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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]