Started with the water taxi up Ross Lake to the Desolation trailhead - a great deal if you can split it with other people! Desolation was in fine shape - a good trail, water about half-way up (and some at the top)... Plus, the berry picking is good & will be for a few weeks probably. The lookout was in great shape. It was locked when we were there, but I'm told that someone is manning (or ""womanning"") the lookout for the rest of the summer. Spent the first night at Lightning Creek with the boating crowd. Next day, we headed up Devils dome, etc... The bugs were only bad below 4000ft & near Ross Lake (which is shallow & warm). The trail is in magnificent shape all the way from the border of the Pasayten to the other trailhead. The FS did a TON of work (or contracted it out apparently). Everything was cut back / brushed a good 4 feet from the trail - should be good for a few years to come. Views of jack mountain were amazing... although it was a bit cloudy & hazy. Had a hail-storm in the evening which quite possibly was responsible for killing a lot of pesky bugs. We spent the next night at Devils Pass (I think), there was a trail to a spring just below the pass. Next day was more great tread along jackita ridge, through Devils park, etc. There were some very steep bits of trail in this section, but nothing dangerous/slippery for those with poles. Camped just below Crater Lake - another superb spot. We climbed to the lower lookout location on Crater Mtn. Take the trail with the arrow made of branches, even though the other trails look more promising (You'll see what I mean when there). Didn't try the old, higher lookout trail, but from the ""becky guide"" description, it sounds rather straight-forward. If you're using out-of-date USGS maps, note that the trailhead on hwy 20 is shown in the wrong place, if you're following this trail in the same direction as I'm describing, cross the log bridge when you get near the trailhead. All in all, a great trip with continuous amazing views of the North Cascades. If you love mountains, hike this trail... and write the FS to thank them for supporting trail work! -jj

After a long and miserable, yet character building experience of portaging kayaks from Hozomeen to the nearest available put-in (low water conditions) we made our way to our camp at Cat Island. Started the hike from the Ross Lake Spur which shaved off a couple of miles from starting the trail at Lightning Creek. If you follow the Desolation trail straight down to the water on the map, there is a small sign and a very small landing to get up to it. From there the sign said 4.7 miles. The trail was snowfree for the most part, until you hit the meadows around 3 miles or so. Tons of flowers in bloom under the snowline. Bugs were very sparse. The weather cooperated with us and we had incredible views most of the hike up. We ran into quickly melting snow towards the top of the hike in probably 5-6 big patches. An ice-ax would've been worth gold up there. The last quarter to half mile was mostly snow, but the terrain made it much easier than the other patches of snow. The 360 views from the lookout were well worth the hike up. We sat on the sun flooded peak for an hour or so and ate lunch before heading back.

On a last minute whim, two of us took the water taxi up Ross Lake and got dropped off at Lightening Creek Campground, the nearest camping to the Desolation Peak trailhead. We camped there (very impressive new bear boxes, and nobody else there) and in the morning got started hiking by 7:45. From Lightening Creek, it’s 2.1 miles north up the East Bank Trail before hitting the Desolation Peak trail. Then, it’s 4.7 miles and 4300 feet up to the lookout, elevation just over 6,000 feet. The lookout was locked but we could look in through the door. Fantastic views, down to the lake, across to the Picket Range and Mt. Redoubt, north to Hozameen Mtn. and Canada, and south to Jack Mtn. The trail was well graded, shadier than we expected (sunny at the top) and virtually snow free already. Nobody else in sight. Not much water on this trail and we went though more than 2 quarts each, I recommend carrying a filter so you can re-fill at the one or two little springs on the way. We got back to camp around 6:00, after 13.6 miles and 4400 feet up and down, and the next day by pre-arrangement the boat came and picked us up mid-day. A great early season option for a long day hike to high elevation, and scenic low elevation camping.

We picked the day of the thunderstorms to hike up Desolation peak from Ross lake. After camping on the lake for 2 days, tuesday looked the best for climbing Desolation. It was great on the way up, partly sunny and cool. The trail is in great shape, brushed out, blowdowns cleared, blueberries ripe and very good. We stopped at Desolation Camp since the kids didn't wish to climb even that far. They did like the view and the blueberries though. Desolation camp is nice, it even has a designated place for cooking (complete with a sign says ""cook""). No water at the camp, however the spring half-way up the mt. has plenty of water. On the way back down, the thunder and wind started. The boat tie-up at the trail head isn't protected well enough and our little rental boat was being thrown up on the rocks in the wind. It was a scary ride back to our camp. Ross lake was full of water and empty of people and bugs, and just beautiful.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER LOOKOUTS I'VE BEEN TO. THE HIKE IS HARD, ONCE YOU START CLIMBING YOU KEEP CLIMBING. WILD FLOWERS ARE IN BLOOM, MOUNTAIN BLUEBERRIES ARE RIPE AND THE FLIES ARE BITING. A WONDERFUL HIKE BUT BE READY TO CLIMB.