Pulled off a classic, two-day backpacking loop from Swamp Lake Trailhead to briefly, American Ridge, a detour to Cougar Lakes and then south to the PCT, Two Lakes and returning to the trailhead via Fish Lake Trail.  It came out to be roughly 20 miles with 2,700ft of climbing.

 First off, the road to Swamp Lake Trailhead is a legit 4x4 road.  Lots of big rocks, deep trenches and loose dirt.  I had a Forester which was perfectly fine – nice to see those with passenger cars think otherwise and park up by Fish Creek trailhead. 

 For a beautiful labor day weekend, this is about as empty of a backpacking area as you’ll find.  There were three cars at the Swamp Lake trailhead and one ended up being some day-hikers.  From Swamp Lake Trailhead, you might want to just wear Teva’s or hardy sandles to start the trip – you’ll have a ford to cross .5 miles in.  With waterproof boots, you’ll likely skim by without getting too wet. 

 Once at the trail crossing to Fish Lake and Swamp Lake, despite intentions to go to Fish Lake first, we opted to go counterclockwise and head to Swamp Lake first.  That was a good plan given you get most of the climbing out of the way at the beginning of the hike.  Once at Swamp Lake, the scenery really ramps up…the lake was surprisingly large with alpine topped American Ridge ringing the lake.  Climbing a few hundred feet further up the trail and you’ll skim through beautiful meadows and blissful birdlife to the merging of the American Ridge trail and heading south.

 We zipped down the Cougar Lake – which took a surprisingly long time (perhaps because we were excited to see the lakes).  There were a couple divergent paths but sticking to the most established keeps you on course.  Oh and the Huckleberries were out in force!  My pooch was snacking away at the bushes as he followed us down to the lakes - purple chin and all!  At Little Cougar Lake, a stunning view. Emerald green and deep blue lake with a towering cliff above. At 2:30pm I wanted to just camp there and bask in the scenery all day.  This was my favorite area on the whole trip.  Lots of campsites available and nobody but a horse outfitter was there.  The lake was pleasant enough to swim in except the air temperature of 70ish degrees would have made it rough.  Sadly, we had to make more miles that day. 

Instead of hiking out of the lake basin the way we came, we continued south, cutting between the two Cougar lakes.  Some maps don't show this trail.  And here’s where things got interesting:  The trail south is muddled by campsites or paths to primitive bathrooms (come-on people! bury the paper!).  At the large Cougar lake, we had to backtrack from the beach to find the established trail south.  We had to work as a team to make sure we didn’t lose the trail.  Fortunately, my wife found it when I went astray several times.  Highly recommend taking it slow and don’t trust a rocky creek bed as a potential trail.

 Finally we crossed into Mt. Rainier National Park boundary and onto the PCT we felt triumphant for finding our way out of a sketchy situation and joining the legendary trail.  The PCT felt like a superhighway and we motored on it.  Just a half mile south and we dipped down to Two Lakes trail (clearly marked by sign).  At the lake, we saw two camp groups there and wrapped around the lake to find a perfect, private little perch between lakes.  No bugs was appreciated as we suspect the summer might be a unfurl a bloodbath.

 Day two – we headed south on another hard to follow trail.  The trail was on the western side of the big lake – so avoid the divergent paths heading east.  This trail was filled with alpine views and other overlooked lakes.  It had a solid climb along the way and the morning sun made it a fairly hot one.  Back on the PCT, heading south, this is where we saw our best viewing of the area.  Mount Rainier pops out at you – soon, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens.  All three are visible at the pass (5,700 feet).

 Heading down the fish lake was a seemingly endless descent and we encountered numerours thru-hikers struggling up this climb.  One gent – ‘Trail Dale’ – said he was averaging 30 miles a day until this climb, which was visibly crushing his soul.  We gave him some snacks which he gladly accepted and wished him well.  He was SPENT.  Heading down further, we mentioned that we chose correctly going via Swamp Lake vs. the other way.  Crag lake and all the lakes we encountered on the way down were beautiful  nice meadows and waterfalls to fill you waterbottles. 

 At Fish lake, you’ll know it when you encounter a vast, open exspanse of meadows.  Really catches you off guard.  Our dog was in heaven there…we gave him a chance to run through the meadows and jump in the winding stream.  Not long after that view, we hit the Fish Lake Trail and knew we had 5 or 6 miles of flat hiking to motor through.  We were surprised to not encounter a bunch of water sources until the final miles or so.  We ran into some bow hunters heading the opposite direction which they mentioned it was opening weekend.  Wear orange! 

