Lookout Mountain 2677 by Galbraith Mountain towers over Lake Whatcom near Bellingham. Its prominence covers over 80% of the mountain’s height. Moreover, the place is trendy among mountain bikers.
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Check out this post for Lookout Mountain by Cascade River Road.
Lookout Mountain 2677 at a Glance
Access: Lookout Mountain Preserve Trailhead
Round Trip: 10.7 miles
Elevation Range: 580′-2677′
Gear: none
GPS track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Lookout Mountain 2677 Preserve Trail
Since we spent most of our time on the road, snowshoeing would’ve made it less tedious. The weather had improved by mid-morning despite the forecast. But I didn’t expect to see the sun for the rest of the trip.
The pup and I arrived at the gate with about a dozen cars in the lot. En route, I chatted with a gal walking with her Golden Retriever. The two SUVs we soon saw were likely nearby residents with an access key.
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Hiking the Bike Trails
We left the road at mile two to relieve boredom and avoid cars. Before scrambling up the north-northeast ridge to the radio tower, we hopped over many down trees. Soon, we stumbled on a bike trail and used it instead.
The trail went up steep hills with ramps that looked like technical riding! It’d move away from the ridge at times but generally went in the same direction. Then the tracks went onto the roadway at 2600′ below the summit tower.
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Lookout Mountain 2677 Summit Views
Views were minimal, but I caught a glimpse of Puget Sound islands. Behind us to the west, Mount Baker‘s top came through a tiny opening in the dense forest. Shortly afterward, we left for the nearby radio facility.
The lower tower looked like the happening place with panoramic views! Puget Sound islands, including Guemes Mountain, sat between the Strait of Georgia and Skagit Bay. Then Chuckanut Mountain spanned the other side of Lake Samish.
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Onward to the South Peak
We still had time, so I decided to visit the south peak. Soon, we walked down the road to the saddle between the two summits. There we spotted another bike trail going up the north ridge. That saved us from going around from the south side.
We went over two steep places before reaching the top, with nothing worth seeing besides radio towers. But I went back and forth for openings in the trees and found none. So we returned to the road and walked back to the parking lot.
See more trip photos here.