Goat Lake

Twice this summer I had the opportunity (and privilege) of hiking with my youngest brother.  Since this happens only when he is out here on business we can't choose our days and so one of our hikes was on a very wet and rainy day and another on the Fourth of July holiday.  The first hike was one I had never done, a 10.5 mile round-trip to Goat Lake in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness.  In spite of the rain we had a good hike, though the photography was not as good.

The first part of the trail follows an old road

from which we had a few glimpses of the surrounding peaks

The trail then enters a forest of Red Alders.

Walking through them is like walking through some kind of green temple.

 The Alders, for reasons unknown to me, are host to a huge variety of lichens.

Though wet and rainy, there was still plenty to photograph:

a Pacific Banana Slug,

the wet leaves of Big Leaf Maple,

 a dead moth in a spider's web,

 and some Turkey Tail fungus.

There were a few wildflowers,

Goatsbeard

 Queen's Cup Lily

 and Cascades Penstemon.

The last part of the trail is through beautiful old growth forest

of Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir.

We found a few orchids,

Spotted Coralroot,

Northwest Twayblade,

 and a lot of Western Coralroot.

Just before the last climb to the lake there is a side trail to Elliot Creek Falls.

Elliot Creek is the outlet for Goat Lake.

And finally the lake itself, though the surrounding peaks were barely visible.

And then the hike back...