[TR] Goat Ridge ookout - Goat Rocks Wilderness- West side 4/23/06

[fettster]

Climb: Goat Ridge Lookout - Goat Rocks Wilderness

 

Date of Climb: 4/23/2006

 

Trip Report:

First TR posted. I hope this works.

 

This last weekend, my friend Rob, my dog Kodi, and I headed up to the Goat Rocks Wilderness in the southwestern WA Cascades for a spring snowshoe trip. We’d been watching the road and sno-park conditions reported online for a couple months to best judge when we might be able to get into the area. When we drove in on forest road 21 we found the road was clear of snow until we got to about 3000 feet elevation. I was able to get through a 50-100 yard length of snow with my Subaru, but after a short jaunt we came up to an even longer and deeper stretch of snow ahead. Though we weren’t quite as far as we wanted to be, we were within 1 mile of our goal where we wanted to set up camp and start from the next day. As well, the place we stopped offered a nice clearing alongside the road for our camp site, so we decided it was good enough.

 

Having eaten supper already in Morton, WA, we really just had to get the tent up and sleeping bags situated inside. Kodi got tired of waiting on us and whined a bit. With not much else to do, we got into our sleeping bags and chatted for a while waiting for the stars to come out. About 10 PM we got out for a bit and saw the stars were well past their daytime bashfulness. Soon a satellite passed overhead south to north. As our eyes adjusted, additional beacons joined into the fray. Though just small specks and very brief, we also saw several shooting stars before we finally decided to call it a night. As we got into our sleeping bags, Kodi sat looking at us as though wondering what in the world we were doing. Being his first time camping, I encouraged him to lie down in the old sleeping bag I had brought for him. He decided that was okay and settled down as well.

 

Unfortunately I did not sleep well on the night. I guess I was too eager for the next day and perhaps not quite used to sleeping outside being my first time out this year. One odd thing for the night was a strange beeping noise that lasted about 2-3 seconds at a time. It didn’t sound like a noise an animal would make, but I wondered if it might be an owl as I could hear it get louder, and then a few moments later quiet down as though the source had moved further away.

 

The next day we got off to a bit later start than we wanted as the chilly morning was a strong encourager for us to stay in our bags just a little bit longer. We finally got on our snowshoes at 8:10 AM and traveled road 21 south for about a mile to a gravel pit that we’d located on the map and from there followed an abandoned foresting road east. We had decided to take this route instead of heading directly up the ridge from our camp site as at least we would have a clear and relatively obstruct-free route to follow up to about 4000 feet elevation.

 

However, we quickly hit upon one unexpected obstacle when we discovered the bridge over Johnson Creek had been washed out. Who knows what kind of bridge had originally been constructed there, or whether a big pipe had been placed under the road to allow the creek to flow past, but whatever the case, nothing was there now. Neither of us had clothing to properly ford the creek and we also had Kodi along, so we searched the banks for some rocks or logs to make it across. Up to the right we looked and kept seeing possibilities, but nothing great for also getting Kodi over. Looking back to the left side of the road we happily found a small snow bridge covering the gap. I saw several animal tracks leading across the snow, so we weren’t the only ones using this navigational aid.

 

This first stretch of our snowshoe I did not have any energy. My stomach hadn’t been settled when I woke up, so had just eaten a cereal bar. I knew the poor sleep was also having an impact. After about 45 minutes though we took a break and I ate some more food. This seemed to bring the right response as my body finally broke free of my slog.

 

We got past a clearcut we’d scouted in some aerial shots from live.com and made it to our 4000 foot break-off point. To our relief, the trees here were not as thick as those we’d seen below near our camp. Though now traveling totally off-trail in the woods, we had chosen to work our way up the ridge between two creeks which would act as buffers in keeping us on track. As well, based on our topo map, we knew as long as we were headed uphill we were progressing in the right direction to our goal.

 

Though straightforward, this was also a tedious stretch as for close to 1500 feet of elevation all we did was continue to work our way to the left and right trees with periodic breaks, but little change in the views. Each time we checked the altimeter we were about 100-200 feet lower than I had hoped. Keeping a steady pace we were glad however to be in the shade offered by the forest on the clear sunny day as otherwise with the exercise and no wind we would have been really sweating. The packed snow was a definite help as it provided an “elevated floor” to traverse over the downed tree limbs, trunks, and vegetation on the ground.

 

As we got over 5000 feet elevation, we could discern how the trees were getting less dense as more patches of sun now found the ground. It was best if Rob led the way otherwise Kodi wasn’t as motivated and in fact would hold back always waiting for him to “catch up.” Rob said it was such a kind gesture on his part.

