Goat Rocks Wilderness Backpack Day 2: Old Snowy and the Knife Edge along the PCT

On the second day of our 3 day backpacking trip, we left our tents set up at the campsite and took lighter packs hiking out part way on the Knife Edge on the PCT and back about 6.5 miles and 1,800 ft of total gain.  Views of the meadows by our camp:

The haze was mostly to the south and east of us in the morning, so we enjoyed blue skies while hiking north on the PCT towards Old Snowy Mountain.

Lots of wildflowers for the first two miles or so.

We were happy to take our time, hiking slowly through this beautiful area.

Saxifrage in the rocks.

Old Snowy ahead of us, the trail surrounded by wildflower filled meadows.

The trail became more rocky as we gained elevation, here the wildflowers still lined the trail.

A lot of haze to the south, we could see a silhouette  of Mt Adams and could barely make out Mt St Helens due to the haze.

zoom of a hazy Mt Adams

Looking up towards Old Snowy Mountain (I inadvertently kept calling it Old Smokey on this day).

I love this part of the trail, where we look across to the cirque that holds Goat Lake, can see Mt Rainier to the right and have wildflowers in bloom at our feet!

zoom of Mt Rainier, the haze is moving to the west

We crossed a large snow field that is a remnant of Packwood Glacier.

Beautiful tarn at the bottom of the snow field.

At the junction of the PCT trail with the Horse Route, we opted to take the horse route to the Knife Edge.

Here we had one more snow field to cross with some steep runout. The views were gorgeous!

We wore micro spikes on this section.

Lots of large shale on the trail leading out to the Knife Edge.

I love hiking the Knife Edge, the views are spectacular, even on this increasingly hazy day.

For awhile, we could still see Mt Rainier to the north.

Photos along the Knife Edge as we continued hiking.

Pano to the east:

Pano to the west:

We stopped before the trail began to descend again for a lunch break,

and saw a large herd of mountain goats on the snow below us.

After our lunch break we returned back along the Knife Edge towards Old Snowy.

Back at the junction of the PCT and the horse alternate route. This time we opted to go up on the PCT over Old Snowy (trail to the left).

Looking back at the Knife Edge as we continue up the trail.

This section is very steep with lots of loose shale.

And then the trail becomes steep with loose dirt and rocks.

McCall Glacier on the east side of Old Snowy

View from 7,640 ft on the saddle of Old Snowy looking north.

The trail going down the other side of Old Snowy is more gentle, we had one snow field to cross on the way down.

We then continued back towards our camp, recrossing the first snow field,

and enjoying the views and wildflowers we had hiked past in the morning.

 

 

What a wonderful day! Some of the wildflowers we saw in bloom along the trail on this day.

  

 

Goat Rocks Backpack Day 2: to Old Snowy and the Knife Edge along the PCT

Woke up on our second day to this beautiful sunrise, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens in the background. We left our tent set up, and taking a day's supply with us, hiked over to Old Snowy and up to the high point on the Knife Edge (7 miles round trip with 2,350' overall gain)

PCT heading north, Old Snowy at the far end.













We saw several marmots and a pika in the talus fields. This small marmot was right next to the trail, but ran down behind the rocks as we hiked near.

sunbeam highlights a flat rock with a resting marmot on top.

As the trail winds it's way north, we could easily turn around and enjoy the views to the south as well.

Terrain becomes more rocky as we near Old Snowy.












The views here are panoramic!!! In the distance: Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Goat Ridge with Goat Lake and Mt Rainier.

The first snow field along the side of Old Snowy was well packed and icy in the morning, we used microspikes to hike across.











Looking ahead to the Knife Edge has it heads towards Mt Rainier, Old Snowy to the right

Trail splits, to the left the PCT will traverse another snow field with more exposure that I was comfortable with, and the the right, the alternate PCT route up over the saddle on Old Snowy. We choose to go up the alternate route.









Another view of Goat Ridge, Mt Rainier and the Knife Edge, a bit further up the trail

We were very slow going up Old Snowy as the views were amazing.
Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Goat Ridge with Goat Lake and Mt Rainier

On the saddle, the PCT continues down to the left and the route up to the top of Old Snowy on the Right. I'm not comfortable with class 3 scramble, so we did not summit Old Snowy.









Pano from the saddle on Old Snowy to the south: Old Snowy, Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Goat Ridge with Goat Lake

Pano from the saddle on Old Snowy to the north:
Mt Rainier, the Knife Edge, distant Cascade Peaks, Mt Stuart and Old Snowy (lovely blue tarns below the snow on Old Snowy) The trail is on the left heading down to the regular trail

It took me longer to go down from Old Snowy than going up, as it was very steep with loose talus and scree, this is one of the gentler sections heading down.

After rejoining the main PCT, we headed out along the Knife Edge. This is one of my favorite sections of trail. We would turn around at the high point of the Knife Edge seen on the far right.

part way along the Knife Edge, looking back at Old Snowy.

The trail up on the Knife Edge does have some switchbacks and turns.

view of Old Snowy from one of the switchbacks on the Knife Edge.

We found some wildflower in bloom along the desolate appearing landscape, Mt St Helens in the background.

Packwood Lake down in the valley

Where we stopped and turned around on the Knife Edge, the PCT continues north to Elk Pass. Mt Rainier in the distance








View to the east and south from where we turned around, Old Snowy on the right.

As we hiked back to Old Snowy, we saw a some mountain goats down in a green field.

Back up on the saddle of Old Snowy, Mt Adams in the background.












Goat Lake nestled in Goat Ridge, was a deep turquoise color in the afternoon.

Heading back to camp, crossing the snow field with Mt St Helens in the distance.












Back in the meadows as we get closer to camp, Mt Adams in the distance.












some of the wildflowers we saw along the trail on this day: