Forum Index > Trip Reports > Goat Lake, Elliot Creek Trail #647 (10/28/07)
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drewcoll
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drewcoll
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 8:17 pm 
Headed up the newly opened MLH to Goat Lake in search of fresh air, a creepy ghost town, waterfalls, and a lake, found all but the creepy ghost town... Saw two hunters on the switchback to the trailhead in the car. They were gone when we left. Roads are allright. Three cars at the trailhead. Ignored the trailhead and took the lower trail all the way up. The slide is negotiable, but dont go with a big backpack... the next issue is at the viaduct go to the right, the trail at the left is muddy and dies out in the bushes. The trail was in good condition, lots of shrooms and a loud creek. Lots of leaves on the ground made it hard to see rocks - I fell all the way down, twice! The vine maples don't hold up well... Mckintosh falls were nice, pretty long chain of falls! Lost the trail here, and followed the strange survey signs and pink plastic flags. Realized the switchbacks were there on the way down. Right before the falls if you cross the creek the town is supposedly on the other side. We wanted to go to the lake first, but went on the switchbacks down, and didnt turn when we needed to... there's a faint trail to the right at the base of the falls that dies out. At the top of the falls the lake came into view and the waterfall on the east shore is visible through a window in the trees! Two waterfalls sighted right near the campsites coming off sloan. The lake was reflective green, snow was on foggy peak, and a little on the other closer mountains. Thought about swimming-the water was pretty warm. Fancy toilets! Walked on the faint trail on the east side, trying to get to the falls, pretty brushy but doable. Two guys were flagging the trail with their dog "for snoeshoeing". One probably could make it to the meadowy side of the lake, we made it most of the way. Took the high trail back, more mountain views, but a little more boring. Sunday was quite balmy! Got back to the trailhead and many cars had came. Left at 7:30 from south of Burien and got back at 5:15. A nice day hike. About 10 miles, steeper at the end. Colors must have been great on the vine maples a few weeks ago! Looks like winter now. Everyone and their grandma was taking a sunday drive on the reopened stretch of the MLH. Additional photos

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Layback
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Joined: 16 Mar 2007
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Layback
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 8:37 pm 
Awesome!!! up.gif up.gif up.gif

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Quark
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Quark
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 8:49 pm 
cool, you did the lower trail. Hopefully enough folks'll continue to go that route to keep it relatively open, so this time it won't fade away to almost nothingness like it did years ago.... That is a nice rock waterbar, worthy of a calendar. I'm sure it's still there. Might be under a pile o' logs, but it's still there.

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Magellan
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 9:36 pm 
Someone is pretty brave standing on that there fungus. Nice to know you could take refuge under it in a storm, or hide under it during times of intense meteor activity.

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GeoTom
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 9:54 pm 
I am drawn to the lake reflection photograph. Seriously. I bumped my nose on my monitor doh.gif

Knows literally nothing
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ike@pike
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 10:22 pm 
wow - great to see pics of this trail. Last time I got to go here my daughter was about 9mos old and loaded up in the Kelty pack, before the road had washed out. We heard people shooting off guns about 1/2 mile from the lake mad.gif and given our new bundle of joy, we decided to turn back early. Then, the road washed out and I haven't had the fortitude to get around early enough for a Darrington side entry. Beautiful trail from what I remember. I have some crazy shroom photos from that hike - all deep red with white spots!

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goats gone wild
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goats gone wild
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 10:30 pm 
Great TR and pictures up.gif up.gif Glad you had a great day!!!

.....leaving me wanting to return over and over in what ever capacity that may be, even if one day my knees are too old and I can only see the mountains from my porch. Jason Hummel
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trailjunky
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 10:42 pm 
I want to see Goat Lake. frown.gif

