GOAT MOUNTAIN: East Peak (6891 feet) 24 April 2004 Goat Mountain is a double-peaked massif located straight across the North Fork Nooksack River valley from the Mt. Baker Ski Area. The dome-shaped west peak bears a triangulated elevation of 6725 feet on the new 7½-minute topo map. The arrowhead-shaped east peak wasn’t triangulated for this map, but older 15-minute maps put its summit at 6891 feet. Jon, Megan, Janet, Mike, and I parked alongside the Hannegan Pass Road on Saturday morning and started hiking up the Goat Mountain Trail. This is a well-graded and pleasant old trail that apparently will be getting some maintenance work soon, judging by all the survey stakes. We stayed on bare trail until encountering the snowline at 4000 feet and then simply booted directly up soft snow slopes to the west peak’s obvious “shoulder” at 5400 feet. Although the weather forecast promised a clearing trend, dark clouds obscured all distant views from what otherwise must be a great vantage point. Fortunately, we could see our objective, the east peak, sitting about 1 mile away and looking very desirable indeed. This necessitated a long traverse over to the broad saddle between the two peaks. Mike made the first move by donning his snowshoes and charging across the slightly mushy slope. The rest of us quickly followed suit. After a long traverse, with several ups and downs to cross minor ribs, we arrived about 100 feet above the saddle and then dropped into it. From this saddle, the terrain gets markedly steeper, so we ditched our snowshoes and poles in favor of ice axes. We ascended the east peak’s scalloped west ridge for 400 feet before cutting right on a diagonal ascent across the open southwest face. Slope angles ranged from about 40 to 50 degrees but snow conditions were perfect for kicking steps. We eventually intersected the peak’s southeast ridge, on which we then scrambled about 100 feet of snowy heather to the summit. Even though it was mid-afternoon, the weather and visibility had not improved at all. We slowly ate our summit lunches in the thin fog, hoping to stall long enough for at least some of the promised clearing to begin. Mike entertained himself by trying to determine exactly where he could dig down and find a summit register. The rest of us chided his misguided confidence as he excavated a 3-foot-deep pit down to rock, without results, but then he badgered me into enlarging the pit for him. After this futile digging exercise, I decided to leave some more of Laura’s ashes on the now-exposed summit rocks. Goat Mountain’s position in these northwestern Cascades seemed a suitable counterpoint to Big Lou Mountain’s position in the central-eastern Cascades. Although this informal ritual may have momentarily put a somber mood over our summit group, the sequence of events that unfolded during the next several hours could be described as anything ranging from fortuitous to miraculous. I personally like to interpret it as Laura simply expressing approval of her new home. Just before we started our descent, Mike stepped into the snow pit and scratched around one last time for the elusive summit register. Well, luck was with him (although he still insists that it was pure logic) because he immediately found not one but TWO registers! The first, a small pvc tube, contained a few sheets that had been placed by Fay Pullen in 2002. The other, a larger pvc tube, contained a thick roll of paper that Dallas Kloke and seven friends had left in 2001 to commemorate his 40th anniversary in the mountains. Dallas’ register briefly described his June 1961 ascent of this peak—his first mountain climb ever—using $20 boots and a homemade ice axe. Sadly, the tube had leaked and the register paper was a soggy mess. I decided to carry it down and transfer it to waterproof paper, thinking that I will revisit this summit before too long.. Still feeling elated and amazed at Mike’s discovery, we began our descent. The excellent snow quality turned the steep downclimb into a delightful heel plunge, and soon we were back at the saddle. In the meantime, the skies had begun to clear, giving ever-increasing views of the awesome Nooksack-area mountains. A huge curtain was rising to reveal Shuksan, Baker, and their entire entourage. Despite being in a hurry to reach the town of Glacier by dinnertime, we couldn’t help but stop frequently to take photographs. The gentle rays of the late-afternoon sun highlighted every feature on every mountain and cast a magical spell on us! Our slow, “shutterbugging” descent put us back at the trailhead with very little time to drive down to Glacier. But lady-luck beamed on us once again, as we made it to Milano’s Restaurant scant minutes before closing time. In the bustling restaurant, we enjoyed delicious pasta dinners that put a fine cap on our splendid day. Stats: 8 miles RT, 4800 feet gained, 5.4 hours up, 3.1 hours down.

