Goat Peak

Then rather unexpectedly, two years later, I became a fire lookout myself.

I've now spent six summers staffing Goat Peak in the North Cascades, watching for smoke, tracking thunderstorms, and experiencing firsthand the work that generations of lookouts performed from places like Columbia Mountain.

I've also become involved in helping preserve and restore Washington's remaining historic lookouts, and I spend a great deal of time researching and sharing their stories.

In those eight years, I also built a little off-grid homestead in the Methow Valley.

But of course, Hudson never needed to fill Jake's space.

He made his own.

And now he's been with me for countless adventures as well, including many, many fire lookouts and six seasons of staffing Goat Peak.

I think most of us who love animals understand from the beginning that our time together will never be long enough.

OK, so I talked about Cutthroat Pass today.

Um, I really, I am hoping to go to goat peak this year, the goat peak lookout, which I've never been to, but it's in the same area.

Um, I'm hoping to make that my new large hike this year.

I try to do a new large hike every year.