Hager Mountain Lookout

Could not get the oven to work. Pilot light would light then go out again immediately, no matter what I tried.

This was my and my husband's 4th trip up to Hager since 2018 and had our friends join us. We had never seen mice or as much of their feces as there was on this visit. It was pretty gross, all over the stove, table/counter tops, window sills, mattresses. We flipped the mattresses to use them and flipped them back when we left. According to the log up there the occupants before us caught 3 mice. We didn't see any mouse activity until our last night and ended up catching 2 of them. The Osborn mounting table in the middle seemed to be a safe island for food, as well as hanging food/garbage. Really tough snow-shoe hike up breaking trail the entire way, took my husband and I a little over 5 hours to get to cabin with arctic-like conditions at the top. We lost the trail about .25-.3 mile in (right at the cutout between the logs and before you cross FS road) because the new trail marker they put up indicating a right turn was gone. Tree markers in the last .25 mile are almost impossible to see and you rely mainly on the orange poles which aren't placed very frequently and are often covered in snow/ice. No problems with propane or firewood availability, bring your own TP. The previous reviewer mentioned they had trouble with the oven's pilot light; when following the directions to push the knob in for 10 seconds then light, we had the same issue - what worked was pushing the knob in for 30 seconds, pilot light stayed lit and oven worked. Also had to a replace a lantern mantel. Snow had also blown into the lookout through the south window, there were towels stuffed in the window frame and snow piled up and on the table. Bring your own TP as there was none left. I highly recommend someone bringing disinfectant wipes, I would had I known how bad the mouse poop was. Someone may want to pack up a couple extra replacement mantels as well. Love this lookout but it needs more care, this is the worst condition we've seen it in since before they fixed the leaking windows in 2019.

Although the trail is difficult, and sometimes the snow conditions were very icy or windswept, the trail overall is pretty well marked with blue diamonds, orange poles & signs. Be sure to prepare for HIGH WINDS and low visibility on stormy days in the final 1.5 miles or so when you are on an exposed ridge and then out of the trees approaching the lookout. We found it helpful to travel with an avalanche shovel since we had to dig out the woodshed, outhouse, and steps up to the lookout & its door on our arrival. (There are a shovel & other tools in the woodshed and in a drawer in the lookout.)
Note: Be ready to SPLIT & CHOP your own wood and kindling. The wood in the woodshed isn't chopped.
The lookout wasn't as clean this time as it was last year when we visited: disappointed that previous parties had left trash (broken takeout containers, bags), food (2 cans of beets and more), multiple empty glass jars, multiple tubes of old sunblock, multiple containers of cooking oil, did not sweep up the floor, did not wipe off stove. Also disappointed that someone dragged in unchopped large pieces of wood to the lookout and left those inside- when a sign specifically says to NOT CHOP WOOD in / on the lookout. We cleaned a lot before leaving to break this trend & for good karma. :) NO ONE WANTS YOUR FOOD- WHICH IS JUST TRASH TO THE NEXT PARTY. ALSO YOUR TRASH IS IN FACT TRASH & YOU SHOULD TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU!
MICE!!! Be ready for MICE!!!! We used the mousetraps to kill 4 mice: leaving food & trash just encourages mice. This lookout deserves better care since it's in a wonderful spot. The location is VERY windy, bring your earplugs. There are wonderful views on a clear day and you'll enjoy peaceful solitude. On our previous visits we explored the surrounding zone and had a lot of fun. This time we spent most of our time indoors due to a fierce storm and 40+mph winds, but were cozy and warm. We will return despite the mice since this is a unique wintertime opportunity!

Beautiful destination, not an easy 4 mi hike up with 2000 elevation gain. Combine it with Summer lake hot spring!

A very challenging hike if you are not in shape, and still challenging if you are! We were there April 28-30Th and there was still tons of snow - we needed to use snow shoes about 2 miles up for about a mile (however, the snow was quickly melting as of Sunday afternoon). The Lookout was very clean and left in good shape, i.e., firewood and kindling, filled up and someone even left a ready-to-burn fire in the woodstove, as well as melted water labeled “Clean, but unfiltered” in a big pot (We followed suit, and did the same before we left). There was a shovel and an ax which we were also grateful to have. Lots of mouse traps but not so much mouse poop, as previously mentioned, and we did not hear any of scuffling around, nor did we catch any while there. There were all kinds of kitchen utensils, pots, and pans, plates and cups etc., tinfoil, and even food and spices, s & p available, so no need to lug these items up the hill unless you are concerned you may not make it - just pack smart, and prepare for the worst just in case! We also appreciated finding some art supplies and lots of games to choose from. Items that you could bring up to donate; art paper, watercolors, baby wipes, clean sponges, and or a dish towel. Luckily, we had snow to melt and drink through our filter bottle, but make sure you bring enough water at this point! Overall, this place is magic and we enjoyed our time there thoroughly!!

The facility is pretty good, but there are a couple of deficiencies. There are no chairs. The propane lantern above the sink could not be turned off. There is no snow shovel, a necessity in winter. Also, ther is no poker or shovel for the wood stove.

Great place to stay! Hike in had 4 trees to crawl under or go over, but they were doable. Check the forecast for snow. You may want snowshoes. It's a long, steep hike to the lookout. This is our third trip and we love it!

3rd time at Hager mountain….absolutely amazing

Challenging to get to but worth the effort.

We went Thanksgiving week this year. The trail had a lot of snow all the way down at the trailheads, and it didn't look like anyone had visited the cabin for a bit before us, so we had to break trail which took us (in pretty good shape) a difficult 4 hours to snowshoe 3.5 miles through inclement weather. WORTH IT THOUGH! The propane oven doesn't work but stovetop does, and one propane lantern wasn't working so bring extra lighting!
Also, if you're splitting wood at the wood shed, do the next folks a favor by chopping a little extra split wood and leaving it up in the cabin when you depart! I think it's good etiquette anyway :) Cheers!