Goat Rocks lived up to its name. There was a good amount of rocks and we spotted a mountain goat, high up on the ridge. In all seriousness, this was one of my favourite days on trail, Goat Rocks Wilderness is unbelievably beautiful. It’s almost like a second Sierra’s. High, snowy mountain peaks and verdant green valleys made for impressive views all day long It was only made better by Squirrel Daddy, Boots and Solemate hiking around us most of the day.
There were two specific highlights. First was Old Snowy, a mountain on a slight detour from the official pct, which required some rock scrambling, but gave us a 360 degrees view of the area around us. In the distance, Mt Rainier, the second highest mountain in the US, peaked its head above the clouds.
Second was Knife’s Edge, a long ridgewalk with steep dropoffs on both sides. It was hard terrain to walk on but the adrenaline and the views made it more than worth it.
I like that we’re doing slightly shorter days in Washington. The long, exhausting days in Northern California are still fresh in my mind. It feels like the right way to end as well, trying to enjoy what remains of the trail as much as possible.