Goat Mountain (Idaho)

Statistics

Date - 07/29/2000
Elevation - 6,641'
Route - West Ridge (Trail No. 135)
Miles - 9.4
Elevation Gain - 4,030'
ACME Mapper - Link
CalTopo - Link
Partners - Not Applicable

Description

Goat Mountain is located northeast of Clark Fork, Idaho, near Scotchman Peak. The trailhead is exactly 3 miles north of Clark Fork on Lightning Creek Road No. 419. Keep your eyes open as the sign is hidden in the trees on the right side of the road. This was a strenuous hike with rewarding views from the top. I hadn't been out hiking for about a month, so I decided to take in a fairly serious hike because of my absence from the trail. It took me four hours to go the four miles and 4,000' to Goat Mountain. The trail takes off straight up the ridge relentlessly showing no mercy, so I started early in the day while it was still relatively cool out. The trail conditions left much to be desired. It was a narrow brushy trail that has seen little to no maintenance over the years and was difficult to follow in many places. The last mile was mostly bushwacking as I would catch a glimpse of the trail every now and again. In addition to this, it was often littered with large rocks and a lot of tree downfall.

Once on top of Goat Mountain the views were exceptional. There was Scotchman Peak to the southeast, Clark Fork, Idaho, to the south, Lake Pend Oreille to the west, and the Cabinet Mountain Range to the north and east. I spent over an hour on the peak eating a lunch with the sun on my back. I made it back down in two hours and forty five minutes, but this was almost as difficult as the climb up. My knees and ankles took a pounding, and I could certainly feel the effects of the hike later on that evening. In conclusion, I would not recommend this hike to anyone looking for an easy or moderate hike. Hikers on this trail should have good route-finding skills and be prepared to carry all of your water for the day as there was none available on the trail.

Photos

Goat Mountain

Lake Pend Oreille