additional miles to the 12 we were already going to hike. The motor boat ride was gorgeous and we shared it with a group of trail runners who were going to trail run the 20 miles back to the lakes entry point after being let off. I get it. They used to do short runs and now they were going for something more. After they were let out on the banks, we traveled another mile or two to our departure point. It was about a quarter to ten in the morning and since we were on the west side of the mountain, the suns rays hadn’t yet reached down through the old growth forest. This was good as our climb started out in the still cool air of the morning. One thing though was immediately evident and that was the black flies. Their biting presence would be our constant companion throughout the 4 hour climb and into the evening until the sun set and the cold air and wind drove them into their beds for the night. The trail started out steep and not surprisingly, pretty much stayed that way for the next 4400 vertical feet. Now just to be clear one more time about this hike. There are seasoned hikers who pound out this climb without a second thought. We’re not them. I’d like to think though that even for them, this is a tough nut when you’re carrying a full pack on your back. So up we go. Our approach is to take a slow and steady gait with regular breaks as needed. Laurie has a tendency to overheat quickly and that could not only end the hike, it is medically dangerous, especially with our water at a premium. Jackson seemed to be doing fine and if anything, was expending way more energy than us as he tried to pull me ahead on the leash and made regular forays into the side brush in search of real or imaginary small mammals. As the morning wore on the sun’s presence became more pronounced and started adding heat as a factor to our ascent. Every step upward was a reminder to our hamstrings that they were being asked to carry the rest of our bodies and packs up the trail. Shortly thereafter they would start complaining about this unfair and uneven distribution of the workload. Further up we went and in spite of you wondering how close we were to the “top”, it didn’t help to look up. The top, although it was starting to seem that there really wasn’t one, was obscured by a thick old growth forest. So up we went. Now I knew that our campsite was above the tree line so when the tree’s started thinning out I took that as a good sign. Well, as with most coins, there are two sides and that was the case here as well. No tree’s meant that we were now completely exposed to the sun. It was already hot and now it was going to get even hotter. About this time something else became evident. The hike and the heat were starting to take a toll on Jackson. He was panting furiously and it seemed like every 25 feet now he was trying to crawl off into the shade of a bush and lay down. We really weren’t worried about how long it took us to reach the top but we were certainly worried about our pup overheating. Every significant bush or lone pine along the trail now became a stopping and cooling down point for Jackson and us as well. We gave him lots of water to drink and poured some over his head. He seemed appreciative of our efforts but his face said, hey, do we really need to keep doing this shit? You’re killing me here! I knew it really wasn’t going to do any good explaining to him that stopping here was not an option. One, it was a steep slope that we would not be able to set up a tent on. Secondly, the last thing he would want to do was to turn around and start the multi hour down hill return. So up we went. Then it actually happened quite unexpectedly. We came upon some hikers who were stopped on the trail and as we got to them they all started oohing and ahhing over Jackson. They saw our packs and said, hey, you guys staying over up top? We answered yes and they said how lucky we were and we were going to see the sunset and by the way, the campsite is about 20 feet up the trail. What? Did you say that the end was only 20 feet up the trail! Eureka! We made it!

We walked into camp which was a semi level hump on the mountain with spectacular views of the peaks and the lake below. There were two tent sites that were level and in the shade of the remaining pines that were pushing the limits of the tree line in order to give us some much needed relief from the sun. Off came the packs, up came the tent, rounds of water were shared all around and we laid our weary asses down on our sleeping pads. Inside the tent of course, much to the dismay of the black flies that continued to buzz around it, continually frustrated by the tempting smell of our sweaty bodies, with the nylon barrier that kept them from us. Oh this rest was sweet!

There is a deep satisfaction that comes from physical activity. It’s like the satisfaction that comes from finishing a hard days work, although the reward here was greater than any paycheck. They call the Northern Cascades the “American Alps”. I’ve been to the Alps and I can see why they say that about these northern Cascade peaks. The view from up here was absolutely gorgeous. It quickly made you forget about the physical slog you had just completed and the sore muscles that were going to continue to be sore for the next couple of days. The beauty of nature is mesmerizing. It grabs your attention and stops you in your tracks. Even when you turn away, it will turn you around and make you look again. Make you look at some of the details you might have missed the first time. It can calm you as it talks to you in the language that everyone understands. It makes you feel privileged to have witnessed it. It makes you feel part of something so much bigger. Here we were now, surrounded by peaks, many with glaciers or snow fields reminding us that we were further north now. In fact, we were almost into British Columbia, Canada. It was cooler now and the wind was distinct and refreshing. There are more glaciers in North Cascades National Park than anywhere else in the United States. Sort of begs the question why there’s another park called Glacier National Park a couple hundred miles east in Montana. Who cares. We’re here. It’s beautiful. We’re resting. We’re eating. We’re drinking. Well…….actually, we’re not “here” yet. You see, the campsite is actually about a miles hike short of the fire lookout tower. You know, the Jack Kerouack, On The Road, a writers inspiration for a generation, etc. location.

