Chasing Storms on Goodnow Mountain

July 6, 2019 - By ashleykclevenstine

A few weeks ago, Josh found himself in urgent care after taking a spill on his bike. We left with 13 stitches, a lot of questions about how sitting was going to work for the next few days, and strict instructions from the doctor: no biking for 10 days.

Fortunately, she did say hiking was okay.

Since neither of us was excited about spending a beautiful summer weekend indoors, we decided to hit the trails for our first hike together.

If you know me at all, you know I’m a little obsessed with hiking. I have the guidebooks, the maps, and I’ve started working my way through more hiking challenges than I can reasonably keep track of. Goodnow Mountain happened to be one of the mountains on the Fire Tower Challenge, making it the perfect destination for our adventure.

Trip Report

7/6/2019

The day started off promising enough, although dark clouds lingered on the horizon and left us wondering if we’d end up hiking in the rain.

Goodnow Mountain is located within the Huntington Wildlife Forest, a research forest owned and operated by the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University. The trail is exceptionally well-maintained and leads to a 60-foot fire tower on the summit. At just over 4.5 miles round trip, it’s a relatively short hike, and several benches along the route provide perfect spots to stop and catch your breath.

As we climbed higher, the clouds continued to build.

We reached the summit just in time to watch storm clouds roll in across the surrounding mountains. Josh quickly headed up the fire tower while I cautiously followed. I made it only about a quarter of the way before the increasing winds convinced me to turn around and head back down. From below, I watched as the storm moved steadily closer.

Before long, we were the only people remaining on the summit.

Then the rain arrived.

Along with it came thunder, lightning, and strong winds. We retreated to the covered porch of a small cabin just below the summit and waited out the summer storm, listening to the rain drum against the roof and watching the clouds sweep through the trees.

Fortunately, mountain weather can change as quickly as it arrives.

Once the storm passed, the sky began to brighten, and the fog drifted through the valleys below. Josh convinced me to give the tower another try, and this time I made it all the way to the top.

I’m so glad I did.

From the tower, we watched the storm slowly move away while clouds and mist rolled through the surrounding peaks. The constantly changing landscape made for an incredible view, and we spent quite a while taking it all in before finally deciding it was time to head back down.

The weather wasn’t quite finished with us, though.

Partway down the mountain, the sprinkles returned and eventually became a steady rain that followed us most of the way back to the trailhead. By the time we reached the parking lot, we were damp, muddy, and smiling.

After signing out at the trail register, we headed to the Tacoma for a well-earned lunch—and the opportunity to finally kick off our hiking boots.

For a hike that almost didn’t happen, Goodnow turned out to be a memorable one. Between the storm, the fire tower views, and sharing the experience together, it was the perfect reminder that sometimes changing your plans leads to an adventure you didn’t expect.