20241030_061356.jpg

Trip Report    

Goat Lake (Monte Cristo)

A midweek fall hike to a popular lake with views of snowy North Cadet Peak.

  • Tue, Oct 29, 2024
  • Goat Lake (Monte Cristo)
  • Day Hiking
  • Successful
  • Road rough but passable
  • There are washboards and potholes on Mountain Loop after Barlow Pass and on Elliot Creek Road.  Any car should be able to make it if care is exercised.

    The trails are in decent condition.  There are numerous horse hoof sized holes in both the upper and lower Elliot Trails - looks like a heavy horse broke through the trail surface into critter dens below the tread. 

    There are about 8 logs across the trail - all of these are four or more miles from the trailhead.  All but the first are after entering the Jackson Wilderness.  I was able to get past all of them with little difficulty.

    20241029_100417.jpg
    One of several logs over trail

    As the trail starts to climb there are several sections that are very wet.  In a few places the trail is more like a stream.

    The day I hiked the snow level was about 3500' so there was no snow on the trail.

A pleasant fall hike on a Tuesday.  This trail is very popular in summer and on weekends, but I only encountered one other hiker and their dog.

I took the lower Elliot Creek Trail on the way in.  This trail joins the Upper Elliot Trail after about 3 miles.  Once they join, you are on an abandoned road for another mile or so before starting to climb.

At about 4 miles you enter the Henry Jackson Wilderness and start to encounter blowdowns and drainage issues, but none of these are difficult to navigate.  As you approach Goat Lake you hear and then see, the impressive Mackintosh Falls.  There are lots of use trails that head over toward the falls, but I stayed on the main trail.

Just before the lake are numerous campsites on a large flat area.  There is a pit toilet up the hill north of the camping area.  I continued to the lake and hiked along the north side on a trail that became increasingly brushy.  I stopped when the trail started to climb up the hill to cross two waterfalls - it simply was too slippery to continue on the day I was there.  Great views of the lake, several small waterfalls and North Cadet Peak were available from several spots along the lake.

I hiked out on the Upper Elliot Trail. This follows the old roadbed almost all the way back to the trailhead.  Near the end I saw some logging equipment in the woods just off the trail.

20241029_134048.jpg
Logging Gear

Total distance 11.6 miles.  1900' elevation gain per GPS watch.  5 hours 12 minutes including lunch break.