Trip Reports

Carl and I made an attempt on the Three Fingers Lookout Saturday, but it was not meant to be!



FS Road #41 to Tupso Pass is snow free and passable to about 1 mile before the trailhead. There it is blocked by a small slide. A semi-monster-truck had gotten thru, but everyone else (wisely) hiked it.

While this road is passable tothis point by any vehicle, it has alot of potholed sections and many barely cleared trees to drive past and over. I was not as patient as I should have been and picked up some scratches on my jeep.

The trail to Saddle Lake is almost entirely snow free. Just one snow filled basin to cross about 1.5 miles in. (Hint: cross the creek and follow flagging to the left) This first section of the trail is in bad shape! Much of the underlying trail is in a rutted streambed. There are also several large downed trees and ALOT of mud! It could really use some TLC - ALOT of TLC.

Saddle Lake is pretty and totally surrounded by snow. Camping here will be on snow for a few more weeks.

The trail from Saddle Lake to Goat flats is about 70% snow covered. Staying on the trail was a challenge early in the morning on the way in with no tracks, but was an obvious tromped in trail by later Saturday afternoon.

Our biggest problem in this section was the weather! Although the weather report called for partially sunny weather, we were in a cloud the entire way. Visibility was around 100 yards (contributing to the route finding difficulties) and a light drizzley rain was continuous. What fun!

Goat flats is almost entirely snow covered, and was wet & windy.

Our hopes for a clearing in the cloud cover were fading.

There were a couple of tents pitched, so there were some hardy folks up there. I believe 6 or 7 parties made the trek into Goat flats this day. Most of them turned around there.

At this point, we had decided that the 3 Fingers Lookout was not going to go due to the miserable weather and visibility, but we decided to make a try for Tin Can Gap. The snow was mostly untracked past Goat Flats, and we never would have found the trail without some help from another adventurous group. This section of trail does some steep, exposed side-hilling and had many snow and ice covered sections. We used crampons and ice axes at this point. After an hour of snow, scree, ice, rock, snow, scree, rock, ice - the route appeared to veer straight up into the clouds. (Remember that 100 yard visibility) Since we were at our turnaround time, and there was no chance of seeing anything up there anyway, we decided to turn around here. A GPS reading indicated we were about 1/4 mile from the gap.

This got us back at the car in plenty of time to drive out during daylight and catch a not-too-late dinner in Lake Stevens.

On a positive note, there were practically no bugs. I'm sure that situation will change as this melts out more.

This must be a beautiful area for as many people to make the trip

on a bad road and a bad trail and in the bad weather. It was definitely a trip to remember!!!!



Rick & Carl

The 41 Road on Green Mountain leading up to the Tupso Pass trailhead

is now snow-free all the way to the trailhead-one problem....one mile

prior to the trailhead there is a small mud-slide that blocks the road. It is about 3 feet deep and only about 15 feet across to the other side, but it's enough to stop an SUV or other regular 2WD or 4WD

except for the most extreme of 4x4 vehicles. The road on the way up is littered with many trees that have been cut back, but there are many 2-3 inch diameter, small trees (limbless) across the road. These can be slick when wet so used due care. There is parking and turnaround area at the slide area mentioned.

REMINDER: DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR (including the trunk)!!!!

Enjoy your hike!

We set out to do an overnight backpacking trip to goat flats with the kids. We were stopped by snow at milepost 15, about two miles from the trailhead. A debris flow across the road at mile 16 required dirty clamboring to pass through. In the woods all the flats with cold air drainage had snow. The trail was a creek for most of the first half mile, then the snow bridged it. The basin holding Bandana Lake (elevation 3800') had about four feet of snow and the lake was snow covered. We managed to find two tent spots off the snow, on the ridge, about 3 1/2' by 8' for our mountain tents. Glorious old growth, no people, and the four-year-old and seven-year-old had a great time playing in the snow. The snow is getting to be that late-season neve, and the steep traverses are getting exciting. You may want an ice axe. We cleared most of the blow downs less than 4"" in diameter from the trail--not too many bigger ones left. Bugs were not bad. The snow melted about 6"" during the day we were in, so in a week or two the trail should be largely snow free.

Road cleared up to Milepost 11. Biked after that. Patches of snow on Goat Flats trail, pretty much from the trailhead on, and totally covered by Saddle Lake. Meadow Mountain trail is unmaintained and I don't recommend it. It is also snowcovered a few miles in. Email sabegg@gmail.com with any questions, although this report will be outdated as the summer progresses.

7/4/08

Driving into the trailhead, about 5 miles in (of 17), the road is impassable with 3 trees completely blocking the road at about 3 feet high. Otherwise, there are many fallen, smaller trees EVERYWHERE. Better to have a vehicle with high clearance.

Picked a gorgeous day to hike. Nobody is kidding when they say it takes 1 hour from Mountain Loop to get to the trailhead. They are also not kidding about the tree roots and rocks. Accidentally passed trailhead and ran into disappointing impromptu shooting range with empty casings and boxes all over the place...what a shame. If you decide to hike this trail soon I highly recommend gaitors and trekking poles. Four legs are better then two.

Departed trailhead at 7:30 am determined that trail is basically flowing creekbead on and off starting at the beginning. If you ever get lost just follow the running water in a upward direction. Ran into a snowfield halfway to Saddle lake. Lake was incredible. I made good time to Goat Flats. Snow started at flats and the trail initially just disappeared. So I found myself blindly hiking up the flats until I saw a stream flowing downward. I decided to follow it. I noticed large pole prints from someone else so I just figured I was on the right track. I ended up going back and forth from the snow to the stream etc. Hiked past several mini ponds. About halfway up flats I noticed a nice green flat area looked like a good place to camp but ground was saturated. I kept going eventually got up to the ridge and started getting breathtaking views of Rainier, Seattle, Lake Washington and the whuldge.

I made my last push through what I thought would be the last meadow. I got most of the way up and saw what looked to be one last hill I'm guessing about 200ft tall. The right side almost looked like a groomed ski run. Unfortunately I was already out of steam. I stopped and ate quick lunch and headed back down.

I must have underestimated how far I had really come. I have to tell you it was one long walk back to trailhead that I thought would never end. The trail back to Saddle Lake wasn't tough. I met two guys there that were packed up and heading for the Lookout. Nice chaps, hope they made it ok. Then the came the up downs. I didn't pay to much attention on the way up the trail and somehow forgot that you actually have to climb up on the way back. I popped some Cliff Blocks and clifshots and made my way back. I thought that it would never end. It was rough getting back to the initial ridge and took alot of will power and patience. The final stretch is really tough if you have reached the point of exhaustion. Eventually made it back around 4pm. Then the long drive back. I got the opportunity to see many waterfalls that I heard but could not see in the morning. Also ran across another impromptu shooting range around mile#14 on road that made me sick. There was so much trash and other stuff there I'm convinced that it would take 5 people and a week to clean it up.

