Pratt Lake Basin
Sep 30, 2009
by
George & Sally
—
last modified
Oct 01, 2009 09:55 AM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Pratt Lake Basin
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- North Bend Area
- Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF
- Trails: Pratt Lake (#1007)
- Avg Rating: 3.62
- Be Aware Of
- Snow on trail
When I arrived at the Pratt Lake/Granite Mtn. trail head parking lot, only two other cars where there with a group of 6 just heading out. As I was putting my boots on it hailed for a few minutes. I had decided to hiked up to Ollalie Lake via the Pratt Lake trail instead of the usual trail past Talapus Lake. The second large creek crossing has nice water falls to view. It rained for a short time as I was heading up the trail. Further on were the trail goes over old cedar puckeon bridges, there was snow on them. I was the first one up today as no boot tracks were seen in the snow. After getting to the junction with the Pratt Lake/Talapus Lake trails, I hiked down to the other junction to go the Ollalie Lake. There was a little snow on the trail in places on the way to the lake. Only saw one other hiker as I arrived at the lake, but he was leaving to go explorer the trail to the end of the lake. The view from my lunch spot across the lake to the snow covered trees on the ridges with the temp at 38 degrees made it look like winter. I had snowshoed up to the lake several times in the past via the same route and gone around it on winter days.
After eating lunch I headed back down the trail, crossed the outlet creek, then over to the Pratt Lake trail. The only wildlife I saw was one chipmunk, plus some mushrooms popping up. The sun did poke out from between the clouds for a while on the way down. When I was about 1/2 mile from the trailhead I met a guy wearing shorts, no boots and a cotton seatshirt, and his dog who were hiking up the trail. Since it was 2:15 PM I asked him were he was headed. He told me he was hiking up Mt. Defiance. Apparently he did not have a map and said he had on old guide book. After explaining to him that he would need to take the Ira Spring trail to Mason Lake (he didn't know about that trail) he decided to go up Granite Mtn. instead. I did tell he would be running into snow on the way up.
At the parking lot when I was getting ready to leave another guy drove in and parked. He was wondering around and came over and asked me where he could get a 1-day Forest Pass. After I told him they were not available here at the trailhead he said he would park down the road past the fee sign. It was now 2:45 PM and he told me he was going up Granite Mtn. and would take him only 2 hours. He didn't looked dressed for a hike in the snow as he was wearing a short sleave dress shirt with slacks. I thought I only saw these types of people on the week ends in the summer.
After eating lunch I headed back down the trail, crossed the outlet creek, then over to the Pratt Lake trail. The only wildlife I saw was one chipmunk, plus some mushrooms popping up. The sun did poke out from between the clouds for a while on the way down. When I was about 1/2 mile from the trailhead I met a guy wearing shorts, no boots and a cotton seatshirt, and his dog who were hiking up the trail. Since it was 2:15 PM I asked him were he was headed. He told me he was hiking up Mt. Defiance. Apparently he did not have a map and said he had on old guide book. After explaining to him that he would need to take the Ira Spring trail to Mason Lake (he didn't know about that trail) he decided to go up Granite Mtn. instead. I did tell he would be running into snow on the way up.
At the parking lot when I was getting ready to leave another guy drove in and parked. He was wondering around and came over and asked me where he could get a 1-day Forest Pass. After I told him they were not available here at the trailhead he said he would park down the road past the fee sign. It was now 2:45 PM and he told me he was going up Granite Mtn. and would take him only 2 hours. He didn't looked dressed for a hike in the snow as he was wearing a short sleave dress shirt with slacks. I thought I only saw these types of people on the week ends in the summer.
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