More than any year I remember -- there are numerous fires in the Desolation Peak area. Fire command has named them the NW Pasayten Complex. Here are 2 links: https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info#WA-OWF-000469 https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8397/ The map shows them just east of the peak -- the larger one is further east i.e. deeper in the Pasayten. Some of the [...]
I went looking for a very lightweight shoe but with a stiffer sole for the climb up Desolation. After spending some time at my local REI and the running store - I chose the Hoka Speedgoat 5. These are trail runners but I used them for hiking the trail. Turned out to be an excellent [...]
7-31-22 Wow, Desolation is having its moment this month : ) First the KUOW podcast and now yesterday the Seattle Times had an article https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/93-fire-lookout-towers-remain-in-wa-heres-what-its-like-working-and-living-in-one/?amp=1 Some very nice photos from Jim, the lookout.......... hopefully you can access it without a paywall in the way.... bruce
7-30-22 When I was recently up at the Deso Lookout --Jim mentioned an interview he did for a podcast as it happened on the last day of the 2021 season. It is very nicely done. You can find it in a series: The Wild with Chris Morgan -- a production of KUOW which is [...]
Hi there, happy to report that my son and I climbed Desolation Peak last week to the top. I got to sit in the old LO for a half hour or so. Wonderful nostagia and very nice to visit with Jim again. I will be posting some more pictures and am going to add a [...]
Hi there, currently I am training to hike Desolation another time in July. It is proving to be more difficult since I am now 71. The " space " between training enough to make it to the top and the risk of training injuries -- is a pretty small window of success. Not sure how [...]
Just about finished a new book by a lookout up in Alberta. I believe her LO was a 100 foot tower ! Yikes ! Not sure I could climb that. The story is much more than about fire operations although there is plenty of that. Considerable content is about her personal life and is very [...]
This is a well known segment from a Steve Allen TV Show many years ago--- Jack is reading from his book On the Road.........unique pacing that suits the prose beautifully...... I never get tired of listening to it....... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LLpNKo09Xk
If there ever was a European painting / serigraph that reminds me of Desolation and Kerouac / Synder --- it is this one by Samivel. The mountain being contemplated doesn't have the twin spires of Hozomeen but otherwise..... : )
Supposedly Desolation Peak got its name from the look of the fire ravaged peak " back in the day " . I found an article on that here: https://w3.ric.edu/faculty/rdegouvenain/Ageeetal1990.PDF. Pretty technical by UW Forestry Department. Here is a small section that talks about the last 150 years: " In circa 1880, much of the west [...]