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Trip Report

Vanson Peak — Thursday, Jun. 19, 2025

South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley
View from the top; panoramic from outcropping from the official peak

Beautiful day up to Vanson Peak via Goat Creek Trail.  Weather was perfect and wasn't until the mid afternoon that I ran into another soul on the trail.

Trail was generally pretty clear, and brushed back well enough.  A couple of spots of some serious blowdown, but only in short stretches and navigable over.  

Went into this hike "cold"; had it on my list but no memory of why...does not disappoint!  Waterfalls everywhere, just stunning!  Took a brief side-quest along the Tumwater Mtn Trail to catch a few more falls which was fun (that trail's in need of some TLC...some spots are approaching abandoned).

Road to the trailhead  from FS 27 is very passible, but high-clearance would be advised.  Put my pickup in 4H and really only felt I needed it once.  

Definitely would recommend and will be back to explore some more!  Did see a couple of families along the very start of the trail, but once you get a mile or two in it is a pretty steady climb up to the Vanson Peak trail intersection.  Not steep, just constant, bordering on unrelenting at times.  :)  

Example of some of the blowdown...only this rough in a couple of spots
Crossing on the Tumwater Mtn Trail...where pray tell is the trail? Time to get creative!
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