Goat Island Mountain - 7.9.2013
Directions from the fee station at the White River entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park to the Fryingpan Creek Parking area.
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Our approximate route to the Goat Island Mountain summit... going up the east ridge and down the west ridge... ~11.5 miles roundtrip, gaining ~4200 feet of elevation.
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A google earth look at the terrain around Goat Island Mountain.
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Gearing up at the Fryingpan Creek parking area (3800')... located just beyond the Fryingpan Creek Bridge.
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From the parking area we will use the short connector trail to get to the Wonderland Trail.
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Turning right onto the Wonderland Trail... at the end of the day will close our loop hike here.
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After hiking the Wonderland Trail for 10 minutes (~ a half mile) we found the east ridge of Goat Island Mtn and left the main trail.
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On the east ridge of Goat Island Mountain... much steeper than it looks in the photo.
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At ~5800 feet we left the east ridge and traveled SE into a basin... where we could see another east trending ridge that would take us to the summit.
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A short break before heading up to the ridge.
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Working our way up to the ridge on a reasonable path.
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Looking down on the White River... with Sunrise Point on the far left of the photo.
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On the ridge leading to the summit... easier terrain now.
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Snowdog and BarbE on the ridge leading to the summit.
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Our first good look at Little Tahoma and Mt. Rainier.
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Continuing up the ridge.
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Looking down into the basin located at 5900 feet... and our general route where we switched ridges.
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At this point we aren't sure which bump is the Goat Island Mountain summit.
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Looking over at the Cowlitz Chimneys and Banshee Peak... with Mt. Adams in the distance.
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Looking over at the Sunrise area.
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Now we can see the summit.
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Group shot from the Goat Island Mountain summit (7288')... Snowdog has packed in a king size almond joy... whose lifespan lasted 10 seconds after this photo was taken.
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Beautiful lake down toward Glacier Basin... unnamed as far as I know.
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Leaving the summit and starting the 2 mile ridge walk toward Mt. Rainier.
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The ridge walk is going to be very very nice.
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BarbE and Snowdog heading for the west end of Goat Island Mountain.
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Looking back at the Goat Island Mountain summit.
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Snowdog is very small in this photo.
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Looking back at the Goat Island Mountain summit as we head for the west end of the mountain.
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Continuing toward the west end of Goat Island Mountain.
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Looking back at the Goat Island Mountain summit.
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Looking across Panhandle Gap to Mt. Adams in the distance... Cowlitz Chimneys and Banshee Peak on the left.
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The three Burroughs over by Sunrise.
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Off of the gray and onto the brown as we get closer to the west end of Goat Island Mountain.
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Serious glacier activity on Mount Rainier.
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Looking down on Summerland... with Panhandle Gap on the far left.
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A closeup of the Cowlitz Chimneys and Banshee Peak.
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A closeup of Panhandle Gap... the cornice does not pose a problem... Goat Rocks in the distance.
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We will cross over one more bump and then leave the ridge.
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Still on the west ridge... but not for long.
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Descending from the west ridge of Goat Island Mountain... we will cross the lateral moraines and go over to Summerland.
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Using what little snow remains to our advantage.
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We will need to find a safe crossing of Fryingpan Creek.
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BarbE and Snowdog looking for a good place to cross Fryingpan Creek.
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Safely across Fryingpan Creek now and heading down... Goat Island Mountain above on the left.
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BarbE working her way over to Summerland where we will pick up the Wonderland Trail.
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In Summerland now and looking up toward Panhandle Gap.
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We will take a short break at the Summerland Camp.
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Looking up toward Panhandle Gap from the shelter in Summerland.
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Another short break at the footbridge crossing of Fryingpan Creek... leaving a 3 mile hike on the Wonderland Trail to get back to the car.
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