The weather forecast was looking promising. The group was fun (Trailcat, MtnMike, Megan, John, and myself). Trailcat picked the trip suggesting Goat Mtn near Mt Baker. It was picked because if had wonderful views of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan. With the good forecast we were all eager for the adventure. The trip starts at the Goat Mtn trailhead off hwy 542 on the way to Mt. Baker. The trailhead elevation was about 2500’. We left the car about 10:10am. It was a bit of a late start but with the long days approaching we knew it wouldn’t be a problem. Seems the only problem it caused was for one party member who had plans late that evening. My suggestion for the future is to NEVER make plans for the same day as a mountain adventure. Not only does it sour your day…but it can leave a sour taste with the other party members. The trail upon leaving the TH is gorgeous. It winds though dense and healthy old growth forest. There were frequent sounds of grouse. The trail was littered with small branches and twigs brought down over the winter. The trail has a steady and enjoyable gain as it climbs up he southern ridge of Goat Mtn’s west peak. At about 3200’ it leaves the ridge and begins a long traverse west before resuming it’s switchbacks and heading back east toward the ridge. Somewhere around 4600’ the snow because consistent enough that we lost the trail and headed straight up the ridge taking advantage of the snow to gain elevation fast. At about 5200’ the ‘trail’ pops out of the trees and crests the ridge. We were disappointed to see that the weather was not cooperating. Low clouds obscured most of our views. We only hoped the weather would clear by the time we summitted. From this open sport on the ridge we continued due north following the ridge crest until about 6000’. From here most people likely continue heading due north to the west peak of Goat Mtn. Our fearless group was instead headed for the more difficult and higher east peak. From this 6000’ point we began a long traverse along the southern slopes of the mountain. We dropped a bit to get around some rocky areas but continued on a line that would take us to the 6100’ saddle between the two summits. Drats we all commented….still no views. We continued our climb staying right on the west ridge of the east peak pulling out our ice axes because the slope was getting really steep. At somewhere around 6600’ we started a traverse on the south side of the peak to get around some steep areas. Our plan was to gain the summit from the southeast. From that SE ridge it was a nice walk to the summit which we finally reached at about 3:30pm. Trailcat reached the top first and graciously shoveled out a nice snow bench for the group. By the time I reached the top MtnMike was standing on a specific spot on the summit and claimed that if there were a summit register on the top….it would be right under his feet. The rest of the group shook our heads in disbelief. We sat down and started eating a late lunch as MtnMike started digging. The snow on the summit was about 2.5 feet deep and when MtnMike reached dirt he started poking around but also no register. Even worse…there were still no views. Despite the forecast…the clouds still had yet to clear. We stayed on the summit for a while…about 1 ½ hours waiting for the clouds to life. No luck. We talked of a friend who recently passed away and reminisced of her. Trailcat said a few words for her. At 5pm we finally started to move to begin the trip back. But, MtnMike had not given up. He was poking around in the dirt with his boot. We all shrieked in disbelief as he kicked not one but two summit registers loose. One was a register that dated back to 2001 but the canister had leaked leaving the register a soggy mess. The other register, one left by Fay Pullen was in excellent condition. We signed our names and then were treated to yet another surprise. At 5pm the clouds had finally lifted giving us wonderful views of Shuksan, Mt Baker, Table Mtn, and so many other peaks. I know I wasn’t the only one in the group a little nervous about the descent. There were some pretty steep areas we had to get thought. Trailcat estimated the steepest sections as 50 degrees. It was a little slow going getting back to the 6100’ saddle because we were all taking a lot of care not to fall. A fall would have left us banged up but likely OK since the slope had a long but good run out. From the saddle we picked up some gear we had stashed (snowshoes and trekking poles) before beginning the long trip out. The views continued to improve with Mt Baker slowly showing her lower flanks before finally coming out completely. By the time we reached the 5200’ spot on the ridge it was nearly 7pm. But it was a fast trip down from here. Lots of plunge stepping, some skiing on snowshoes, and finally bare trail. We were back to the TH and cars by 8pm. After quickly changing and cleaning up our group headed to Milano’s in Glacier for a nice hearty and relaxing dinner. Some of the group chose to stay in the area to catch the last day of skiing at Mt Baker on Sunday. One of the party was overly anxious to get to Marblemount. I headed back to Seattle getting home just before midnight. This was one memorable trip. It’s wonderful to spend time with good friends doing something we all love to do…enjoy the mountains and the beauty it offers. I highly recommend this trip but be warned…the terrain towards the east peak of Goat Mtn is steep and difficult. Ice axes and mountain stills are a MUST. Even a day later when your muscles are sore you’ll continue to thank your friends for inviting you on such a wonderful trip. Thanks Trailcat! Stats: 10 miles, 5000’ gain (Topo calcs over 4800’ but I’m adding a bit due to uppie-downies), 10 hours (5 ½ up, 1 ½ at the top, 3 down).

