Goat Rocks Lily Basin Monday July 22 - Wednesday July 24, 2019
Posted: August 6th, 2019, 4:06 pm
A little late, but I always find these great for researching later, so better to get it up. The best part for me was experiencing a route I've done several times with a young guy who had never hiked in the PNW, coming from DC area. He was in awe and just kept repeating..."I can't believe this is real." We're lucky here!
Monday July 22 - Wednesday July 24, 2019
Day 1: 7 mile hike up, lovely day, a bit hot but dry. We hiked from Snowgrass parking which is free, counterclockwise around the Lily Basin route. Skeeters above 5500'; especially bad at our epic campsite at 6400', which was still moist with leftover snow. Great display of wildflowers almost from the beginning, evolving with the elevation. Because the route is so popular I try to only hike it on weekdays, and we were not disappointed. Just a handful of lovely people up there, chatty and relaxed. Seemed like the Snowgrass campsites fill up faster than the ones on the way to Goat Lake or Jordan Basin. Glorious alpinglow on Adams as we bedded down for a clear, starry night.
Day 2: 10 miles. Back down to Snowgrass Flats and scramble up Old Snowy. Especially great displays of flowers at Snowgrass Flats. Great climb up Old Snowy and weather held off with views to Rainier, Adams and St Helens. We leap-frogged a few different parties on the way up, stopping for water, food and ogling beauty. Partly cloudy and weather gathered as the afternoon wore on. We scrambled down the ridge to our campsite and discovered running down the snowfields to be as much fun as adults can have [sober]. Like little kids we descended about 1500 feet in a few minutes. By evening the clouds rolled over Jordan Basin, making for a great show of liquid air. We retired early and listened to a bad audio book and slept. Windy, cold night.
Day 3: 7 mile return. Morning was socked in with fog and cold drizzle. By breakfast it was getting lighter and finally opened up by about 10am. We hit Goat Lake for a bit of cold fun and then descended through Jordan Basin and whistled at Marmots. Dropped packs at Berry Patch and ran the half mile to Snowgrass parking lot and shuttled the cars over.
In a week or two it should be ideal conditions, as the skeeters should be mostly gone and the paintbrush and lupine looked like they were ready to pop. Might be a banner year...get up there!
Queen cup down lower with some Columbine, candy flower. Lots of: Avalanche lilies, mariposa lilies, paintbrush, bistort, lupine, phlox, heather, yellow heather, buttercup, cinquefoil, marsh marigold, phacelia, pasqueflower. Some: Aster, butter and eggs, delphinium, arnica, shooting star, pearly everlasting, pentstempon, thistle.
Monday July 22 - Wednesday July 24, 2019
Day 1: 7 mile hike up, lovely day, a bit hot but dry. We hiked from Snowgrass parking which is free, counterclockwise around the Lily Basin route. Skeeters above 5500'; especially bad at our epic campsite at 6400', which was still moist with leftover snow. Great display of wildflowers almost from the beginning, evolving with the elevation. Because the route is so popular I try to only hike it on weekdays, and we were not disappointed. Just a handful of lovely people up there, chatty and relaxed. Seemed like the Snowgrass campsites fill up faster than the ones on the way to Goat Lake or Jordan Basin. Glorious alpinglow on Adams as we bedded down for a clear, starry night.
Day 2: 10 miles. Back down to Snowgrass Flats and scramble up Old Snowy. Especially great displays of flowers at Snowgrass Flats. Great climb up Old Snowy and weather held off with views to Rainier, Adams and St Helens. We leap-frogged a few different parties on the way up, stopping for water, food and ogling beauty. Partly cloudy and weather gathered as the afternoon wore on. We scrambled down the ridge to our campsite and discovered running down the snowfields to be as much fun as adults can have [sober]. Like little kids we descended about 1500 feet in a few minutes. By evening the clouds rolled over Jordan Basin, making for a great show of liquid air. We retired early and listened to a bad audio book and slept. Windy, cold night.
Day 3: 7 mile return. Morning was socked in with fog and cold drizzle. By breakfast it was getting lighter and finally opened up by about 10am. We hit Goat Lake for a bit of cold fun and then descended through Jordan Basin and whistled at Marmots. Dropped packs at Berry Patch and ran the half mile to Snowgrass parking lot and shuttled the cars over.
In a week or two it should be ideal conditions, as the skeeters should be mostly gone and the paintbrush and lupine looked like they were ready to pop. Might be a banner year...get up there!
Queen cup down lower with some Columbine, candy flower. Lots of: Avalanche lilies, mariposa lilies, paintbrush, bistort, lupine, phlox, heather, yellow heather, buttercup, cinquefoil, marsh marigold, phacelia, pasqueflower. Some: Aster, butter and eggs, delphinium, arnica, shooting star, pearly everlasting, pentstempon, thistle.