Overall it was a good hike. Looking back I'm glad that I didn't push it all the way to Tin Can Gap. I'm not sure if I would have made it back to car sane. If you are a larger corn fed midwesterner country boy tipping the scales I would recommend this as a overnight. It was a real workout. The view where I stopped at was worth every ounce of sweat.

Last Thursday hiked up to Goat Flat and then Saturday to Three Fingers Lookout and then back out. Lots of snow this year between Goat Flat and the south peak, with probably 10 snowfields to cross and the top of Queest-Alb Glacier, plus two moats to negotiate. It's also freaky climbing the ladders and rope to the lookout. We were in clouds most of the time, so no views from the lookout. Bugs were not bad Thursday night at Goat Flat, but pretty bad as we packed up Friday evening. Bring crampons and an ice axe. I don't recommend casual hikers go beyond Tin Can Gap. The trail to Goat Flat is also one of the crappiest I've been on, all roots, rocks and mud.

We hiked about a mile past Saddle Lake, did not make it all the way to Goat Flats.

Forest Service trail crew was hard at work clearing blowdown off the trail. They were working above Saddle Lake when we saw them.

Biggest issue: flies, gnats, no-see-ums, mosquitoes--you name it. Lots. Wear bug spray.

There are patches of snow left on the trail, some large, but route finding was no problem.

The trail itself is still ""primitive"", meaning that it's rocky, rooty, occasionally splashy, and that you generally have to keep an eye down to help your footing. Hiking boots recommended. I hugely enjoyed it--it's a nice change from overly manicured trails. In fact, we loved this hike; the forest is fantastic, it's quiet (saw 3 other parties, but this was a sunny Sunday in July), there are some nice peekaboo views to nearby mountains. Fabulous!

Forest Road #41 has been repaired and cleared of blowdown all the way to the trail head for trail #641, passable by regular passenger cars. It *IS* a long drive, 17 miles from the Mtn Loop Highway, taking the better part of an hour.

I took the wonder dog on a little trip to Goat Flats on Monday and Tuesday. The trail is still terrible most of the way to Saddle lake, but there have been some improvements, like the blowdown section has been re-routed and cleared. The trench-like aspect of the trail is especially bad for dogs wearing packs, but Daisy has been trained to wait for me to free her if she gets stuck rather than to just struggle out of the pack harness or cause the pack to ""de-velcro"" from the harness that is buckled to her. I only had to free her up maybe ten times, not too bad considering. We tanked up on water at the stream about 1/3 of the way between Saddle lake and the flats, enough to last the rest of the trip. The sunset Monday evening was nice, and being surrounded on all sides by blueberries and huckleberries is my idea of heaven, and Daisy's too. She has learned how to pick her own, freeing me to gorge unabated.

Tuesday was lounging day, so we did that. The flats is a pretty nice place to do it, too. I toyed with the idea of hiking to Tin Can Gap, but decided that I wanted to come back and spend the night in the Three Fingers lookout, so I figured to see it then. The hike out went by fairly quickly, 3.5 hours from flats to car, 3 hours hiking and a half-hour resting. I still feel like I had a decent workout with ten miles total hiked the two days plus over 2,500 VF.

PS: I tried something new this trip: I brought an extra smell-proof bag, and packed out all of Daisy's poop in her dog pack. The poop was picked up using standard dog-poop plastic bags, then those bags put into the smell-proof bag. So the expensive smell-proof bag is still clean and can be re-used for that purpose. I will still bury her poop when that is appropriate/possible, but having another option is nice (as long as I don't have to carry or smell the poop).

What an amazing place! Even without the bonus of the fire lookout it's still a great trip. Goat flats has an awesome view. The rest of the trail winding along the ridgetop is almost like flying.

Long drive in, but thankfully the road isn't too bad. Typical amount of potholes scattered around, particularly in the first unpaved portions. Signed in on the margins of the register since all the pages were full. The beginning 2.5 miles to Saddle Lake is a nasty rocky, rooty, slick, and eroded mess. Lots of opportunity to slip and fall. No blow-down to contend with though and there appears to be some recent maintenance work about halfway in.

From here to Goat Flats it is in better condition but still rough and eroded. Goat Flats is exploding with ripe blueberries! The meadows are starting to turn a very nice shade of red. I could see bear tracks in a nearly dried tarn and another hiker told me she saw a black bear in the area. Water is getting scarce at the flats, looks like there is only one tarn left.

From Tin Can Gap the trail follows the ridgeline. There is one patch of snow to cross after the gap that is a little steep but short. I didn't use my ice-axe but would recommend bringing one, or at the very least poles, for this section with the lower overnight temperatures. Further on there is a slippery gully to descend but someone has left a very helpful rope. The only remaining snow to cross is the field below the lookout, which is only moderately sloped and has a very safe runout.

The ladders are I imagine the make or break point for most everyone. They are very securely tied to the rocks and in good shape. The transition from ladder 2 to 3 is a little tricky if you have a larger pack. Arrived in the lookout to find a father daughter climbing pair camped out for the night. I signed the log, took some photos, and enjoyed the airy feeling as clouds smashed against the walls before starting down.

Trip photos at http://www.pbase.com/billcat/threefingers/

The hour drive to the trailhead was great. There really is nothing like getting bounced around by huge potholes for 17 miles. There was one other dude at the trailhead besides my partner and I, so it wasn't a crowded hike at all.

The trail was in better condition than the last time that I hiked it. There weren't any deadfalls and the worst parts of the trail had been fixed up. There wasn't any snow to worry about either, and since it has been nice and dry the trail wasn't a creek, it was nice and hard packed.

My hiking partner got a blister on her heel so we didn't get to make it to the lookout, we just stopped at Goat Flats. As always, the view was exceptional and so was the sunset. The hike down by headlamp wasn't too bad either.

BUT...

Holy crap were there ever mosquitos, horseflies, bees, and wasps up there. Be sure to bring your beekeeper's suit or some bug spray, or both!

