This trail was hiked from the Independent Mine (Mother Lode Mine) Trailhead up the direct route via the 808A trail, then onto the Lookout Mountain Trail #804 to the summit, then returning via the Line Butte Tie Trail #807A trail southeast to a junction with the Independent Mine Trail #808 which we returned to the trailhead upon. Total distance of this route was 6.25 miles with approximately 1150' elevation gain.
Both the 808A and 807 Trails had significant amounts of downed timber across the trail, so extra time was spent trying to figure out a way around each section of blocked trail. Snow patches on north-facing slopes and amongst the trees were also encountered, although there had been recent melting which compacted the snow and made patches easier to cross.
Weather: Temperatures in the low 60s in the morning climbing to the low 70s by the afternoon. Skies were partly cloudy with a bit of haze in the air.
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.
Comprehensive plant list for Lookout Mountain.
Sculpted Puffball: Calvatia sculpta
Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum
California White Fir: Abies concolor x Abies grandis
Subalpine Fir: Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa
Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis
Western Larch: Larix occidentalis
Lodgepole Pine: Pinus contorta var. latifolia
Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa
Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii
* Oregon Boxwood: Paxistima myrsinites
Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides
* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri
* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa
Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica var. gracilis
Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - In bud.
* Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei var. tolmiei
Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus
Queen's Cup: Clintonia uniflora
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica
* Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum
* Roughfruit Fairybells: Prosartes trachycarpa
California False Hellebore: Veratrum (californicum var. californicum ?)
Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum
* King's Smooth Sandwort: Eremogone kingii var. glabrescens ? - Beginning to bloom.
* Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla
Columbia Monkshood: Aconitum columbianum ssp. columbianum - Leaves.
Baneberry: Actaea rubra - In bud.
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum
* Sagebrush Buttercup: Ranunculus glaberrimus var. glaberrimus
Hornseed: Ranunculus testiculatus - At the site of the old lookout.
Veiny Meadowrue: Thalictrum venulosum ? - In bud.
* Brown's Peony: Paeonia brownii - A few plants beginning to bloom. Numerous in places.
* Steer's Head: Dicentra uniflora
* Holboell's Rockcress: Boechera pinetorum
Sticky Cutleaf Tansymustard: Descurainia incisa ssp. viscosa
* Alpine Pennycress: Noccaea fendleri ssp. glauca
* Daggerpods: Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides
Roundleaf Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina
* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera
Brook Saxifrage: Micranthes odontoloma - In streams along the initial part of the Mother Lode Trail #808A.
* Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum
Prickly Currant: Ribes lacustre
* Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum
Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius
* Austin's Cinquefoil: Drymocallis lactea var. austiniae
* Wood's Strawberry: Fragaria vesca var. bracteata
* Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana var. platypetala
* Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum var. ciliatum
* Whitney's Balloon Milkvetch: Astragalus whitneyi (var. sonneanus ?)
* Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum
* False Mermaid: Floerkea proserpinacoides
* Upland Yellow Violet: Viola praemorsa ssp. linguifolia
* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa
Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayi
* Cous: Lomatium cous
* Donnell's Lomatium: Lomatium donnellii
Gorman's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium gormanii ? - Fruits ripening.
* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi - Along the west rim of Lookout Mt.
* Slender-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium leptocarpum
* Large-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum
* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule
* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens
* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - A few plants still in bloom.
Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. formosissima - Leaf rosettes.
* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis
* Dwarf Hesperochiron: Hesperochiron pumilis
* Ballheaded Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum
* Great Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora
* Small-flowered Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae
* Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha
* Long-flowered Bluebell: Mertensia longiflora - A few white and pink forms too.
* Wavyleaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. pinetorum
* Pale Wallowa Paintbrush: Castilleja oresbia
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
* Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus
Gairdner's Penstemon: Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri - In bud.
Black Elderberry: Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa
Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus var. utahensis
Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
Stoloniferous Everlasting: Antennaria flagellaris - Beginning to spread vegetatively.
* Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides ssp. luzuloides
* Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea - Beginning to bloom.
Nodding Arnica: Arnica parryi - Leaves.
Low Sagebrush: Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula
Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana
* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata
Eaton's Shaggy Daisy: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus - In bud.
* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides
* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus
* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale
Elk - tracks
Chipmunks
Pileated Woodpecker - Heard
Gray Jay
Stellers Jays
Black-headed Grosbeak
American Robins
Hermit Thrush
Chipping Sparrows
Mountain Chickadees
Pine Siskins
Red-breasted Nuthatches
Anglewings
Hairstreaks