DIRECTIONS: Park at Berry Patch or Snowgrass Flat TH. Long gravel road (maybe 16 miles), but in decent shape.create
SUMMARY: The Goat Lake loop is about 14 miles. Snowgrass Flat is very very popular.
If you go to Elk Pass and back, you'd be adding another 10 miles. You can return in the middle of the Knife Edge, that would be a couple of miles less.
If you summit Old Snowy, add ~1.5 miles.
If you summit Hawkeye Point, add ~1.5 miles.
Backpack in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. This trip combines various trails.
The flowers at Snowgrass Flat is withering away. You'll find pockets along creeks that are still in peak.
The flowers are excellent on Lily Basin trail west of Goat Lake, especially when approaching the trail junction to Goat Ridge trail.
I tried to walk along Lily Basin trail towards Lily Basin, but soon turned back by a snow patch on a scree slope. There're people who made through, but I didn't want to risk it.
Overall, trail in great condition. View is superb everywhere you go.
I started at Berry Patch trailhead. At 6am on Saturday, the trailhead at Snowgrass Flat was all filled.
Elk Pass is about 10 miles from TH, or ~4 miles from the Flat. That's where I turned back. I walked to Old Snowy, before returning to my camp near the Flat.
Sunday, I walked to Goat Lake, and Hawkeye Pt, then looped back to my car along Goat Ridge trail. Maybe 10 miles total.
Not sure about elevation gain/loss.
Bug is not a problem. I got a couple of bites at my camp near the Flat.