If you are not a rock climber or frequent mountaineer, the way to the lookout has a high crap your pants factor, in my opinion. About 7 miles past Granite Falls, forest service road 41 heads towards the parking area at Tupso Pass. We did not see any signage from the Mountain Loop Highway so keep your eyes peeled. The Forest Service 41 sign is not visible from the highway either. It does take an hour to drive the forest service road and it is only 17 miles. The trail is rocky and rooty for a good portion of the way to Goat Flats at 5 miles. Good places to camp here. There is a good stream for water about a mile before Goat Flats. From Goat Flats the trail traverses a ridge to the saddle where you can look down at the glacier and you can see the lookout on the South Summit. A large snowfield blocks the way which can be crossed(about 200-300 feet of snow travel), ice axe and crampons would be the safe option, but probably doable without. A scramble/climb around the snowfield might be possible, but not sure. Pick up the path on the other side of the snowfield and follow it around another snowfield and then in a 1/4 mile another snowfield. This snowfield can be avoided by briefly going up the ridge and scrambling a gully down to the trail again. A couple minor snow fields are to be crossed or they could be fairly easily avoided by following the outskirts. Then follow the trail up some switchbacks, where there is eventually a couple good water sources below the South Summit Snowfield. Head up the snowfield, ice axe helpful, but not absolutely needed. At the top of the snowfield attempt to follow the cairns by scrambling up some rocks. Take your time here. When you around a rock outcrop with some exposure the ladders will come into view. The first two ladders weren't bad, except for a few creaks here and there, but getting to the third ladder might cause you to fill your pants a bit. Very doable, but a little nervewracking. Once up the third ladder, follow the slab and rope to the lookout and views. Luckily for us, nobody was in the lookout and we wouldn't have to hike the 7.5 miles back to our vehicle. A great night with great views and some clouds. Woke up to drizzle and little visibility. Make sure you have toilet paper ready on the way down when it is wet. Getting from the top ladder to the middle ladder is a bit tricky and I ended up using the rope to make it from the rock to the second ladder. Retraced our steps and ended up using crampons on the last snowfield near the gap. Arrived back safely at about 3PM. Many people who signed the lookout register were hoping to make it back alive and were not looking forward to the climb down. I assume they made it. About 6 hours each way for us, and I don't consider myself a slow hiker. A definite challenge, but with the right equipment, a fun, if not a bit scary, trip. If the snow was a bit more melted out, it would be a lot quicker and easier, except for the ladders. Thanks for maintaining the lookout. One bed and floorspace available in the lookout.

Hiked to Goat Flats on Saturday - foggy and chilly. No bugs though! Nice trail, but couldn't see a thing. Beware - the 18 mile dirt road will take about an hour.

Back to ""work"" yesterday and another mountain goat helicopter survey, this time at Goat Flats near Three Fingers. you'd think this would be a shoe-in considering the name, but we actually didn't see a single goat while we were out there. Feeling real useful right now...

Trail conditions were rough as always, particularly early in the hike, where you really get the feeling of walking in a riverbead. It improves somewhat further on but the tread is always somewhat tiring until past Goat Flats. There was still a little snow leading up to the flats, and then some more right after, but nothing that's too much of a problem, and the flats themselves are mostly melted out (including campsites). Routefinding is never a major problem, but bring a map just in case, particularly if you've never been. The trail is quite muddy and bugs are definetely present, but not absolutely terrible. Bring some sort of bug deterrent.

The weather was quite cloudy and moist the whole time although the clouds did lift or fall enough for us to see our surroundings several times. The sunset was actually fantastic.

This morning, we got up early and scrambled up to the first knoll above camp to try to find some goats for the survey. We had an excellent vantage point, but still didn't see any goats. And then the mist enveloped us while the helicopter was actually making its passes. So a pretty useless trip...

The way down was uneventful but I ate at McDonalds on the way out. It's been a long time...

Big thanks to the big Forest Service work crew out there. I don't think there's a whole lot you can do for this trail, but any effort is appreciated.

Went with Best Hiking Partner and Best Dog to Goat Flats on Sat. It was great leaving all the crowds behind as we drove up 41 to the trail head. The trail is rocky and full of roots and there are a few blowdowns but according to the postings work will be going on all month. The peace and quiet was wonderful and at 2.5mi you come to Snow Lake, a great place to get a snack and watch dippers and salamanders. 1mi after the lake you start hitting snow, it is deep in some spots up to four feet and finding the trail can be tricky. Look up into the trees and you will see orange ties to guide you in the right direction. Beat Dog had a blast playing in the snow while Beat Partner and I were blown away by the views. If your looking to escape for a day I highly recomend this trail, it is truly a dimond in the rough.

We went up for a reconisance of the Three Fingers scramble and started up the trail. The trail is wet but relatively free of snow until the stream crossing. Someone marked the trail in a snow bowl but unfortunately the red streamers lead into a swampy area. Beware, the last two streamers are false go back to the bowl and look right to some blow down trees you'll see more red streamers that follow the trail's switchbacks to a rock cliff that the trail skirts under. Otherwise, you will have to do the bushwack from hell that we did. The lake is snowed in and even had some ice on it. We continued on encountering patches of snow until about 4000 ft. It's completely snowed in from there on but passable and the red streamers are reliable to goat flat at 4800'. That was our turn around point but other hikers and backpackers said that there were bare camping spots higher up and they were able to summit. The mosquitos were too small to bite but there were lots of them.

The snow is still 8-10 foot deep at Goat Flats. I finally made it up there today. The road up is pitted with vicious potholes, but not as bad as Pilchuck or Bandera. In fact I was so focused on the potholes that I missed the trailhead marker. If you reach the end of the road, you've gone about 1/4 mile too far. The trailhead is well marked opposite a widening of the road near its end. The trail itself is a series of roots, rocks, and mudholes all the way up Saddle Lake. There is a large snowfield along the way. Do not follow the red ribbons. Instead when you see the large log cut for a passage, kick steps directly up the snowfield and you will reconnect with the actual trail.

Serious snow begins at Saddle Lake and continues to Goat Flats. The red ribbons here are trustworthy. It took us 2 hours to reach Saddle Lake and one more hour to reach Goat Flats. Never saw the top of Three Fingers for the clouds, but the Flats themselves are a winter wonderland of snow hummocks. Flowers are appearing in the melted out areas lower down but dominant are the twin marsh marigolds.

Lots of blowdowns on this trail, mud holes, and places where the path is completely washed out. A major overhaul is needed to put it back in good condition. I cleared some of the blowdowns, but much more is needed. It took only two hours to return to the trailhead.

