Well, maybe it's the last day of Summer but the colors herald Fall. The huckleberries and mountain ash were nicely colored as were other deciduous varieties. And speaking of huckleberry - those that were left had incredible sugar and ""dense"" flavor and those that had ""raisin-ed"" were really terrific. No bugs. Just a very pleasant hike to the lookout. Seems that someone has started directing traffic up higher to avoid multiple treads. Woody debris has been placed to close off some of the offshoot trails. Hopefully, this will work even when the wet weather finally arrives back here. A surprising number of people on this trail on a Monday. Enjoy Fall, folks.

Trail is snow free and obvious all the way to the summit. No bugs at all. Clear skies included views to Rainier, Adams, Glacier Peak, Mt. Stuart, etc. Blueberries meadows still had plenty of ripe fruit and all the foliage was bright red. NOW is the time to hike Granite Mountain!

The trail is very dry and dusty most of the way. The dry powder on the surface also makes the surface slippery. People with tennis shoes and no poles were falling frequently. There is no water available beyond the trail junction between the Pratt and Granite Mtn trails. Flies were a moderate nuisance but there were no mosquitos. The trail is very hot and exposed so bring at least 3 or 4 quarts of water. The view from the top today was outstanding. You could see the Olympics to the west, Mt Stuart to the east, Baker and Glacier to the north and Rainier and Adams to the south.

A day later and my body is still recovering from my Independence Day trek to Granite Mountain. Sore back, sore knees and general malaise being the main symptoms. And I'm in good shape! This is my 7th or 8th hike of the season, and I play soccer once or twice a week. What I'm trying to tell you here is this trail is tough. A good workout. My party (four people, two dogs) left Sea-town about 7:15, made a quick stop in North Bend, and hit the trail at 8:45 sharp. We were glad later for our (relatively) early start. Traffic was minimal on the 3800 feet up, but the descent was stop and go. Pretty much exactly what I expected on a holiday weekend. Our highlight was the tour of the lookout station. Mr. Forest Ranger showed up just after we ate and invited us up for a look-see. The views are glorious, even from below the lookout. Complete panorama of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. I wish I could relate the names of all the mountains, but I'm just learning to love geography. Mr. Ranger also offered the quote of the day. When queried about bathroom facilities (and we meant for him during his four-day stay) he said: ""We encourage people to hold it."" Timing: Three hours up. Two hours down. One hour at the top enjoying the views. We were back in Seattle about 4:30. We encountered a little mud, a little snow (which my dog ~loved~), and just a few bugs. The first two problems will be gone within weeks. The latter, well. Better get a fresh bottle of deet.