Hidden Lake Lookout
Marblemount, WA
Hidden Lake Lookout is one of those hikes that'll make you feel like a total badass after completing it, and most likely a little sore. Roundtrip, this hike is 8.0 miles with a 3,300 ft. elevation gain. As intimidating as that may seem, don't let it scare you off. I've done the trek to the lookout 3 times now, and the views are so worth it, every single time. This first mile or so of the hike starts off in the forest, which is really the only shaded part of the hike. The trail then opens up into a meadow, which has several switchbacks leading up the mountain. This is my least favorite portion of the hike, just a real leg burner. Once you make it past this section, the mountain views really start to pay off. The terrain turns very rocky, and you continue about a mile until the fire lookout finally comes into view. Now, once you see the lookout, you will probably feel a strong urge to give up. Getting up there looks extremely intimidating, but the last part of the hike is the fun part, in my opinion. Once you pass the lake, it's just a gnarly rock scramble to the lookout.
Story Time
My first time hiking to Hidden Lake Lookout was both a beautiful and terrifying experience. I was going on a solo trip to the lookout for sunset, and then back down the mountain because I had work in the morning. So thats what's I set out to do, however I got a late start. I arrived at the top as the sun was setting, and stayed up there for a little too long because I was so engrossed in the view and taking pictures. As the sun was nearly hidden behind the mountains, my phone died at about 45%. "Okay, no worries." I thought, "I brought my portable charger, I'll just pull that out." But hey! what do you know...my charger wouldn't turn on. Since I was still very new to hiking in general, I wasn't prepared with an actual flashlight. So here I am, on top of this mountain, the sun has already set, I am now without a light source, and the panic begins to set in. I immediately start BOOKING it down this mountain as the light is rapidly fading. It's a miracle I didn't twist an ankle. I then get to the last mile of the hike, the part I was worried about. The last section of the trail coming down is in the forest, completely shading out any last bit of light. I pulled out my phone again and frantically tried to get it to turn back on, seeing as the battery was only halfway when it had died. It would turn on, but only for about 15-20 seconds, then it would shut back off again. (fun fact I later learned: cold weather affects your phone's battery) This was actually all I needed, though. The white apple logo screen was providing me a light source, with just enough brightness to see my feet on the ground below. However, this eventually stopped working. My phone quit turning on all together, and terror kicked in. Without that white logo screen it was PITCH black, and the path was steep, with tree roots and rocks obstructing different parts of the trail. I knew that I was not going to be able to make it down the rest of the way without some sort of light source. So I pulled off my backpack and being searching every pocket in hopes that a flashlight or another portable charger would somehow be in there. As I was digging around, I found a lighter. THANK YOU GOD. I tried lighting a stick on fire to use as some sort of lame torch, but the ground was damp. The flame wasn't very strong so I was hunched over, holding the lighter a couple inches from the ground, having to re-light it every few seconds to see the ground that was right underneath me. After about 0.5 miles of hiking down like this, I spotted my car. Oh man what a feeling that was. So many emotions combined with the biggest sense of relief.
