[boot up]

I managed to get an early start to beat the crowds. Road was frosty and icy, otherwise it could have been a day in July. Arrived as the second car at 7:45am, parking next to a Yaris. A few potholes on the way in, lots of slick mud on the way out.

Forester base camp. Trailhead. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

11.4 miles round trip, with a long warm sunny lunch break on the tip of the peninsula.

11.4 miles round trip. 1868 feet elevation gain. 3216 feet max elevation. 2000 feet parking 7hr20min car to car with a long warm sunny lunch Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

11.4 miles round trip. 1868 feet elevation gain. 3216 feet max elevation. 2000 feet parking 7hr20min car to car with a long warm sunny lunch. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

First time I have seen a mountain goat at the lake area.

Appropriate goat sighting at Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

I went in via the lower Elliot trail, which is nice if you like to hike along a babbling brook.

Bare trees, Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Famous log you walk under. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

View from lower Elliot trail. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Elliot creek. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Lower Elliot trail. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Frost was pretty cool looking in the forest.

Interesting Frost. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

snow was only on the upper peaks.

Bare trees. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Snow only way up there. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

No snow! In January. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Some snow. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

I do love the falls at the lake outlet. They need the long shutter look to bring out their best, IMHO.

Elliot falls, Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

HDR version of Elliot creek waterfall. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Elliot creek waterfall. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Cascades. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

You can see traces of the original road along the way, where miners and resort people used to travel by wagon.

There was once a resort here, served by wagon. Mining operations too. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Ancient wagon road. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

No worry about the avalanche chute this day!

no avalanche danger in the avy chute today! Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

I worked my way up to the far end of the trail, and it was the easiest I have seen it in awhile. I did a bit of pruning along the way to improve it further. And I settled down for a comfortable lunch and set up the camera for the time lapse above. Any further requires significant bush whacking. It was difficult to get motivated to leave.

Into the sun. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Cloud transition. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Blue sky, Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Ice and open water. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Reflections. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Cloud reflections. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Panorama. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Mixed mode lake. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Blue sky at Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Fractured Fairytales. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Lunch Shore ice. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Swoop, Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Upper water fall. "didja make it to the falls". Apparently this is very important. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Panorama, from the trail end. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

End View. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Lunch View. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

far side. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Right side. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

far shore, Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Mandatory boot shot. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Penninsula view. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Far shore closeup. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

far wall in flat light. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Clouds moving in. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Sjhoreline. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

afternoon light. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Goat lake white out. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Reflection. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Panorama, Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Top of the falls, Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

I took upper Elliot on the way out, which is best this time of year with the leaves off the trees, so you can actually see the surrounding mountains through the branches. No crowds on Upper Elliot, which adds a mile longer than lower Elliot. Mud covered cars were parked for about a half mile back along the road when I got back to the car. My car was spotless, thanks to frozen mud....until I drove back.

Typical upper Elliot trail, a converted road. Goat Lake, WA 01/31/15

Can't ask for better weather at the end of January. We might be paying for this with a very dry summer though.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the report, WOW no snow ? One I haven't done. Monte must be snow free as well.

[Blowdown]

Cool timelapse! I really need to get a camera that can do that. When we were walking that old wagon road, we surmised, first, that it must have taken a huge amount of work and hundreds of trees, and second, that it would have been a crazy bumpy ride. You'd have to be hangin' on to your dentures! And thanks for the "bit of pruning along the way to improve it further". With trail crews spread thin, informal trail maintenance is important and very much appreciated.

[boot up]

[tigermn]