We drove 4.5 miles up the Twin Lakes road off of Mt Baker Highway to the Yellow Aster Butte Trailhead. This trail is 7.2 miles round trip with 2,550 ft of gain. This trail has fabulous views and lots of wildflowers in the late summer. The trail starts of steep, gaining 1,500 ft in less than 1.5 miles. There is a short section where the trail traverses an open meadow before entering the forest. Here we saw fireweed, yarrow, coastal hedgenettle along with other wildflowers in bloom.
We also had a view of Mt Baker to the southwest.
lovely trail in the forest
As the forest begins to open up, we could look across to our destination, Yellow Aster Butte.
The trail does a wide arc around the basin through fields of wildflowers, gaining elevation at an easier pace.
We could see Mt Baker across the way.
There were lots of asters in bloom.
Goat Peak and Mt Shuksan to the southeast
Lupine, asters and sitka valerian growing up the sides of Yellow Aster Butte.
Mt Shuksan and Mt Baker to the south
The meadows were thick with wildflowers.
More mountain views as we continue to gain elevation.
We found lots of ripe huckleberries to eat along the way.
More wildflowers
Wildflowers growing up the side of Yellow Aster Butte.
I was amazed at how dense the wildflowers were.
Mt Baker in the distance, tarns below
Tomyhoi Peak and some mountain tarns
marmot
The last section of the trail gains 600 ft in 0.2 miles.Wide angle view to the south: Goat Peak, Mt Shuksan and Mt Baker
below to the east is the trail we hiked up
Hiking back down the trail around a tarn, Goat Peak and Mt Shuksan in the distance
Another view of Goat Peak and Mt Shuksan
some of the wildflowers seen along the trail today:
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