Granite Mountain — Monday, May. 17, 2004

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

Beautiful day for hike up Granite. Started at 8:00, summited at 10:30, stayed a half hour and was back at the car by 1:00. Spiders are laying out their sticky filaments across the paths but no bugs to speak of yet. Trail is dry and clear. One small erosion patch past the Alpine Lakes sign at about 3600 feet. Minor snow patches at 4500 feet and it's all snow at 4800 feet where the trail enters the first bowl. Not many tracks up through the series of bowls behind the ridge. Most footprints up the spine of the ridge to the lookout. Getting dangerous on that snow. The cornices are weakening and the undercut from melt next to the rocks is getting thin. Several times I opted for a rock scramble instead of trusting the narrow ridge of snow. Best early in the morning while it is still frozen. By 10 am on a sunny day it is getting slushy and slippery. Outstanding views of snow capped mountains all around at the summit. I got up there with ordinary hiking boots and poles. Wish I had gaiters.