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
Western pasque flower is always very common up here
Camp will be in the valley that the trail is approaching in the upper right
The bare spot in the middle is a dried pond and my tent is blue and just to the left of it
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
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
And in the other direction was Mt. Rainier
The switchbacks of the final climb. It was about 1200 feet above camp and 1.5 miles away, a steep hike
Looking down at Goat Lake and across at Goat Rocks
Another view of Rainier, and of things to come (the clouds)
Dusk sunlight on more western pasque flower seed heads
In the morning thick clouds had moved in, but the forecast was for partial clearing, so I was hiking to the PCT
Goat Lake under the clouds
On the PCT and Goat Rocks from a different angle
My highest spot for the day, the PCT heading over 7000 feet
And a marmot in the field
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
The valley below Goat Lake - there is no trail down there
That's Hawkeye Point overlooking Goat Lake, over a thousand feet above
Looking back at Goat Rocks as clouds move in - Snowgrass Flats is on the far right
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)
In the morning the valley was clear up high, with the fog bank just below camp, and Mt Adams also Above the Clouds
Goat Rocks
- retired jerry
- Posts: 14425
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Goat Rocks
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...
"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...
Re: Goat Rocks
In your "Looking down at Goat Lake" pic, what's that straight thing at lower right? Just a treking pole, or something more interesting?
Re: Goat Rocks
Indeed. The clouds really help. Imagine all those pics taken on a clear day at noon. Just wouldn't be the same.
Re: Goat Rocks
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.
Re: Goat Rocks
Re: Goat Rocks
There was a lot of hardware up there like there had been a tiny lookout.
- BurnsideBob
- Posts: 539
- Joined: May 6th, 2014, 3:15 pm
- Location: Mount Angel, Oregon
Re: Goat Rocks
Indeed, there was a lookout on Hawkeye. https://washingtonlookouts.weebly.com/hawkeye.html
In 2015 this was what was leaft:
In 2015 this was what was leaft:
I keep making protein shakes but they always turn out like margaritas.