 We found our loop and then skipped across the river – caring little if our boots were getting wet…we finished this spectacular loop in two blissful days.  This was an undercover backpacking gem for those that want a little of everything – without the crowds.

American Ridge, Pleasant Valley, Kettle Creek, and a short new trail proposal

This trail report is tardy, but little will have changed in a week. And it’s long. But there’s a reason, so bear with me. I’m covering the following:

Pleasant Valley Campground

Pleasant Valley Loop Trail 999 —which was once Trail # 957A

Pleasant Valley Lake Trail #958B

American Ridge Trail # 958

Kettle Creek Trail (# 957)

First, a little background. Camped in Pleasant Valley Campground this Aug 26 – 28. It’s right across the American River from the part of the terminus of what was named the American Fire last year. My backpacking partner and I were backpacking on the American Ridge Trail last on August 16^th 2017 (we were the only people up there) when the trail was in very bad condition. Anyway, just before dark we heard three cracks of thunder several minutes apart. In the morning, after dry-camping on the trail, we came across a fire started by the lightning strike the previous evening. Luckily we were high enough in elevation to have a weak phone signal and could phone in the coordinates. Two hours later the first of several helicopters arrived and by the next day these folks had spotted 13 fires caused by dry lightning. One of the fires worked it’s way down Kettle Creek and Kettle Creek Trail #957, then turned the corner in the valley at the American River and moved eastward. It pretty much burned itself out just past the Pleasant Valley campground. Hats off to the fire crews who kept the fire on the far side of the river and saved this great little campground. The fire only jumped across the river in one small spot in the campground, where it burned a big tree. It’s worth checking out.

The American River is shallow enough to be easily forded all summer long here and if you look, you could also find trees to cross on. If you cross, and bushwhack some 3 or 4 hundred yards perpendicular to the river, you’ll hit the Pleasant Valley Loop Trail #999 which parallels the river slightly up the ridge slope at this point.

Pleasant Valley Loop # 999

That trail (# 999), or at least a section of it, connects to two trails that go up to the American Ridge Trail and these junctions are about 1 ½ miles apart. Think of this piece of the trail as the bottom of a U. Go left on the trail and you’ll come to the Pleasant Valley Lake Trail (# 958B). Go right half a mile or less and you hit the junction with the Kettle Creek Trail (# 957). A quarter mile section of the PV Loop trail across from the Pleasant Valley Campground has some serious trees across it due to the fire. It needs clearing but a hiker can work through it. For horses, it’s challenging.

Pleasant Valley Lake Trail #958B

Pleasant Valley Lake Trail, if you ascend, hits the American Ridge Trail at a saddle some 3.5 miles up. This trail was just lightly touched by the fire on its lower slope. Over the whole ascent of some 2400 feet it has about 20 to 25 blowdown trees across it. Most are small and easily stepped over, even by horses. Only a couple trees are medium sized (10 to 12 inches diameter), but even they are easily bypassed. So this trail is in fair shape and trail crew resources are best used elsewhere. When you reach the junction with the American Ridge Trail at the top of the ridge you’ll see a sign reading “Goat Creek Trail # 959.” If you’re familiar with that trail you can see it straight ahead of you down below the impassable steep slope. This sign is wrong and should read “American Ridge Trail.” But go left about 150 feet and there you’ll see Goat Creek Trail heading down to the Bumping River. This is where that sign belongs.

American Ridge Trail # 958

Unfortunately, not many people hike this difficult trail, but those that do are richly rewarded in scenery and solitude. This year I only had a chance to hike the section from the junction of Pleasant Valley Lake Trail to Goat Peak, but that piece was freshly cleared of downed trees. Last year the trail was a nightmare with accumulated blowdowns everywhere, lost sections, and eroded slopes that needed grubbing out. I had lobbied several years for trail maintenance and this year it happened. Thanks, Naches Ranger District/FS! Last I heard, the trail from near Hwy 410 trailhead to the Goose Prairie Trail #972 was cleared. That still leaves the section from Goose Prairie Trail westward to Big Basin and on to Swamp Lake to clear. As of last year Big Basin to Swamp Lake had blowdowns too, but was passable. However, at Big Basin the trail had disappeared and I couldn’t find it. And the last time I did find it (maybe 3 years earlier) a huge area of blowdown blocked the trail between Big Basin and Kettle Lake. Unless this part received attention in meantime, that trail section is a nightmare.

Kettle Creek Trail (# 957)

My hiking partner and I in Aug. 2017 were probably the last people to see this trail before the fire drastically altered it. One reason to at least hike the lower part of it is to see the fascinating power of the fire and what it can do to trees, terrain, and the landscape. But be warned, this trail already had hundreds of blowdowns before the fire and can only be worse now. If I were going up very far, I’d take some bright plastic marking tape and tie pieces around trees at sections where you leave the trail for some distance and tie another piece where you pick it up again. It will help you on the way down and help the next hikers too.

This trail suffered heavy fire damage, at least on the part that I hiked. I only got about 2 miles up and lost the trail at a place with a number of large trees across it. I circled the 100 ft. blockage and spent 10 minutes of looking for the continuance on a slope. Because I had limited time I turned around and climbed back around the mess. It took me even longer to find the part of the trail I’d just come from so that I could return. This trail has been barely used in years, so doesn’t have a very worn path to begin with. What makes it so difficult to see if you leave it in this and many other parts is the ground is all covered uniformly with dead evergreen needles from the fire-damaged trees. Note that not all parts of the fire burned hot enough to kill all the trees. In those spots where the fire burned hottest, the ground is bare and gray. All the organic matter burned off and left exposed a layer of Mount St. Helens ash and soil. Some steep slope traverses are bare soil now with no undergrowth to hold the soil in place and will wash out when the fall rains start. You can already see mud along the American River from the previous spring rains and snow melt.

As I said above, last year after reporting the fire, when my friend and I came down this trail off the ridge, it was already a nightmare. Hundreds of trees were down and along some sections the trail was impossible to see. See my report of last year for more detail (https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2017-08-18.4224861766) about this trail. It was a very problematic trail then and now it is much worse. This trail needs clearing badly. And it’s a shame because it offers a beautiful waterfall along the way, and allows access to Kettle Lake.

I noted on that 2017 trail report cited above that the Green Trails topo map I have, and my digital topo, are not accurate along the upper part of the trail. If you come down to Kettle Lake from the American Ridge Trail and want to head down, search for the well-hidden trail sign in a tree near the lower end of the lake for the trail. The topos will mislead you as to where the trail is. It stays fairly high along the valley slope on the east side and does not go down to the creek until a couple miles later. I’m guessing this part of the trail was re-routed years ago.

A project proposal for a short new section of trail

Let me now get back to Pleasant Valley Campground and the two trails up to American Ridge (Pleasant Valley Lake and Kettle Creek). Both trails are only occasionally used because they are not easily accessible despite being close to Hwy 410. The problem, of course, is the American River lies between the road and the trails. But there is a solution for this. The American River is easily forded all summer long. A dedicated hiker just needs to walk through the shallow water.  Then on the far bank there’s another obstacle. Before the fire burned that area, getting over the downed trees and pushing through the underbrush for a quarter mile to reach what is now called trail 999 wasn’t easy. Thanks to the fire, much of the underbrush is gone but there are even more trees down. This doesn’t stop the elk over there, but it’s difficult for people to get through.

A quarter mile of simple trail cleared through to trail 999 would cut several miles off the access to the two trails leading up to American Ridge. With a path, many more people would use those trails. However, there is now also a second reason to cut a trail there. Pleasant Valley Campground already has a nature trail, but one that’s become tired and mundane. Here’s a chance to build a new nature trail—one that would fascinate and educate many a child and adult alike. The burned-out old growth forest across the river is an amazing place. Fires and fire policy have been in the news all summer, and we’ve all breathed the smoke, but how many of us have actually seen the aftermath? Nature’s awesome cleansing/destructive force has painted a memorable portrait of huge blackened trees, some giants still standing and many others laid low. That’s something few people have a chance to see. And in the years to come, the recovery of such a forest will be quite a story to watch.

One big impediment of course is a bridge. I believe there used to be a footbridge across the river years ago and a trail connecting to trail # 999 and the ridge access trails. The Forest Service has a lot of bureaucratic hoops to jump through to get anything approved and funded and I’m sure they’d want a bridge of some sort if there’s to be any nature trail. But the trail cut would be something simple to do in the short term. And even a simple bridge could be put across. After all, there are a large number of big trees down just across the river that could be turned into a simple footbridge. There are already at least a couple fallen trees spanning the river that some people have crossed the river on, but something with a handrail and higher above the spring-melt water would be better.

