Goose Lake Jeep Trail, Montana's Beartooth Mountains-Day One
03-04-2015, 06:00 AM
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Goose Lake Jeep Trail, Montana's Beartooth Mountains-Day One
This was a trip my wife, I and a couple of our friends made in 2012. It was the first real test of the 2012 JKUR and it was completely stock with the exception of the winch and front bumper. The trip started about a mile and a half east of Cooke City on US 212, exiting onto FS 3230 just short of the Colter Campground. 3230 is the Goose Lake Jeep Trail and proceeds 7 to 8 miles north ending at the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness boundary about a half mile short of Goose Lake. FS 3230 is graded gravel the first couple of miles to Fisher Creek, mainly the result of extensive mine reclamation related to Crown Butte and adjacent areas. Shortly after Fisher Creek, it is a typical high country boulder strewn Jeep trail. It did test all the skid protection of the JK.
As with most of our "Jeep" trips, this one included a lot of hiking. My first photo was Mud Lake, a puddle about a mile and a half north of Fisher Creek.
Mount Zimmer to right, and the tip of Sawtooth Mountain to left.
Next is Round Lake, another 1/2 mile up the trail.
The rigs at Round Lake and the spanky new Moab wheels had collected their first scars.
Long Lake, another 1/2 mile up the trail.
The general plan for this trip was to set up a camp at Star Lake and then do short Jeep trips and day hikes out of that location. Star Lake with the Jeep trail visible on the far side. We camped a couple hundred yards from the trail on top of a small bench.
The rigs at Star Lake.
After camp was set up and dinner eaten, my wife and I made use of what daylight remained and hiked about 3/4 mile to the southwest until we were overlooking Huckleberry Lake with Sheep Mountain behind.
Evening light on Republic Mountain
As with most of our "Jeep" trips, this one included a lot of hiking. My first photo was Mud Lake, a puddle about a mile and a half north of Fisher Creek.
Mount Zimmer to right, and the tip of Sawtooth Mountain to left.
Next is Round Lake, another 1/2 mile up the trail.
The rigs at Round Lake and the spanky new Moab wheels had collected their first scars.
Long Lake, another 1/2 mile up the trail.
The general plan for this trip was to set up a camp at Star Lake and then do short Jeep trips and day hikes out of that location. Star Lake with the Jeep trail visible on the far side. We camped a couple hundred yards from the trail on top of a small bench.
The rigs at Star Lake.
After camp was set up and dinner eaten, my wife and I made use of what daylight remained and hiked about 3/4 mile to the southwest until we were overlooking Huckleberry Lake with Sheep Mountain behind.
Evening light on Republic Mountain
03-04-2015, 06:49 AM
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Goose Lake Jeep Trail, Montana's Beartooth Mountains-Day Two
The second day of this adventure dawned with a lot of blue sky. Plans for the day included driving the rigs the rest of the way to the Goose Lake Trail Head and then hiking past Goose and Little Goose Lakes to Grasshopper Glacier.
Rigs and Star Lake in the morning light (sorry about the hat----
Puddle adjacent to trail.
Rigs at the Goose Lake trail head. A little of Sawtooth Mountain peaking above Goose Creek.
Small convoluted un-named lake below Goose Lake. A little of Goose Lake beyond with Wolf (left) and Sawtooth Mountains behind.
And the ominous cloud forming behind us----
Upper end of Goose Lake, Wolf and Sawtooth mountains again. This area is basically all tundra.
Between Goose and Little Goose Lakes lies the remains of a small scale mine and is the reason the Jeep trail was constructed. Boiler, steam hoist engine with Goose Lake for background.
There is little evidience of acid mine water here, likely because all the workings are totally submerged. The shaft.
The first time I visited this area, 40 something years back, there was an Airstreamesk aluminum clad trailer here. All that is currently left is the frame and appliance debris.
After spending a little time at the mine, we headed up to the saddle between Sawtooth Mountain and Iceberg Peak, arriving at that location the same time those storm clouds did. After hiding behind some large boulders for 45 minutes with a 40 mph wind, hail, graupel, and a close at hand light show, we bailed so didn't get a lot of photos or much time on Grasshopper's ice.
At the saddle.
View to north into upper West Rosebud Creek. Mount Hague center, part of Twin Peaks to left.
Back at the trail head and blue sky again. Goose Creek behind.
And a few trail shots heading back to Star Lake.
