Quick-and-dirty version
Access: Granite Mountain TrailheadRound Trip: 6.5 milesElevation Range: 1840′-5629′Gear: microspikes only; ice axe, snowshoes, and crampons carried but not usedDog-Friendly: yes
Happy New Year! I'm putting up a few photos and a quick write-up from our NYD pilgrimage in case folks want to head up before the next snowstorm. The weather was similar to last NYD but with much less snow.
The lack of precipitation in recent weeks has brought more foot traffic. THANK YOU to everyone who laid out the tracks for a smooth sailing trip. It's always nice not to have to carve out a path whenever possible.
The only other car in the lot belonged to the lone hiker we met below the southeast ridge on their way down. They treated themselves to a beautiful sunrise with a 4:30 AM start. Dang, I was still struggling to get out of bed then and thought our 6 o'clock start was bloody early!
- Recent tracks had packed down the snow soon past the third snow chute at mile 2.5, followed by continuous snow at 4200'. Before that, the path and first three chutes were mainly snow-free.
- Traction from the microspikes was sufficient for the entire trip. The only exposed ice was on the final slope below the tower.
- Some folks had stepped through thin snow into the gaps among the boulders in the upper ridge. There was a slight detour from the north slope. But with careful maneuvering, staying on the crest for the whole traverse was doable.
- On our way out, we dropped onto the south ridge and joined the trail before crossing the first snow chute.
A guy came up to the tower a while later and quickly left. Then, I chatted with the second hiker with a dog in goggles before leaving.
Highlights
- A packed down trail from start to finish
- Sunny weather despite the mostly cloudy forecast
- Low avalanche danger
Lowlights
- A sub-freezing start
- Temperatures were in the low 20s at the lookout due to wind chill; burrrrrr.
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