When you're so fatigued you nap trailside - Goat Peak

For the Fourth of July, I did my first "level 5" or "expert" difficulty hike: Goat Peak. There are multiple Goat Peaks in Washington; this is the one just east of Chinook Pass. It climbs steeply; approximately 3200' in 3.25 miles. Your thighs will burn. It's a wilderness hike, so no more than 12 "heartbeats" (people and pets combined; stock are prohibited on this hike for reasons you will see on the trail).

Goat Peak
William O Douglas Wilderness
Parking permit: Sno-park permit required Nov 1st - Apr 15th (though I don't suggest it during winter season)
Other permits: Wilderness permit (free), self-issued at trailhead
Distance: 6.5 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 3200'

From Yakima, head West on Highway 12. Past Naches, stay straight at the highway junction to continue on Highway 410. After about 32 miles, the trailhead is on the left, directly across the street from Hell's Crossing campground.

At the trailhead, two trails branch off. The lower one is for Pleasant Valley. The one that immediately begins climbing is for Goat Peak. It doesn't get any less steep, so get to it!

For the first half mile or so, the trail hugs a creek. This is the only water on the hike, so make sure you're topped off. As the trail branches away from the creek and wraps around the hillside, you'll come to steep open slopes. The dirt is loose over rock and erodes easily; don't step too close to the edge of the trail or you may take a tumble! Here you can also catch some decent views of Fife's Peak.

Narrow, rocky, and steep

Not much room for error

Fife's Peak looms in the distance

About a mile in is a nice landing spot off to the side of the trail to take a rest break, with views of the wilderness. Once you pass this point, the trail gets even steeper and rockier. In some parts, the dirt has completely eroded away, leaving you to pick your footholds across the rocky terrain.

Eventually you make it up to the ridge. It's a steep climb, though slightly less so, as the trail dances back and forth over the ridge, unable to make up its mind.

About two and a half miles in, I was so exhausted. My mind had been wanting to quit for a while, and my body was starting to agree. Stopping and taking five wasn't cutting it anymore. I found a rocky overlook to the side of the trail. Here I pulled over, ate some cookies and Gatorade, then found a nice shaded spot, made sure my pup was tied securely, and set my phone alarm to take a 15 minute nap. I was so exhausted, but I really did not want to give up the climb because I knew I had an even harder hike planned (stay tuned for that one!). Once I rested, I was able to get within sight of the summit, and that was enough to motivate me to the top!

Once you reach the junction with American Ridge Trail the trail will get a hell of a lot steeper, but have faith! You're only about 1/3 mile from the top! Feel free to mutter some four-letter words as you climb what seems like an endless series of rocky switchbacks.

Almost there!

Near the top, you'll see some poles sticking out of rock; it's the foundation of an old fire lookout. American Ridge trail will start to slope downhill to the left; for the summit, look for a narrow, rocky scramble heading up on the right. There's a rather nice flat area to plop out and enjoy amazing 360 views at the summit. What a reward for all the hard work!

Even the dog was tired

Mount Rainier in all her glory

Be sure to look for the summit log that the Cascadians have left. Sign your name and be proud of your accomplishment. This trail is not for the faint of heart!

Hike-a-Thon PSA!

My dog, Ozzy, is raising money for Washington Trail Association's annual Hike-a-Thon. He'd really really love any support you can get, whether it's a flat donation or a pledge-per-mile. To support Washington Trails, click here to learn more!

Boulder Cave: Please do not disturb the bats - May 2017

This is a short, unique trail that's open seasonally from late May to October. When I checked it out, the US Forest Service still had the trail marked as closed, so I called the Naches Ranger Station at (509) 653-1401 and verified it was open before I left. Endangered Townsend bats call the cave home, so the trail is closed during their active mating season to avoid disturbing the bats. Bring a flashlight if you explore the cave; it's gets dark in there!

The bats are at risk for White Noise Syndrome, which is caused by a fungus that grows around the muzzles of hibernating bats. It is very important that you do not bring in gear that has been used in other caves without thoroughly cleaning it first! This is important to stop the spread of the invasive fungus across the US. There are boot brushes at the caves which you are required to use before entering, but if you do a lot of caving it's best to decontaminate your gear fully before and after going into the cave. Also, it's best to leave four-legged hiking friends at home for this one; while they aren't explicitly banned, they're strongly discouraged.

It may also be a good idea to bring a trash bag. We went 3 days after the trail opened for the season, and already there was a lot of trash along the trail, especially by the caves. It was very disappointing. Remember: pack it in, pack it out!

Boulder Cave
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Parking Permit: NW Forest Pass ($5 per day/$30 per year)
Distance: 1.4 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 235'

From Yakima, take Highway 12 west toward Naches. Past Naches at the junction with Hwy 410, go straight and stay on 410 until you get to Cliffdell. Past the little community, look for a sign for Old River Rd and Boulder Cave Recreation Area. Hang a left and go over the bridge, and hang right. Drive past Camp Roganunda to the recreation area at the end. This is a great place for a picnic breakfast or lunch if you brought one.

The trail picks up near the west side of the recreation area. You'll pass a lookout that juts out above the canyon, as well as get views of a young cave that's forming downstream from the main caves.

View of a relatively newer cave.

Eventually you'll reach a junction. Follow the signs for the cave entrance. There are boot brushes at the entrance, and I presume the one-way route also helps with traffic flow during busy summer weekends.

The cave is short, but it gets very dark! Make sure you bring some sort of light source. 

In short order, you'll see the light on the other side.

  

The trail takes you back up the way you came for a short, sweet hike not too far outside of Yakima.

Edgar Rock doesn't feel as steep as it is - May 2017

So far, Edgar Rock has been one of my favorites since I moved to the Yakima area. It is not far outside of town. It is 1.1 miles to the summit, which makes it a short hike. You pick up 1470 feet in elevation, but it's a steady climb that makes efficient use of that mile, so it doesn't feel dramatically steep. It's a short little conditioner that I plan to repeat plenty in the future!

Edgar Rock
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Parking permit: None needed (shoulder parking)
Distance: 2.2 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 1470'

From Yakima, take Highway 12 west toward Naches. You'll pass through Naches. At the junction with Hwy 410, stay straight to go on 410. After almost 18 miles, not far past Gold Creek Saloon, you'll see a sign for "Lost Creek Village"; follow the sign to turn off on the left. You'll follow the road (Old River Road, though good luck finding a sign to tell you that) until you reach a T junction with a dirt road. Hang a left on the dirt road and follow it until you get to a sharp hairpin turn; you'll see the sign for Trail 964 on the right. The road is narrow but there's parking for 4-5 cars on a couple shoulder pull-outs in the area.

You'll climb up through the pine groves that provide shade from the sun. The landscape here can't figure out if it wants to be forest or steppe, which makes for a unique landscape. About halfway up, there's a lookout area if you need a break. Afterward, you'll alternate between shaded tree cover and walking past craggy rock formations that climb out of the surrounding landscape.

Two boulders and a tree have arranged themselves just so.

 

I didn't get photos, but I did see a couple very curious elk. They stayed a respectable distance away. Scat on the trail indicates there's probably a healthy population in the area.

Near the top, you'll come across a T junction helpfully marked "Trail". You'll want to hang right to go up to the Edgar Rock summit.

At the top, you can find the old foundations of a fire lookout that once sat. It's a good place for a picnic lunch! It was rather windy when I went up. I didn't linger too long before retreating back into the trees for some cover.

   

Overall, it was a great, short hike that wasn't too terrible far out of town. Definitely one to return to!