Starting from the end of Forest Road 037 at Goat Creek, this entire hike is an off-trail scramble, about 4 miles round trip, with modest elevation gain (around 2750'). A majority of the hike is on steep terrain through open forest with little underbrush, but the bushwhacking involved at the beginning of the hike is time-consuming. Because it’s Fall when water levels are low, I was able to follow the dry, flat, gravelly stream bed of Goat Creek upstream a good ways and then when that option ran out, to cut right and stay on the fringes of large swaths of Devil's Club till it was feasible to start venturing into the forest. The thrashing wasn’t over yet. There are thick trees and shrubs and scattered deadfall to contend with. But once the terrain steepens, progress gets easier as the forest opens up and the ground smooths out. As the contour lines on the gps topo map show, there is a pronounced shoulder on the slope which leads directly to the summit. Following it makes route finding easier. It's a steady grind uphill until Point 5722 is reached, with maybe two bands of trees and one rock outcropping to zigzag through. One bonus, I found a patch of Chanterelles on the way up (and harvested on the way down). Upon gaining Point 5722, trees thin out and views open up. The terrain also gets interesting. Expansive meadows, steep rocky cliffs and gorges, and panoramic views encouraged me on. Bear and elk favor this area as evidenced by numerous piles of scat and a faint bovine scent in the air. By this time, the summit was in full view and in fifteen minutes I was standing at the top reaping the rewards. This was a grueling hike, but getting to hang out in the terrain at the top made it was worth the effort. My lazy side might not want to do this route again, but for variety’s sake, a winter Boundary Trail approach or the scramble via Lake Allen look inviting.
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