Alpine Lookout! Look out for - BUGS!! and views!

Hike Name: Alpine Lookout / Round Mtn / Nason Ridge
Round-Trip Distance: 10 miles
Elevation Gain: 2600 ft
Season: Mid June - Oct
Difficulty: easy - moderate
Forest: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Contact: Leavenworth Ranger: (509)548-6977
Map: Green Trails # 145
Directions: Go east on Hwy 2. Then 1/2 mile past the Nason Creek Rest Area, take a left on an easy-to-miss road with a row of mailboxes (Road # 6910). Continue up (avoiding side spurs) to the trailhead, about 4.5 miles up from Hwy 2.

Wow.

So, I am a hiking book junkie, and I bought the new book on day hikes in the Central Cascades, and saw this hike: Alpine Lookout. Touting sweet views of Glacier Peak, Lake Wenatchee, Sloan, Mt Daniel, Entiat & Chelan ranges, etc. This year so far, I've been trying to concentrate on the Mountain Loop Hwy, and Hwy 2 for day hikes. This was a bit more of a drive on Hwy 2 (past Stevens Pass), but seemed worth it.

And by golly, I love this hike. HOWEVER. We were BRUTALLY ATTACKED by giant SWARMS of mosquitoes!!! The entire hike!! So much so that it was hard to eat our lunch!! So BE WARNED!! Take bug juice (which we forgot)! My arms, 3 days later, still look diseased on account of receiving so many bites.

HOWEVER. This is truly a wonderful day hike - it does climb, but is not the relentless switchbacks through forest, that we are used to on so many hikes. This alternates between beautiful woods and flowery meadows, even meandering through an old burn, which is also silvery and scenic. The views never cease to disappoint throughout, and there are even supposedly mountain goats that live out at the lookout (which we didn't see, but the ranger said are usually there). I highly recommend this hike! Take lots of water, as you will climb and sweat, and there is no place to pump more water throughout the entire hike, except perhaps right near the bottom at a tiny stream.

Wildflowers galore!! Views galore!! And the lookout is great! It is still an active fire lookout, so there is a ranger there all the time. He was really nice and let us use some bug juice for our descent!

Trail was completely snow-free at this point. This really feels like the true "East Side Forest," drier, Ponderosa Pines, beating sun, etc!