Yellow Aster Butte

Oct. 5 - In the Mt. Baker Wilderness

Stats: 10.4 km / 1041m gain / 1892m high / 3:25 hours MT

I was worried about the smoke being a problem the day before. I could not see Mt. Cheam from Whatcom Rd. But the Weather Network did not issue a poor air quaility alert. When we got to the parking lot, the smell was strong and a thin film of smoke was hovering at the base of the immediate slopes to our east. But our trail went in the opposite direction and as soon as we were in the forest the smell disolved. In the end, it turned out to be a beautiful clear fall day! Let my photos show you...

The view just minutes from our parking spot. Mt. Baker in all her glory.

After broad switchbacks on the slope above the parking spot and then some steep sections through the forest, we rose above the treeline where the trail did a horseshoe curve from north to west.

Shuksan to the distant right -- southeast.

The only patch of snow along the trail.

Looking back at Larrabee (2384m) & the Pleiades (2164m) & Slesse (2160m) -- northeast.

southwest

southeast

The butte.

We skirted round the butte before ascending it.

Wecome Pass & the High Divide trail -- west.

Tomyhoi summit to the right.

Our summit for the day to the right.

At the junction to Tomyhoi, we turned right and headed up the butte.

west

Group shot: Al Dukart (visiting from Vernon), Peter F, me, Jim A, Charlotte H, Darlene G, + Jan S

Forest fire smoke coming from the Manning Park area -- east.

Darlene offered to stay put at the south butte and guard our backpacks while we hiked / scrambled to the true summit (45 minutes return).

This section just below the summit was tricky, having not too much in the way of hand or footholds. We stayed closer to the ridge on the way back.

TomyHoi (2257m) to Spencer (1620m), American Border Peak (2316m) & Larrabee (2384m) -- northwest to northeast.

Shuksan, Mt. Baker (3300m), Welcome Pass -- southeast to southwest.

Tomyhoi Lake with Spencer, American Border Peak + Larrabee.

The first hump with the ridge we'd come up on.

Mid afternoon and the smoke was beginning to gather to our west but not where we were.

Looking back at Peter, leaving the summit.

We had to climb down and up again between summits. They are almost the same height, the south butte being only 17m lower than the north butte.

Descending from the south butte.

Off of the butte and heading east.

The little tarn had dried up.

Winchester Mt (1920m).

The blueberries were very sweet. We had to tear ourselves away from them.

Ignore the two straight lines.