Hiking Iron Goat Trail

The Iron Goat Trail showcases some of the rich history that surrounds Stevens Pass, in the Washington Cascades.

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel

I have to admit, I am a sucker for exploring ruins or abandoned buildings. There’s something about imagining the life that used to exist around these structures that just draws me in.

So any trail that involves any sort of abandoned houses, castles, forts, or in this  case railroad tunnels, is right up my alley.

History behind the Iron Goat Trail

The Great Northern Railroad was constructed through Stevens Pass in 1893. It was an engineering marvel at the time, crossing mountains passes that were usually impassable during the winter.

There is a “ghost town” at Wellington, the site where a train full of people was swept down the side of the mountain during an avalanche. I did not have time to check it out, but supposedly there’s not much left of the settlement.

The Iron Goat Trail was constructed at a section of the railroad that was bypassed when a new tunnel was built. That tunnel is still used today and you can hear trains passing through occasionally.

The trail passes by old snow sheds and tunnels that were constructed to prevent avalanches from wiping away the trains and the tracks. Part of the trail is paved and wheelchair/stroller accessible.

The Interpretive Site is located in the center of the trail, which forms a loop. There are restrooms and information about the history of the area.

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel
Information about the history of the Iron Goat Trail is posted at the Interpretive Center.

You can also park at the location where Wellington once sat, or take a forest road to the other end of the trail.

Hiking the Iron Goat Trail to Windy Point

I started my hike from the Iron Goat Trail Interpretive Site. There is a map of the trails on the official website.

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel
There’s even an old railroad car at the Iron Goat Trail Interpretive Site!

There is about 9 miles of total trail along the old railroad grade. The map denotes the sections where you can see the old tunnels, snowshoes, and other points of interest.

I originally intended to hike a couple of easy miles after my previous hike to Beckler Peak. For some reason I though it would be a good idea to climb even more, to the Windy Point lookout.

Looking at the map, it looked like a short, albeit steep, connector trail. Upon examining the map more closely I realized it was about a mile up to the viewpoint.

While it was more than I was really up for at the time, the climb wasn’t too awful. It’s about 700 feet of switchbacks up the hill.

The view at the top was very beautiful, and well worth it. According to the signs, the railroad used to go around this rocky point, slowing to 5 mph.

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel
View from Windy Point.

They eventually built a tunnel to make the train’s travel through here faster. The tunnel was also interesting to see, although they advised against going through it.

These tunnels have not been maintained in almost 100 years and could collapse at any time. Therefore, nobody should be traveling through or climbing on the tunnel or snowsheds.

There is a pit toilet at Windy Point, although your only privacy comes in the form of Mother Nature’s screen of trees and brush. Nice view from the seat, though!

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel
Pit toilet at Windy Point.

Tunnels and Snow Sheds along the Iron Goat Trail

Past Windy Point, the trail continues along the outside of the tunnel. I passed two women and their dog along this narrow walkway!

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel

The East entrance to the tunnel is here. You can go inside the entrance of the tunnel, but they advise against continuing any further.

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel
Entrance of the eastern end of the old railroad tunnel.
iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel
Informational placard that explains the history of this tunnel.

I think the giant wall in this forest looks vaguely dystopian, reminding me of the Hunger Games or the Maze Runner. It’s a bit surreal to be deep in a peaceful section of the woods, with a man-made structural looming alongside the trail.

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel

I didn’t want to hike too far, so I turned around and walked back to the western end of the tunnel. This side was the same in that you could only walk into the tunnel entrance.

Interestingly, this side of the tunnel had sport climbing anchors fixed into the concrete. The anchors go all the way around the arch of the tunnel!

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel
You can see the sport anchors along the edge of the tunnel!

There were also anchors on the wall just outside the tunnel. I’m not sure how popular climbing is here, but it’s a pretty unique place to do it.

After exploring for a bit and taking pictures, I took the trail back down to the parking lot.

Unfortunately, that’s where I got caught in the awful traffic that I mentioned in my report of the Beckler Peak hike.

Overall Thoughts

I definitely would come back to this trail and hike the entire length! It’s very unique and captures an interesting time in history.

The other benefit of this path is that since it’s on an old railroad bed, the trail is very level. The only steep sections are where the lower path connects to the upper one.

It’s also not as crowded as many of the other hikes in this area. It makes for a great stop if you’re going to or from Leavenworth and the Seattle area.

iron goat trail hike Washington railroad tunnel

 

Beckler Peak Hike

Beckler Peak is a great combination of a relatively easy ascent with fantastic views.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain

I say relatively easy because compared to other trails to summits nearby, it’s a much gentler slope. That doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park.

The stats:

7.5 miles round-trip

2300 ft elevation gain

Getting to the Beckler Peak Trailhead

This hike is located along Highway 2, on the way to Leavenworth, Washington. There are quite a few beautiful trails in this area.

Highway 2 is a beautiful, scenic route through the Cascade Mountains. This is the road that leads from the Seattle area to Leavenworth – a Bavarian themed town popular with vacationers.

Washington Trail Association has fantastic descriptions and directions to so many trails in Washington state. I never would have found this hike without getting directions from them!

