Yellow Aster Butte Loop
Overview
This is a difficult out and back trail to Yellow Aster Butte in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Public Tracks
Crazy drive up the "Primitive Road". Four wheel drives a must here. Starts with some switchbacks between the forest and the meadows. Work your way up to the "kill zone" where all of the game trails converge at a swamp (see the pics of the cougar and Grey Wolf tracks). Continue up from there to the open meadows and turn left towards the butte. Immediately into the large snowfields which were fun to cross (watch and listen for the giant marmots). The call them "whistle pigs" for good reason. They are LOUD. Amazing views from the top, with lots of places for lunch and great photo ops. Super run down (not overly techical, but fun).
Crazy drive up the "Primitive Road". Four wheel drives a must here. Starts with some switchbacks between the forest and the meadows. Work your way up to the "kill zone" where all of the game trails converge at a swamp (see the pics of the cougar and Grey Wolf tracks). Continue up from there to the open meadows and turn left towards the butte. Immediately into the large snowfields which were fun to cross (watch and listen for the giant marmots). The call them "whistle pigs" for good reason. They are LOUD. Amazing views from the top, with lots of places for lunch and great photo ops. Super run down (not overly techical, but fun).
