If Eagle Cap has a lot of snow in July, the Goat Rocks will as well (plus lots of bugs!). It's turning out to be a big snow year, but it could all melt away during a heatwave in May like it did last year.jhiker001 wrote: ↑February 26th, 2019, 6:53 pmIf I could pick your brain one more time, I'd appreciate it- If this Eagle Cap trip falls through due to snow conditions, what else do you recommend? We're flying into Portland at the end of July and we have about a week. What do you think of Goat Rocks?
Eagle Cap is amazing and there's lots of different areas to visit. (I have backpacked there 9 out of the prior 10 summers.) The Lakes Basin is the most popular but also the most crowded, which I would say makes it the most overrated. Go to lower river basins (like the Imnaha) and there will probably be less snow. But I think even in a high snow year the end of July will be fine. You might encounter snow higher up but that's not a big deal. Campsites should be snow free. The south side of Eagle Cap is much less crowded if you have the time and inclination to go down there.