East Goat Peak and East Fork Fishtrap Creek

July 2nd through July 4th, 2006

I visited the East Goat Peak area for the first time during the July 4th holiday of 2006. My family (Carleen, Monte and I) normally take a trip at this time in a tradition that started in 1993.

The old trail system does not look like it is maintained by the Forest Service. I called on a later date found that it is. The signpost is still there, but apparently USFS can't keep up with the thieves. So don't look for a sign. Know how to read a map to get there and you should be fine. Well, we were.

Make sure to use the topo, else I don't recommend going in.  This area is semi-off-trail.  Actually I recommend not going in anywhere at anytime without map and compass, plus the knowledge of how to use them.  Nor does knowing how to use a road atlas qualify for knowing how to read a map.

Click here to go to photo album.

Take water for that tortuous climb up and out of cattle country into the good drinking water.  When it is hot 48 ounces is my minimum, unless there is a dog along.  More will be needed then.  Those guys probably need more than you or I.  Monte at 41 pounds drinks incredible amounts of water compared to me.  There will be a manmade stream further along that has good water being ran off the stream which lower down I don't recommend drinking out of.  It should be fine in the higher regions.  Course if there are people and stock above, than filter everything.  By the way, the first time we got beaver fever, Monte got it right along with us.  Turns out his treatment through the vet was the same as ours, with the same eventual results.  I should mention what a hard lesson that was, in 1998.  In fact the harshness of that lesson was such that I have only got giardea one or two times since then.  (Something about relearning a lesson learned from time to time.)

One last thing; if you want to see and shoot this area looking like this, then the 1st part of July will be required. Don't go up there the end of July and expect to shoot what is on my album.  It simply will no longer exist, until the following year.  I suppose this is a rule that applies in all of my photography.  If you want to shoot what I shot, go when and where I went.  Course on the other hand every season and sub-season has its own rewards.  How sad it would be if that were not true.  This neighborhood is going to be incredible come September with the autumn.  But then there is winter; my heartbeat just took a jump at the prospect of shooting this area covered in white.