The Falls are Roaring at Old Goat

Last weekend, most mountain tops I could see were still snow covered. This weekend, there was still snow around, but it seemed much less. We still concluded that getting up too high would still be problematic, so opted for a favourite nearby valley hike, Old Goat Falls. We figured the combination of the warm temps melting the glacier & the snow, coupled with the recent rains, would make the falls great. We were right.

The falls themselves were great, but this was the first time I had seen so many multiple falls.



There was therefore lots of water in the creek, and still snow in the gully leading to the glacier.





Despite the snow, we saw a lady heading up to the glacier carrying a kid in a backpack carrier, and we saw two folks on the way down, boot skiing the chute.



While I love this hike for the falls, we have been up it when the falls weren't running, and still enjoyed it. That's because the creek (which always runs, even when the falls don't) and the lush green mossy valley are gorgeous.










At the end of the hike, we poked around Spray West Campground to check out the lake and the snow coverage on West Wind Pass and the Windtower, as well as other mountains we like to get up. The lake is pretty empty.




There's a bit of a marshy section on this hike, and every time we pass it, I ask "Where's a moose when you need one". Folks we ran into on the trail saw a small moose and a deer, but we saw nothing on the trail.

However, while poking around Spray Lakes West campground, we stumbled across a deer.




Very cute, but WAY too friendly. Normally, when deer see you, they bound away. This one saw us, and came over to say hi -- or get fed, more likely.