Forum Index > Trip Reports > Warm Lake - Gilbert 8184' via South Fork Tieton Trail Loop
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wildernessed
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wildernessed
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 5:35 pm 
Location : South of Rimrock, Wa. Maps : Goat Rocks - William O Douglas Wilderness GTM, TOPO Stats : 27 mi, 7000'
South Fork Tieton Loop - Warm Lake - Gilbert Peak 8184'
South Fork Tieton Loop - Warm Lake - Gilbert Peak 8184'
Steve and I made the drive from Wenatchee Tues. morning to the Conrad Meadows parking lot. I had sifted through my Goat Rocks Guidebook and quite a few TR's from all over to get a feel for the best route and on the ground conditions from previous trips this time of year. The weather outlook was sunshine and heat. We were backpacking by 0930 hr. and though there are many accounts of multiple trails, roads, and paths crossing the area it was better than advertised and we made our way through the large meadows and the welcomed forest canopy with it's wide path to the South leg of the South Fork Teiton River Trail without any problems. The section up to Surprise Lake was great trail again under a cool forest canopy. The lake was clear and beautiful and the fish had us wishing we had brought our poles.
Conrad Meadows.
Conrad Meadows.
South Fork Tieton River
South Fork Tieton River
Surprise Lake, very clear with some good sized fish.
Surprise Lake, very clear with some good sized fish.
Just beyond the lake we went through several small meadows which gave us a good wildflower show, the wildflowers would be appreciated the higher we went. We eventually headed to our left up the old primitive trail seen on USGS Quads, it is pretty eroded and very rocky, but it was there, and it lead us into the upper basins. Having never been up there I can say there are multiple trails all over and the way we initially went in was a trail that became a side hill through vegetation. For what it's worth once you are leveled out and entering the basin the trail going West will take you to Cold Lake and Conrad Meadows, if your heading South to Warm Lake you would probably be best to stay on that trail until it intersects with a lower basin trail to your left and follow it up the beautiful basin to it's head arcing towards Warm Lake. Any how we made it pretty tired and in full sun, set up camp, then went down into the basin meandering over to the Meade Glacial Moraine then had supper in the middle of the basin among the wildflowers and water flows from the glaciers.
Surprise Lake from Warm Lake.
Surprise Lake from Warm Lake.
Looking North towards Devils Horns.
Looking North towards Devils Horns.
Hey Dudes !
Hey Dudes !
Supper on the move in the basin below Meade Glacier.
Supper on the move in the basin below Meade Glacier.
I crashed around 2030 hr. and slept pretty well, morning coffee at dawn and sunrise was nice we were in a great spot all though it was quite windy during the night.
Nice spot for Morning Joe.
Nice spot for Morning Joe.
In short order we put on our summit packs and made good time up a spur ridge to Klickton Divide and a long the cranky old eroding ridge towards Gilbert. Left side, right side, top, narrow, wide a little bit of everything. Google Earth once again didn't do the route any justice when I viewed it. We had great views a long the way of Adams and St. Helens and the surrounding area.
Steve gaining Klickton Divide.
Steve gaining Klickton Divide.
Adams
Adams
Campsite near Warm Lake.
Campsite near Warm Lake.
Warm Lake and the ridge out to Gilbert.
Warm Lake and the ridge out to Gilbert.
Once at the back side of the mountain the scramble route became just that there was loose scree and talus, but also a lot of good slab rock, ledges and hand holds. Definite class III and the views were awesome.
Upper scramble route.
Upper scramble route.
Looking back at the summit area from the trail.
Looking back at the summit area from the trail.
Arrrgh !
Arrrgh !
Conrad Glacier and Cold Lake Basin.
Conrad Glacier and Cold Lake Basin.
Cold Lake
Cold Lake
Looking West towards Old Snowy.
Looking West towards Old Snowy.
Looking South of the summit.
Looking South of the summit.
Not much room at the top, but nice. I followed the ridge doing a descending traverse SE back down to the trail. On the way back we saw some mountain goats on the Meade Glacier. We made good time back to camp, broke it down, packed up and headed out lower in the basin than we entered. We reversed our route hitting the South Fork Teiton Trail and closed the loop there were at least 10 down falls a long the way, but we ran into a work crew that was going to clean it out. The switchbacls down were very nice. Then the four miles and we were back at the truck. Quite a bite for an overnighter from Wenatchee, but most excellent !
Goats !
Goats !
Basin
Basin
Gilbert - Meade Glacier - Moraine from across the basin.
Gilbert - Meade Glacier - Moraine from across the basin.
Looking down ridge West to Rainier.
Looking down ridge West to Rainier.
Meade Glacial Basin - Warm Lake and the spur ridge to the Klickton Divide Ridge.
Meade Glacial Basin - Warm Lake and the spur ridge to the Klickton Divide Ridge.
Nice views of Rainier.
Nice views of Rainier.
Section of wide ridge shortly before Gilbert Peak 8190'
Section of wide ridge shortly before Gilbert Peak 8190'
Warm Lake at dawn.
Warm Lake at dawn.
Geologic History of the Goat Rocks

