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- Oct 12, 2015
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- 363
This report is from a few weeks ago, but I am just now getting a chance to put all the photos together.
A friend of mine had never been to the Highland Mountain lookout, so we've been talking about taking a trip up there for a while now. In the summer you can drive to within 1.5 miles of the lookout, then the summit of Red Mountain is only another 1/2 mile from the Lookout. In the winter, however, the road isn't maintained so, depending on conditions, we may have to park and walk a lot further.
On Sunday morning we met at 6:00am, knowing that we may have a long day ahead of us. Luckily, the snowpack has been unusually light this year, so we were able to get further up the road than we had initially thought. By 6:45 we were hiking under the stars, with just a silhouette of Red Mountain above us.
![IMG_4723.JPG IMG_4723.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74851-e3b33f3f01950a062d7365f0b5298b84.jpg)
![IMG_4724.JPG IMG_4724.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74852-d0d5fe09130272621dd0d3635ee20dc4.jpg)
After about an hour the sun finally came out to warm us up a little.
![IMG_4729.JPG IMG_4729.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74853-f498f7945f366176b05a354b5687a51f.jpg)
Unfortunately, there was so little snow we had to pack our skis most of the way.
![IMG_4731.JPG IMG_4731.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74854-78dd1f593bc85b0a7205540198381de7.jpg)
When we got in the trees there was finally enough snow that we could put our skis on and skin the next few miles.
![IMG_4742.JPG IMG_4742.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74855-d83ed539d756d1b70b09e7d059b90c91.jpg)
![IMG_4744.JPG IMG_4744.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74856-68026025fff5dd7b945399a723c432b3.jpg)
By following the power lines we were able to cut a mile or so off our total distance compared to following the road. Surprisingly, no one else had been up there since the last snowfall so we were breaking our own trail. After another hour or so of skinning, we broke above tree line and could see the Lookout above us.
![IMG_4758.JPG IMG_4758.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74857-4d149bb3b1667ef236c8fd65d29ec5e3.jpg)
Have I mentioned the disappointing snowpack? Time to take the skis off once again.
![IMG_4759.JPG IMG_4759.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74859-a5676fa0bd330066927c54ea878dff66.jpg)
We decided at this point to skip the Lookout and head straight up to the summit of Red Mountain. I had never summited in winter, but we picked the perfect day to do it. Sunny, no wind, and temps in the 20s.
![IMG_4765.JPG IMG_4765.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74860-f186eea7e8da1dab330335efc15e14c9.jpg)
![IMG_E4812.JPG IMG_E4812.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74869-9c22f94c9362d5688c760339f08628eb.jpg)
![IMG_4773.JPG IMG_4773.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74862-a9f6e3ff78127c2b7ddf936c82078fad.jpg)
The views from the top were, as always, incredible. I love the view back to Butte from the top of these mountains. Especially in the winter, as I found.
![IMG_4774.JPG IMG_4774.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74864-56edf3cdb49a7be8fad8a2438862cbc4.jpg)
![IMG_4776.JPG IMG_4776.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74865-26f43257db33464b1f5681498d0ce09a.jpg)
![IMG_4786.JPG IMG_4786.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74866-f8d33166b308afc0a5f4d0315dc731c5.jpg)
After a few pictures and some lunch, we decided to make our way down. My plan was to ski the rest of the way down (Cory is not a skier, so he was on showshoes), but you guessed it, not enough snow. So, I boot packed it down, stopping at the Lookout for pics, then continuing down further to treeline to finally take off the skins and enjoy some downhill.
![IMG_4788.JPG IMG_4788.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74867-6ab7e5bb29c31b89be42fd0d93d9b70e.jpg)
At the end of the day, being completely exhausted, we started thinking about when we could start planning our next trip.
![IMG_4811.JPG IMG_4811.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74868-41cd209a91aa12fb855e20e4eea693cf.jpg)
A friend of mine had never been to the Highland Mountain lookout, so we've been talking about taking a trip up there for a while now. In the summer you can drive to within 1.5 miles of the lookout, then the summit of Red Mountain is only another 1/2 mile from the Lookout. In the winter, however, the road isn't maintained so, depending on conditions, we may have to park and walk a lot further.
On Sunday morning we met at 6:00am, knowing that we may have a long day ahead of us. Luckily, the snowpack has been unusually light this year, so we were able to get further up the road than we had initially thought. By 6:45 we were hiking under the stars, with just a silhouette of Red Mountain above us.
![IMG_4723.JPG IMG_4723.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74851-e3b33f3f01950a062d7365f0b5298b84.jpg)
![IMG_4724.JPG IMG_4724.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74852-d0d5fe09130272621dd0d3635ee20dc4.jpg)
After about an hour the sun finally came out to warm us up a little.
![IMG_4729.JPG IMG_4729.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74853-f498f7945f366176b05a354b5687a51f.jpg)
Unfortunately, there was so little snow we had to pack our skis most of the way.
![IMG_4731.JPG IMG_4731.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74854-78dd1f593bc85b0a7205540198381de7.jpg)
When we got in the trees there was finally enough snow that we could put our skis on and skin the next few miles.
![IMG_4742.JPG IMG_4742.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74855-d83ed539d756d1b70b09e7d059b90c91.jpg)
![IMG_4744.JPG IMG_4744.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74856-68026025fff5dd7b945399a723c432b3.jpg)
By following the power lines we were able to cut a mile or so off our total distance compared to following the road. Surprisingly, no one else had been up there since the last snowfall so we were breaking our own trail. After another hour or so of skinning, we broke above tree line and could see the Lookout above us.
![IMG_4758.JPG IMG_4758.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74857-4d149bb3b1667ef236c8fd65d29ec5e3.jpg)
Have I mentioned the disappointing snowpack? Time to take the skis off once again.
![IMG_4759.JPG IMG_4759.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74859-a5676fa0bd330066927c54ea878dff66.jpg)
We decided at this point to skip the Lookout and head straight up to the summit of Red Mountain. I had never summited in winter, but we picked the perfect day to do it. Sunny, no wind, and temps in the 20s.
![IMG_4765.JPG IMG_4765.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74860-f186eea7e8da1dab330335efc15e14c9.jpg)
![IMG_E4812.JPG IMG_E4812.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74869-9c22f94c9362d5688c760339f08628eb.jpg)
![IMG_4773.JPG IMG_4773.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74862-a9f6e3ff78127c2b7ddf936c82078fad.jpg)
The views from the top were, as always, incredible. I love the view back to Butte from the top of these mountains. Especially in the winter, as I found.
![IMG_4774.JPG IMG_4774.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74864-56edf3cdb49a7be8fad8a2438862cbc4.jpg)
![IMG_4776.JPG IMG_4776.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74865-26f43257db33464b1f5681498d0ce09a.jpg)
![IMG_4786.JPG IMG_4786.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74866-f8d33166b308afc0a5f4d0315dc731c5.jpg)
After a few pictures and some lunch, we decided to make our way down. My plan was to ski the rest of the way down (Cory is not a skier, so he was on showshoes), but you guessed it, not enough snow. So, I boot packed it down, stopping at the Lookout for pics, then continuing down further to treeline to finally take off the skins and enjoy some downhill.
![IMG_4788.JPG IMG_4788.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74867-6ab7e5bb29c31b89be42fd0d93d9b70e.jpg)
At the end of the day, being completely exhausted, we started thinking about when we could start planning our next trip.
![IMG_4811.JPG IMG_4811.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/74/74868-41cd209a91aa12fb855e20e4eea693cf.jpg)
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