August 4-6, 2001

Mt. Goode Climbing Trip

Stehekin River
Park Creek
Goode Creek Bench
Mount Goode aka Goode Mountain (9235′)

——————– Trip Report Summary ——————–

Region: Northwestern Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Thunder Mountains

Area: North Cascades National Park

Starting & Ending Point: Park Creek Trailhead at Park Creek Campground (Stehekin River Road)

Way Points: Two-Mile Camp & Park Creek & Goode Creek Ridge & Goode Creek Bench (trail hike & off-trail hike & rock scramble)

Campsites: Goode Creek Bench & Two-Mile Camp

Summit: Mt. Goode (ascent & descent via Southwest Couloir—Black Tooth Notch—Upper Northeast Face)

Approximate Stats: 14 miles traveled; 7200 feet gained & lost.

——————– Full Trip Report By Laura Zimmerman ——————-

Day 1 – Fields Point Landing to Stehekin to Goode Creek Bench:

All good expeditions begin with a boat ride and the promise of adventure. We had both! The three of us boarded the Lady Express on Saturday morning with high hopes and the best weekend weather forecast we had in about six weeks. A weather window was to open briefly on Sunday. We just hoped it would open up long enough for us to summit this grand giant and descend without issues.

This expedition also involved a bus ride from Stehekin to High Bridge, and then a ride in a Park Service shuttle van to finally transport us to the Park Creek trailhead. When taking the shuttle, try to have exact change for the ride ($6). We had about 8 people paying with 10s and 20s, and ended up depleting the supply of ones from the patient Park Service ranger and a few tourists on the High Bridge lunch tour.

Finally, by 3:00, we started up the Park Creek trail. Kevin obtained some GPS coordinates for the location of the infamous climber’s path. We also had route beta from three different sources, including Beckey’s 2nd edition. Beckey was spot on (within tolerance – 240 paces versus 300 from entering timber after crossing the only flowing stream). There is a three-rock cairn marking the location of the climber’s path about 4 miles up the Park Creek trail. The path is fairly non-existent for the first several hundred feet, but does indeed become well-defined about 4300 feet.

The path follows the distinct ridge just to the north of the creek that comes off the south side of Mt. Goode. You can see this ridge from the trail where it opens up very broadly below the mountain. If you enter the thick timber perpendicular to the trail (head straight up) and gain the prominent ridge, you will eventually end up on the path.

Camping opportunities above the trail are very limited. There is a nice knoll about 5900, and a real nice flat area about 6500, but there is no water. The lowest flat area with water is atop the bench at 7200 feet (just above the waterfalls). We made a nice camp at 7200 feet (5.8 hours from TH), affording us a spendid view of the south face of Goode.

Day 2 (AM) – Mt. Goode Summit Climb:

Summit day dawned clear and blue just as the weather forecasters promised.

We ascended the Southwest Couloir route, which goes up the narrow couloir, crosses through the Black Tooth Notch, traverses across the upper northeast face, and then goes straight up the very exposed face.  Beckey’s route description in the 2nd edition is right on.

We gained the summit by 11:00am (3.7 hours from camp). Kevin had his GPS unit with him, and we got a reading on Goode’s summit elevation. The average of about 6 readings was between 9230 and 9240 feet.

The weather window began to close, and we could see clouds gathering around Baker and moving in over the Boston Basin in the short 50 minutes we were on the summit.

We descended without incident, and exited the couloir just as the first raindrops began to fall, then hiked down to our campsite (3.1 hours from summit).

Day 2 (PM) – Goode Creek Bench to Two-Mile Camp:

Because we had to be out the next day in time to catch the 10:45 Park Service shuttle van at the trailhead, we elected to move camp lower. We moved all the way to the 2-mile camp (2.7 hours from high camp), and reached the shelter of big evergreens just as the sky let loose.

Day 3 – Two-Mile Camp to Stehekin to Fields Point Landing:

We hiked down to the trailhead and had plenty of time to hang-out and wait for the van. Unfortunately, as the day warmed up, the bugs woke up and decided that our exposed flesh was free for the feasting. By 10:45, we were walking briskly up and down the road waiting for the van to deliver us from black fly hell! It arrived none too soon.  An enjoyable bus ride (with the requisite stops at Rainbow Falls and the Stehekin Bakery) was followed by an enjoyable, but very hot, boat ride to Fields Point.

—————– Photo Gallery (click to enlarge) —————–