Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest - Deep in the heart of the North Cascades between the US-Canada border and Hwy 542 you will find Yellow Aster Butte. It's known to be a popular location for hikers and backpackers alike and beautiful year-round with sweeping 360° views of Canada to the north and Mt Baker to the south. It's a stunning region protected from development by the North Cascades National Park. You'll find few roads but many trails that weave throughout the park.
Several beautiful tarns dot the landscape below the butte
The geology of the North Cascades is fascinating and unique to this area of the continent where the continual colliding of tectonic plates, glaciation and volcanic activity have left debris from the ocean floor to deep in the earth's mantle in a jumble of unrelated rock formations. Over time, glaciers have scraped it out allowing erosion to expose rugged peaks that were then shoved upward or submerged, heated almost beyond recognition and then raised again for us to walk on. You won't find this kind of terrain anywhere else. It feels like you're on another planet.
The day started out cold and got colder toward midday. It started to snow, then the wind kicked up, pelting us in the face as we hiked. If it weren't for my hiking companion, I might have turned around because there didn't appear to be any hope of a pay-off at the end of the ascent. We stuck with it and made the summit in 2.75 hrs just as the blue sky appeared directly over our heads. With the promise of sun, we stayed at the top for another 45 minutes (very cold) and were eventually treated with broken clouds and the warmth of the sun. Mt Baker was close, but never shown herself. It must be breathtaking when the clouds reveal the mountain, but we'll have to save that for another trip.
We passed several backpackers who told us briefly of their cold overnight adventure. It didn't sound as if the clouds ever lifted for them, which would have been disappointing because the views are spectacular and the foliage is on fire when hit by the sun. Blueberries are everywhere! If I were a bear, this is where I'd be.
