A "Perfect" Experience in the Goat Rocks Wilderness

It was just about a year ago when my boys and I stood on the divide between the Jordan Basin and Goat Creek in the Goat Rocks Wilderness and I showed them a fun 1 night 2 day loop from nearly the same place we started a shorter pack trip.

A waterfall drains Goat Lake with the high peaks watching from high above.

The opportunity came about to take my 10 year old on what amounted to a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip from Snowgrass Flat to Goat Lake and down the Berry Patch route back to our vehicle. Dare I say the entire experience went perfectly? The days prior to the trip featured 1 to 2 inches of rain, but as we began our hike on Thursday afternoon, it drizzled on us for the first 20 minutes and then began the recovery process. No dust, no bugs! Rain does have its advantages!

A carpet of wildfires above Snowgrass Flat sit drenched under departing clouds after a couple days of rain.

Snowgrass Flat and the Lily Basin loop is probably one, if not the most popular trails in the Goat Rocks Wilderness and it doesn’t take much of a hiker to figure out why. There is nearly 10 miles of alpine scenery and views. In addition, it is easy enough that even hikers of a moderate fitness can enjoy its tremendous scenery with a one night stay. We even ran into one couple that began the loop at 8:00am and were on pace to finish it by about 2:00pm on Saturday afternoon. Not very enjoyable, but doable.

The headwaters of Jordan Creek flow west and then north into Johnson Creek and the Cowlitz River. Mt. St. Helens is in the distance.

To get to Snowgrass Flat, take USFS Road #21 off of Highway 12 just west of Packwood. Travel south on the decent forest road for 17 miles and then take a left on the USFS #2150 road. It is well marked by proper signage. There are two trailheads just ½ mile apart from each other and are even connected by a short access path for horses and those that do the complete loop.

Mt. Adams makes an appearance as the clouds begin to clear.

I recommend a counter clockwise loop (start at Snowgrass hikers) for those hiking the full loop for a more gentle introduction to the high country. If you want scenery as soon as possible, I would recommend going the Berry Patch route to at least the summit of the Jordan Basin.

Alpine flowers combine with a waterfall in another dramatic scene of the Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Our first night found us hiking above the flower gardens of Snowgrass Flat where we found a campsite at about 6,400 feet. After setting up base, we got the opportunity to explore “light pack“; an added benefit of arriving early in the backcountry. We stumbled onto a scene of vivid dreams as we meandered onto the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) #2000 from the Snowgrass #96 trail and turned north (left) at the junction. On this evening, the flower display in the first mile rivaled anything I have observed in the northwest. In addition, the rusty hues of the volcanic peaks colored by thousands of years of hydro-thermal activity combined with a moody and variable cloud layer to present an ever changing production before our eyes.

Western Pasque Flowers accent the foreground under Old Snowy Mountain which sports fresh snow in the Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Wildflowers carpet the alpine reaches of the Goat Rocks Wilderness while mists cover the upper Cispus River Valley in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

A chilly (frost on the ground and fresh snow above 7,000 feet) Friday morning found us hiking just a few miles to the north on the #86, Lily Basin Trail to Goat Lake. Over each new hillock, lay a new meadow of wildflowers and gurgling stream or streams under the watchful stare of the high peaks above. By noon, we had set up camp and proceeded on a short off-trail adventure to solve a curiosity. As suspected, we sat upon a ridge and overlooked a rugged scene of yet another glacially sculpted, alpine valley. While taking in that splendor, we watched as a family of mountain goats inched closer and closer to the lens of my camera.

Yet another glacial valley greeted us on top of a ridge during on off-trail scramble.

A family of mountain goats moved slowly along the side of a ridge as we watched.

After lunch, we hiked two more miles to the top of another ridge near Hawkeye Point and looked over another glacial basin to not so distant Mt. Rainier.

Wildflowers color the slopes above the Lily Basin Trail in Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Mt. Rainier dominates the landscape to the north of a ridge near Hawkeye Point.

For its part, Goat Lake, at around 6,000 feet in a south facing glacial cirque (or caldera?), was still frozen. In fact, upon waking up on Saturday morning and walking the 100 yards to the lake shore at sunrise, I found a new layer of thin ice covering what little open water existed the night before. I should have known when I felt the stunningly cold breeze blowing into my face from up slope.

