Goat Mountain — Saturday, Aug. 8, 1998

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

I won't give a detailed trail description here, as part of the fun of hiking is discovering and exploring on your own. The trail is in good shape and not quite as dry as we were told by two people at the trailhead. If you're going to the viewpoint at 5100 feet, your last water supply is at approx. 4500 feet. This was a small spring-fed stream about 12 inches across. If you're destination is the west summit--6725 feet--your last water supply, another spring-fed stream, is at approx. 5800 feet, unless you have a means of melting snow on top. Although both streams still had a lot of water, or at least enough to pump from. I have no idea how long they will last into the summer. Without these two water sources, the trail is dry above 3600 feet. We did see a juvenile bear just below the viewpoint, but I think there are plenty of blueberries for both the bears and humans. The views are incredible from both the 5100 foot viewpoint and the top.