The road to the trail head is snow free and in great shape. The trail is in good shape and snow free until the last 1/2 mile or so. The last bit has old snow but it is fairly easy to negotiate. Some bushwhacking may be required. Nice views of Rimrock and Clear Lakes.

TRAIL REPORT/SOUTH CASCADES: Round Mountain in Goat Rocks Wilderness 8/6/00

Our first venture into the Goat Rocks Wilderness was fabulous, in spite of our bumbling. After canoeing & camping at the Clear Lake North NFS campground (near Rimrock Lake, off Hwy 12) on Saturday, we set out for the top of Round Mountain on Sunday morning. A well marked & maintained gravel road(FR 12830) with spectacular views lead us to the trailhead with one vehicle parked there, a Ranger's pickup. We started up the dry, dusty gradual grade with lots of water & lunch in hand, or in pack. Lovely lupin and songbirds greeted us. None of our usual Olympic Mountain dampness; this is dry country. We could track the Ranger's boot prints in the dust & surmised it was a small person. We expected to find the spur trail to the top (#1144A) approximately 2 miles in, however, we came across an unmarked old roadway in just 1 mile. Never mind that there was no sign indicating the trail to the top. Never mind that brush had partially blocked trail access. The direction was right according to our compass and we thought we could just barely see the top of the mountain, so up we went. Did I say up' We were most grateful that the views were so awesome that we had to stop & admire them frequently. After about 45 minutes of huffing & hiking the Ranger who was near the top spotted us & called out, ""I think you are on the wrong trail!"", hummmm. When we met her at the top a few minutes later, she confirmed that there is another way to get there, possibly easier. The top of Round Mountain(5970 ft) has ruins of an old lookout tower and spectacular views of Mt Adams, Mt. Rainier, and of course, the Goat Rocks. A rock monument protects a summit log for hikers from the YMCA camp at Clear Lake. After lunch we headed down the correct trail. Although the views from this trail are not as spectacular, it seemed easier. We encountered the correct trail sign at the intersection of #1144, about 0.5 mi., and the distance back to the trailhead is about 2 mi. What a wonderful day hike! If you're hot when you finish, you can go jump into Clear Lake to cool off.