The last report on Goat Flats on the WTA website was Sept 14 of 2005 and Meadow Mountain was Mar of 2003, so I decided that this beautiful warm day in May would be a perfect time to check them out. Both are reached by Road 41 off the Mountain Loop highway, about halfway between Granite Falls and Verlot. The exit is not marked. Look for a brick monument with no words to your right and immediately turn left. There will be two private roads branching off but keep to the right and very soon you will see the sign for 41. The road is clear but potholed up to the old Meadow Mountain trailhead. That trail is closed and overgrown right down to 41. Not even a trace of the old trail exists anymore and the signs have been blasted through by shotguns. Going further to Tupso Pass, Road 41 is clear up to about Meadow Creek. From there on is snowed in and I was not going to risk getting stuck, alone, 16 miles from the nearest highway, even with my trusty Subaru. I figure I was a mile from the trailhead when I turned around. Definitely looks challenging and I will return later in the summer.

We saw fresh bear scat and fresh bear tracks in the snow on the road about a 1 mile below the Goat Flats Trail head.

The weather Monday morning was perfect, clear, cool, and a light breeze. Yetiman, Daisy and I hit the trail to Goat Flat at 10 am, and in two hours managed to arrive at Saddle lake with no sprained ankles or other mishaps, despite the sorry state of the trail. It is mostly slippery roots, with some muddy areas, plus lots of inconveniently-sized rocks, perfect for rolling ankles.

Saddle lake is a small, muddy depression that just happens to have some water pooled up in it. We took a break there anyway, as it is the 1/2 way point. Daisy managed to do a bit of swimming after some mud wading. At 12:30 we took off for the Flat, noticing that the trail went from terrible to just ordinary bad.

We broke out of the woods into a series of miniature valleys consisting of small meadows and tarns, very scenic, the first nice stuff there is to see really. From here on, the camera was seldom put away for long. The meadows got better and more colorful as we went along, passing Columbine lake (tiny), and eventually reaching the final ascent to the flat.

What a beautiful place Goat Flat is! The meadows are a whole variety of colors right now, with the blueberry bushes just starting to turn color, and the grassy areas still a vibrant green, all set off by the exposed granite outcroppings and the small groups of trees. There are varied and spectacular views in all directions. To the north we saw Mt Baker, south is Rainier, west is the entire Puget Sound region from Seattle to the San Juans, and east has Three Fingers plus Mt (?), practically towering over us. We were able to identify the entire length of Whidbey island, for example, from Clinton to Deception pass, laid out for us like a map. Awesome.

We got to enjoy this bounty of vistas from 3 pm right through a glorious sunset, camped just off the trail to the toilet, with meadows behind us and Three Fingers in front. Daisy and Yetiman shared my tent, while I used my Hennessey hammock. We stayed up for a while in the dark, spotting satellites and the occasional shooting star.

I woke up at 6 am on Tuesday to Daisy's whining. She had gotten up to go potty, and didn't want to go back to sleep, and Yetiman wasn't getting up, so I was elected morning dog-sitter. I cursed, but then blessed, this turn of events, since the dawn coming up behind Three Fingers was awesome indeed. I got some great shots of the sunrise on Baker as well. I spent a nice quiet morning watching the daylight wake up the Puget Sound area while having coffee and wild blueberries.

Oh, did I mention the blueberries? No? Well, they are amazing. The quantity and quality were among the best I have ever experienced. They carpet the ground and cover every bush. Yetiman and I each amassed a full quart in just one half hour of feverish picking. My favorites were the light-blue variety, sweet yet with a tangy freshness of an almost citrus nature. They are so thick that we just pulled at the bushes and harvested the berries wholesale, sometimes getting four or five berries with each hand at one swipe. We dropped many this way, but Daisy was there to see that none went to waste. She even started picking her own from the inch-high ""bushes"" on the ground.

I also forgot to mention the bear we saw on Monday. Yetiman was looking down into the valley of Boulder river, when he spotted a bear grazing on berries about a quarter mile away and well below us. We checked him out with binoculars, but he was too far away for photography.

We encountered a decent amount of mosquitoes and gnats at the flats, but never used any bug spray, as moving to a windier spot solved the problem. It took me four hours to hike out due to the rough trail and the fact that we were in no hurry. Hello to Angela and Sasha, it was nice to meet you.

According to the book, you turn onto FS 41, Tupso Pass Rd., if anyone has ever seen this from the road, let me know. Fortunately I remembered that my brother had said, its the Green Mt. road on the left. Arriving at the trailhead we met Slugman, Yetiman, and Daisy the wonderdog, recognizing them from previous trail reports, it was very nice to meet them. We all wished eachother well and headed up. There is no better way to spend Labor Day then laboring up rocks and roots. We have always seen Three Fingers from a distance, so we had decided to get as close as possible within reason. The temperature was perfect and with the recent rain everything looked shiny including the many roots. We arrived at Goat Flats had a quick bite and proceeded onward admiring the huge expanse of blueberries that we planned on partaking of on the way down. With one too many ankle twistings we stopped at Tin Can Gap and hung out taking pictures and listening to the Marmots whistle. This was our turnaround spot due to time constraints as I didn't want to be driving down the 17 miles of gravel road in the dark. On the way down we saw Slugman and Yettiman setting up camp and said ""Hi"" again. It was a long day, but we had a lot of fun and the blueberries were the best we'd ever eaten! Happy Hiking :0)

Trailhead 08:30: Hit trail with Hoss and Carlos at around 8:30 am on Saturday for our first ever venture up to Goat Flats (and beyond) and our first overnight of the year. Were 5 or 6 cars parked by the trailhead and the sun shining in a cloudless sky. First thing we noticed is that a few flies noticed US. Merely the prelude...

Trail up: The notorious roots proved little obstacle on the way UP for us, having built them up to be far worse in our minds from previous posts. ""Roots, schmoots..."". Saddle Lake was quickly reached, and quickly passed. We voted it unimpressive, if a bit picturesque in a treelined, pondy kinda way. Trail was good from there to the flats. I can see how wetter conditions could make this trail mud/water fun-fun.

Da Flats 11:00'ish: Da flats, they purdy. Views and alpine heather ""meadows""! We hit the flats somewhere in the 11:00 region. The camping areas off the trail below the flats were about full (wow), but we found a nice spot way down below the trail. We decided it was excellent, situated on the edge of the steep descent into the valley below and right next to the trickling stream that provided water.

