Iron Goat, Lower Grade & Deception Falls, 2022

 

 

 

 

Sign at the Iron Goat Trailhead

 

 

 

Also at the trailhead is an old red caboose from the Great Northern Railway

 

 

The trip report said that the trail crews had cleaned up the lower grade trail, no snow there but still some snow on the upper grade trail in places.  An earlier report mentioned an avalanche that had blocked part of the lower trail.  It was unclear if the entire lower grade was open from the Iron Goat Interpretive trailhead to the Martin Creek trailhead.  As it turned out it was not.  It is 2.75 miles from Iron Goat to Martin Creek or a 5.5 mile RT.  About 1.5 miles in we hit an 8 ft high wall of snow and debris from the avalanche.  Bob told me to stay below while he climbed up the snow to see what the other side looked like. 

 

 

There was ice and snow under this pile of avalanche debris.  Climbing up to the top was not too difficult but the other side was extremely steep going down.  For us, what was needed was an ice axe to chop in some steps.   There are tunnels, railroad history, snow sheds, flowers, and views along this trail and two young men had been stopping here and there to see the sights, passing us a couple of times.  They had just gone over the snow and offered to help Bob get down the steeper back side, he thanked them and said no, he did not think that his wife (me) could manage it.  Also, it wasn’t known if we would have help coming back the other way.  That is a lot of snow and unless the crews dig through, it might be late summer before it is cleared off.  

 

Salmon berry

Trail sign

 

Coltsfoot

 

 

Fairy bells

Yellow Stream Violets

Concrete snow shed remains

Elderberry

Mertensia

Baneberry

Trillium

 The end result was a 3 mile RT and a drive down to Deception Falls.  We had planned to do that anyway, so just a shorter day than expected.   There is a loop trail just below the main falls that we tried this time.  The water was high and running fast and furious.  There are a couple of wooden bridges across the river.  We crossed one but could see no safe way to get to the second bridge because the water was covering part of the trail in that direction.  When we finished the short loop we crossed another stronger steel bridge closest to the falls and climbed up the steps to the observation platform. 

 

One of the wooden bridges that cross the river on the loop trail.  Notice the far end had been broken probably by snow load but is still okay to walk across.

Taking pictures of the falls in the misty spray

 Views of the river and the falls

 

 

 

Count for the day 2 hikers, no dogs on the Iron Goat Trail

                                8 hikers, 3 dogs on the Deception Falls trail