Regardless of the air temperature, be prepared to sweat. Summer hikers know the Granite Mountain Trail as a real thigh burner. But as strenuous as the well-trod summer path maybe, it's nothing compared to the snow route up the big mountain. Snowshoers don't have the benefit of the long, looping switchbacks and hillside traverses. Instead, they must climb steeply and fairly directly to the top, gaining more than 3700 feet in about 2.5 miles--or nearly 1500 feet per mile! Take your time, and watch the snow conditions as you climb.

The route begins at the summer trailhead for the Granite Mountain Trail, but you won't stick to the trail for long. The winter route climbs nearly due north, staying on the low ridgeline that climbs in a gentle westward arc toward the summit. Avoid drifting east into the obvious--and hazardous--avalanche chute there. The summer hiking trail pierces the heart of that chute, but in winter, snow flushes that valley regularly. Steer clear of it.

The safe route climbs steeply from the get-go, passing first through a tight tangle of Douglas fir and cedar trees, then breaking out into open snowfields at about 3500 feet. If you have climbed straight north, you should be nearly due south of the summit at this point. Keep mobbing upward, staying near the spine of the ridge. You might encounter bare rock on this windswept ridgeline, but keep your shoes on for traction since the snow is not gone, just blown somewhere else.

As you push up toward the summit, views open and you can enjoy spectacular panoramas to the south and east. Humpback Mountain towers due south, and Mount Catherine sits to the southeast. If you're tired and worried about getting back down before dark, skip the summit and turn around anytime after you break out of the trees.

Author’s Rating: Backcountry
These routes follow topography rather than trails or roads. Skill with a map and compass is essential. A variety of conditions may be encountered along backcountry routes, including steep elevation gains and losses. These routes require complete competence in winter survival skills, avalanche and snow condition evaluation and some basic mountaineering skills.