The weather forecast was looking promising. The group was fun (Trailcat, MtnMike, Megan, John, and myself). Trailcat picked the trip suggesting Goat Mtn near Mt Baker. It was picked because if had wonderful views of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan. With the good forecast we were all eager for the adventure.
The trip starts at the Goat Mtn trailhead off hwy 542 on the way to Mt. Baker. The trailhead elevation was about 2500’. We left the car about 10:10am. It was a bit of a late start but with the long days approaching we knew it wouldn’t be a problem. Seems the only problem it caused was for one party member who had plans late that evening. My suggestion for the future is to NEVER make plans for the same day as a mountain adventure. Not only does it sour your day…but it can leave a sour taste with the other party members. The trail upon leaving the TH is gorgeous. It winds though dense and healthy old growth forest. There were frequent sounds of grouse. The trail was littered with small branches and twigs brought down over the winter. The trail has a steady and enjoyable gain as it climbs up he southern ridge of Goat Mtn’s west peak. At about 3200’ it leaves the ridge and begins a long traverse west before resuming it’s switchbacks and heading back east toward the ridge. Somewhere around 4600’ the snow because consistent enough that we lost the trail and headed straight up the ridge taking advantage of the snow to gain elevation fast. At about 5200’ the ‘trail’ pops out of the trees and crests the ridge. We were disappointed to see that the weather was not cooperating. Low clouds obscured most of our views. We only hoped the weather would clear by the time we summitted. From this open sport on the ridge we continued due north following the ridge crest until about 6000’. From here most people likely continue heading due north to the west peak of Goat Mtn. Our fearless group was instead headed for the more difficult and higher east peak. From this 6000’ point we began a long traverse along the southern slopes of the mountain. We dropped a bit to get around some rocky areas but continued on a line that would take us to the 6100’ saddle between the two summits. Drats we all commented….still no views. We continued our climb staying right on the west ridge of the east peak pulling out our ice axes because the slope was getting really steep. At somewhere around 6600’ we started a traverse on the south side of the peak to get around some steep areas. Our plan was to gain the summit from the southeast. From that SE ridge it was a nice walk to the summit which we finally reached at about 3:30pm. Trailcat reached the top first and graciously shoveled out a nice snow bench for the group.
By the time I reached the top MtnMike was standing on a specific spot on the summit and claimed that if there were a summit register on the top….it would be right under his feet. The rest of the group shook our heads in disbelief. We sat down and started eating a late lunch as MtnMike started digging. The snow on the summit was about 2.5 feet deep and when MtnMike reached dirt he started poking around but also no register. Even worse…there were still no views. Despite the forecast…the clouds still had yet to clear. We stayed on the summit for a while…about 1 ½ hours waiting for the clouds to life. No luck. We talked of a friend who recently passed away and reminisced of her. Trailcat said a few words for her. At 5pm we finally started to move to begin the trip back. But, MtnMike had not given up. He was poking around in the dirt with his boot. We all shrieked in disbelief as he kicked not one but two summit registers loose. One was a register that dated back to 2001 but the canister had leaked leaving the register a soggy mess. The other register, one left by Fay Pullen was in excellent condition. We signed our names and then were treated to yet another surprise. At 5pm the clouds had finally lifted giving us wonderful views of Shuksan, Mt Baker, Table Mtn, and so many other peaks.
I know I wasn’t the only one in the group a little nervous about the descent. There were some pretty steep areas we had to get thought. Trailcat estimated the steepest sections as 50 degrees. It was a little slow going getting back to the 6100’ saddle because we were all taking a lot of care not to fall. A fall would have left us banged up but likely OK since the slope had a long but good run out. From the saddle we picked up some gear we had stashed (snowshoes and trekking poles) before beginning the long trip out. The views continued to improve with Mt Baker slowly showing her lower flanks before finally coming out completely. By the time we reached the 5200’ spot on the ridge it was nearly 7pm. But it was a fast trip down from here. Lots of plunge stepping, some skiing on snowshoes, and finally bare trail. We were back to the TH and cars by 8pm. After quickly changing and cleaning up our group headed to Milano’s in Glacier for a nice hearty and relaxing dinner. Some of the group chose to stay in the area to catch the last day of skiing at Mt Baker on Sunday. One of the party was overly anxious to get to Marblemount. I headed back to Seattle getting home just before midnight.
This was one memorable trip. It’s wonderful to spend time with good friends doing something we all love to do…enjoy the mountains and the beauty it offers. I highly recommend this trip but be warned…the terrain towards the east peak of Goat Mtn is steep and difficult. Ice axes and mountain stills are a MUST. Even a day later when your muscles are sore you’ll continue to thank your friends for inviting you on such a wonderful trip. Thanks Trailcat!
Stats: 10 miles, 5000’ gain (Topo calcs over 4800’ but I’m adding a bit due to uppie-downies), 10 hours (5 ½ up, 1 ½ at the top, 3 down).
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