Mt. Baker - Goat Mtn
Great conditions on the N. face of Goat Mtn. We were able to easily drive to the trailhead, virtually no snow on road. Hiked up and transitioned to skis at 4000' after getting past most of the creek crossings. This is where you really start to come out of the forest but still get to contend with the slide alder and not fully filled in creeks. We made our way up and stopped at 5400', top of the ridge. We elected to not do the final ridge to the peak as it was warming slightly. In hindsight I think the snow pack was pretty solid and was likely manageable. The snow was a bit creamy but very fun to ski. Would recommend this area as the top half is wonderful terrain and great views. One piece of advice would be very intentional about your skin up, specifically determining your route down between 4500-4800' as there are swaths of very thick trees. We got suckered into an open area which concluded with some serious combat schwacking to get out.
Encouraging for sure, although the photos, elevations and description all correspond to the south face, not the north. I've backed off that large exposure once or twice, then regretted it just as you did; gotten waylaid by the half-buried alder before finding the trail, too.
always good to get info on other backcountry options near Baker. Have you done Hannigan ridge?
#2 is a beautiful photo, thanks for sharing.
@markharf you are 100% correct, this is the South face, not the North.
@mark-p: Hannegan ridge, do you mean Hannegan pass, peak and Ruth Mtn? Yes, great spring skiing in particular, though the approach via trail can be a bit obnoxious. Lots of good trip reports out there for this area.
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