Goat Lake 6-22-13

What a goreous day for a 10+ mile trail!  The skies were blue, the sun was sunny and we were off to a nice early start.  Dave, Adventure Dog and I arrived to find that others were also off to an early start and the trail was a popular one today!  Off we hiked and chose to take the Upper Elliot trail to Goat Lake.  This trail is not a complete loop but offers a large loop option which keeps the lower 2/3 or so of the trail new and different for the return.
The upper trail follows an old logging road and is often lined with lovely alders.

To me alders look like groves of tall art canvases.  They have patterned white and gray bark and have been painted with splotches of lichen and moss.

The upper trail also offers the occasional view of the surrounding peaks.

Although I think it's kind of early in the wildflower season on this trail, I was happy to see that there were a variety blooming.

Columbine

Coral Root

Bleeding Hearts

Bunchberry Dogwood

Not a flower

This trail has it all really from views, wildflowers and the lake, to huge trees and waterfalls.  Here are some of the falls we passed as we hiked along.

The one you read about in the guidebooks though, is McIntosh Falls, which is truly breathtaking.

Here are those huge trees!  There is a section of them and I think most are cedar if not all.  They are just massive and ancient.

There used to be an old mining town along the trail area somewhere.  Also there was at one time a hotel up along the lake.  In many places you can still see the old board wagon road, although it is deteriorating.

It was a long hike to the lake, but so worth it.  Goat Lake and the surrounding snowy peaks are enchanting, and there is even a waterfall on the east side flowing down in with a musical thunder. 

Looking back toward the end of the lake we hiked in at

 

Here is a cool root type thing we saw sticking up in the forest.

On the way back we took Lower Elliot.  It was less populated and went through a lower area with more boggy mossy spots and most of it following along the frothy Elliot Creek.  It continuously drops in elevation resulting in kind of a shallow continuous waterfall where we could see it.