The Fingers: We setup camp, primed ourselves for Three Fingers, and shuffled up out of our site near 2:00pm. The trail to the Gap was longer than we expected. Just like others have said, Tin Pan Gap gave us our first ""Dang!"" view of the Fingers and the wee wittle house perched on one of 'em (with thoughts of how do you get UP there??!?). Now, I can absolutely understand how larger amounts of snowpack could make the first traverse or two a bit treacherous, necessitating equipment like axe and/or crampons. With the soft, well melted snow this time, there really wasn't a need. Just step well and wise if the situation calls. The ascent was alpine beauty at its finest... and tiring. Up, up, up the last large snow field and rock scramble. The famous ladders were really quite fun! Time for slappin' high-fives and gawkin' from the eyrie that is the lookout.

The Lookout 16:30: Wow...need anymore be said..do words work for this? Two nice guys were staying the night up there with whom we chatted. Clear day it was, I'm sure nightfall was spectacular. They tried getting the rest of shutters open, but were missing some pins??? Left at 5:45.

Going down: Glissade! Marmot time! We saw one big'un on the way up, but on the way down they came out in force with plenty to say. Marmots are cool. We arrived back at near 8:00 to our Flats site exhausted, but very satisfied. The bugs weren't...

Bits 'n' pieces: This time of year the trail was like a bug layer cake. Biting flies on the bottom and mosquitos on top with horsefly sprinkles. The mosquitos responded well to repellent, the flies did not. On the way out the flies were so bad we could hardly stop for a break without being swarmed by the evil little buggers.

I'd say the trail was moderately populated, with stopping points a- plenty to keep crowding minimal (Saddle Lake, Goat Flats, Tin Pan Gap, Lookout).

The roots... we damned them on the way OUT (remember our attitude at on the way UP?)

Hike = awesome. Us = hamburger, but smiley-happy-satisfied. Props to day hikers who do the lookout and back, what a workout. .

Pic one: View from the top Pic two: Dusk at Goat Flats

Trail difficult to find off the Mountain Loop HWY, missed it twice, unmarked from the road but a sign is posted about 100 yards into the gravel road. The gravel road leading to the trail head is LONG, figure about 30-40 minutes on this 18mile gravel road with several potholes.

Did see a bear cub on the gravel road, pretty cool

First 1/3 of the trail very wet and muddy, difficult footing due to tree roots and the creekbed. First 1/2 of the trail is a steady, moderately difficult climb.

Meadows nice, wildflowers abundant

Goat flats had a nice view, be sure to bring cold weather wear.

Out and back in about 5:30 with about 20 minutes spent at Goat Flats. The gravel trail seems even longer on the way back

Dragged the Lumpmeister, Mountain Beaver and Sage the mixed breed up to Goat Flat on Sunday.

The trail was in good shape (well, for GF anyway) and it seemed a lot shorter than when I hiked it last year. First two and a half miles are in shaded forest and then you break out onto ""the ledge"" which is pretty open and hot. Two thousand feet up and 4 or so miles in at the flat, great views to Three Fingers, south to Pilchuck, north to Shuksan and Baker and west to the Sound. Not many biting bugs or people (or even people who weren't biting) and the weather was pleasant. A few flowers in bloom at the flats. Mountain Beaver and Sage played on a snowfield while Lumpy Lumperson and I took photos — good reflections of Three Fingers from pool just northeast of main flats camping area.

Back at the rig at 5:30, L. Von Lumperhoven only gave the trail a 4 out of 10 and Mountain Beaver rated it a 3, but we threw out their ballots — Sage and I both gave it a 10.

This hike is a hidden gem. Terrain varies from old growth forest, meadows, snow fields to bogs. Spectacular views of Puget Sound, Rainier, Baker and more. Although we didn't see a single goat, there were lots of singing marmots. You need to go beyond the flats to see the marmots.

The first third of the trail is in rough shape. Once you reach the lake take an immediate left (easy to miss!). The trail is in good shape from the lake to the flats. It's an easy walk to Tin Can Gap and looking down to the glacier and up to the lookout tower afford wonderful views. Don't go beyond the gap unless you have ice ax and a climbing partner.

This is a slow hike due to trail conditions. It took us about 8 or 9 hours, plus drive time.

The first mile or so up the trail (or should I say creek)was pretty discouraging to see a trail in this bad of shape. But once we broke out of the waterways it was nice, We made it in about 6 miles in today before we hit snow. About 2/3 way between Goat Flats and Tin Can Gap. We turned back at about 5400'. Cloudy and wet in the morning. The Mountain was playing Peek-a-Boo in the clouds while we were up there, but of course, it cleared up beautifully after we were most of the way back down. Fun trip though.

Started out later than expected. 17 mile dirt road took longer than expected. Trail is in okay shape up to Saddle Lake and very good condition from the lake to Goat Flats. Great views of Three Fingers. Great area to roam...wish I'd started earlier. Bugs not too bad but I didn't sit around too long. Could hear blasting from the quarry at Granite Falls.

You have to take FS 41 for 18 miles from Mt. Loop Hiway to reach trailhead. Road is in good shape. Can't say the same for the trail which, as my husband put it, ""makes 3 miles feel like 6"". Took us nearly 3 hours to get to Saddle Lake, allegedly 2.5 miles in. Trail very rutted, full of big rocks and tree roots, dry trail is a rarity as the water goes right down trail for the most part. About half mile before you reach Saddle Lake is a massive blowdown (at the bottom of avalanche chute). You can get around it (we did it with backpacks on) but you have to do some scrambling over a lot of trees. There are 3 or 4 other trees across the trail at other spots that are less tedious to get over/around. We did not explore the Meadow Mountain Trail which also comes into Saddle Lake but it looks like it is totally abandoned and overgrown. There was a sign at its trailhead that it was not maintained. Considering Goat Flats trail isn't maintained either, this made us think Meadow Mountain must be in really bad shape. Saddle Lake melted out but just recently so area around is muddy and boggy. Even in drier times, very few decent campsites. We camped about a mile further up, not yet to Goat Flats. LOTS of bugs, still a few patches of snow. About 5 minutes walk from our campsite was a tarn and a stream coming from it where we got our water. This will be a great campsite in the fall but a mudbog now. Lots of delightful tarns from this point, and a little further up, you can see a lake (not on the Green Trails Map) just off the trail. We dayhiked up to Goat Flats on July 5, but alas, heavy fog, so no views. People camping up there told us they could see down to the fireworks in Puget Sound July 4. Goat Flats has patches of snow, muddy and boggy, would be much better in fall, there's lots of blueberries around. Several good camps once things dry out. There's several tarns for water. What we could see in the fog looked like it was heavy snow beyond Goat Flats. Two hikers told us they wished they had brought their ice axe when they hiked to the lookout at Three Fingers.

