I haven't seen any reports on the Goat Rocks Wilderness here lately. Anybody visited recently? I'm planning a trip in a couple of weeks, entering via Lilly Basin.
Keith
Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
HI keithcomess,
Yesterday I did the Goat Lake loop (Berry Patch TH, Goat Ridge, Lily Basin, Snowgrass) with a side trip up Old Snowy. I'll try to post a TR this week. Conditions were good, lots of people, many mosquitoes.
Cheers,
Rob
Yesterday I did the Goat Lake loop (Berry Patch TH, Goat Ridge, Lily Basin, Snowgrass) with a side trip up Old Snowy. I'll try to post a TR this week. Conditions were good, lots of people, many mosquitoes.
Cheers,
Rob
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
Rob,
Thanks for the reply! I'm very interested in reading your trip report.
Hordes of mosquitos are tolerable. Hordes of hikers maybe less so. Crowds seem to dilute the wilderness experience. Bugs are just there.
Keith
Thanks for the reply! I'm very interested in reading your trip report.
Hordes of mosquitos are tolerable. Hordes of hikers maybe less so. Crowds seem to dilute the wilderness experience. Bugs are just there.
Keith
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
Hi Rob and Keith,
We did a similar loop on July 24th. Started from Snowgrass Flat TH, over to Berry Patch and up Goat Ridge with a detour using 95A to the lookout before coming back to the Goat Ridge Trail, Lily Basin with a side trip to the saddle just before Hawkeye Point, back down Lily Basin to Snowgrass, up to the PCT, and then back to Snowgrass via the Bypass Trail, and finally back to the Snowgrass Flat Trailhead. The only snowfield we encountered was at the saddle to Hawkeye Point. I'll second Rob's note on the hordes of mosquitoes! It was absolutely spectacular, with meadows in bloom. If you have room in the trip, taking trail 95A to the lookout offered great views and a little solitude compared to the crowds on the other trails.
Natasha
We did a similar loop on July 24th. Started from Snowgrass Flat TH, over to Berry Patch and up Goat Ridge with a detour using 95A to the lookout before coming back to the Goat Ridge Trail, Lily Basin with a side trip to the saddle just before Hawkeye Point, back down Lily Basin to Snowgrass, up to the PCT, and then back to Snowgrass via the Bypass Trail, and finally back to the Snowgrass Flat Trailhead. The only snowfield we encountered was at the saddle to Hawkeye Point. I'll second Rob's note on the hordes of mosquitoes! It was absolutely spectacular, with meadows in bloom. If you have room in the trip, taking trail 95A to the lookout offered great views and a little solitude compared to the crowds on the other trails.
Natasha
Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
Thanks for the report. We're planning to head into the Goat Rocks from the east side, from Conrad Meadow up the South Fork Tieton. I was hoping we wouldn't have *hordes* of mosquitoes, but it is still the end of July. Can you comment on what elevations had the worst bugs, and if they were present all the time or only morning/evening? Did a breeze help? I'm planning to bring my head net and DEET just in case...
Thanks!
Rich
Thanks!
Rich
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
Rich,
I think the mosquitos tend to take vacations in August though the hordes of people increase as summer progresses.
Anyone: were the crowds such that campsites were in short supply?
Keith
I think the mosquitos tend to take vacations in August though the hordes of people increase as summer progresses.
Anyone: were the crowds such that campsites were in short supply?
Keith
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
Mosquitoes were maybe a little better at the higher elevations and when there was a breeze, but, unfortunately, it was pretty bad throughout.
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
Did the crowds thin out too at the higher elevations? Any problems securing campsites (by water sources)?
Keith
Keith
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
It was pretty busy throughout. We didn't camp, we just did a day hike, so I can't speak too much to the campsite situation. By the afternoon, from what we could see, it did seem like most spots were occupied. It was still enjoyable and the crowds definitely didn't negate the beauty of the area, but I can imagine there might be challenge in finding places to camp.
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Re: Anyone visited Goat Rocks/Lilly Basin Trail lately?
Thanks for the reply! I expected that tent space may be at a premium this year in the Goat Rocks due to fires elsewhere.