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geobob
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PostMon Oct 29, 2007 11:21 pm 
I also hiked up to Goat Lake on Sunday and this will be brief as Drewcoll gave such a good report. I won't give you a blow by blow account of my excursion, but will limit myself to some comments that I think might be useful. Got a later start and didn't get started hiking til 12:45pm. As I expected it would be, the parking lot was pretty full when I arrived but while I was putting on my boots, three more cars pulled in and there were only space for a couple more. I too followed the lower trail on the way up, however, not directly from the parking lot. There is a sign at the parking lot that points to the lower trail directly off of the side of the parking lot. I looked into the forest briefly here and didn't see any obvious path to the creek. So, I started out following the upper trail (old road) past the main Goat Lake/Elliot Creek Trail sign/message board. After less than 1/8 mile and before the first switchback, I noticed a well worn path on the right that split from the road and led down to the lower trail. From the road at this junction I could actually see the lower trail down in the forest. So I think I missed the landslide described in the TR. Not long after I joined the lower trail I came across what I remember as a large tree down across the trail that required a detour. I wonder if this is the viaduct mentioned in the TR. Anyway, I detoured uphill around the obstruction and the ground initially was muddy a bit steep and pretty slick. I chose my steps carefully and managed not to wind up on my butt. Past the obstruction the detour seemed to guide me into a dead end in the low brush, but I backtracked a bit to the obstruction and was able to follow a faint boot path pretty much straight downhill to the main trail (probably only about 20 feet), which I could see from the top of the detour. After that there were no other obstacles and the trail in the forest was easily followed and I thought well maintained. Where the trail emerged into areas of deciduous trees the trail was pretty well covered with recent leaf fall and I had to pay attention to stay on the trail. As Drewcoll mentioned, these areas seemed to coincide with rocky sections of the trail and with the leaves being wet made for some uncertain footing. The lower trail merges with the upper trail about 1/2 mile before the upper switchbacks. I spent about 1/2 hour at the lake and followed the trail a litttle ways around the east side (to the left). As noted, it was somewhat overgrown but not too hard to follow. On the way out I followed the upper trail as it was late in the afternoon and I was concerned about losing daylight and figured it would be even darker down by the creek. Got back to the parking lot at 5:30pm; there were I think three cars in the parking lot, including mine. Well, this write up turned out a little longer than I planned when I started. Hope I was able to provide some additional useful information. Oh btw, on the hike out I noticed a spent yellow shotgun shell on the road (maybe from the hunters Drewcoll saw?). That was about a mile from the trail head. Wish now I had stopped to pick it up, since it is litter and if it had been a candybar wrapper or something like that I'm sure I would have.

I think there's an easier way on the far side
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Gsnorgathon
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PostTue Oct 30, 2007 12:27 am 
I'm surprised that no one who took the road route mentioned the, um, constructed object by one of the waterfalls. Or is it one of those now-that-I've-mentioned-it-you'll-have-to-come-and-get-me kinds of things? Trailjunky: yes. You do want to see Goat Lake. And the lower trail through the old growth by Elliot Creek. If the weather holds, I'd shake my booty on down there before the road washes out again.

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Jimbo
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PostTue Oct 30, 2007 6:56 am 
Suppose to be a steam donkey some place there, anybody seen it ?

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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Sabahsboy
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PostTue Oct 30, 2007 5:04 pm 
All of you that have made the trip this fall...consider yourself lucky! Who knows....MLH may wash out again. This hike is always nice....and the lake is simply wonderful. The lack of visitors (these last 5 years) may have allowed the messy camp sites to revert to a wildness they ought to be. I like a particular rock about half way around the lake. There is a itty-bitty falls and lots of interesting plants plus a great view. Never made it to the far end of the lake. Like most, glad to see a TR on this hike and a good description to accessing the lower trail and the obstructions there on. Fine waterfall photos!

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Gsnorgathon
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PostTue Oct 30, 2007 6:18 pm 
Well, some of it was skill... smile.gif Given the timing of the road opening, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to get up there on a nice short day hike before the road washes out again. I mean, I'm not counting on it washing out, but I'm not counting on it not washing out, if you know what I mean. I should have mentioned the various spots that were flagged, where the flagging apparently indicated spots to head off-trail for views of the creek. The first one completely screwed us up, as we thought the flags meant that's where the trail was supposed to be.

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Sabahsboy
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PostTue Oct 30, 2007 6:33 pm 
Goat Lake, Elliott Creek (lower) trail
This is good info for other hikers. As each one becomes confused, the tread to the view point becomes ever more beaten and appears to be the main trail, since everyone goes over it twice. Glad to know what to watch out for along the lower route to the lake (the "old" trail).

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H. Hound
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PostTue Oct 30, 2007 6:54 pm 
I was up at Goat today. In via the road and out on the lower trail. Nice area. Some Pix Some good Historical info. It amazes me how built up that area was 100 years ago. No Jimbo, I didn't find the Donkey. Did find lots of ancient puncheon road tho, including where it crosses Elliott creek between the falls.

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