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HitTheTrail
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 7:13 pm 
Wow, what a scenic area! up.gif All these pretty pitchers make me regret not joining you guys. Then I look at the stats and it brings me back down to reality. Had it been a two nighter maybe. Great trip.

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ActionBetty
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 7:14 pm 
good job Rob! up.gif

"If you're not living good, you gotta travel wide"...Bob Marley
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wildernessed
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 7:34 pm 
up.gif I agree with you Hit the Trail but if we had stayed a second night in this case I would have been flown out after taking 3 times the dose of my b/p medication by accident both days. whaambulance.gif

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RichP
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 8:20 pm 
Glad you made it, Rob. I forgot about this one for a while and hope to hit it this year.

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HitTheTrail
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 8:27 pm 
wildernessed wrote:
up.gif I agree with you Hit the Trail but if we had stayed a second night in this case I would have been flown out after taking 3 times the dose of my b/p medication by accident both days. whaambulance.gif
Whoa, in retrospect then I am glad I did not pressure you guys to extend by one night! We need you around for more great trips. Watch them meds ok?

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wildernessed
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 8:53 pm 
RichP wrote:
Glad you made it, Rob. I forgot about this one for a while and hope to hit it this year.
Now is the time shaded trails in great shape, wildflowers, water sources, no snow gear needed, no snow travel.

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Magellan
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PostFri Aug 29, 2014 9:43 pm 
Cool story. up.gif I think I would appreciate this as a two-nighter.

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wildernessed
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PostSat Aug 30, 2014 2:45 pm 
ActionBetty wrote:
good job Rob! up.gif
Denise I am still looking at E. Lostine to Eagle Cap, but need good weather and preferably a post labor day weekday trip 3 days. Still have b/p problems. I have to break some new boots in also. up.gif

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Get Out and Go
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PostSat Aug 30, 2014 3:33 pm 
That's a nice looking area, Rob. I've only peeked into Goat Rocks from the top of the White Pass ski area. wink.gif It's not that bad of a drive from here....pretty mindless by now, as we usually head down there several times a winter. I've been wanting to do summer trip down there. Oh well, always next year for me. suuure.gif

"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go." (Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart) "Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry. Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky." (Thanks, Tom Petty)
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wildernessed
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PostSun Aug 31, 2014 6:36 am 
up.gif Steve mentioned you were looking back in there from Crystal Pass. This was my first trip in there. Steve knows his way around there now, there were some good sized fish in Surprise Lake and he was interested in the Cold Lake area as a trip. Very nice.

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iron
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PostSun Aug 31, 2014 8:57 am 
nice. good to see the skies cleared up!

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YWCHiker
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PostTue May 11, 2021 12:13 am 
Hey, hopefully I can get a response!!! I was researching Warm lake and discovered that it was stocked with several hundred Golden Trout in the early 2000's. Has anyone been up there and caught/seen evidence of these trout. I'm itching to get up there and see if I can catch one!

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fffej50
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PostTue May 11, 2021 10:04 am 
We were there maybe 5 years ago and there was no sense of any thing trout like happening...sorry.

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Opus
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PostTue May 11, 2021 4:09 pm 
I was there last July and didn't see any evidence of trout. I did see fish in Surprise Lake.

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