Day Hike - Green Mountain: Gold Creek Trail

Our Olympia CHS group of 11 met up at the crack of 8:30 to hike the Gold Creek and Vista Trails. The Gold Creek Trailhead parking lot is riddled with potholes, but small cars with patient drivers can avoid the worst of them. The vault toilet has a broken deadbolt lock but a functional hook-and-loop lock, and was relatively clean and stocked. 

A little too early for rhododendron blooms but the plants were wonderfully green! As we neared the upper junction with the Beaver Pond Trail the forest view opened up to misty distant views of Lake William Symington and Dyes Inlet.

I hadn't been to the 1,639' "summit" of Green Mountain in a while and was pleased to see the completed picnic shelter, seating at the former lookout site, and fencing at the Seattle/Rainier viewpoint.

The rain picked up soon after our snack break and we made good time back to the cars. Given the weather we encountered just one dirt bike, a handful of smaller groups headed to the top, and one leashed doggo taking his owner for a hike, but no ATVs or equestrians. A solid group effort!