What does a wilderness ranger do when he's not working the woods' Go hiking, of course! Won't even leave my own district, either. The trail is in good condition. There are only a few muddy spots and a few small snow patches to cross on the north side of the mountain. No windfalls were encountered. The unmaintained track to Crystal Lake is overgrown and muddy in places. Crystal Lake has snow around the shoreline and there is a patch of ice on the surface. Dehydration is definitely a threat. The trail is steep and offers nearly no shade above 3500 feet. If it is hot, expect to need four quarts of water or more. There are few reliable sources of water. The streamlets that occupy the snow chutes are dry. The pondlets at the three mile point of the trail are drying up as well. Treat any water you do find. There are lots of wildflowers along the trail - beargrass, heather and thistle to name a few. There weren't many bugs due to a rather steady breeze most of the time. But when the air stagnates, look out! There were broken to overcast clouds. It was cool and breezy at times. There are numerous flat spots off the trail up Granite Mountain where one can camp, but no water. The one site at Crystal Lake is dry. Avoid camping in meadows - the growing season is very short in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The view is great from the top of Granite. Kaleetan, Chair and Bryant Peaks are readily identifiable. There are good views of Crystal and Tuscohatchie Lakes from the trail.

The trail is in great shape - took us 2 hours to ascend.The bugs were bad in the middle part of the climb, but above 4100 feet soon disappeared. There are a couple of snow patches to cross near the top. Great views from the summit on a hot, clear day. WARNING: If you are planning overnight trips into the surrounding area, you should not leave your vehicle at this trailhead. Upon arrival at the trailhead Sunday, we counted 5 smashed car windows. Even worse, a truck had been broken into, jacked up on milk crates, and all 4 tires taken! We found out later that the gas line had been cut as well and the gas siphoned out. Even on day trips, don't leave any valuables in the car - I have heard that some of these thieves have posed as hikers.