Length: 2.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 850 feet

I did this hike on a whim. At approximately noon yesterday, I realized that the weather forecast for the rest of the week, the entire weekend, and most of next week would be rain, rain, and more rain. So much rain we all might grow gills, I mean, it’s anyone’s call at this point.

I was seized by a sudden need to get one more outdoor jaunt in while the weather permitted, so after work, I ran home, threw my hiking pack together (water, flashlight, sweater, 75 cameras — you know, the usual), and drove through rush hour traffic to get to the trailhead for the Heybrook Lookout. Thank goodness for late summer sunsets.

The drive there is easy. The “parking lot” is easy to spot too, though it’s definitely just a big shoulder along Highway 2, as other people on the WTA website have noted. I got there at 6:30 and there was only one other car in the lot. Guess Wednesday evening is not a popular hike time.

The trailhead is at the top of the parking lot, and you’re not cut any breaks because the path immediately starts out steep and stays that way. That said, it’s still easy to get through as long as you have the lung and leg power — or in my case, a lot of determination and willingness to huff and puff and sweat profusely and unattractively. There are a lot of rocks and roots, but they’re not as hazardous as the ones I’ve encountered on other hikes. I swear the ones on the trail to Annette Lake deliberately attracted my clumsy feet to them.

It also helps that the hike is pretty short because the shorter the distance, the lower the odds of peril befalling me — at least in theory. I hadn’t even been cussing under my breath for that long before I suddenly came out of the forest and saw the lookout tower looming above.

I’ve been a little obsessed with lookout towers since playing Firewatch — which I’d recommend, by the way, to anyone who doesn’t need constant chaos in their gameplay — so it was very cool to visit the Heybrook tower. Unfortunately, the lookout itself was closed, so I only could climb up as far as the viewing platform right underneath it, but that’s still plenty high up for a great view.

There were two other girls there when I arrived, but they were already getting ready to head back by the time I showed up. I had the tower to myself for the rest of the time I was there. You can still hear the trains and highway traffic, but it’s still nice and peaceful. I sat up there and watched some Steller’s Jays squabble amongst themselves and a woodpecker (a red-breasted sapsucker, according to my field guide) test out some trees. Neighboring mountains made the view very dramatic, but I could identify none of them other than Mount Index. Is there a field guide for geological features? And better question, would I be able to use it with any kind of efficiency? Doubtful.

After spending a good hour up there, I headed back down so that I wouldn’t get caught wandering back through the woods in the dark. Including the time I spent at the tower itself, I finished the entire hike in 2 hours. Not bad for a random weeknight.