This time of year there is a short window when the fall colors are at their peak. Occasionally there will be a sunny day to bring out those colors to their fullest. This weekend was shaping up to be just such a time. Gary wanted to go to the far North Cascades and I agreed. He chose Goat Mountain, not far from the border. The trailhead is on the road to the Hannegan Pass trail. We wanted an early start for this long drive. We met in North Seattle at 6:00 and we were on the trail by 8:30. There were no other cars in the lot that early. The trail starts out great. It switchbacks gently in dark forest. We gained 1200' in the first 2 miles when I noticed the old trail to the lookout site. It has been covered over with branches and is hard to see. It turns off right where the main trail is traversing to the left. We considered hiking the half mile to the site on the way back but after this day there was no chance of that happening. As the trail begins to leave the forest it steepens but remains quite good. Views begin of Baker and Shuksan to the south. Also the colors start. They start and never end. This was the best fall color hike I have ever done by a wide margin. The sun backlit the bushes on the way up. On the way down it had traversed the sky and backlit them again. Without the sunlight the colors were dull but in it they were amazing. The trail climbed around a point and followed a high ridge reminiscent of a small Sahale Arm. We could now see the area of the summit of the west peak and also the east (highest) peak of Goat Mountain. The slope steepened and the trail made a few switchbacks before beginning a traverse to the left. At this point the nice trail deteriorated to a boot path. Above the trees are acres of open slopes that are just at their colorful peak. It was hard to make much progress as I was continuously snapping photos. The traverse ended and the route abruptly began to go straight up. It was reminiscent of the ""trail"" up Bandera Mountain. It was steep but not difficult. When we reached the ridge top the views to the north popped out. Yellow Aster Butte, Tomyhoi Peak, Canadian Border Peak, American Border Peak, Winchester Peak with it's lookout, and Mt. Larabee to name a few. Snowcapped peaks far off in Canada were also visible. The trail now followed the ridge top to the right. There is lots of permanent ice to the north side of the ridge. As we gained more elevation the west summit came into view. We traverse around another bump on the ridge and the trail topped out on a nice large point. Unfortunately the west summit was still 85' above us with a vertical drop in between. For now we were happy to have lunch and soak up the views. We had not seen anyone so far. Gary looked at the Gold Run Pass - Yellow Aster Butte Trailhead and counted 27 cars. We seemed to have picked the place for solitude. To here it was about 5+ miles with 4000' of gain. Our summit was about 6640' and the west summit is 6725'. After lunch we decided to try for the west summit. We could see that if we reached the saddle just below us it was an easy scramble to the top. We dropped back down to the ridge top and scrambled down a short distance to the snow below. There was a moat that led around but it looked nasty. Following the flat top of the snow left about a 20' drop on near vertical hard snow to the saddle. We went back and dropped down on gently sloped snow to where we had about a 50' traverse across very hard snow/ice to the saddle. Without ice axes and with some common sense we decided not to chance it. With crampons and an axe it would have been easy. If there were footprints to follow we may have tried. My motto is ""live to scramble another day"" and this did not look good. With the west summit denied we decided to try for the east summit. Our hope was to be able to follow the ridge from our lunch summit down to the saddle between the west and east summits. That quickly proved to be a false hope. We dropped down on the south side and began to traverse towards the saddle. The slope quickly became steeper and steeper. Small trees also obscured any view of what was ahead as well as promising many scrapes and bruises. With the way blocked we decided to go down to the meadows far below. The going was steep but within our abilities. We found a reasonable gully which took us much of the way down. Before reaching the meadow we found a slope than looked like it