Goat Rocks

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drm
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Goat Rocks

Post by drm » September 14th, 2021, 2:19 pm

I have wanted to return to Goat Rocks for years, with a focus on the Goat Lake side. This trip had a short 4.5 mile hike up the Goat Ridge trail to camp in upper Jordan Basin for two nights. The first day had great sunny weather, and then lots of clouds moved in for days 2 and 3.

I would add that coming from the south, Google said to take road 2329 around the north of Mt Adams and continue north from there. Instead, I took roads 23 and 21. It was about 10 miles longer, but half the miles of unpaved and nothing as rough as 2329 is.

Views start to open up about three miles in
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Western pasque flower is always very common up here
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Camp will be in the valley that the trail is approaching in the upper right
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The bare spot in the middle is a dried pond and my tent is blue and just to the left of it
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A little closer view of it - a very dramatic location. I arrived at 12:15 and was the first to set up camp in the area
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The goal that afternoon was to hike to Hawkeye Point (over 7400 feet), above Goat Lake. This view of Goat Rocks was on the way. Jordan Basin is the best camp for Hawkeye Point, but not for getting to the PCT
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And in the other direction was Mt. Rainier
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The switchbacks of the final climb. It was about 1200 feet above camp and 1.5 miles away, a steep hike
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Looking down at Goat Lake and across at Goat Rocks
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Another view of Rainier, and of things to come (the clouds)
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Dusk sunlight on more western pasque flower seed heads
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In the morning thick clouds had moved in, but the forecast was for partial clearing, so I was hiking to the PCT
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Goat Lake under the clouds
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On the PCT and Goat Rocks from a different angle
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My highest spot for the day, the PCT heading over 7000 feet
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And a marmot in the field
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On the way back. Goat Lake is in that depression on the right, the trail then continues left over the pass at the far left, and my camp is just past and below that
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The valley below Goat Lake - there is no trail down there
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That's Hawkeye Point overlooking Goat Lake, over a thousand feet above
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Looking back at Goat Rocks as clouds move in - Snowgrass Flats is on the far right
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Back to camp - others had moved in - by evening it would be a solid fog bank - and five groups camped (one arrived after dark by headlamp)
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In the morning the valley was clear up high, with the fog bank just below camp, and Mt Adams also Above the Clouds
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retired jerry
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by retired jerry » September 14th, 2021, 2:26 pm

That's a great area, I did that last summer.

"Google said to take road 2329 around the north of Mt Adams and continue north from there. Instead, I took roads 23 and 21. It was about 10 miles longer, but half the miles of unpaved and nothing as rough as 2329 is"

google maps is a great tool but the human has to use judgement to make actual route. Don't drive into a lake either, even if it tells you to. Or go over a mountain range in the winter when it's closed by snow...

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retired jerry
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by retired jerry » September 14th, 2021, 2:27 pm

great pictures

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Chip Down
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by Chip Down » September 14th, 2021, 2:53 pm

In your "Looking down at Goat Lake" pic, what's that straight thing at lower right? Just a treking pole, or something more interesting?

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Chip Down
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by Chip Down » September 14th, 2021, 2:55 pm

retired jerry wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 2:27 pm
great pictures
Indeed. The clouds really help. Imagine all those pics taken on a clear day at noon. Just wouldn't be the same.

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texasbb
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by texasbb » September 14th, 2021, 3:11 pm

Chip Down wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 2:53 pm
In your "Looking down at Goat Lake" pic, what's that straight thing at lower right? Just a treking pole, or something more interesting?
I can't tell what's in @drm's picture, but there are bits of concrete, re-bar, and other remnants from an old lookout station that used to be up there.

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Chip Down
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by Chip Down » September 14th, 2021, 3:15 pm

texasbb wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 3:11 pm
Chip Down wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 2:53 pm
In your "Looking down at Goat Lake" pic, what's that straight thing at lower right? Just a treking pole, or something more interesting?
I can't tell what's in @drm's picture, but there are bits of concrete, re-bar, and other remnants from an old lookout station that used to be up there.
Okay, that's pretty much what I was wondering.
I wouldn't mind getting paid to look at that scenery.

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drm
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by drm » September 14th, 2021, 5:53 pm

There was a lot of hardware up there like there had been a tiny lookout.

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texasbb
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by texasbb » September 14th, 2021, 6:20 pm

Chip Down wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 3:15 pm
I wouldn't mind getting paid to look at that scenery.
IMO, Hawkeye has the best view anywhere on the west side of the Goat Rocks.

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BurnsideBob
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Re: Goat Rocks

Post by BurnsideBob » September 15th, 2021, 6:34 am

Indeed, there was a lookout on Hawkeye. https://washingtonlookouts.weebly.com/hawkeye.html


In 2015 this was what was leaft:
IMG_8282.JPG
I keep making protein shakes but they always turn out like margaritas.

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