Goat Lake — Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

Happy Sunny Monday! I have benefitted from so many trail reports, I have decided to contribute. This is my first offering: What a beautiful autumn trail! I highly recommend taking both the Upper and Lower Elliott trails for a loop as both have unique things to offer. I took the Lower Trail up and the Upper Trail down. I arrived a bit before 10am and was the first in the parking lot. Passed two groups on my return trip, so a quiet day on the trail. Waterfalls are running nicely. There are nice views on the Upper Trail since the leaves are down for the season. There is a bit of snow near lake level, but very little and never on the trail. There is water and mud on the trail giving the enormous cedars and hemlocks a nice moist environment, nothing solid outdoor footwear won't take you through. The fungi on this trail are diverse and abundant. A few small birds were singing near the lake, but I saw no other critters. Hibernation time has come. There is a small amount of snow on the side of the road at Barlow Pass and a few potholes beyond that, but nothing a passenger car cannot handle.