My name’s Elise and welcome to the Evergreen outdoor report, the CPJ’s newest column! A place for greeners to talk about and show all the cool outdoor adventures they go on! As of this issue, it’s just some of my hiking and backpacking trips but all outdoor sports are welcome. If you wanna submit a report, email me at Elise.g@evergreen.edu and we’ll get it in here! Happy trails.
Area name: Snowgrass Flats/Goat Lake Loop
Length: 12.3 miles
Altitude: 2706 feet
Trail accessibility: 3/5
Road accessibility: 5/5
Difficulty: 3/5
Dangerous wildlife: Yes, black bears in the area
Passes or permits needed: Yes, wilderness permit (free)
The Snowgrass Flats and Goat Lake Loop are located in the Goat Rocks Wilderness area between Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier. The forest roads are well maintained and my very much not off-road capable car had zero issues with it. We stayed overnight and took the trail clockwise, you’ll need a wilderness permit to stay, but they are free at the trailhead. The first 2 miles are a bit steep but manageable. As the trail flattens and you reach the subalpine zone, you’ll get some amazing views of Angry Mountain and the valleys between you and it. The trail ascends again when you reach the alpine zone. Just before crossing over Goat Ridge, you’ll go through Jordan Basin which gives a beautiful view of wildflowers and an alpine marsh. After crossing Goat Ridge there is an optional trail you can take to the top of Hawkeye Point (we were dead tired and decided not to) which gives a great view of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams. At Goat Ridge, you’re less than a mile from Goat Lake and officially at the highest point of the whole loop, which we were ecstatic about. There are a ton of great campsites around the lake, but be sure to camp 100 meters away to follow state park guidelines. We stayed on a fairly exposed cliff beside some windswept trees, and we had a perfect view of Mt. Adams from our campsite. The way out is all downhill and goes through a few fellfields that can be tricky to navigate without hiking poles or good balance. Things are pretty chill till the end where there are a lot of ups and downs, which were a bit maddening and definitely felt endless in the moment. Really wonderful trail that has some gorgeous views, would definitely recommend it as a fun overnight or a tough day hike.
Area name: Second Beach
Length: 2.0 miles
Altitude gain/or other measurement: 310 feet
Trail accessibility: 5/5
Road accessibility: 5/5
Difficulty: 1/5
Dangerous wildlife: No
Passes or permits needed: No
Second Beach is a really easy, short trail that goes right from the road to the beach. It’s only a mile down from the trailhead and the only point of significant elevation gain or loss is the stairs built by the WTA right before the forest reaches the beach. There’s a lot of opportunity for tide-pooling at low tide and higher tides if you go to the north or south end of the beach, and plenty of room to have a secluded camping spot even on the most packed days. The most dangerous wildlife you’ll see is people doing burns when they shouldn’t, or in my case, people lighting fireworks off. Overall it’s a great place to run off to for a day or have a relaxed night. Would definitely recommend bringing a strong headlamp and going out at low tide in the night, you’ll see lots of fun marine life.
Area name: Naches Peak Loop
Mileage/Pitch/Length: 3.2 miles
Altitude gain/or other measurement: 600 feet
Trail accessibility: 5/5
Road accessibility: 5/5
Difficulty: 1/5
Dangerous wildlife: No
Passes or permits needed: No
The Naches Peak Loop Trail is in the Mt. Rainier National Park just off the 410. It’s very popular, so be warned that parking can be a hassle, and if you want a more secluded area, this is definitely not it. The trail is well maintained and carved out by the constant day-hiker foot traffic and its connection to the Pacific Crest Trail. I recommend going clockwise on the loop. You’ll get wonderful sights of wildflower meadows, rocky peaks in the distance, and massive valleys. When you reach the halfway point, you’ll get to see some nearby peaks and alpine lakes. The real star view, though, is right at the end, where you get a front-and-center view of Mt. Rainier, with a cleared-out patch to sit and enjoy her beauty. Overall, it’s a very mild trail and hike that people of all hiking experience can deeply enjoy, but because of that, it is short distance from Seattle, and its highway access, it is VERY popular and can be crowded at times.
Area name: Mt. Townsend
Mileage/Pitch/Length: 8.0 miles
Altitude gain/or other measurement: 3010 feet
Trail accessibility: 3/5
Road accessibility: 5/5
Difficulty: 3/5
Dangerous wildlife: Yes, black bears in the area
Passes or permits needed: No
Mt. Townsend is in the Buckhorn Wilderness in the East Olympic Mountains. The trail road was in good condition when I went. Going up, the elevation wasn’t too bad, but we brought our overnight bags, so the unrelenting steepness was a lot. The first mile takes you up through a beautiful western hemlock and rhododendron forest that’s well-covered. In early summer there’s some small stream crossing you’ll have to do, but in early fall they’re all nearly dry. Just before the second mile, you’ll reach the subalpine zone and the vegetation changes dramatically. The canopy cover and shrubs of the lower forest are quickly replaced by tight subalpine firs, lodgepole pines, and small herbaceous plants that give minimum sun cover, which was a blessing in the cold morning but could be harsh in the summer. The trail flattens for a small section then shoots right back up until you reach the summit. The trees get smaller and smaller till they sharply stop as you reach the top. From the summit, you can see the East Olympics perched on the far eastern side and the whole Cascade Range. On the clear day we went, we could make out Seattle, and a lot of other cities on the Central/Northern Puget Sound (I definitely recommend bringing binoculars). It was definitely a tough hike up with all our overnight gear, but was well worth the view, definitely recommend it.
