Granite Mountain
Jul 14, 2012
by
HikingWithMyPoodle
—
last modified
Jul 16, 2012 07:25 AM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Granite Mountain
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
- Agency: Mount Baker -Snoqualmie National Forest, Snoqualmie Ranger District, North Bend office
- Trails: Granite Mountain (#1016)
- Avg Rating: 4.17
- Hiking Companions
- Hiked with a dog
- Why You Should Go Now
- Wildflowers blooming
- Be Aware Of
- Blowdowns
- Water on trail
- Snow on trail
It's beautiful even if you don't summit.
Ginger the Poodle and I headed up Granite in the afternoon. We didn't summit, but it was absolutely beautiful, incredible hike.
The trail is fantastic almost all the way to the top. There's a river/small waterfall on the trail that is in good form -- waterproof boots definitely helpful.
The avalanche chute blowdown is really no big deal.
Unfortunately, we couldn't summit -- there is still a LOT of snow on the main trail as you get close to the summit. Ginger usually does very well on snow, and I climbed Si all winter long with micro-spikes and poles, so I thought we would be fine, but the snow was VERY slippery -- steep and melting. I took a 30 foot test fall near the bottom, to see what would happen -- I couldn't stop myself till I hit the bottom, and had trouble getting back up even with my equipment, so I decided that the rocks were the way to go. The snow is definitely for the guys with crampons and ice axes, and I saw plenty of people with ice axes who took the rock scramble route to the top instead.
Unfortunately, while I could have handled the rocks (though they didn't look like they would be any fun), Ginger just couldn't do it. (And she climbed mailbox last weekend no problem.) A labradoodle also gave up in the same place. If you really want to summit, leave your dog at home until the snow melts some more and the main path opens up. Maybe two weeks?
Even though we didn't summit, it was absolutely beautiful -- wild flowers in bloom, snow, rocks, a high summit with great views.
That said, this is a hard hike -- even though it's less elevation than mailbox, it took me much longer to get close to the summit. It's the same distance as Si, and only 800 feet more elevation, but also takes me much longer than Si. I wonder if the elevation/distances are correct.
Someone mentioned parking lot being full in a recent review. Lot was full for me as well, but there was plenty of parking along the side of the road leading to the parking lot. A few cars had warning tickets for using the wrong parking pass, but no tickets for parking on the road.
Pictures of a view near the summit, and the rocks that Ginger couldn't climb.
The trail is fantastic almost all the way to the top. There's a river/small waterfall on the trail that is in good form -- waterproof boots definitely helpful.
The avalanche chute blowdown is really no big deal.
Unfortunately, we couldn't summit -- there is still a LOT of snow on the main trail as you get close to the summit. Ginger usually does very well on snow, and I climbed Si all winter long with micro-spikes and poles, so I thought we would be fine, but the snow was VERY slippery -- steep and melting. I took a 30 foot test fall near the bottom, to see what would happen -- I couldn't stop myself till I hit the bottom, and had trouble getting back up even with my equipment, so I decided that the rocks were the way to go. The snow is definitely for the guys with crampons and ice axes, and I saw plenty of people with ice axes who took the rock scramble route to the top instead.
Unfortunately, while I could have handled the rocks (though they didn't look like they would be any fun), Ginger just couldn't do it. (And she climbed mailbox last weekend no problem.) A labradoodle also gave up in the same place. If you really want to summit, leave your dog at home until the snow melts some more and the main path opens up. Maybe two weeks?
Even though we didn't summit, it was absolutely beautiful -- wild flowers in bloom, snow, rocks, a high summit with great views.
That said, this is a hard hike -- even though it's less elevation than mailbox, it took me much longer to get close to the summit. It's the same distance as Si, and only 800 feet more elevation, but also takes me much longer than Si. I wonder if the elevation/distances are correct.
Someone mentioned parking lot being full in a recent review. Lot was full for me as well, but there was plenty of parking along the side of the road leading to the parking lot. A few cars had warning tickets for using the wrong parking pass, but no tickets for parking on the road.
Pictures of a view near the summit, and the rocks that Ginger couldn't climb.
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Neither Ginger nor a labradoodle could make it past these rocks. When the snow melts, a better path will open up.
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