GOAT ROCK WILDERNESS

OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST

Activity: Day Hike, Scrambling, Bushwhacking, Peakbagging

10.5 miles, 2,486′ elevation gain, 6.5 hour duration, rated HARD

Date: September 17, 2025

As part of my Epic Road Trip and after a spectacular couple days hiking Mount Rainier my question was what now? My Brother-in-Law, Dale, an avid backpacker, with whom I had recently explored the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, (another Epic place), suggested the Goat Rocks Wilderness and boy was he right!

The Goat Rocks Wilderness can be found snug between two towering snow capped mountains, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, in Southwest Washington. This area is known for the type of striking scenery that captivates the imagination, pulls at the heartstrings and simply makes you say wow…

I took some forestry or perhaps they were old logging roads in my 4Runner TRD Pro searching for a place to disperse camp for the night. As I was jostled along the bumpy dirt road I reveled in the surroundings. I love the beautiful pines so thick and verdant.

I was up and Adam early the next morning, full of energy and excited to seize the day. That is the type of attitude needed if one seeks to stand atop Hogback Mountain, a feat I discovered that not many have accomplished despite the PCT going through this area and being fairly popular.

I entered on the Pacific Crest Trail and stepped into a deep dark forest. Pretty much the quintessential forest one would hope for. My trek through the thick pines draped with moss was magical. I do have to say that there is a ski resort at White Pass that is near the trail and I could hear heavy machinery at work in the distance preparing for the ski season, which wasn’t ideal, but luckily once I climbed up over the hill that pretty much went away.

The PCT is kept up nicely although I did have to climb over some downed timber, but that was no big deal and it only added to the wilderness feel.

An added bonus was the trail provided a wonderful breakfast of wild blueberries, OMGosh so delicious that you almost become obsessed they are so good. No, actually you have to be a little obsessed because picking and eating blueberries is not like having a little container from the grocery store. To get your fill you have to pick and search a lot, and by that time you are hungry all over again, lol.

I took a break at a lovely little forest lake with water so still that it mirrored the woodland that surrounded it. After chowing down some of my signature trail mix, and a Cliff Bar, I continued my journey through the pristine woods.

The morning sunlight filtered through the pine bows overhead in the most delightful way.

I passed a little clearing, a meadow with a tiny Christmas tree in the middle seemly ready to be adorned with tensel and colorful ornaments.

I made it to viewpoint that overlooked a valley below and a ridgeline ahead. There was a very rugged point that I hopped was not in the shape of a hogs back, because it looked rather daunting to say the least.

The forest was quite dense, but the higher that I hiked the more opportunities I had at spectacular views such as this peak-a-boo, (yes play on words), sight.

Traveling along the PCT, which I found myself doing frequently on my “Epic Road Trip”, I ran into plenty of Through Hikers. I am always amazed at them and what they are accomplishing. I enjoy my quick chats with them and cheer them on towards their destination. At that time of year I was seeing those that were bringing up the rear. There was certainly the fear that they could run into inclement weather before they reach Canada at this late date and considering how far they still had yet to go.

The PCT, is fairly well traveled I probably saw close to a dozen Through Hikers on that day. This section certainly was scenic, so scenic in fact that I hiked right on by Hogback Mountain and had to do a little backtracking. Missing the mark probably had a lot to do with I couldn’t believe what I was going to have to tackle.

So the last part of the journey is a little crazy. There is no trail, no path, just an area and that area is steep with a minefield of large, sharp, jagged rock known as talus. I did everything I could to get out of said “minefield” which brought me to even steeper terrain and bushwhacking through rugged undergrowth and trees- also steep.

There did not seem to be a good way. Not only was it steep, but the material I was scrambling was loose which could lead to injury. There was more than one time that I considered that this was too much and that it wasn’t worth it. I did start contemplating that perhaps this feat was more of a winter snow climb with helmet, rope, crampons and ice ax. Even though that is technical it did seem like it would be easier than what I was doing. But for some reason I kept pushing forward. Have I mentioned before in previous blog posts that I do not like to give up?

Anyway, it ended up the struggle was more than worth it as the views were to die for. Spectacular perspective of Mount Rainier, stunning outlook of Mount Adams, unbelievable sight of the cascades, marvelous panorama of the surrounding valleys, lakes and mountains were a reward. Away from the noise and turmoil of the world, just me perched on a peak in the wilderness “Pursuing Balance Through Adventure”.

As I gazed out at the breathtaking landscape, I took pause and I wondered how in the heck am I going to get down? It left me with more than a little trepidation. I always have felt that it is much more difficult to climb down than up, but I think that actually is for light rock climbing, which this wasn’t really. Very little of the rock would stay in place to clamber. I thought I could slide down the bowl, but that didn’t seem like a good idea alone. So I pretty much tried to retrace my steps because as I bushwhacked through the thickets there was always a chance that I would be walled out or find myself in a spot that was even worse than what I came up. It turned out although it was certainly still hard, it wasn’t quite as bad as I feared. My route down was similar, but at the same time different. I was constantly trying to find a better way and sometimes I did have to turn around and try again. But hey it is all part of the adventure.

Once back safely on the PCT I could breathe a sigh of relief as did my Safety Group. At that point I could go back to enjoying my trek through the woodlands of Washington without the worry of a turned ankle, broken bones, bashed head or what have you.

Goat Rocks Wilderness is simply awe-inspiring and an unforgettable experience. I long for the day that I might return.

Thanks for joining me on this marvelous adventure in the Goat Rocks Wilderness of Washington State. Once again I found myself ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’, as I should, as you should, as we all should. PBTA is all about finding ourselves via wondrous experiences in nature. The world of man is busy, noisy, trying, and tiring… Nature and Adventure is the cure. I invite you to stay with me for more hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, SUP, 4×4 Off-Roading, exploring, scrambling, basically have a good time outdoors- to do so do this:  COMMENT, FOLLOW, SHARE, and LIKE. For top quality adventure wear with the PBTA message and logo please visit SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails,

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure