Goat Rocks Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA
DatesAug 12th - Aug 18th 2012 Service ProjectTrail maintenance Free DaysDay hikes to area peaks, cirque lakes, photography, relaxing in a meadow AccommodationsBackpack camping Trip RatingStrenuous : 4 mile backpack, digging, moving rocks, bending, lifting LeadersClarence Elstad Equipment |
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is one of the oldest National Forests in the United States. Whether you seek solitude, social activity, creative inspiration, wildlife, forest products or scenic beauty, you can find it in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Located in southwest Washington State, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest now encompasses 1,312,000 acres and includes the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument established by Congress in 1982. A 105,600-acre alpine wonderland, the Goat Rocks Wilderness is a portion of the volcanic Cascade Mountain Range in southwestern Washington between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams. The Goat Rocks are remnants of a large volcano, extinct for some two million years. This ancient volcano once towered over the landscape at more than 12,000 feet in elevation, but has since eroded into several peaks averaging around 8,000 feet. The cluster of rocks and peaks have become known as Goat Rocks because of the bands of mountain goats that live here. Goat Rocks Wilderness features mountainous terrain with elevations from 3,000 feet to 8,201 feet on Gilbert Peak. Much of it lies above timberline, providing outstanding alpine scenery. Many high-elevation trails remain impassable, due to snow, until July and snow can return as early as September. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCNST), stretching from Canada to Mexico, passes through the Goat Rocks. Our service project is conducting trail maintenance with an emphasis on loose rock removal, installation of rock water bars, tread work and brushing as needed, and possibly some meadow rehabilitation. Although the Goat Rocks Wilderness sees a lot of foot traffic, connector trails see less attention than does the more famous PCT. We'll backpack about 4.5 miles into the Jordan Basin and conduct work on the Goat Ridge Trail. The forest service will arrange pack support to help our group get supplies into the wilderness.
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