Goat Flats, Three Fingers, Tin Can Gap
Jul 11, 2010
by
Norm
—
last modified
Jul 17, 2010 08:39 PM
- Type of Outing
- Multi-night backpack
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Goat Flats
- Region: North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
- Trails: Goat Flats (#641)
- Avg Rating: 3.00
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Tin Can Gap
- Region: North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
- Avg Rating: 3.83
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Three Fingers
- Region: North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
- Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
- Trails: Three Fingers (#641)
- Avg Rating: 4.36
- Why You Should Go Now
- Wildflowers blooming
- Be Aware Of
- Mudholes
- Water on trail
- Snow on trail
- Bugs
Trail (upper route) above TCG
The trail #641 is now snow-free to just beyond Saddle Lake (about 4000') and the many fallen trees over the trail have recently been cleared (thanks to the USFS). There is still snow covering much of the trail to Goat Flats and most of the trail to Tin Can Gap (TCG). The trail (upper route) beyond TCG is totally snow covered, with very steep exposure to rocks below.
We went in, carrying heavy packs for lookout maintenance, on Friday and decided the safest route (which we had planned for by bringing harness, rope, etc.) would be over the glacier. We arrived at the lookout just after sunset since we also had to rope up and belay over to the middle ladder.
We got three sides scraped and painted and some old window putty replaced on Saturday, leaving early Sunday. We followed our route back over the Queest-Alb glacier to Tin Can Gap.
During our trip we encountered only one person who went beyond TCG and made it to the lookout. He went in on the upper route and confirmed to us and wrote in the lookout register that it was dangerous. He went back via the glacier below the upper route.
The weather-window couldn't have been better for us, as it remained above 50°F on both nights at the 6854' lookout, south peak. Just right for the applied paint to dry (some years we go up and cannot paint at all). Anyone interested in maintaining the lookout can visit the everettmountaineers.org where future trips will be posted.
http://www.flickr.com/[…]/
additional note: Someone left a bivy-sack behind in the lookout...name it and claim it!
We went in, carrying heavy packs for lookout maintenance, on Friday and decided the safest route (which we had planned for by bringing harness, rope, etc.) would be over the glacier. We arrived at the lookout just after sunset since we also had to rope up and belay over to the middle ladder.
We got three sides scraped and painted and some old window putty replaced on Saturday, leaving early Sunday. We followed our route back over the Queest-Alb glacier to Tin Can Gap.
During our trip we encountered only one person who went beyond TCG and made it to the lookout. He went in on the upper route and confirmed to us and wrote in the lookout register that it was dangerous. He went back via the glacier below the upper route.
The weather-window couldn't have been better for us, as it remained above 50°F on both nights at the 6854' lookout, south peak. Just right for the applied paint to dry (some years we go up and cannot paint at all). Anyone interested in maintaining the lookout can visit the everettmountaineers.org where future trips will be posted.
http://www.flickr.com/[…]/
additional note: Someone left a bivy-sack behind in the lookout...name it and claim it!
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Over the edge at TCG
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