[vgeoffs]

When my son signed up for cross country camp at White Pass for the last week of July, I got this goofy idea to backpack in the Goat Rocks at the same time. My friend Dave said, "Hey I will meet you up there." We were to meet Sunday, 07/26/09, at the Snowgrass TH at 3:00 PM, but FS 21 was closed at Packwood for repairs. Drove to Randle and came in through FS 23, not to much longer. Got to the trailhead at 4:15 and Dave got there about 10 minutes later. We hiked up Snowgrass Trail then went down the Bypass Trail and set up camp.

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Next morning we packed up and hiked up to the junction of PCT and Snowgrass trail.

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After setting up camp we hiked down the PCT to Cispus Pass.

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Scotty found ways to cool down.

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Tuesday we hiked up the PCT to the Packwood Glacier and over the top. PCT started to slide out in the loose rock, Dave made it across and went over to Elk Pass. I couldn't get a solid footing or a pole plant in the fine gravel, so I decided to go back and take a nap. Here is a picture of the trail. In the five days we were there I only talked to one other person who made it across and that was a young lady hiking to Mexico.

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Views

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After a hike up the side of Mt Old Snowy, didn't get to the top but some people were able to, we took a nap and hiked back down to Snowgrass camp.

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Wednesday we hiked over to Goat Lake on the Lily Basin Trail 86.

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Goat Lake is still mostly Frozen (07/29/09)

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Hiked on up to the Goat Ridge Trail.

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Dave went on up and I decided to eat a snack and enjoy the view. About then a small thunder storm comes over the ridge. My dog, Scotty, takes off. We are about five miles from our campsite. So I take off trying to find the dog, I see a few tracks but no dog. I get back to camp and no dog. Then about 9 o'clock, seven hours later he appears in front of his food bowl. Gish!! Thursday we packed up and hiked out.

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Drove to Packwood where was about 98 degrees I got an air conditioned room (for the dog) that was across the street from the Blue Spruce Tavern (for me). Great Burger and Beers. Geoff

[Karen²]

[texasbb]

I did almost the same hike the first week of September last year. Most of the flowers were dead and Goat Lake was less than one quarter frozen...

Interesting to see the difference this year. BTW, I thought that section of the PCT was always loose and "mobile." Here it is last year:

Thanks for the report/pics. I love that place.

[bobbi]

beautiful......i must go there for my next cascade tour!