A fresh cover of thin ice greeted us in the little open waters of Goat Lake on Saturday morning.

Goat Lake, at just over 6,000 feet in elevation is still mostly frozen in late August.

Mid-morning, we packed up camp and began our accent up and over to the Jordan Basin. A few more miles and we would be back at our car. In all, I gave my son credit for 24 miles over the three days; About 15 of those with a full pack of 20 plus pounds.

My son Jared follows the trail through a hillside of wildflowers on the Goat Ridge Trail.

One thing to consider if you plan on any type of overnight hike in the Snowgrass/Berry Patch areas is that it is very busy, especially on weekends. There is a reason we started on Thursday (6 cars in the parking lot) and finished on Saturday (over 50 cars in the lot). Traditional camping sites are many, but on most weekends, those that arrive early in the day are more likely to have level ground to sleep on. We were the only tent at Goat Lake on noon Friday, but when we returned at about 4:30pm, over a half dozen tents had appeared on the most gentle ground in several miles of trail in either direction.

Mt. Adams is part of the light and color show at sunset as pictured from Goat Lake.

A very respectful moment occurred when we came back from our afternoon hike. A family of 5 from Bellevue had literally been waiting for us. There was a large piece of flat ground just adjacent to our tent and they needed space for two tents. Instead of just setting up camp, they wanted to secure our permission. “It is public land” I said, “I would really be not living by my own words if I said no”. We had many conversations that night and the next morning, next to the broken ice of Goat Lake.

Yours truly taking a brief dip into Goat Lake.

Out there, no matter how close another chooses to camp, everyone should already have their own solace .

Vanson Lake Couldn't Elude us Forever

With temperatures near 90 degrees, hiking 17 miles in the Cascade foothills might seem like a less than reflective choice, but when thought through, it was a pretty good idea. It was the other elements that made our hike to Vanson Lake a fairly uncomfortable experience.

The spur trail to the top of Vanson Ridge featured a nice wildfire garden.

Vanson Lake is a small piece of water in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It is not however, located within the blast zone and three trails converge nearby to make it a central feature in a little known roadless area between the Green River to the south and the Cowlitz to the north.

Mt. Adams could be seen from the top of Vanson Peak. The area in front of Mt. Adams shows signs of the Mt. St. Helens blast zone.

There are several ways to reach Vanson Lake and the trails that form an area of almost complete serenity just south of Taidnaipam Park on the upper end of Riffe Lake. This is an area where you go for peace and solitude. While there is plenty of scenery, especially in the form of cascading creeks and waterfalls, don’t expect to see alpine scenery with picturesque scenes without significant effort.

Vanson Lake is located in a remote location at about 3,800 feet elevation.

That may change if you access the area from the Green River area where the Green River and Goat Mountain Trail junctions with the Goat Creek Trail. The routes out of the Green River Valley are on sout facing slopes in the Mt. St. Helens blast zone and would have been a miserable experience on this day. As it was, my 10 year old son and I hiked in the deep, cool, shaded woods alongside creeks that forced us to cross them on occasion; Sometimes in refreshing, bare feet.

My 10 year old son Jared crosses one of the many creeks along the trail to Vanson Lake.

To get there, turn onto Kosmos Road between Morton and Glenoma and follow the signs to Taidnapam Park. Cross the bridge over the Cowlitz River and turn right. Continue through an open gate (during fire season, this gate is often closed to protect private lands despite blocking access to public lands) and go for another mile or so, ignoring a couple of minor roads to the left. You will come to a three-way fork in the road, the one to the right is the main road while the middle fork is gated. Take the farthest turn to the left. This is now USFS road #2750. The Forest Service has placed a sign to clearly mark the way to the trailhead this summer. Drive for 4.5 miles to the trailhead.

Cascading streams are a common sight along the Goat Creek Trail.

For the first 4 miles, the trail follows tributaries of Goat Creek. This late in the summer, water levels are light as creeks tumble over impressive falls. At just under 4,000 feet, we ran into surprisingly large patches of snow, and more impacting, the swarms of bugs that can usually be associated with the woods shortly after snow melt. From some beautiful meadows, we started climbing again to the top of Vanson Ridge where an important junction of trails occurs.

By taking the USFS Road #25 south out of Randle (Hwy 131) and then taking USFS Road #26, to Ryan Lake and the Green River Horse Camp, several trails lead from USFS Road #2612 up Goat Mountain to Tumwater Mountain, Deadmans Lake and of course Vanson lake.

