Iron Goat Trail — Saturday, Jun. 16, 2001

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

Iron Goat Trail Fathers Day 2001. A friend invited me to join he and his son on a hike on the Iron Goat trail. I felt very honored to join them on their day. Having never been on this trail I didn't know what to expect. It was one of the most interesting trails I have ever gone on to date. We started at the lower end which is accessed by the old Stevens Hwy. There are good signs off of Hwy 2. The day was very pleasant and we expected lot's of hikers. When we arrived at the trailhead about 9 am, there was only one other vehicle in the lot. We started up the only real incline of the entire trail to the first of many descriptive placards. There was a collapsed snow shed where the trail leveled off. Most of the huge timbers that were used on the railroad were salvaged when they dismantled the track but these were too far decayed so they were left. We saw old metal flumes for the water drainage and train usage. It seems fires were a big problem as well as avalanches after they raped the hillside of all vegetation. Not very far along you can begin to the see the series of cement walls they built to hold up the hillside and secure the snow sheds. The wall pretty much follows the entire 6 miles of the trail. There were artifacts laying along the trail as well as spikes seemingly growing in the mosses along the way. It is wonderful that these relics of old can be left laying and no one disturbs them. There were lot's of wildflowers blooming all along the trail. I noticed several people with flower books in hand. We also went through a tunnel that was 1/4 mile long. I good flashlight is recommended but not absolute since you can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel from the beginning. The trail has little elevation gain after the first 100 ft or so. We had planned to go the entire 6 miles and then come back the same way. The charming father I was with struck up a conversation with 4 ladies coming the opposite way and soon we had taken there car keys and were to drive there car down to the other end. What nice and trusting folks. It must have been the honest looking young man we had with us. At any rate we were very grateful. Thank you Mary Ellen and gang! Near the end is the sight of the avalanche that killed 96 people back at the turn of the century. There are several placards that have pictures and tell stories of the event. About this same time we entered a covered double cement snow shed that is hard to describe unless you see it. It was a great source of interest to all there. The trail ends at the location of the old town of Wellington which is pretty much gone. Pictures at the trailhead show you where the buildings were and so forth. There are still ruins of the old water tower and coal shed. A short walk past the parking lot takes you to the first tunnel they built. The trail was in great shape. Having read about the trail a few years ago I know that VOW did a great deal of the work. It was finished last fall and what a great job they did. Now I regret not having volunteered to help punch it through. This would be a great hike for families and older folks who don't want to climb. Starting at the upper end you could see a lot in a couple of miles and no elevation gain.