The turnoff to the forest road that leads to this trailhead is very easy to miss. I used Google maps, which gave directions right up to the trailhead. That gave me a heads up for when to turn.

FR 6066 is the name of the gravel road that you need to take. After almost 2 miles, take the right fork for another 6 miles to the trailhead.

The gravel road has some potholes but is in decent shape, and the drive is doable in a two-wheel drive car.

The trailhead has a pit toilet, which is pretty convenient. This parking lot was not very crowded, even at 9:30 AM on a Sunday afternoon.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
Pit toilet at the trailhead to Beckler Peak.
Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
There were still spots open at 9:30 AM on a weekend!

Starting the hike up to Beckler Peak

The trail overall is maintained very well. It’s very obvious where to follow the trail for the entire length, so getting lost shouldn’t be a concern.

The trail starts at a relatively level grade through a forest with tall grass. You will cross a couple of small streams, with one that has eroded the trail a bit.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
This section of the trail is slightly washed out, but easily passable.

Then you continue through an old growth forest, and the trail starts to switchback up the mountain. One of my favorite parts of Washington is the abundance of beautiful forests with huge evergreen trees.

The bugs were pretty annoying for me on the way up, but they were better on the way down for some reason. I only got a couple of mosquito bites, so it was mostly flies.

I passed a few people on the way up. This trail is popular enough that you will see plenty of people, but not overwhelmingly so.

There are a few peekaboo views of the surrounding mountains on the upward climb. One thing I didn’t like as much about this trail was the lack of views until the very top.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
Stone steps leading to the top.

The views at the top reward you for a tough climb!

There were quite a few people at the peak. The top has a rocky outcrop that everyone was lounging on to enjoy the view.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
Everyone admiring the view, not much room up here!

It’s a cool place to hang out, but there’s not much room at the top. And no, that’s not a bad cliche!

The summit area does have a few other spots with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
View from the main peak.
Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
View from another part of the peak area.

One of the best parts of a gentler climb is that the way down isn’t as punishing on your knees. I jogged down part of the way just to get back quicker.

Overal thoughts

The pros of this hike include the easy accessibility, the doable climb, and the fantastic views at the top. The drawback is the lack of views until the very top, and the limited space at the peak.

To be honest, I preferred some of the tougher hikes in this area that afford much more dramatic and sweeping views.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain
I love the sweeping views of evergreen trees!

Mt. Dickerman, Granite Peak, and Mt Pilchuck were much more spectacular. But those first two trails were also much more difficult climbs, with at least 1500 ft extra gain.

This trail is accessible and easy for dogs as wells, and I saw one group with a dog at the summit.

The other drawback to hiking along Highway 2 is the insane traffic on the way back west on Sunday afternoons. Leavenworth is a popular weekend getaway, so I suspect that is the reason.

I also saw many people out swimming and enjoying the Skykomish river. I would love to go on a rafting trip here someday!

Overall, I recommend this hike if you want amazing views with a decent, but not leg-crushing, climb.

Beckler Peak hike hiking trail mountain

 

Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta Review

This post may contain affiliate links.

One of my absolute favorite things to do, especially out here in the PNW, is to spend a morning running around on trails in the woods. My Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta is a key part of these adventures!

(And no, I am not nearly cool enough to get free stuff so I paid for it myself!)

I wore this vest for the 11 mile Samarian Gorge trail race in Greece!

Why do you need a hydration vest?

There’s a state park about ten minutes from my house that provides an easy escape, where I can just zone out and enjoy the scenery. If you’ve ever gone trail running (or just long distance running in general), then you know that proper hydration and nutrition is key to not bonking out halfway through a run.

Unfortunately, water fountains are not readily available in the middle of the forest, or even on some scenic running routes. The easiest solution is to carry everything with you. However, it’s not always simple to carry a significant amount of water and food while running.

In college I did several half marathons. For these long runs, I had a Nathan waist pack with two water bottles. It was okay, but honestly it would bounce quite a bit and cause chafing. It was also just really annoying, and difficult to reach around to get the bottles out mid-run.

ultimate direction adventure vesta review
I wore this while training for half-marathons in college, and reaching back for those bottles was very annoying!

Buying a hydration vest was life-changing. It doesn’t bounce, chafe, or get in my way, and I can carry plenty of water and nutrition. I can’t express in words how amazing it is to be able to go for a long run with zero worries about water stops!

What makes the Jenny Collection different?

When I bought the Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta several years ago, it was one of only a few on the market built specifically for women.  Since then, many more brands have jumped on this market, which is great news for trail runners!

Ultimate Direction had men’s running vests, but they didn’t always fit women very well. Jenny Jurek took input from a team of female runners to alter the men’s vest to better fit a woman’s shape. It’s designed to fit a smaller frame, and it has straps that can slide up and down to fit comfortably around boobs.

Water Storage in the Adventure Vesta

Essentially, the Adventure Vesta is a small backpack/vest designed to hold water and other supplies for long, unsupported runs. It comes with two flexible body bottles that fit into cinch  pockets on the front vest. To be honest, I’ve never used these since I prefer to use a bladder.

