Goat Rocks Heart Lake Hike

[jackelope]

Awesome pics. Sounds like we were down there about the same time. I did the walupt lake to cispus basin to snowgrass to klickitat loop back to walupt a couple weeks ago. I'm headed to that area in a couple weeks to do some looking around. My plan is to reduce the goat population by 1 Billy come October. Thanks a bunch for sharing.

[branches]

If anybody needs any info on this area for a hunt they cam PM me. The weather might be an issue come October. The last two years we have been to the lake we have had to pack out somebody's tents and tarps that they have left behind from the previous hunting season. 

[The scout]

not to thread jack, jackelope hope you are flexible on your time up there in October. I have spent a lot of time up there that time of year and it can be fogged in for a week at a time. there coats are better the later you go but I would be going the first part of October just to be safe.

[netcoyote]

Just curious Branches, did you go in on the Lilly Basin trail?

[jackelope]

not to thread jack, jackelope hope you are flexible on your time up there in October. I have spent a lot of time up there that time of year and it can be fogged in for a week at a time. there coats are better the later you go but I would be going the first part of October just to be safe.

Thank you. The plan is the first part of October. Maybe a weekend trip late in September.

[skidynastar33]

How were the bugs and mosquitoes?

[jackelope]

Where I was at, the biting flies were pretty prevalent. Not much in the way of mosquitoes. I used a bunch of the sawyer bug spray and it worked well. I didn't spend a lot of time complaining about them.

[branches]

not to thread jack, jackelope hope you are flexible on your time up there in October. I have spent a lot of time up there that time of year and it can be fogged in for a week at a time. there coats are better the later you go but I would be going the first part of October just to be safe.

Thank you. The plan is the first part of October. Maybe a weekend trip late in September.

Yes the clouds can be very bad at the end of September and yes they can stay that way for over a week before clearing up. If you can see 75 yards that is good. Also the snow could make it hard for getting around. I think the two tents we packed out were damaged from snowfall because the tent poles were busted up. The owners must have wanted to get out before the conditions got too dangerous for the hike out

[branches]

Just curious Branches, did you go in on the Lilly Basin trail?

Yes we hiked in on the Lilly Basin trail. It was in better shape this year because somebody cut out all of the blowdowns and some of the brush along the trial. I would like to add that there is what I think a dangerous spot on the trail in the basin at Glacier Creek. The steep rock face is getting harder to climb on. I guess somebody with mountaineering or climbing experience would think it is nothing but we have had our hands full each time we have to get around it.

[netcoyote]

Just curious Branches, did you go in on the Lilly Basin trail?

Yes we hiked in on the Lilly Basin trail. It was in better shape this year because somebody cut out all of the blowdowns and some of the brush along the trial. I would like to add that there is what I think a dangerous spot on the trail in the basin at Glacier Creek. The steep rock face is getting harder to climb on. I guess somebody with mountaineering or climbing experience would think it is nothing but we have had our hands full each time we have to get around it.

I work with a Backcountry Horsemen trail crew that clears the Lilly Basin trail every year. One of our other crews (or maybe even FS crew) cleared it this year. The large pile of jumbled logs high on the ridge was cut by our crew several years ago.
We have been talking with the FS about the Glacier Creek crossing. Last year, we did a full report of the conditions and the FS got funding for a blasting project to cut a shelf on the rock face for a trail. They have it on their books to be done this year but they are running out of time.
Good to hear about someone enjoying the trail. Thanks for the pictures.

[branches]

Just curious Branches, did you go in on the Lilly Basin trail?

Yes we hiked in on the Lilly Basin trail. It was in better shape this year because somebody cut out all of the blowdowns and some of the brush along the trial. I would like to add that there is what I think a dangerous spot on the trail in the basin at Glacier Creek. The steep rock face is getting harder to climb on. I guess somebody with mountaineering or climbing experience would think it is nothing but we have had our hands full each time we have to get around it.

I work with a Backcountry Horsemen trail crew that clears the Lilly Basin trail every year. One of our other crews (or maybe even FS crew) cleared it this year. The large pile of jumbled logs high on the ridge was cut by our crew several years ago.
We have been talking with the FS about the Glacier Creek crossing. Last year, we did a full report of the conditions and the FS got funding for a blasting project to cut a shelf on the rock face for a trail. They have it on their books to be done this year but they are running out of time.
Good to hear about someone enjoying the trail. Thanks for the pictures.

This is good news about the trail. We usually stop for a break at that log pile on the ridge or at the camp just about 10 minutes up from there. Will the blasting of the rock shelf be wide enough for stock to get by? I bet it has been many years since a horse or mule has made it to the lake. The first time I took my kids to the lake I told them I had rode up by mule and they said NO WAY because of that spot on Glacier Creek. I will have to see if I have any old pictures of the creek. I have not taken any pictures of that spot the last two years because we were roping the big packs up or down the small cliff.

[branches]

Here are some pictures of that area from about 5 years ago.
This is the log pile we usually take a break at.
The other picture are of the creek that has washed away the trail. The area to the right of the creek is basically now a vertical cliff. All of the rock and dirt are gone from the creek up the hill about 25 yards. You can still get up the rock face and some people can still navigate the trail with a light pack but if you have a big pack you might want to rope your pack up or down the rock face. You can always bushwack up the creek a couple of hundred yards and find away across and come back to the trail.

[netcoyote]

There's been considerable washout of that Glacier Creek crossing in the last few years. I remember back when it looked like your pictures and you could usually cross it on snow until late July. It's quite a cavern now with steep walls on both sides.
Here's a picture from a couple weeks ago.

[branches]

That is a good view of that spot thank you for the picture. For us it is kind of hard to climb up but we make it. The climb down is what everybody does not like so we just send the packs down first. I would be hard for me to have to pack somebody up that hill if they got hurt. Even with that washout this place is still awesome and we enjoy all it has to offer.