The trip from either location is a long day hike. I would suggest staying at least one night out to make the hike worthwhile.

As for us, the bugs really took away from our experience. Above 3,500 feet, stopping to enjoy scenery, crossing streams or taking a dip into Vanson Lake made for a miserable existence. Of course, that is the nature of dry, hot weather and hiking. While we hoofed what amounted to 17 miles on the hottest day of the year, we barely even noticed the heat in the deeply wooded canyon but we were very careful to drink an incredible amount of water to stay hydrated. A few early season huckleberries, blueberries and salmonberries supplemented what little lunch we ate at the lake.

Haze and smoke prevented a clear view of Mt. Rainier from the top of Vanson Ridge.

As a final insult, we hiked to the point of Vanson Peak at about 4,900 feet elevation. From there, views of Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier, Riffe Lake and the northern end of the Mount St. Helens blast zone greeted us. The haze and smoke made the entire region almost unrecognizable. Despite almost miserable conditions, you couldn’t help but feel good about the experience as a whole. The fact that we live in a region with such vast playgrounds readily available should make us all beam with pride!

Don’t Forget Your Snowshoes on your Early Season Hike

Whenever possible I try to drop in and visit Edie Aydelott at the Destination Packwood office. This last week, we talked about the snow. The massive amounts of it, preventing access onto the traditional trails in the foothills. The question was, how would it impact tourism early this summer? A year ago this weekend, my family and I hiked up to Packwood Lake and crossed just a couple of patches of snow. Those conditions are four to possibly six weeks away. The early season is looking troublesome for anyone that enjoys spending time in the high country. We should all be rejoicing for the above average snowfall and what it means for seasonal water supplies, but clearly, I have a very egotistic frame of mind when it comes to my summer backcountry excursions.

Like a cat needing to get outdoors, I have been scratching my own internal calendar for several weeks. My son and I decided to see what the foothills have to offer at this early season juncture. I picked a simple trip to Cathedral Falls, a 0.5 mile hike toward Tumwater Mountain and Vanson Lake on the Goat Creek Trail. It was a just about a year ago, that I first learned about this gem and stumbled my way to it with not a lick of snow in sight.

The falls are a popular local’s choice, but the Goat Creek area is not exactly the Wonderland Trail that is so heavily traveled or access maintained, at Mount Rainier National Park. Goat Creek drains the north slopes of Goat Mountain in the Mount St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument. It is well outside the blast zone, so coverage of the area in guide books is less than intense and clearly escapes the interest of passing tourists.



To get there, turn onto Kosmos Road between Morton and Glenoma and follow the signs to Taidnapam Park. Cross the bridge over the Cowlitz River and turn right. Continue through an open gate (during fire season, this gate is often closed to protect private lands despite blocking access to public lands) and go for another mile or so, ignoring a couple of minor roads to the left. You will come to a three-way fork in the road, the one to the right has a gate. Take the farthest left fork. This is now USFS road #2750. There is no signage or any indication you are on the right road. Have faith!

Traveling any forest road in the spring, especially in my little Elantra adds an element of heart palpitation. Regular early season users often carry chainsaws so until you run into actual snow, trees are usually cut and shoved off to the side. Nobody reaches the dozen or so trees that blew over and are leaning against other trees and threaten to fall with a wisp of air movement as you pass by it. I kept imagining the trees falling after we drove up hill, trapping us without a saw in my trunk.



About a mile short of the trailhead, the snow became a barrier so I maneuvered my car into a downhill parking spot and started up the trail on foot. Of course there was the annual telltale sign of macho bravado where someone had insisted his truck could make it through the snow, trapping him for what was probably an hour or two until he was able to maneuver free. The scars will show in the road for years to come.

My son and I began our hike in the snow which got deeper and deeper. “My kingdom for a pair of snowshoes” I thought. Nearly an hour later, we had not even reached the trailhead. Disappointed, disgusted and ill-prepared, we turned around and headed back down the hill.

I knew there was a lot of snow in the Cascades this spring, but I am not sure we had reached 2000 feet yet and there was a ton. It may be a month before hikers without special equipment reaches Cathedral Falls, but when they do, the heart of the snow-melt season will put on an awesome display