Unfortunately, the hydration reservoir is sold separately, but that means you can buy a different brand if you want. There are so many options and different sizes, it’s quite overwhelming. I originally bought the Ultimate Direction brand, but if I buy another I would probably try a different one.

The one downside to using reservoirs is that they are difficult to keep clean and free of mold. I have put nuun in mine, but I had to wash it thoroughly before going back to water.

This vest has a large compartment with a velcro tie to hold the water reservoir, and straps on the front to hold the hose in place. The straps hold the hose so it’s not bouncing and it doesn’t get in your way, but it’s still easily accessible.

One of the best parts of using a reservoir is that it’s so easy to take sips of water during a run. That means I end up drinking more water, and it’s smaller sips at a time instead of gulping down a large amount all at once.

I have not used the flexible bottles (Body Bottles), but many other people have and love them. The benefit of flexible bottles is that they compress as they are emptied and don’t slosh around as much.

The Body Bottles provided are the kind that open when you bite into the nozzle, so you don’t have to mess around with opening/closing it.

ultimate direction adventure vesta review
The Body Bottles that come with the vest.

Storage Space in the Adventure Vesta

The Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta is different from the original Ultra Vesta in that it’s slightly bigger and provides more storage space.

The Adventure Vesta is meant for longer and more extreme trail runs or hikes. It has straps in the front and back for hiking poles, and a strap in the back for an ice axe. I have not used either of those items, but it’s nice to know the option is there.

I decided on the Adventure Vesta instead of the regular version of the vest because I could fit more food and gear into it. This gives me the flexibility to use it for longer hikes as a small backpack. If you’re more competitive and want to carry the lowest weight possible, I would recommend the original version.

There are two zipper pockets on the front of the vest. The one on the right is larger than the one on the left. I use the larger one for my phone, and it’s just barely large enough for an iPhone 7 with a normal case.

ultimate direction adventure vesta review
I like to put trail maps in the left pocket and my phone in the right pocket!

The one downside to these pockets, at least on the version of the Adventure Vesta that I bought, is that they aren’t large enough for the newer monster sized smart phones. They have fixed that problem on the newest version.

There’s also a small non-zipper pocket on the left side of the vest. I don’t use it much because it’s small and easy for stuff to fall out, but you could fit a gel in there.

On the back, there is one large compartment separate from the water reservoir section. This section has a zipper on the bottom in addition to the top zipper, so you can access your stuff easier without having to dig around.

There are also two separate zippered pockets on the outside of the larger one, which are great for storing snacks and smaller gear. A large mesh pocket holds  anything that you don’t need in a zipper pocket.

ultimate direction adventure vesta review
You can see the water reservoir compartment, the larger compartment, and the mesh pocket.

The bungee on the outside of all the pockets is one of my favorite parts of this vest. I usually will put my running jacket in there, and the bungee holds it in place. Since it’s not actually in the vest, it doesn’t stretch the material or take up space.

Fit

This pack is part of Ultimate Direction’s Jenny collection, which are products specifically designed for women.

The fit of the vest is smaller than their men’s vests, and it comes in two sizes. I was in between the sizes and ended up with the small/medium. It does fit me very well, although if I wear several layers it gets a bit tight.

One of the key components in making the fit great is the adjustable straps on the front. You can slide both straps up and down to whatever is the most comfortable for your body.

ultimate direction adventure vesta review
You can slide these straps up and down.

You can also adjust the waist straps with velcro. On mine the velcro has started to wear a bit, and it sometimes rubs against my elbow.

ultimate direction adventure vesta review
This strap is secured with velcro, but the velcro has started to lose its grip.

I was pleasantly surprised by how little wearing this vest impedes on my running. It’s noticeable that it’s there, but it doesn’t chafe or bounce around annoyingly.

Pros and Cons

The TL;DR version of my review:

Pros: No bouncing, fits well, adjustable chest straps, lots of pockets/storage, trekking pole and ice axe straps, comes with flexible water bottles, pretty colors

Cons: Expensive, slightly heavier than some packs (because it’s a long distance running pack), velcro on waist straps can chafe elbows, front pockets are too small for new smart phones

Note: The version of this vest that I have is several years old, and the newer models have solved the velcro issue and have bigger pockets for smart phones!

You can still buy the older version for a slightly cheaper price, but I would recommend splurging for one of the newer products. They have soooo many different vests out there now, I wish I could try them all!

Overall, I absolutely love my vest and I am so glad I shelled out the money for it. The biggest benefit to me has been the ability to go on long runs and trail runs without having to stress about where I’m going to get water.

It has also stood the test of time – I purchased this vest around August of 2016, about two years ago, and it’s still in the exact same condition. It’s pretty clear that Ultimate Direction makes high quality products.

I wear the Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta while hiking all the time!

(I realize how #hailcorporate that sounds, but I really do love this vest!)

I even wore it during my marathon! I personally loved being able to take sips throughout the race instead of gulping down water and gels at the aid stops.

There are several other brands that have come out with women’s specific running vests since I bought this one. I haven’t tried any of the others, but I highly recommend this brand!