I read the report by George Chambers that the Tupso Pass road #41 was now open, so I had to check out the trail to Goat Flats. Monday was a terrible day to do it, but it was all I had available. It rained hard the whole time, from 10:30 am until 3:30 pm. The road is a little rough in spots but overall was very driveable. The trail is completely under water for the whole way to Saddle Lake. I have never experienced anything even remotely like it. Several deep streams use the trail as their streambeds almost continuosly for the first mile. The quantity of water standing/flowing on the trail cannot be expressed adequately by the check boxes. Despite this, the trail is passable to the well-booted, extremely careful hiker. It looked and felt as if no one had used the trail in years. There were several downed trees across the trail, but all were navigable. The trail is nothing but roots and rocks, which actually helped to avoid the deeper water on the trail, but made for very slow and slippery going. It is a beautiful hike, with lots of truly gigantic trees, and complete and utter solitude. The side waterfalls were raging. It took 2 1/2 hours to get 2 1/2 miles to Saddle Lake, which was not very scenic on this foggy, rainy, gray day. I stayed there about one minute and then turned for home. I ended up hiking the whole five hours, since to take my pack out from under the poncho or set it down would have resulted in its complete soaking almost immediately. The hike back was a little easier, since my boot were so soaked that I didn't bother to avoid the streams/lakes on the trail but simply splashed through them like a little kid. I was very happy to reach the car, where I took my accumulated breaks and ate my lunch listening to the rain and wind lash the car. This trail needs a humongous amount of maintenance. I would definitely try it again after a long stretch of no rain to dry out the trail and a nice day to see some views and be able to stop and enjoy the scenery, and to make it all the way to Goat Flat. I only took two pictures as I was afraid I would ruin my camera. There was a spooky feel to the place, and a real sense of adventure that made the hike worthwhile despite the weather and trail conditions.

Having been to the Three Fingers Lookout last year with my 11 year old son (great experience), I thought it was time to take my wife to the lookout or at least Goat Flats. The plan was to bike the 9+ miles to the Saddle Lake/Goat Flats trailhead and then camp at the flats followed by climbing to the lookout the next day. After being dropped off at the washout (at 7.7 mi), biking to the trailhead took about 3 hours and a bit more energy than we anticipated. The trail to Saddle Lake was in reasonable shape but there was numerous blow-downs and overgrown in some areas. We spent a relaxing night at the Saddle Lake shelter. The next morning we headed out to Goat Flats in great weather. One problem though. The bugs had become relentless. I was willing to go on but my wife said ""that's it! I'm going back!"". Dang. I really wanted to at least show her the spectacular views from Goat Flats. There's times when a guy has to make the appropriate choice. Considering this was our anniversary outing, I think turning around was the right decision. I'm glad my wife was a good sport throughout this hike. Hopefully the washout can be repaired someday and then we'll try again.

This is a description of an alternative, direct scramble route to Goat Flats. It starts lower and is only flagged/boot beaten but it is much shorter and not muddy or rough as the regular trail. Beckey's climbing guide shows the approximate location on a sketch map on page 110.

Drive FS road 41 about 8 miles from the mountain loop hiway where a big concrete bridge crosses the S fork of Canyon Creek. About 0.1 mile after the bridge a bermed road takes off on the right (N). On foot, follow this abandoned road east , and in about 10 minutes rock hop across an unnamed creek. About 40 yards after the creek flagging on the left marks the start of the trail/route. It ascends fairly steeply (not nearly as steep as Mailbox!) thru 2nd growth and then virgin timber (BIG cedars) before emerging at Goat Flats.

An added bonus is no Forest Fee hassles as not a designated trailhead, altho there is plenty of roadside parking near the start. This alternative is most worthwhile when the regular trail has snow or you can't get to the TH because of snow on the road. It melts out much sooner because of south aspect and is virtually mud free. It is not for casual hikers because of its steepness, and tread is faint at times. More flagging in the upper part would be nice.

Driving: Drive east from Granite Falls almost 7 miles on the Mountain Loop highway. FS road #41 is on the left (the brick structure noting the 'Robe Trail' is on the immediate right). There will be a 3-way fork as soon as you exit left. Take the paved road, which soon turns into gravel, 17 miles to the trailhead.

The road was just worked on, so it is in good shape. The trail to Goat Flats was rough, all blowdowns have been removed. Some parts of the trail have been brushed recently, some not.

Goat Flats is a pretty area. There is still some snowmelt at the flats which provide water. The area is an entomologist's dream - the bugs were merciless. I took the trail around the ridge to Tin Can Gap, mainly to try to lose the bugs, but I merely made friends with a new group of bugs at the Gap. A couple of bumble-bee sized flies followed me all the way up the trail, and I was on a first-named basis with them at that point.

I didn't go past Tin Can Gap. There is a steep north facing traverse just past the Gap with severe/immediate runout on steep rock. Some climbers were taking the 'moat route' above the traverse, and felt that was a better option at this time. I was suprised at the quantity of snow remaining on the traverse - undoubtedly some holdover from our winter of 1999.

Mosquitoes already. Lots of water and mud in lower part of trail. Snow at 3900 ft, a little trail finding, but footprints reasonably easy to find,look around. Bring gaiters, extra socks for you will have wet feet. If you don't like hiking in snow, you might wait a few more weeks. Goat Flats is still covered in snow. Weather great, clearing for lunch and views.

Be especially careful driving, had 5 - yes 5 - near head on collisions with cars and ATVs.

8 miles from the mountain loop highway there is a big tree blown-down across the road which is impassable, no matter how big a vehicle you might have. until this is cleared, there will be no access to the goat flats trailhead.

Three Fingers, Goat Flats, trail #641 September 23-24, 2000

Earlier reports from late-season 1998 and 1999 and a couple of recent reports do a fine job of describing the trail and this climb – the trail is muddy and rooty in the lower stretches, and therefore slow going. Good route-finding, good balance, and good nerves are needed to work along the ridge behind and above the tops of the glacier in the section beyond Tin Can (or “Saddle” in the older references) Gap; this is the only time of year this method on this route is feasible. There was no snow on the final summit rock scramble, not even in the notch below the ladders. Nice late-season wildflowers, marmots, mountain bluebirds, and just a few easy snow fields between Goat Flats and the Gap. Bad biting black flies and skeeters in the evening above the flats and all day Sunday anywhere below the Gap, despite light freeze Saturday night. Spectacular clear and warm weekend, with summit views extending from Adams and St. Helens well up into the B.C. Coast range.