So, after dinner, we head for the true summit of Desolation Peak. Now the last thing we wanted to do at this point of the day was to start climbing a mile further up the mountain but needless to say, we weren’t coming this far to see some of Jack’s inspiration and come up short. After coming up over a false summit, we gained site of the top and the fire lookout tower. By now we were beyond the tree line and had a clear view of our destination. As we came up over the rocks and onto the top of Desolation Peak, we were met by a gentleman walking from the lookout towards us. Based on his green pants and hat, I took him to be the current lookout and asked him as such to which he replied that he was. He was lean and taught and his face was tanned and weathered, which was evidence of his time up here at the top. His name as I mentioned earlier was Jamichael Henterly. He had been with the forest service and a lookout for 24 years. I believe he had been the lookout on Desolation Peak for the past 6 years although I could be wrong about that. He was a perfect host not only for the summit of this magnificent mountain, but also for the US Forest Service. He welcomed us to his mountain top perch and shared conversation with us for the next few hours. He talked about the job and doing a 360 looking for “changes” every 15 minutes. He knew the names of all the peaks. This was his neighborhood and each of these peaks were the faces of his neighbors. He knew their shapes, their drainages, their ridges, the rock outcroppings, the way the forest came up from below before losing out to the higher altitudes. These were no less the identifying features of Jamichaels neighbors than eye color, hair color, height, and weight were of ours. He could tell if something was amiss on them similar to the way a mother looks at a child and knows they’re not feeling well. He knows when there is the sign of smoke, even before you have the time to look close enough to actually see the finest wisp of white. He is an expert. He knows his neighbors well and he can spot the smallest nuanced change in their contenance. He points out a fire that is burning 25 miles to the east of us. No concern at this point. It’s deep in the wilderness and they will let it burn until it burns itself out. He welcomes us into his lookout hut which is walled in windows. He talks about his wife, his kids, and his grandkids. I ask him if he is asked about Kerouac much and he says not that much any more. I guess there’s not many children of the 60’s doing the hike up these days. He knows the history of the lookout tower well and shares with us the dates of the last time it burned down and how the recent one was rebuilt in the 30’s. He does not feel lonely up here. He works 10 days on and then has 4 days off. He hikes out after 10 days and then hikes back in after 4. The same hike that we just did. It gives a new meaning to walking to work! Who needs a gym membership. Jamichael is in his mid 60’s but he looks much younger. I’m sure he could hike the pants off of people who are half his age. He does it for a living and it has kept him trim and taught. He’s comfortable up here in the mountains and he’s comfortable on the trails. Although this peak gets busy on the weekends, it’s much quieter during the week. I sense that time alone has made him an astute listener and an individual whose conversation and responses are well thought out and pointed. He’s got a lot of time to think.

As the hours pass, I find that he has an English degree but no desire to teach. He’s written some children’s books about fire lookouts but no one wanted to publish them. Too bad. He is also an illustrator and a damn good one too. He has taught illustration at a local college. He shows me a sketch book and some work he has done. Much of his subject matter is portraits and some of historical figures like John Muir and Jack Kerouac. Excellent work. He’s also an EMT who got his initial corpsman training during 3 years in the Army with the 101^st Air Born. We talked about so much more but much of that was left on the mountain when we departed at sunset 4 days ago. We had come up for pictures of the sunset and to say we made it to Jack’s lookout station. Instead, we were treated to an unplanned and stimulating evening with Jamichael, and I must say, it rivaled if not surpassed our visit to the hut where Jack spent his 63 days, back in the day. As the sun set over the western peaks and the rays spent their last moments bathing the mountain tops in gold, we headed back down to our camp. We arrived as darkness was settling in and the first stars were making their appearance on a beautifully clear evening. It was cooler now and the wind was gentle but steady. The flies had bedded down for the evening and though the sun had set, there was still a golden pink sky behind the peaks in front of us. It was going to be a good night for sleeping.

A problem with our backpacking stove left us without coffee and oatmeal in the morning so we shared a granola bar, packed up our belongings, and started down the 4.8 miles to the shore of the lake. Going down is faster, but by no means was it easier. Our hamstrings relished the rest as our quads shouldered the burden of every step down the trail. The fatigue in our quads actually seemed more pronounced than the fatigue on the hike up and we found ourselves again wondering how much further before we got a break. As we got closer we could see the lake through the trees but the sight of water was deceiving. Switchbacks ensure that you ain’t getting there any time soon! Eventually we reached the trail head, dropped our packs and got to rest our aching knees and sore feet. We had a while before the boat was scheduled to pick us up so we spent it soaking our feet in the cold lake water, nibbling on some left over food, drying our sweaty cloths in the sun, and going for a swim.

I was thinking about Desolation Peak and why it was given that name. Desolation to me makes me think of barren and desolate locations like the north pole or sahara desert. This peak was none of those. It gave us a robust and fulfilling physical achievement and then rewarded us with spectacular vistas that individuals below are deprived of. Its summit was covered with a variety of beautiful and fragile alpine flowers of pinks, reds, yellows, and whites that was balanced against grey rock outcroppings and a variety of grasses. It introduced us to Jamichael who entertained us with an engaging and stimulating window on the mountains, fire lookouts, and a way of life that we can only imagine. Desolate? No. They should change its name but I hope not cause when you’ve been here, you want others who have been as well to know. It’s am experience worth sharing.