Goat Creek basin from waterfalls
Viewed from near the brink of Goat Creek waterfalls, Goat Creek wastes no time in making a pretty much "straight away" course down the meadow green valley. When you hike up trail 96 from the snowgrass flat trailhead the trail makes a horse shoe bend right near the open meadow you can see in the uppermost portion of this photo.
September 7th & 8th, 2008:
This trip consisted of a short backpacking trip (four miles) up to the
intersection of trails: 96 & 86 (from the Snowgrass flats
trailhead) into the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Near the trail
intersection I set up my tent to use as a "base camp" for
two nice day hikes on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.
The first "day hike" from my tent site, was up to Goat Lake and the ribbon water falls of Goat Creek. This is a short easy hike through meadows of wildflowers and whistling marmot. Because of the late snow pack in the Cascade Mountains this year (2008), many of the wildflowers bloomed late and lupine still flourish. The harbinger of fall, the mountain bog gentian are showing up in bloom now.
Though clear skies prevailed, a really strong gusting wind storm rattled my tent late Sunday night.
The second day hike started Monday morning at 7:30 am when I left my tent site with a day pack. I hiked up trail 96 to the Pacific Crest Trail. At the PCT I hiked north and up over the high route of the Pacific Crest Trail, up over Old Snowy Mountain. I hiked north up and down the spine of the ridge until I was just above Elk Pass.
I returned back to my tent in the afternoon, following the low route across the west face of Old Snowy Mountain, that passes just above the Packwood Glacier.
The weather was perfect; the mosquitoes were few; the camp fire soul soothing; and you can't beat the scenery, exercise, and fresh mountain air.
Comments and faves
mountaingypsy added this photo to her favorites. (36 months ago)
mountaingypsy (36 months ago | reply)
Thanks for your remarks. My flickr pro membership had expired and your note spurred me to update my account to full access again!
I marked your photo as a favorite because it looked like a spot I'd love to sit at and walk down the valley along with my husband and my dog Lexi (although the going might be a bit precarious)! Its a beautiful valley.
And the rest of your pictures are lovely too. Nature is truly majestic!
oldmantravels (36 months ago | reply)
Farah. Thank you. I really enjoyed the Petra (appropriately enough, Greek for "rock"), photos you have on your flickr site. Nothing precarious about the viewpoint from which this photo was taken. It is a favorite camp site of many and with the view down the creek, the waterfalls next door, and Goat Lake just 200 yards upstream, it kind of has it all. I hope you, your husband and Lexi can camp here some day and that you post photos of it if you do. The Goat Rocks Wilderness is an outstanding alpine area to wander about with a camera. OMT
mountaingypsy (36 months ago | reply)
Thanks, hopefully we will make it out to Goat Rocks Wilderness soon. If you don't mind me asking, what did you do for work which enabled you to travel so much? Travel can be a very enriching experience if done with the proper mindset.
oldmantravels (36 months ago | reply)
Farah - - Flickr email coming your way with the traveling job answer. Shoot for September if you want to hike in the Goat Rocks Wilderness during the best time of the year. OMT
schemeravond added this photo to his favorites. (35 months ago)