We hiked Iron Goat Trail for the first time and loved it. The trail is nice and wide at the start, with no elevation gain until you reach the switchbacks. At that point, the trail becomes a bit more overgrown, but still manageable. We really enjoyed the signage along the way that tells the history of the area. There were some ripe blackberries alongside the trail--yum! Met a few other hikers along the way, but it was pretty quiet for a Saturday morning. Would definitely recommend hiking this one! 

Ran a big 'ole loop up the Iron Goat to Stevens, South on the PCT to Surprise/Glacier, and then back out via Surprise Creek, with a couple of side quests thrown in.

Got stung by a bee half a mile into the climb up to the IG upper grade, right out of the parking lot, but I didn't see a nest... bee might just have been out for an alpine start!

PCT is in great condition! All the creeks flowing and lots of backpackers out. I would guess it is buggy by the lakes normally, but I got lucky with cooler weather and a strong breeze all day, which kept the bugs at bay. Lots of wildflowers out in the slopes below Trap Pass.

TML off-trail section is almost entirely melted-out; there are a few patches of shallow snow amid the rocks, but all are easily avoided.

Attempted Spark Plug from the top of Piper's Pass, but it was quite a bushwhack and I only made it half a mile or so before turning back. There is a bootpath here, but it's very faint and requires a lot of climbing over trees to follow.

Surprise Creek trail is pretty overgrown, some of the sections crossing avy chutes below the lake are akin to swimming through brush at this time of year. Otherwise good condition with the occasional blowdown.

This is a super-neat area, but as my friend is fond of saying, there really aren't any bad stretches on the PCT in Washington!

Took advantage of the nice weather and hiked Iron Goat Trail with friends today! The Iron Goat Trailhead was empty when we arrived around 6:45am. Vault toilets were clean and trash cans are available at this trailhead. Right away, the mosquitoes are terrible and they don't let up on the trail!

The lower grade section of the trail is in great shape with plenty of wildflowers to take in and ripe berries to snack on between the interesting interpretive signs and sites. The trail doesn't really diverge far from the main road, but the sounds of passing trains made for a fun backdrop to the hike. However, as mentioned in Muledeer's hike report on the 12th, there is still a small blowdown and boulder on the trail, which may make this hike more difficult for wheelchair users.

The upper grade section of the trail is narrower and more brushy than the lower trail. Definitely wished I had long sleeves and pants for this portion of the hike! Despite this, the view from the upper grade was wonderful and the trail terrain was surprisingly varied and fun to travel.

Great condition, a trail crew seems to have just passed through and cleared back brush at the Wellington trailhead west of the snowshed. The picnic area in the parking lot was brushed out as well and should be good for a cool down after a hike.

We arrived at the trailhead in Scenic at around 15:00. There were a handful of cars and plenty of parking available. The facilities were not the cleanest but were tolerable. 

We walked the lower ADA accessible trail first and transitioned to the upper trail at the Martin Creek trailhead connection. The upper trail is overgrown on the sides but maintains a compacted boot path. Just wear long sleeves and pants and you have nothing to worry about.

We walked along to Windy Point, before taking the switchbacks down to the trailhead. Outside of overgrown bushes and ferns, the trail was free of obstacles. We may have had to step over one downed tree somewhere near the beginning. The bugs were present but not oppressive. 

The historical ruins were incredible. I had coincidentally read “The White Cascade” by Gary Krist, which is about a major disaster on this very section of railroad track just before my partner picked this hike. It was both fascinating and somber to put real structures and locations to such an immense human tragedy. 

We spotted a bolt ladder and quickdraws leading up and out one of the tunnels on the upper section, along with a rap station on a nearby wall. I am curious what that was about, as I could not find any info in my usual places.

Total distance was 7.35 miles with 708 feet of vertical gain. We look forward to coming back and starting from the Wellington trailhead next time.