Outdoor Life Gear Testing Trip: Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington

From July 13-19, I participated in the second annual gear-bashing extravaganza hosted by Outdoor Life. Justin was eager to join this year—and was invited—but the summer timing meant one of us needed to stay behind. 

This year, Outdoor Life Staff Writer Laura Lancaster and planner extraordinaire stepped up the proving ground for the testing trip by having the group tackle the 38-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail from Walupt Lake to White Pass in the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington. The gear testing team also grew. It still included the 5 original women from last year, but we added 3 guys, including Outdoor Life’s editor-in-chief who joined us for days 3-4. 

While I sweated through my bug spray and sunscreen hoisting 37 pounds of my lifeless backpack over the course of 38 miles, 7,500 feet of elevation gain and 4 days, I had to remind myself of my gratitude to be paid to play and that the views are better when you have to earn them. I’m not going to sugarcoat the details: it was a sufferfest. Being the oldest, the shortest, the one with the heaviest pack, and probably the slowest as I’ve really embraced the “guide” pace (i.e., stop & look at every detail) clearly did not work in my advantage as I dragged behind the group day after day. 

Similar to last year, we exploded our gear everyday, trading backpacks, tents, cooksets, and water filters. Repacking a new gear kit alone is extremely challenging. I personally have a very specific organization system for the stuff and have been using the same backpack brand/model for decades. But in the name of testing, I tried four different backpacks I’ve never seen before, all of which were ultralight, a word that definitely does not describe me. Laura can always count of me to make the argument that more pockets are exponentially better!

An end-to-end trip with this level of logistics and people can’t be without any hiccups. The burning question Laura had was whether all the snow would be melted by mid July, as most of the trail is above 6,000 feet. Our highest point was 7,300 feet, but Washington had been experiencing a heat wave. Reports coming in from recent backpacking trips was that any leftover snowfields were doable. At the 11th hour, Laura told us all to pack whatever traction we had for our footwear. Spoiler alert, there were definitely sketchy snow sections. 

There was this one section where you could go the PCT route, or climb an extra 400 feet up and over Old Snowy Pass as an alternative. I personally didn’t want to do any extra climbing that I didn’t have to, so preferred the snowfield that looked blissfully flat and doable. I convinced one other person to go with me. All was going fine for the first 1/4 mile. Then we hit a section of snow with a gradient of at least 30 degrees without any previous tracks. To complicate the situation, it was the middle of the day with high sun making the snow soft & slick. My alarm bells were going off. I knew it wouldn’t be smart to cross without an ice axe. Of course the option of aborting and retracing our steps to go up and over Old Snowy seemed extremely unappealing as we were *so close* to the end. (Famous last words). I hate screefields more than snowfields, but climbing up the talus seemed safer, and potentially less effort. Long story short, we made it, but it probably took us just as long and the same amount of effort as the alternative would have! I can assure you the pictures really don’t do the danger justice. 

Aching shoulders, sore back and rising heart rate aside, I can understand why the Goat Rocks Wilderness is so popular. It is gobsmackingly beautiful. I often get spoiled being in Alaska with stunning views around every corner. Yet, Washington’s skyscraper canopy of Douglas firs and western hemlocks kept me in a trance. The nonstop sweeping views of Mount Adams to the south, Mount St. Helens to the west, and Mount Rainier to the north were dramatic. The cragginess of this alpine area attracts mountain goats, wildlife we don’t have in Alaska. If all that weren’t enough, the wildflowers were booming! 

All in all, it was another successful gear testing trip from Outdoor Life! When it came to the final shakedown to crown the champions, you can always count on a variety of opinions about 70+ products tested when you combine thru hikers, dirt baggers, weekend warriors, guides and hunters, which is why we needed 24 hours locked in an Airbnb to get the job done. A few articles have already hit the headlines, but you can expect more to come!