 

Finally at last we could see a large, clear white bluff stretching up above the trees before us. We had to be getting close now. The GPS confirmed this and we worked up the zeal to continue on our trip. As we approached we detected wind further above us by the movement of trees and the sound made as the air moved. Our goal was a roughly 6200 foot lookout sight along Goat Ridge overlooking the Goat Rocks range and part of the valley below. As we reached the saddle to the left and north of the point, most unexpectedly our first view of the range to the east sprung into view.

 

It was awesome, something that took me aback for a bit as the view registered and started to sink in. The northern half of the range with Ives Peak and Old Snowy was completely blanketed in white, and strong contrast to the one previous time I had visited in late August and seen the peaks with little snow at all. The south half of the range with its nearly vertical western faces showed chunks of gray where the snow was not able to keep hold.

 

Not only did we find a great view, but the wind found us and reminded us we were no longer in the shelter of the ridge and the trees. After a few pictures, we stepped back from the saddle and made our way up the remaining 100 feet of the lookout’s base being careful to avoid its corniced north east side. Surprisingly, there was little wind when we got up top offering a chance to really take a break and soak in the area’s beauty. To the south Mt Adams loomed almost as large as taller Mt Rainier to the north. I noticed what reminded me of a mini-Cascade volcano to the southeast which I’ve now found out to be Lakeview Mountain. Kodi was beat and was happy to lie down on my fleece atop the snow while I placed my hat over his head to give him some shade.

 

Well, time to wrap this up. After about an hour taking pictures, scoping the area with binoculars, and eating some food, we started our descent taking several opportunities to slide down clear stretches of the route. The snow had really softened up from the tougher crust we’d crossed on while headed up. In comparison to hiking such terrain on the ground it made the steps going down much easier on our knees.

 

Almost 9.5 hours later we arrived back at the car. Oddly enough my GPS odometer read 9.99 miles on the day, so Rob had me walk around the car and we yelled in joy when it rolled over.

 

 

Kodi resting near saddle

 

 

Rob with Mt Rainier and Hawkeye Point in the distance

 

Mt Adams

 

Mt St Helens

 

Mt Rainier

 

Hawkeye Point

 

Goat Rocks Range - north and south halves

 

Small avalanches from lookout goal

 

On our way out

 

Rob sliding down with Stonewall Ridge to the west

 

View to the south

 

Abandoned road 119

 

Our small snow bridge over Johnson Creek

 

Smothered in snow

 

 

Gear Notes:

Snowshoes, trekking poles, GPS, altimeter, topo map, traditional winter clothing

 

Approach Notes:

Forest road 21, abandoned road 119, off-trail forest

[Alpinfox]

 

That last picture is really nice.

 

Thanks for sharing!

[olyclimber]

I concur.....thanks!!

 

 

[magellan]

Goat Rocks is looking lonely. Way to get after the wilderness experience!

[fettster]

Yeah, we didn't see anyone else on the day. There were a few footprints headed across road 119 and on to a seemingly random area of the forest. Our best guess is some hunters rode in by snowmobile on 21 and trekked over. We did see hoof prints in the snow at several areas, and did spot two elk and a deer on the drive out.

 

I did try with the binoculars, but didn't find any sign of the mountain goats. I'm not sure how low they search for food or where they tend to hang out in the winter and spring months.

 

Does anyone know if there's an owl or mammal that makes a beeping type noise at night?

[fettster]

The best lead I can find on the beeping noise is from this post to www.quass.com:

 

-------------

We believe from what neighbors have told us that we have a great horned owl in one of the trees near our house. We have heard the unmistakable "hoo hoo" sound of the adult, seen the shadowy figure high in the trees at dusk, but what sound might the young make? At dusk and dawn we have been hearing a strange sound from the trees that we can only describe as sort of a quiet telephone ringing. A quick but quiet, beep beep beep beep beep.

 

Might this be the sound of young owls?

 

 

 

Thanks for the question, Bob. The circumstantial evidence certainly suggests that those "quiet beepers" of yours are, indeed, Great Horned owlets. However, I uncovered the following interesting vocalization factoid while researching your question in "North American Owls: Second Edition" by Paul A. Johnsgard: To wit (and tu-whoo):

 

"Adult birds [ i.e., Great Horned Owls ] utter whistling notes, with a rising inflection, when the young are first flying, apparently as a means of keeping in contact with them (Bent, 1938)." -- Paul A. Johnsgard, "North American Owls: Second Edition" page 114.

 

Perhaps this whistling sound is what you've heard?