Yellow Aster Butte Mountain Hike

With views into Canada, fiery fall color and sweeping wildflower meadows, the trail to Yellow Aster Butte is one of the most popular in the North Cascades. Located in the Mount Baker Wilderness, the trail traverses the south-facing slopes of the High Divide. As you climb, you are treated to spectacular wildflowers shows in spring and early summer. Come autumn, the hillsides are vivid in orange, reds and yellows. This is a breathtaking area at any time of year, and so understandably popular. Expect plenty of company on trail and arrive early if you plan on camping. From the trailhead, the trail begins and immediate ascent. You will share the trail with hikers bound for Tomyhoi Lake on this steep ascent, which gains nearly 1500 feet of elevation in just under a mile and a half. As the trail climbs, you switchback through an avalanche path (meaning this is a trail best done when snow-free) and enter a forest before popping out into a meadow. Fortunately, along the way various flora keep you occupied. Try and identify the trees in the woods as you trek along, and in the meadow, look for Indian paintbrush, lupine, heather and fireweed, among others. Bringing a field guide is a good idea; with it, you can take breaks and identify interesting trailside trees and blooms. For the more geologically inclined, rock formations carved out as the Puget Lobe retreated north provide equally fascinating distraction. And for photo buffs, there are of course the stunning views of Mounts Baker and Larrabee, the western section of the High Divide, and, in Canada, the Border Peaks.

words from wta.org