On Thursday, July 16, I visited Glacier Mountain and Lookout Mountain on the east side of the Strawberry Mountains southeast of Prairie City, Oregon. That morning it was thunderstorming in the Elkhorn and Greenhorn Mountains. In spite of the rain, lightning, and thunder I hoped to at least explore forest road access to Vinegar Hill in the Greenhorn Mountains. But the road I needed was closed due to the nearby Olive Butte Fire.

However, the weather forecast was much better for the nearby Strawberry Mountains to the south. In 2009 I had hiked Lookout Mountain on the east side of the Strawberry Mountains. I had shared this hike with Rudi, our long deceased canine. Since then I determined that nearby Glacier Mountain had some significance to me, and I took the opportunity to visit it this day.

I topped off my Jeep’s fuel in Prairie City. From there I drove east, then south, on County Road 62 towards Summit Prairie. A few miles short of Summit Prairie I entered the Malheur National Forest, then turned left on a wide gravel forest road 1665. I followed FR 1665 four miles up to a ridge line. Here I turned onto a much narrower forest road 548 and followed the road north up the ridge over Sheep Mountain towards Lookout Mountain.

This road was often rocky and for a short while it was rutted and steep. My Jeep’s 4WD and high clearance was helpful. Fortunately, further along the ridge deadfall across the road had been cut and cleared. Some of the passages through deadfall were narrow. At least once I scraped the sides of my Jeep with brush and limbs. Eventually my Jeep and I arrived at the upper trailhead for Sunshine Flat Trail #369, just south of Lookout Mountain. Here we parked for my short hike.

Lookout Mountain rose directly and nearby to the north. Glacier Mountain, my priority for the day, was visible nearby to the northeast. I followed the deteriorating FR 548 then the Sheep Creek Trail to reach the Lookout Mountain/Glacier Mountain saddle.

From the saddle I hiked off trail up the West Ridge of Glacier Mountain through burned forest and open country.

Clouds passed over the mountains casting shadows over the peaks. Thunderstorms were not in the forecast, but even so I thought I could descend off the ridge quickly if needed. I saw many wildflowers on my hike, but decided not to linger to photograph them on the ridge. I soon reached the summit.

From Glacier Mountain I viewed several other peaks I have visited, including Bullrun Rock and Ironside Mountain to the east and Castle Rock far to the southeast. Lookout Mountain rose prominently to the west. In spite of wildfires to the north the air was fairly clear around me.

As I descended west back towards the saddle I decided I should visit Lookout Mountain again. It had been 17 years since Rudi and I had visited it and I thought a return would be a tribute to his life with us.

So after returning to my Jeep I hiked up a steep primitive road to just below the summit rocks at the top of a grassy meadow. I found the LOOKOUT benchmark nearby and enjoyed the view of the Strawberry Mountains to the west.

I returned once more to my Jeep, drove the forest roads out, and found a nice dispersed campsite for the evening and night in the southern Strawberry Mountains.