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Trip Report    

Alpine Scramble - Goat Island Mountain (Mount Rainier)

Excellent trip in diverse weather

  • Road suitable for all vehicles
  • Route in great shape!  Ground dry and stable, minimal brush, excellent elk trails to follow.

Took the counter clockwise loop starting at the Summerland TH.  Took the wonderland for about 3/8 mile until we hit the sharp turn in trail which denotes the east ridge.  Departed trail and ascended east ridge until we found elk trails. Hoped from elk trail to elk trail until we found the super highway elk trail that took use to the flat at around 5800 ft.  From there we ascended the gully that splits the southeast and northeast ridges on easy, open travel.  Once on the ridge, took a climbers left (south) for a few hundred feet until we reached the southeast ridge.  Turned climbers right (northwest) and followed the southeast ridge to the summit.  Good views & blue skies.  At the summit (no register found), the weather finally arrived and we followed the Goat Island Mountain ridge west, then southwest along the ridge in horizontally blowing snow with minimal visibility. Continued along the ridge to the saddle west of Summerland, then descended down the open slope following the drainage to the Fryingpan Creek.  Followed the Creek bed to just before the Summerland bridge where we traversed south out of the creek bed and intersected the Summerland trail.  Returned to the car via the trail.  Car-to-car just under 8 hours.