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This was a great, four-day trip through the heart of the Goat Rocks Wilderness that I did with my 8-year old pooch Kirah. We started at the Snowgrass trailhead and did the classic central loop counterclockwise. The loop isn’t very long, so I set up a base camp in the meadowy area north of Snowgrass Flat and did a couple of different day hikes from there. This was exactly as Retired Jerry had suggested in an earlier thread. It turned out to be a good plan and I thank Jerry for the idea. We had perfect weather all four days and I saw more wildlife than I ever have in a single trip. The critters included mountain goats, marmots, deer, birds of prey, a herd of elk and the yips and howls of coyote at night.
This area has been covered quite a bit here on Portland Hikers already so I’ll try to just hit the highlights.
Our trip started around lunch time on Thursday and in short order we were crossing the bridge at Goat Creek…
The hike in is mostly in the trees but along the way there’s a good view of Mt. Adams…
Entering the meadows where I eventually found a great campsite…
Mmmm, steak for dinner!
Served up with a nice Cabernet and later some fresh picked huckleberries for desert..yummy!
And yes, Kirah got to enjoy a wee bit of steak as well!
Alpenglow on Goat Ridge the next morning…
On Day 2 we hiked up to the high point of the PCT, which is near the summit of Old Snowy Mountain.
We get a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens along the way…
Much of this day hike is above timberline…
We pass through Marmot Town…
Cross a large snow field…
Enjoy spectacular vistas along the way, like this one with Goat Lake and Mt. Ranier…
Eventually we reach the summit of the PCT, it’s highest point in all of Washington at about 7600 ft.
A group of women who were through-hiking the PCT were taking a break here…
They left their packs near the trail and headed off to the summit of Old Snowy…
It looked like a fun scramble but a little too rugged for my pooch...
A pond on the mountain's north side…
Back at camp it was time to try out my new Bushbuddy wood-burning stove…
It works great, boils two cups of water with just a couple handfuls of small twigs. No heavy fuel to carry!
On Day 3 we headed south for a dayhike to Cispus Pass.
A frog near Snowgrass Flat…
Lovely Cispus Basin…
Looking into the Klickitat drainage from Cispus Pass…
We passed some horses on our way home…
Early the next morning I heard the bugle of an elk. Sure enough, just a couple hundred yards away from my camp a whole herd were making their way down from the high country…
And up high there were a few goats grazing as there had been every morning…
It’s Sunday, our last day, and regrettably it’s time to head out…
We pass Goat Lake on the way…
The lake is finally completely free of ice!
A final look back at the jagged spine of Goat Rocks as some big, puffy clouds begin to roll in…
Here's a map of the route (mostly hand drawn).
Awesome trip!
Gordon
Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
- sparklehorse
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Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Last edited by sparklehorse on January 19th, 2024, 11:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.
- retired jerry
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Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Great report! Great trip!
Your dog needs some of those dog booties.
I think maybe the best campsites I can think of are between Snowgrass Flat and Goat Lake on the Lily Basin trail.
I have never got quite all the way up to Old Snowy, there's always too much snow or some other impediment. I see there's still some snow up there.
Your dog needs some of those dog booties.
I think maybe the best campsites I can think of are between Snowgrass Flat and Goat Lake on the Lily Basin trail.
I have never got quite all the way up to Old Snowy, there's always too much snow or some other impediment. I see there's still some snow up there.
- anna in boots
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Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Wow, fantastic photos, sparkle! I feel like I just read an article in National Geographic! Kirah looks great in sportswear. That first pic of the marmot-with-attitude could be captioned, "Go ahead, make my day." And how lucky are you, encountering a bevy of beautiful women like that in the wild? Most guys would just settle for seeing elk or goats...and you got all three! You rock!
anna in boots
anna in boots
Current trip reports at All Thoughts Work™ Outdoors
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Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Amazing.
I also love the picture of what looks like a giant bowl of wine.
I also love the picture of what looks like a giant bowl of wine.
Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
I second all that - plus that delicious steak! oh yeah.ErinL wrote:Beautiful. Gorgeous. Amazing.
I also love the picture of what looks like a giant bowl of wine.
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Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Great photos! I have yet to visit this area, but it's on my list!
And I have to say, you eat like a king in the backcountry. The only time I've ever had wine while backpacking was when someone else was carrying it.
And I have to say, you eat like a king in the backcountry. The only time I've ever had wine while backpacking was when someone else was carrying it.
Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Great photos, love the color of the lake, and the wildlife photos. I have yet to see that much wildlife, so maybe that area will have to be a plan some day. I was actually on Goat Mountain to the west that same weekend. Great weather for being out there and seeing the views.
Gnarly (aka Justin)
GA->ME 2007
PCT Nobo 2011
GA->ME 2007
PCT Nobo 2011
Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Great pics...i was near heart lake and loved hearing the sounds of the coyote's at night. I head to Goat Rocks just about every 4th of July and have never heard or seen as much wildlife as i did last weekend. Hoping to head back again before the weather turns.
Also, i get my dogs boots at dogbooties.com awesome boots for cheap...
Also, i get my dogs boots at dogbooties.com awesome boots for cheap...
- Splintercat
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Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Great photos, Gordon! What sort of camera gear to you carry? Love the long views of Adams and St. Helens.
Mark me down as a dog booty skeptic: expensive, and our pups take great pleasure in unloading them on whatever convenient root, rock or branch they can find... but our dogs have kind of pointy feet, too. Might work better with the bear-paw shaped feet...
Tom
Mark me down as a dog booty skeptic: expensive, and our pups take great pleasure in unloading them on whatever convenient root, rock or branch they can find... but our dogs have kind of pointy feet, too. Might work better with the bear-paw shaped feet...
Tom
Re: Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sept. 10-13, 2009
Thanks for a great trip report! Now I don't have to write one . I also was there Fri-Sun (hiked Goat Rocks 2nd time in 2 weeks), hiked with my dog and set a camp at snowgrass flats, just at the South end of flats, further from the lake. This area is just breathtaking, we made it to Cispus Basin and Hawkeye Point, and I wish we made it to Old Snowy as well. Huckleberries at and below timberline are everywhere, I never seen as much and as sweet as there (especially along trail #97 which is a lower shortcut to PCT), berries should be still good coming weekend.
I like the photo of lake and Mt. Rainier. It seems unnatural that the lake is almost a top of the mountain. Maybe i's former volcanic crater?
I like the photo of lake and Mt. Rainier. It seems unnatural that the lake is almost a top of the mountain. Maybe i's former volcanic crater?