Granite Mountain — Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2004

Snoqualmie Region > Snoqualmie Pass

I had a meeting in Toppenish, so decided to stop by the summit of Granite Mountain on the way home. Eight cars filled the parking lot at 1 pm on this Thursday. Don't people have jobs around here? I loaded my pack with everything I could find to get a good conditioning weight and headed up the trail. I knew the low clouds would eventually give way to sun, as I'd seen the summits of all the pass peaks as I came over the pass from the east. Just about where you reach open slopes I broke through the clouds into blazing sun and spectacular views. Lupin and bear grass covered the slopes. I followed the trail beyond the tarns just below the ridge top and then got off trail as I followed the creek and then footprints in the snow. I followed the snowy tracks up the north side of the ridge and up to the summit, finishing the last 100 feet on talus. After a quick bite and water break I headed back down. The trail follows the ridge, avoiding the necessity of snow travel. All in all, this was the perfect training trip for a weekday afternoon and my boss never missed me. Stats: 1.9 hours to top; 3.4 hours return; 8 miles RT; 3800' elevation gain.