The Re-Tour Day 11: We Mountain Hop to Goose Lake

September 3, 2018.

Unfortunately, though we went to bed early, I had my most fitful nights sleep at Sawtooth Lake. Whether it was the temperature (it was cold) or anticipation of our upcoming adventure to Goose Lake I don’t know, but as the sun rose over Sawtooth Mountain around 8:00am, I was happy for the warmth and to get out and explore.

As usual, I had nothing to complain about as I set out around the lake; the water getting glassier over time, our camp reflected perfectly by the morning sun.

As I made my way around the lake’s edge, every few hundred feet seemed to present a new dramatic feature to check out. Rocky outcroppings dipping into the water, creeks ending in waterfalls just feet from the lake, and stands of vibrant grass were among just a few of the stops I made in my circumnavigation.

Then, as I passed the apex of my tour, I noticed a flock of terns(?) flying fast and low across the water. Swooping left, right, up, and down, they performed a beautiful, high-speed circle around most of the lake — an amazing sight that I stopped to take in.

Eventually I noticed life stirring in camp — which I took as a good reason to be heading back. And then, along the way I stumbled upon another camp site — this one with a huge fire ring and a custom-made TW bench. Could the TW stand for TacomaWorld?

Probably.

Back in camp, folks were starting to be up and about but there was clearly no big rush to get going. We had a relatively relaxing day ahead of us — the trip out to Goose Lake our only goal — so we soaked in the beautiful morning, Devin @MissBlackdawg making enough bacon for everyone to have a bit!

Eventually we started to put things away, and we were all sure to air down — no one wanting to experience the rocky trail at full pressure again.

As it turned out, our exit from Sawtooth Lake was the most staggered we’d have all trip. Save Monte @Blackdawg and I, trucks seemed to leave at 5–10 minute intervals for some reason, which spread us out most of the way along the trail. Not an issue, as we all continued to enjoy the beautiful scenery as we made our way to the highway.

Eventually though, those of us in the back caught up to those in the front and we were a bad-ass-Tacoma gang again. And we happened to be next to Chain Lakes at the time. Things couldn’t be more perfect, and we took full advantage. Even Mike @Digiratus was out of his truck — maybe not quite so cranky anymore — taking advantage of his “leader of the pack” positioning.

Eventually, after we each took our turn capturing the moment, we got back in the trucks and made the final run to the highway, the Beartooth Mountains rising up in the background. That’s where we were headed — back up to Goose Lake — and I for one was definitely excited about that!

A bit of time on the highway, Index and Pilot Peaks filling our view, and we found ourselves back in Cooke City, MT where we fueled up the trucks and stocked up on snacks — Cooke City being our jumping off point for the afternoon’s adventure.

The plan from here was to hit several peaks — each one hopping us not only a bit closer to the Goose Lake trail, but also higher and higher in the Beartooth range. So we headed out, the back way up Daisy Pass, to our first overlook — Crown Butte.

The higher we climbed, the bigger the views got. At some point, we took a turn on a road that even Monte had never explored — a cool first for all of us. We could still see Index and Pilot Peaks, but we could now also see the valley’s below — some dilapidated old structures to be explored on another adventure.

And then, we reached the end of the road at Crown Butte. The views were spectacular. As we let the dogs out to run around and enjoy themselves, we gazed north and south — mountains as far as the eye could see. Some taller, some shorter than our current viewpoint — but all of them combined to create a picturesque panorama. Oh, and of course — trucks.

Legs stretched, and the promise of even grander views, Monte led us back down as I brought up the topic of lunch. It was after-all nearly 2:00pm and with Dan @drr gone, I had to make sure we didn’t skip our mid-day meal. Soon, I was promised. Soon. For now, we had a peak to bag.

That peak was Henderson Mountain, and the promise that it was even better than Crown Butte was absolutely the truth. At 10,004 feet, we were not only higher up, we were also on a peak, 360º views all around us. We soaked it in, Monte and his parents @woodnick pointing out places they’d explored, and where we were headed.

But this was only the beginning. To see the rest, check out We Mountain Hop to Goose Lake on adventuretaco.com.

Originally published at adventuretaco.com.