I’ll only add 2 remarks, one about finding the start of the hike, the other about the summit approach, and then give my times.

Finding the turn-off from the Mountain Loop Highway: About 6.2 miles east of Granite Falls (measured from the green and white sign facing the OTHER WAY that tells people heading westbound they are entering Granite Falls), you’ll see a cluster of mailboxes on the right (south) side of the road, just before the road heads down a long hill. (If you get to the sign that says you are entering the Robe Valley you have gone too far. If you get to the Verlot Ranger Station, you have gone WAY too, far – turn around and go back west 3.9 miles.) There’s a complicated intersection of roads off on the left (north) side across from the mailboxes, and one of the several signs there says “Green Mountain Rd.” – take this angling left, and go past the two highly-signed private roads with numbers as their names. Continue straight (east) parallel to the Mtn. Loop Hwy. a bit, and as you enter the woods (on pavement) you’ll see the sign that tells you you are on Forest Road 41. Just as the pavement ends between one and two miles up, there is a dirt spur to the right – you stay straight (left). After that, it is always obvious which is the main road, and you follow it until you get to the trailhead sign on the left and various parking/pull-out areas along the road. Most of the road is in decent shape for low-slung 2-wheel drive vehicles, but BE VIGILANT – there are numerous zones of nasty potholes, and they suddenly show up when everything is looking good and you are zooming along just fine.

About the top of the climb: In addition to the often-mentioned three wooden ladders, there are 2 ropes – one to assist in crossing the abyss between the 2nd and 3rd ladders, the other to assist in walking up the sloping slab from the top of the third ladder to the small flat spot in front of the door of the lookout. If these were icy and your hands were cold, you could have trouble.

Times (may be a little slow because I was traveling alone and being cautious): road to Goat Flats 2:45. Goat Flats to summit 3 hours, including the rough scrambling to avoid traversing the glacier. (Crampons would have been the sane way to cross the glacier – an ice axe was just not good enough for my taste on such hard ice. The axe was welcome on the upper south-facing snowfield, but several others who summitted this day did so without an axe.) Descent to Goat Flats 2:30 which included almost half an hour stop at Tin Can Gap to finally relax and soak up some sun without worrying about the descent. Goat Flats to car was greatly delayed by berry-picking, but I still got down at 7:05, just before dark.

The trail up to Goat Flats is completely clear of snow. There exists some snow on the ridge above Goat Flats as well as the last half mile to Tin Can Gap.

Overall, the shape of the trail is extremely rugged. The pace is slowed by the endless supply of logs and mudholes along the trail.

In terms of the view, this trail is spectacular. I was amazed by the lack of hikers on the trail considering the view and its proximity to population centers.

A very late (noon) start should have been our signal to just sunbathe at the trailhead on what was a very hot day. But nooooo, we just had to attempt to make it up to at least Goat Flats if not beyond. Turns out we didn't even get that far.

The well-documented poor state of this trail dating back to last year (and beyond) is regrettably still accurate. Tree roots galore from the t/h up to Saddle lake and beyond. Lots of running water over the trail in the first 1.5 miles. After two miles the blowdowns start in earnest - most of them are easy enough to navgiate around but some of them are more disruptive, making the trail harder to follow. The trail tread is in exceedingly poor condition in some spots, making for some ""interesting"" hiking in a couple of areas - extra care is warranted. Strong, waterproof boots with very good ankle support should be considered mandatory.

Snow patches start immediately above Saddle lake and then more snow obscures the trail significantly starting about a half mile past the lake. While not recommended, the footprints in the snow are easy enough to follow. Better you bring map, compass and practice your route-finding skills to make your trip a more enjoyable and safe one.

In the end, the incessant biting flies (I've never seen them so bad on this trail before), a very late start, some slower hiking partners, and temperatures unpleasantly hot for hiking in the low 80's all conspired toward a turnaround even before we hit Goat Flats. Frankly the hike back down wasn't much better than the hike up - very hot, too many flies, and way too many darn tree roots! OK, OK -you're right, the sun was indeed shining, the clear skies were very blue and yes, the views were magnificent.

If you're contemplating this trail and your route-finding skills aren't all that strong - you should probably consider waiting another 15 - 30 days until more snow clears and the route becomes more discernible.

The Englishman

Trail is in the usual shape from the trailhead -- rocky, rooty, muddy -- up to the lower alpine area below Goat Flats. Lots of water on the trail in this area, and heading up to Goat Flats you encounter the first snow patches. Campsites and pit toilet at the Flats are in good shape -- only one tent visible as we headed up Sat morning. Lots of marmots scurrying about and whistling on the crossing between the Flats and Tin Can Gap. A few larger snowfields, but crossable with trekking poles no problem, although ice axe would be safer. From Tin Can Gap on up, the North/West-facing slopes have lots of snow on them -- climbing and traversing those snowfields is quite hairy. Not very good steps, steep slope, and a bad runout either into/over rocks/cliffs or, on second snowfield into some large and close-by cracks/crevasses makes an ice axe mandatory and crampons and roped teams advisable. We made it with only ice axes but were not entirely comfortable with it. 3 steep and scary snowfields to traverse or downclimb through this section. NOTE: On the way back, we were able to scramble in the gully/bergschrund between the snow and rock for the last two (via approach) of those snowfields, which was at least much safer if not very glamorous. After those fields above Tin Can Gap, the trail rounds the South side of the hill, and things get better. A few more (easier) snowfields, some trail and rock scrambling, some more marmots, and one last snowfield stright up (good runout though). A short rock scramble up and left leads to the 3 ladders and rope to the lookout. It took us 6 hours, which is over an hour more than when we did it previously, due to snow slowdowns, kicking steps, etc. Clouds were swirling all about, and we didn't get the views we hoped for, but it was still a great accomplishment. Lookout is in great shape. No sign of the resident rat (what is his name again'). After lunch and photos and resting, headed out as it was getting late. On the way back down we avoided 2 of the bad snowfields via gully route as noted above. Clouds started to break up late in the afternoon and we got some good views of the summit from Tin Can Gap. There must have been 14 tents in Goat Flats by the time we got back down to that area -- I sure hope they had better weather on Sun for their summit attempts than it was in Seattle that day (doubt it)! We beat it on down the line, stumbling out of the woods to our car a scant 15 minutes or so before total darkness. Total time 12 hours (6 up, 1 on top, 5 down). Oh yeah, also pretty darn buggy all the way up to above Tin Can Gap -- no bugs on top though.

