A small crew of WTA volunteers cleared the first two miles of logs and debris, up to about 4500' of elevation.  Beyond that point snow presently covers most of the trail, obscuring any obstacles that might have developed over the winter months.  Should you wish to continue further, the usual challenges of springtime snow travel (slipping, postholing, and route-finding) will exist for a while longer. 

The lower portion of trail is in fine condition, affording opportunities for a very pleasant forest walk.

While the road from 542 to the trailhead has abundant potholes, it is drivable for most vehicles. 

Just another day in paradise.

This October Thursday was clear and sunny following days of clouds and rain. The sky was clear, the firesmoke was gone. After the excellent tread and relative monotony of the forest segment, the local views emerge, tinged with autumn color, building to the magnificence on top. Shuksan and Baker! Distant snowy peaks. The regional peaks and valleys. Human stuff, the Mount Baker Highway going up to Artist Point, the parked cars at YAB TH. The only snow was a patch hugging the north side of the ridge, away from all hikes. The views should only improve, until snow cover ends the hiking season.

72 and in no hurry, I was on top in 4 and a half hours. "On top" is the trail end a bit below West Goat Mountain; summitting WGM would take real time and a serious scramble. I stayed on top for 1 3/4 hours, mostly alone. I only wish I'd remembered binoculars. Couldn't resist even more phone pix and beauty gawking on the way down. Returned to the TH at 7, a half hour past sunset. My trip down was 3:10, slow in the dim forest. A trailrunner couple passed me as I was coming down, and passed me again on their return from the summit. I think they were back in Bellingham before I got to my car.

The trail wasn't crowded. I encountered a couple other solos and seven hiking pairs -- one each from Arlington and Deming, five from Bellingham.

AMAZING Hike and great option to avoid huge crowds at other areas.  One of my favorites in area now.  Did all the way up to West Peak - 9.8 miles, 4100 gain.  First 2.7 in woods as noted and smooth trail so ran much of that down.  The colors and 360 views spectacular.  Could see all the cars at yellow aster butte.  

The Hannegan Pass Road is a little pot-holed (easy to see in the dark, sometimes very hard to see in the dappled daylight) and passable in a sedan such as mine. The maintained trail (to knoll over where an old fire lookout was) is in good shape except for the section below this which is steep and rocky. The summit trail starts out in good shape and then enters the large Z-shaped switchbacks which are very narrow and slumping in places. From there to the summit ridge is the slog nearly straight up the face of the mountain. Today, these upper stretches were dry and provided good traction (with poles). These upper stretches of the mountain have an enormous acreage of fall colors which were shining brilliantly today.

We hiked the Goat Mountain trail all the way to the east summit, at 6650 ft.

GETTING THERE

Hannegan Pass Road is in good shape to the trailhead and suitable for any vehicle that can manage a few potholes.  Only one truck was in the parking lot at 9:30, when we arrived at the trailhead at 9:30, and another car arrived as we were preparing to hike.   Only those vehicles were there on our return late in the day.  We passed the occupants of the car on our way out. They had spent the day hiking to the knoll at 5200 ft.  We never saw any evidence of the occupants of the truck.  Other than that one encounter, we had the trail to ourselves all day.

ON THE TRAIL

The lower trail switchbacks up through tall second growth conifers and is a wonderful trail.  The grade is easy, the trail bed is soft and without obstacles (only one small tree across the trail – easily stepped over), and the tall trees provide welcome shade on the south-facing slope.  Several small streams still held water, a welcome stop for our dog.  This idyllic, if somewhat tedious, section ends in about two and half miles when the trail enters the more open forest of slide alters.  Here, more light allows a rich undergrowth of thimbleberries, mountain ash, blueberries and other brush.  The trail becomes increasingly rocky and steep and is slightly overgrown in spots.  We stopped at the 5200 ft knoll and took in the views.  This is the first good viewing spot on the trail and a great place for a break.

After the knoll, the trail heads steeply up through encroaching brush and is rocky and unstable in places.  As you ascend the trail widens again, the bushes get smaller and the views get better and better.  We stopped for a snack at the end of the official trail and then turned northwest on the much narrower use trail to the top.  This initially cuts across the steep, open slope but then turns upslope and heads almost straight up before angling slightly again just below the ridge (see photo).  The side-hill part of the trail is narrow, rocky and slanted, and we had to be careful not to slip downhill.  We were glad to have our hiking poles for extra points of contact.  Once the trail turned uphill, the poles helped to keep us from sliding backward, and they were a necessary aid to prevent slipping downhill as we climbed back down.  It was a slow push up to the ridge, but once there the views to the north and west were spectacular.  The north side of Goat is a steep cliff, and you skirt the edge of this, looking out at Mount Tomyhoi, Yellow Aster Butte, Winchester Mountain, Mount Larabee, American and Canadian Border peaks, the High Divide, the Nooksack Valley and more.  These views join the wonderful views to east and south that you get on the ascent, including Mounts Baker, Shuksan and Sefrit, and up the Ruth Creek Valley to Ruth, Hannegan, Redoubt and so many others.  The trail goes along the ridge, above the permanent snowfield on the west slope of Goat (see photo).  From the summit, we also looked down on the small glacier on the east side (see photo).  We spent an hour on the summit just drinking in the incredible views all around.  We could see many cars lined up along the Twin Lakes Road at the Yellow Aster Butte trailhead and we were grateful for our solitude on Goat.  You definitely earn your views on this trail – it is long and the last half is steep – but we felt the reward more than justified the effort. 

OTHER INTEL

The blueberry bushes have turned purple and red on the upper slopes and the berries are large and delicious.  I think there are fewer than in other years, but enough to make us wish we had had the time to stop and pick some to take home.  The colors of the blueberries contrasted wonderfully with the greens and yellows of the mountain ashes, providing a pallet of autumn color.  Lower down, amongst the alders and the firs, summer green still prevailed. 

Bugs and flies were not in evidence anywhere along the trail.