Schonchin Butte

This is the shadow of Schonchin Butte, taken from somewhere along the trail as we descended. I can cross "climbing a volcano" off of my bucket list now. So what if it hasn't erupted in more than 30,000 years?

At the very top of the butte is this fire lookout, first staffed in 1941. It's still an active lookout, but isn't staffed 24 hours a day. We got there right after the lookout's shift was over, and belatedly realized that the guy we'd seen descending as we sweated upward was the lookout, looking glad to be off work.

Inside the lookout was a little bed, and some stuffed animals. I imagined them being used to comfort a lost kid. I'd love to spend a night up there. The skyscape must be amazing, and a moonrise or moonset would be similarly spectacular.