This trail gets more and more beautiful the further you get from the trailhead!

I drove up the night before and truck camped at the Green River Horse Camp. No horses there but there were a few hunting parties. Google Maps doesn't know what to make of the bridge closure mentioned in the hike description--the detour WTA recommends worked, but you'll need a map to follow it as it can be confusing.

I have to say, I thought it would take forever to get there given the distance you have to drive on forest roads. But these were all paved! I have never seen paved FSRs so deep in the backcountry. 

I started the trail where it intersected FSR 2612, not a the TH, so I'm not familiar with that first segment. From FSR 2612 it starts at pretty enough, like a typical second growth logging forest. Right when you get to a pretty waterfall you get to flagging city. Flagged trees and plants and spray paint markings everywhere. Seems like a timber sale is planned. 

Once you get past that area the trail gets steadily more and more old growth. Lots of enormous upturned stumps, cool fungi, impressive snags, and moss. I turned around at the intersection with the Vanson Meadow trail, but the trail continues for 3 more miles past that to the intersection with the Weyerhauser Road. Tempting, but I wasn't up for all that mileage. Maybe I'll try to get an access permit from the logging company and try to get to that last 3 miles from the other direction.

It's hunting season--I heard two rifle shots on the way out, and on the way back came across the hunters making camp and dressing the elk they had just gotten. They were very nice but make sure to wear your blaze orange!

Hiked from the Green River hose camp to the Vanson Ridge junction, about 13.5 mainly flat miles along the river. Increasingly impressive old growth as you approach the junction. Trail is in great shape, no logs over it but brushy in spots.

Several camping or lunch spots along the river. Could shorten hike by driving further out on 2612.

26 road is one lane with pullouts but mostly paved, usual bumps and holes 

This traverse is commonly known as the "Goat Mountain Loop", despite a summit of Goat Mountain not being involved. I've read reports of both clockwise and counter-clockwise routes, I chose the latter, with an overnight at Vanson Lake. 

First thing, please note there are no reliable water sources outside of Deadmans and Vanson lakes between the trailhead and Vanson Peak, so be sure to plan accordingly.

I began late morning on the Goat Mountain trail. The first couple of miles are steep and challenging with a full pack. I reached an opening after gaining 1700 feet of elevation, with incredible views opening up: Loowit, Klickitat, Tahoma, Wy'east. The trail continues on the south side of Goat Mountain ridge, with Loowit gradually disappearing however but the views into the Green River valley below are spectacular. 

Dip down a tad and over the ridge slightly with Goat Mountain looming just ahead. Now on the north side of the ridge, you'll reach the base of the scramble, just before you at a hairpin turn. I've read these West and East peaks are attainable via scramble but that would be day a trip all its own, with a helmet. 

A few miles more of gradual descent and you will arrive at an assortment of user trails that lead you to the shores Deadman's Lake. This is a rather large, shallow and beautiful lake with many ample camp sites and beach access. 

Pushing forward, I began to understand all the talk of bugs. Mosquitos: yes, Black flies: most certainly. Thankfully I packed my trusty head net. The Goat Mountain trail continuing after Deadman's Lake begins ascending quickly as you gradually roll steeply up and down, retaking the ridge all the way to the four-way junction with Vanson Peak, Vanson Lake and Goat Creek trails. This point is a total of 8 miles and 2540 feet of gain from the beginning.  

I veered right at this junction and descended about 0.75 mile to a junction with Vanson Lake trail. Turning left and down to the lake, I notcied four blowdowns, all easily negotiated, however clearing them at a point would be nice. I have a feeling this area gets little attention. I found two main camping areas at Vanson Lake, one being near the end of the trail on the northwest side, flanked by an outlet stream for water filtering. I explored a user trail heading east from here and discovered a larger dispersed area with multiple sites and a quick inlet creek.

After setting up camp, I took the northwestern spur trail up to Vanson Peak. This was about 1.7 miles and roughly 800 feet of gain from my campsite. The entrance connects from the Vanson Lake trail where it junctions with the southwestern leaning Vanson Ridge trail. With little to no cloud cover, I had incredible views of Tahoma, Klickitat and other prominent features for dinner and dessert. 

Heading back down to camp for the night, I was treated to an all-nighter of frog song. That and the bubbling inlet creek made for an easy evening of well deserved rest. Vanson Lake at dusk is a sight to be seen. It is slightly smaller in size in comparison to Deadmans and it is reportedly less buggy. While at this point in my trip it was difficult to tell where it was and wasn't "buggy", I suppose I'd agree.

The following morning I packed up camp and set out to explore Vanson Ridge. This short yet challenging connecter trail really has it all, and an actual ridge with a tremendous view overlooking the Green River Valley. I lost roughly 1400 feet over 3.3 miles, stepping carefully all the way down, crossing many creeks and blowdowns. 

Once I reached the Green River trail, I followed its lush rolling greenery, campsites, big view meadow and mostly constant river for 7.7 miles and 1050 feet. Passing the Horse Camp and up the challenging last half-mile ascent back to the Goat Mountain trailhead, I completed my loop. 

RT 22.4m/4390ft

I used this route to break-in my camping season and test some new equipment. Getting to the Goat Mountain TH from the north had a bit of a detour due to bridge construction on Forest Road 25 where we had take FR 2742 near Taidnapam Park through Port Blakely land and by the Cowlitz dam to FR 25. FR26 passable with some larger potholes building, but I made it just fine with a Honda HRV. The gate continuing past the Goat Mountain TH on FR26 was still closed for the season.

It was a great trail westbound down the valley that hugged close to the river with some great views of the peaks across the river, even with the cloud capped peaks. Snow level appeared to be around 4000 ft on the north facing slope (measured by my calibrated eyeball and contour lines). The trail for the first four miles were great with some minor blow downs to pass easily over with the first being about .5 mile from the Horse Camp. The trail was a bit wet but not very muddy. After the first camping area, there was a major blow down that took some navigating to get through (in pictures) at around 4.8 miles (N 46.36653, W 122.14293) from Goat Mountain TH. After that, it was standard hiking to the next camping area that I choose to stay after I was done with the trail. Just before the Vanson Ridge Trail junction, the bridge was hit by a tree that made traversing it more difficult than I wanted to do at the time since my turn around point was the junction anyway. Along the way I saw plenty of left behind evidence of wildlife but only saw one group of Elk after the second camping area. Some of the first blooms were starting with Nootka rose and other unknown flowers. I did not see any other person on trail or in the camps.

The camping areas (about N46.36277, W122.13988 and N46.37426, W122.15533) was a great location next to the river with a couple of areas to set up tents on either side of the trail with easy access to the water to top off supplies. The temperatures that I encountered were highs in the mid 40s to mid 50s and the overnight temperatures were about mid to upper 30s.

I used Gaia hike map layer and Green Trail 332S map to assist in routing.

Camped at Green River Horse Camp and hiked a couple miles down the Green River Trail (TR 213) until we hit the old growth. The trail starts in a salvage-logged landscape, where nearly all the trees are the same age and same species (all younger than 44 years). Also note the number of massive stumps and root balls of the ancient trees killed by the eruption (they generally face the same direction), which were harvested. Then you abruptly enter old growth with an incredible diversity of trees (species, size, shape, amount of lichen/moss cover) with a dense understory. Wow. Tis indeed a lovely trail.