Having set up our tent on the edge of a wooded campground above Goat Lake in the dark the evening before, it was not until morning that we realized what a wonderful view we had from that campsite. What a delight to view the snow capped peaks forming the cirque surrounding the lake and the lake itself immediately upon unzipping the door of our tent. Minutes after finishing our morning coffee, we were on a trail through the meadow on our way to the lake.
Heading into the cirque . . . and on to Goat Lake
And wow, Goat Lake was stunning in the morning sun.
Goat Lake . . . in the morning light
We headed back to camp and retrieved our food bag from up in the tree so we could cook breakfast. Because we had to carry everything we needed for our trip in our packpacks, we took the weight of everything into consideration before putting it in our packs. We planned our breakfast and dinner meals in advance and placed their dry ingredients in individual baggies. Our breakfasts consisted of dried oatmeal with powdered milk, dried raisins, dried bananas and almond slices. All we had to do was add water to the cook pot, pour in the contents of one of our breakfast baggies, cook over the backpacking stove, and in minutes we were each enjoying a bowl of rich, creamy oatmeal.
Retrieving our food . . . high in the tree
Next we set off to explore the primitive trails around Goat Lake.
Along the trail . . . around Goat Lake
The view of Cadet Peak was stunning in the bright sunshine.
Hiking around Goat Lake . . .
A primitive trail runs nearly the entire length of one side of Goat Lake. While sometimes a little challenging, that trail was well worth the effort because of the stunning view.
Having a great time . . . hiking around Goat Lake
Kent could not resist diving into that icey cold water.
Going for a swim . . . in Goat Lake
We had plenty of time for fishing – and relaxing.
Fishing . . . at Goat Lake
A large number of logs have drifted in on the end of Goat Lake where Elliot Creek flows out, so after dinner we walked out on those logs. It was a little tricky walking as some of the logs were completely emerged, others sank down below the surface of the water as soon as they were stepped upon, yet a majority of the logs (well, at least the largest ones) felt completely solid and safe as we carefully stepped our way from one log to another in order to work our way to the middle of that maze of logs.
Log walking . . . at Goat Lake
Kent continued on much further than I until he reached the edge of that log jam so he could cast out his fishing line.
Fishing from the logs . . . at Goat Lake
Because we were backpacking and needed to keep the weight of our packs down, except for one canteen of water each that we started our with when we began our hike the day before, the remainder of our cooking, cleaning and drinking water for the entire three-day trip was purified on the spot with our water purification system. Light weight and easy to use, with just a few pumps on its handle, an entire canteen was filled with fresh, cold, clear water free from particulites and bacteria. Because it is so convenient to use, in the future, I am certain we will be including this water purification system in our packs on day hikes too.
Purifying water . . . from Goat Lake
After the hike up to the campgrounds the day before, how wonderful it was to have the entire day to explore all the trails around the lake, fish, soak up the sun and relax.