would save some distance and elevation loss. Thus began a long, long traverse on a steep hill side. This was more difficult than we expected as small ridges continuously blocked our views ahead. Some places did not go through and required going up or down to get by. Making matters harder was the lack of any shade on this open south slope as the forecast for 82 degrees seemed to be on target. Finally, the saddle came into view. It was not possible to drop down to the open slopes leading to the saddle. It was just too darn steep. Instead we had to traverse higher to hit the ridge well above the saddle where it was a tangle of dense trees. Once on the ridge it was a brush and limb bash down to the saddle, Many scratches later we made it. It was now 2:25 and we decided that we would have to be heading back by 3:30 to make it down before dark. I was not feeling up to par all day and by this point I knew there was not enough time for me to make the east summit. I was now in a cool shady spot with terrific views of peaks and valleys and had no intention of going anywhere for awhile. Gary was still feeling strong and I suggested he go for the summit if he wanted to. We were at about 6100' at the saddle and the summit is only about 6850'. After a break Gary decided to go for it. I really enjoyed my rest and waited for his return. At about 3:15 he returned with bad news. He made it about 400' up but realized he would not make it up and down in time and headed back. From the pass we were reasonably confident that we could drop all the way down to the meadows at about 5400' then make our way back to the real trail at about 5500'. This is exactly what we did. By dropping lower we avoided much of the steep side hilling we did on the way over. The colors were spectacular all the way back. Of course there were a number of ups and downs that were not obvious from a distance but the going was not too bad at all. Our cross country route ended with a final 220' climb back to the trail along the ridge we had earlier ascended. It was 4:30 by now as it took one hour to come down from the saddle. The sun was now low in the west sky providing great back lighting for yet more photos of the fall colors. With photos and some berries to eat the progress was slow at first. When we reached the forest the grade eased and we speeded up. Just above the 2 mile mark we met a group with two small babies who were heading up. We figured to get out just before dark and suggested they plan to turn around soon. They had only one pack for 4 people so I hope flashlights were in there somewhere. In the dense forest it would be pitch black soon. I hope they made it out OK. We reached the car at exactly 6:30 as the sun was already behind the mountains. This was a phenomenal trip. The weather was great for the end of September. The views were great. We saw only two groups all day. And did I mention that the colors were unbelievable? Forty photos have been posted at http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to ""Trips-2003"" on the left margin.

A beautiful sunny and hot day for our first hike of the season. The traihead was a long 3 hr away from seattle, so we actually started the hike near 2pm. The parking lot was almost full. Long switchbacks in the forest was a bit boring, but at least the shade was helpful. We got glimpse of Mt. Shuksan along the way. Two hours later we reached the meadows. The view to Shuksan and Baker was very nice. Bright sun rays was coming from the south so it was difficult to take a good picture. There were some bugs but not too serious yet. No snow (at least none to where we stopped) and a bit of muddy at a couple of spots. It took us 1.5 hr to get down. Then we were off to dinner in Vancouver.

Goat Mountain 5-28-03 Started off going to Hannegan Pass Trail but the road was blocked due to a mudslide. A high clearance truck could possibly get through. Mud and Rocks. Plan “B” was Goat Mountain. This trail starts out at 2500ft and is in excellent shape except for a couple of trees till 4100ft. Partial snow starts here. A lot of saplings, creeks and a very eroded and water filled tread to posthole through too. Fortunately at 4500ft you start into the meadows. Full snow cover and solid enough to walk on. Only a couple inches of slushy stuff on top at the most. Continued up to about 5100ft to a nice turnaround.Lots of big clouds but no rain and filtered sun at times.