Finally, let me say there are still some nice fall weeks left in which to get out, ford that little river, and see this amazing forest Armageddon.

This is a really nice and challenging trail.  Yes, it's dusty in some places and with loose ground cover, and overall the ascent is steep, yet the views are breathtaking. Lots of places to stop and rest if you get too winded or need to gain footing.  Sweet pine aromatherapy and some birdsong, but mostly really quiet with just a slight breeze. Elk tracks on the trail in places, too. Only hiked up to where the trail began to get too steep for my skill level (last picture) and then had lunch at the beautiful rocky outlook pictured before heading back.  About 3 hours of hiking total and at a brisk pace except with very cautious steps on the descent in places. 

This trip report is for FS trail #959 which leads to the American Ridge Trail and Goat Peak.  Trail conditions along American Ridge are much improved since our July 7th hike. The Forest Service has done significant clearing of downed trees and debris blocking the trail.  For this Saturday hike, the parking area was full by 9am.  Views at the top were hazy due to the Miriam fire near White Pass.  Thunderheads were mounting and we were sure to get off the peak.  We were about a mile down the trail when the thunder started but there was no rain . The next day we learned there had been hail and heavy rain at Chinook Pass.

By the way, the WTA online map for this particular hike is not accurate. Please look at the FS link and the Google link included in this trip report. The TH is across the street from Cougar Flats campground.

Also see my earlier July 7, 2018 trip report.

→WTA website lists two "Goat Peak" trails. Trip reports are mixed up between the two. Be sure to read both to find the one you plan to take. ←

This report is for the trail that approaches Goat Peak from the south via the Goat Creek #959 trail and American Ridge #958 trail. The TH is across the street from the Cougar Flats campground on Bumping Lake Road, about 5.9 miles from junction with Route 410 (approx 46.917589, -121.230607). The road is entirely paved all the way, which makes for easy access. There's parking for ~5 cars and a pit toilet in the campground across the road (turn right at the entrance and walk ~50 feet, no driving necessary).

The beginning of the trail meanders through a flat area of significant blowdown, but the FS has cut a clear path. The flatness doesn't last long and the trail begins to climb.  Some wildflowers were already a bit past their prime; nonetheless, for us it made slow going to stop, admire and try to name them all (see pictures in link).  Goat Creek #959 is mostly through the forest, but occasionally breaks out for a view. At ~3 miles as you pass through a lightly wooded meadow, look to the north (your right if you're going uphill) to see Goat Peak. You will catch glimpses of it at a few more places before you're back in the forest.  On this day hike, the only running water was an ephemeral stream at ~2.8 miles. If you're hiking with a dog, be sure to bring water for both your pet and yourself.

Goat Creek #959 intersects American Ridge #958 at ~4 miles. Near this junction, there are a number of logs where you can enjoy a snack or lunch before the last mile to Goat Peak.  There are several large downed trees across the #958 as you progress north toward Goat Peak. With care, they are not difficult to go around. (My dog's harness occasionally got stuck on some of the protruding branches as she passed through.)

The last 400' of elevation gain is made in a series of short switchbacks of a narrow path on an exposed steep slope. We had no problem but could imagine that on a windy day or for someone not completely confident of their footing in slippery conditions, this could be a challenge.

We didn't pass anyone on our trail, but at Goat Peak encountered a couple who arrived via the Goat Peak trail #958C. Trailhead for #958C is on Rt 410 across from Hell's Crossing campground. They said it was very steep, dusty and exposed, with views at some of the switchbacks.

Apparently, these peaks provide low flight practice for military jets. More than once a jet went whizzing by just at peak top. The sound is deafening due to the valley walls.

For our return, instead of the switchbacks we took a barely discernible trail that heads southwest at the 3rd switchback from Goat Peak. There are several great viewpoints along this route, as well as lots of goat droppings. But we saw no goats. We lost the trail after about 1/3 mile and bushwhacked our way down the hill to rejoin the American Ridge trail and head south back to the Goat Creek trail. My GPS said 9.8 miles roundtrip and ~3300' elevation gain.

Links include pictures of the wildflowers, pictures of the trails #959 and #958, and a 360º video at the top.