Rigs and Star Lake in the morning light (sorry about the hat----
Puddle adjacent to trail.
Rigs at the Goose Lake trail head. A little of Sawtooth Mountain peaking above Goose Creek.
Small convoluted un-named lake below Goose Lake. A little of Goose Lake beyond with Wolf (left) and Sawtooth Mountains behind.
And the ominous cloud forming behind us----
Upper end of Goose Lake, Wolf and Sawtooth mountains again. This area is basically all tundra.
Between Goose and Little Goose Lakes lies the remains of a small scale mine and is the reason the Jeep trail was constructed. Boiler, steam hoist engine with Goose Lake for background.
There is little evidience of acid mine water here, likely because all the workings are totally submerged. The shaft.
The first time I visited this area, 40 something years back, there was an Airstreamesk aluminum clad trailer here. All that is currently left is the frame and appliance debris.
After spending a little time at the mine, we headed up to the saddle between Sawtooth Mountain and Iceberg Peak, arriving at that location the same time those storm clouds did. After hiding behind some large boulders for 45 minutes with a 40 mph wind, hail, graupel, and a close at hand light show, we bailed so didn't get a lot of photos or much time on Grasshopper's ice.
At the saddle.
View to north into upper West Rosebud Creek. Mount Hague center, part of Twin Peaks to left.
Back at the trail head and blue sky again. Goose Creek behind.
And a few trail shots heading back to Star Lake.
03-04-2015, 07:12 AM
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Goose Lake Jeep Trail, Montana's Beartooth Mountains-Day Three
For the Jeep people, you can skip this day-the Jeeps didn't move. Rather, we hiked up the Jeep trail again and about a half mile short of the Goose Lake Trail head, we cut to the east into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Star Creek drainage and hiked past Snow, Green and Little Green Lakes before cutting back to Star Lake.
Snow Lake, un-named mountain behind.
Snow again.
Green and Little Green Lakes.
Between Snow and Green Lakes.
Little Green Lake.
Star Creek and Astral Lake below Little Green Lake.
And we arrived back at Star Lake just in time to watch these guys flush some more fish into it.
Snow Lake, un-named mountain behind.
Snow again.
Green and Little Green Lakes.
Between Snow and Green Lakes.
Little Green Lake.
Star Creek and Astral Lake below Little Green Lake.
And we arrived back at Star Lake just in time to watch these guys flush some more fish into it.
Front Bumper
03-04-2015, 07:46 AM
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Goose Lake Jeep Trail, Montana's Beartooth Mountains-Day Four
For this day, we drove the rigs back down FS 3230 to Long Lake and then hiked into Zimmer Creek on FE trail 573, followed by about a mile and a half on FS 574 (a trail in name only) to just short of Zimmer Lake. Couldn't convince some of the party to hike the headwall to the lake-----
Looking at Bob Lake with Ovis Lake behind.
Companion Lake.
A little off-trail.
Long Lake drainage.
Wet meadow, Zimmer Creek.
And can't have a thread without at least one shot of the kids.
Zimmer Creek.
Cascades below Zimmer Lake.
Mount Zimmer.
Heading back to rigs.
Departing light on Day Four.
Day Five was just packing up and heading home.
Trail below Star Lake.
At long Lake.
Parting shot from FS 3230. Peaks are, left to right, Mount Wilse, Glacier Peak (just left of fir). Mount Villard, Granite Peak, The Spires, and a little of Cairn Mountain at far right.
Looking at Bob Lake with Ovis Lake behind.
Companion Lake.
A little off-trail.
Long Lake drainage.
Wet meadow, Zimmer Creek.
And can't have a thread without at least one shot of the kids.
Zimmer Creek.
Cascades below Zimmer Lake.
Mount Zimmer.
Heading back to rigs.
Departing light on Day Four.
Day Five was just packing up and heading home.
Trail below Star Lake.
At long Lake.
Parting shot from FS 3230. Peaks are, left to right, Mount Wilse, Glacier Peak (just left of fir). Mount Villard, Granite Peak, The Spires, and a little of Cairn Mountain at far right.
03-04-2015, 12:30 PM
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Warn Elite. It's not too heavy, bolted up with only a minor problem that was a quick grinder fix, and has functioned perfect. As one would expect, the 9.5 xps winch dropped in without a hitch. That is way more than I can say for the RSE that's on the butt of that rig. I wouldn't hesitate to buy the Warn again.
