Sorcery Mountain via Goat Creek

Trip Report

Carla, Yana, and I parked at the Dingford Trailhead on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road and hiked up the Dingford Trail. After crossing Goat Creek (which is distinctive because it forks into a couple streams before crossing the trail) we headed north cross-country toward Horseshoe Lake, staying east of Goat Creek and within hearing-distance of the creek the whole way. Supposedly there is a fisherman's path to the lake, but there was too much snow for us to find it.

At Horseshoe Lake we headed east on an intercept course with Sorcery's west ridge. We hit steep, frozen turf and thin, frozen snow that forced us to don crampons. We were happy to gain the more moderate ridge, which went with no difficulties to the summit. It was a nice scramble up the ridge with some unusual granite boulders.

References

• Northwest Hikers: Sorcery Mountain via Goat Creek
• Washington Trails Association: Sorcery Mountain via Goat Creek
• Winter guide book: One Day Winter Climbs in Washington (out of print)

Travel Times

• 1 hour 28 minutes driving there from Capitol Hill to Dingford Trailhead
• 3 hours 18 minutes ascending from Dingford Trailhead (1,570') to Horseshoe Lake (4,250')
• 1 hour 45 minutes ascending from Horseshoe Lake (4,250') to summit of Sorcery Mountain
• 54 minutes descending from summit of Sorcery Mountain (5,650') to Horseshoe Lake (4,235')
• 2 hours 4 minutes descending from Horseshoe Lake (4,235') to Dingford Trailhead

Visited

• Alpine Lakes Wilderness
• King County
• Middle Fork Snoqualmie Drainage
• Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
• Snoqualmie Lake USGS quad
• Sorcery Mtn.
• Washington State