INTRODUCTION:
In late
October 2019, I hiked to Mt. Hale via the Fire Warden’s Trail. This trail is officially abandoned, and receives
little or no mention in conventional hiking guidebooks. However, it still receives a lot use and is
unofficially maintained, primarily by backcountry skiers. As I understand it, the trail mostly follows
the corridor that once serviced the Mt. Hale fire lookout tower that became operational in 1929. The tower was officially
taken out of service in 1950, and torn down in 1972.
Many
decades ago before the trees grew in and completely obstructed the vista, the
summit of Mt. Hale was considered to be an excellent viewpoint. So
nowadays, one doesn’t go to Mt. Hale for views at the top. Instead, it’s more about the journey rather
than the destination.😃
Even
though the Fire Warden’s Trail isn’t depicted on maps associated with conventional
hiking guidebooks, there are some maps available on the Internet where this
approximate 2-mile corridor shows up as a dotted line (see map below).
PHOTOS:
2 comments:
Your Birch forests remind me of our Aspen forests in the west. The bright white trunks, along with a hint of fall color and a blue sky, comprise a compelling scene.
And your photo of Little River is awesome—so refreshing! For how long does the trail follow the river?
Finally, even though the summit is now enclosed, I appreciated the tree-mendous view! :)
Hi Rita . . . thanks once again for reading my blog and posting your comments!
Regarding your question, you get the views of the Little River at the beginning of the hike when trekking for about a mile along the North Twin Trail. You then head away from the river when you leave the North Twin Trail to head up to Mt. Hale via the Fire Warden’s Trail.
John
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