Silly boy, I tried to attempt Goat Flats and the Three Fingers lookout beyond in one day. The trail is mucky, rooty and difficult (just how I like it). When you get to the alpine area just below the flats you will encounter Snow, Snow, Snow... Jeesh, and more snow. Many boots and runoff have combined to turn this alpine trail into a sticky slog through icy water and muck. At the top of Goat Flats you cross the ridge to encounter a long ridge traverse to Tin Can Gap. The whole thing is a massive, steep snow slope. While contemplating crossing it, I saw an avalance on slopes further East. Needless to say, we bailed. Bring and Ice Axe if you plan to make the gap.

Having just returned from a M.cycle trip over the N.Cascade Hiway, & not seeing any snow but small patches at Rainy Pass, we headed out for the Goat Flats area without checking snow conditions and thinking Saddle lake might be feasable.

Big mistake. One large snow patch covers the road about 1/2 mile from trail head (the trail furthest in on the road). It should be gone by next week with the weather being forcast.

The trail, however, was totaly covered after 1/4 mile in. No people though...we were the only fools for the day.

Happy Hiking

Light rain and cool
temperature greeted us at the trailhead. Only 1 other car in the parking area on Memorial Day. We should have known things were going to be ""moist"" when we couldn't sign in because of a pond surrounding the registration area. Lots of running water on the trail for the first 1-1.5 miles. At about 1.5 mile mark, finding the ""trail"" became difficult, but once we hiked 100-200 feet down a gulley we picked it up again. From this point, it was all packed snow. Didn't need the snowshoes we packed. Met 3 guys coming down who spent a wet night at Saddle Lake. When we got to the lake, the light rain turned to snow. We continued another 1-1.5 miles until increasing snow and decreasing visibility turned us back. At least 6-8 feet of snow at this level.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20,
1997 - GOAT FLATS TRAIL #641 USGS WHITEHORSE MOUNTAIN Winter is over! Summer is back! After a full week of over 4"" of good 'ol fashion September rainstorms, the return of summer weather hauled myself out for a spectacular day of fall hiking. I met up with Matt in Duvall, grabbed the necessary caffine to go, and headed north to spend a full day hiking up toward Three Fingers in the Boulder River Wilderness. We knew fall hiking was upon us as we blasted our way up through thick fog in the valleys until we almost reached Granite Falls. From there, take the Mountain Loop Highway about seven miles east and then head off for an entertaining 18 mile trip up FS Road 41 -- more on that later. We arrived at the 3000' trailhead around 9:45am and shared the day with about 12-15 other cars. As expected, the 2.5 miles to Saddle Lake were some of the roughest fun the area can throw at you -- water holes from the previous weeks rain, roots, rocks, mud, scrambles up roots/rocks/mud, etc.... The first half mile especially was a good laugh! The first monster highlight of the trip occured during this timeframe: NO BUGS! Once we were nearing the two mile mark, the trail became easy and glimpses of Mt. Baker to the north and Three Fingers to the east of us got the cameras powering up for a grand day of photography. A quick snack break at Saddle Lake got us fueled up for the ramble up through the splendidly photogenic basins, ponds, meadows, and streams that one treks through and past all the way up to Goat Flats. Many areas provided me with some of my favorite wandering -- a trail that leads through seemingly infinite numbers of chest-high Mountain Hemlocks! Ahhhh.... The berries below Goat Flats were over-ripe, and the occasional overwhelming smell of them was wonderfully intoxicating! Once we approached the open spendor of Goat Flats, the colors just started popping. Many wonderful images of fall color around granite rocks were had by both of our cameras - we'll save the Nikon vs. Canon war for later - ha! We passed on by the old cabin remains and headed up the ridge another 500' until we both called out, ""LUNCH!!!"" Thus began a lazy 45 minute lunch and photo session that will long remain in my brain through the upcoming rainy weekends. We then headed back out and returned to the Yukon at 5:20pm to complete a highly recommended 10 mile trek while only seeing maybe 15-20 people all day, not bad for such a grand place on a sunny weekend. You might be wondering about that ""entertaining 18 mile trip"" up the dirt road' About 10 miles up we noticed a huge Mack dumptruck along the road where some work on some side-road was (it was before the crossing of South Fork Canyon Creek). ""Hmmm, sure glad we didn't come face to face with him on this road"" we giggled. Fast-forward about 10 hours....coming down, we noted the truck gone at 6:15pm, and noted ""...the guy must of got his work done for this Saturday.."". Fast-forward about five minutes...carefully rounding a steep corner to the left, visibility about 50'...""AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"" It was over before our minds registered it occured, but how we managed to sweep to the right and avoid the head-on with that truck coming up I'll never understand! Whoa-baby! All I remember was seeing a huge grill, two bright headlights, and the ""M A C K"" on the front of the hood, and it was over! After recovering from being numb from that adventure, we encountered another truck about 6 miles later, but had more warning. We made it home alive and celebrated with a huge Mexican dinner at Ixtapa in Duvall. Photo of the trip' It has to be of a road sign posted at least 11 miles up FS Road 41 just before the Meadow Mountain trailhead. As you round a corner hardly wide enough for your vehicle to navigate past the alder trees almost growing in the road, you see the sigh: ""ONE LANE BRIDGE AHEAD"". No duh!! Look for it just before crossing Saddle Creek bridge, stop, and take a picture as you laugh outloud like I did!!!

Nine people between
ages 11 and 70 hiked various lengths of this challenging trail. The trail was dry and almost bug-free. One group of five turned around shortly after Saddle Lake and spent two hours enjoying the sun and berries around Saddle Lake. A few of us made it to Goat Flats, and the 11 year old boy and I went to where we could see Tin Can Gap across the bowl, but it was time to turn around and head back to the car. We caught up with our other group about a mile from the trailhead. The views were great from Goat Flats and beyond, since the Boulder River Wilderness is on the west side of the Cascades. This time of year is the best for hiking the trail, except that the days are getting shorter. Be sure to figure a turn-around time so you can avoid hiking the rough trail in the dark when returning to the trail head. Of course, one of the ten essentials is to have a working flashlight, so that would help if it got too dark. When planning a trip to the trail, remember the road to the trailhead (Forest Service Road #41), is about 18 miles long, and takes about a hour to drive. The berries along the trail were perfect. I call them blueberries, while my friends from Eastern Washington call them huckleberries, but whatever they are, they taste great. The berries are located mostly around Saddle Lake and the trailhead.