Three-night trip with my grown son to show him the wonders of the Goat Rocks. Itinerary was very similar to my trip two years ago but this time with a partner: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2023-08-26.6958842552
Main difference is we braved the heat, wind, and the blaring sun to tackle the ridge and climb up, me to the end of knife's edge where the spur trail to Old Snowy splits from the PCT Old Snowy Alternate, and the younger guy all the way to the summit.
The seemingly permanent snow field on the PCT just south of the PCT/PCT Alternate split was steep and kinda sketchy but doable. The snow was slushy and traction was pretty good during the heat of the day on one of the warmest days of the summer, but you definitely don't want to slip! Most hikers didn't seem bothered by it and just marched across, but it was nerve-wracking enough for us that we elected to go around it on the way back by descending to the little meltwater pond and boulder-hopping back up on the other side.
Water sources were reasonably plentiful up to Snowgrass Flat and Goat Lake, but got very scarce up in the alpine terrain along the PCT; the meltwater lake below the snowfield appeared to be the only easily collectible source, although there was one other tiny, muddy trickle a ways north of the PCT/Snowgrass Trail junction.
As during my previous visit, if you are seeking quiet and serene solitude, this is not the place to go, and backcountry etiquette seems to be deteriorating over the years. We counted at least 17 tents at Goat Lake, including one party with three tents just a couple of feet from the water's edge, and twice we saw large groups, one an organized professional hiking organization, basically invade previously occupied spots in Snowgrass Flat, setting up large numbers of tents beside and surrounding previous occupants, instead of looking around for empty sites, which were still available.
But still, it's hard to beat the spectacular scenery and relatively modest climb to reach the sublimity of the Goat Rocks alpine splendor.
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