Can anyone share knowledge of Goat Hill portage steepness/difficulty?

Our 3 couples aged 61-71 plan 10-day dream trip, includes 220r Wicksteed-to-Pond portage. Some are worried.

Can u compare it to shorter Heart Attack Hill 80r between Sandpit and Mudro, does it have rocks and roots or just steep? Goat Hill does not seem to rank in the top ten toughest QPP portages according to 9/5/09 archive query.

BTW, in past years, we portaged 190r to Oyster River over fallen trees, portaged 9 times one day, easy 152r twice, 118r muck portage Boulder River, Bottle P, Curtain Falls P, and 80r Heart Attack Hill Sandpit to Mudro.

Calling Fishguts . . . --Goose

Thx, previously read your 6/21/09 trip report but you traveled Darky River which currently has many blown-down trees quadrupling the normal time.

Check for Fishguts' reports. He was just there in June, and has been over it other times, I'm sure. --Goose

Thanks, GreyGoose, Fishguts wrote excellent trip reports and Fishguts describes portaging the 220r Goat Hill (between Wicksteed-Pond-McAree) three different times (7/6/05, 6/18/08 and 6/10/14). Unfortunately, some of our party may be discouraged by Fishguts' prose "long and difficult" "marked as 220 rods but I think it is much longer ..." I don't mind a challenging portage but what do you do when some in your team are fearful of a steep portage? I will suggest we triple-portage and just take our time. I understand the Darky River route to Minn with 6 short portages is awful because a storm felled a bunch of trees and they may still be there when we arrive early September.

Wouldn't want to do the river with trees down, for sure. As for Goat Hill, at least in September the bugs should be fewer and the weather cooler than at other times; I am 70 and I wouldn't hesitate to do it. --Goose

IT SUCKS....We did this in June of 2009. It was hot, muggy, and buggy that day. One of my trip buddies laid down along the way to die.(NO Joke).I will find another way next time.

quote MississippiKite: "Thx, previously read your 6/21/09 trip report but you traveled Darky River which currently has many blown-down trees quadrupling the normal time. "

was on the darky river in late sept 2010 and found no trees in the waterway. just the normal stuff.

I've done it a few times, I didn't know it was called goat hill, I thought it was call the Gratton Death March :)

It is steep at the beginning and end, in the middle I don't remember it being too difficult. Just take your time rest if needed and get it over. The last time we were on it there was a 70 year old man who had a knee replacement the previous year on it at the same time. He did better than a few of the teens in his group :)




This is pic of the portage on the pond end, if look closely you can see the elevation change.

I thought yum yum to Kash was way harder for what it's worth.

T

Mocha, I think he's saying the storms of June 2014 put some trees down. --Goose

Tough portage! It starts outs with a mud hole, then just goes up hill from there. Just when you think it's leveling off, guess again. It will make your heart go pitter-patter :)

Helpful feedback, thanks to all. I see this portage has multiple names including Gratton Death March. I do not fear the portage myself but don't want to force my friends into something they dread or cannot handle physically.

" I do not fear the portage myself but don't want to force my friends into something they dread or cannot handle physically."

If "force" is needed, forget it. Many portages, however, (e.g. Badwater) are largely "mental" IMO. The mental (dread) can be overcome, but not the lack of physical ability. --Goose

From some 15 years ago. Do when dry. Is steep, but rest and or change canoe carrier if in heavy canoe this trip.

I have done this portage a few times. The first time I did it coming from McAree and toward Pond. My Dad was 68 and he made it about 15 steps up the hill before he realized he was overloaded. We wound up triple portaging, and by that I mean he walked over the hill and ate lunch and I carried everything. It took me 3 hours to make 3 trips.

Last August, we came across a man and his 9 yr old daughter who we recognized from our outfitter's breakfast. He said they did that portage in one trip, which he said took 40 minutes.

2 days later, we did it it in 2 trips coming from Pond toward McAree in about 70 minutes. In my opinion, the portage is easier heading from Pond toward McAree.

In my opinion, if you plan on giving this portage the time, and respect that it requires, you will take out most of its teeth. It's very do-able, but will become harder the more you fight it. take your time.. go very slowly. Don't push those that are nervous about it. plan on 2 hours and everyone might actually enjoy it!!

Just did this portage with a group of 5 (July 20)from McAree to the Pond. I was expecting it to be more difficult based on some of the things that I read. It was certainly not as hard as say a Yum Yum, but it was also not a cake walk. It does have some pitch and I was only able go approx halfway with both the canoe and the pack load at the same time. Put the canoe down and came back for it after I dropped off the pack. Same for our other guy doing double load. Total time to complete this was less than 1 hr (Single portage and a half).

The shorter portage from Wicksteed into Darky now that was another story. Entrance was difficult to spot due to I believe an uprooted tree that confused the natural look of the portage entrance. There were also several downed trees and limbs along the portage not cleared. Took two guys to get canoes over and past one of the deadfall. We got some scrapes on that one. I would imagine the entrance to that portage from the Darky side would be much easier to spot.

baaaaaaddd, baaaaaaddd.