Can't not take advantage of a day like this. Although I think it turned out better than the weatherman let on yesterday. And we were not the only ones who had the same idea. We saw the fog up toward the pass but the west side was sunny and very nice. The woods were pleasant and there is no snow until past the junction and a bit shy of the avalanche gully where it gets to be pretty persistent the rest of the way up. Others had packed the trail but not so that the footing was glacial. The pond area is pretty well snowed over except for a bit of open water in a narrow aspect. We took the ridge instead of the summer trail. There were some interesting holes but it worked quite nicely. NO WIND. Actually, it was Spring slush up there. It was actually hot and there were some folks with shorts and one guy was shirtless. Some skiers, on skis passed us on their way down but the rocks would have been a bit too interesting, frankly. A bit of time at the top and then back down. The last mile back to the trailhead was frigid - we could tell the cold air was draining off the pass and under all that fog. Poles or ice axe made the going much easier and gaiters made for a dry ascent and descent. Great day but the snow gods have got to get working soon. Snoqualmie Pass is under that downy blanket of fog. The shuttered lookout.

Finally got the chance to hike another 'elevation burner' with Laura, as she conditions herself for the Bolivian climbs this Spring. This time we chose Granite Mountain. The day is drizzly, but the forest canopy deflects most of it until we reach the avalanche gully at 2 miles. After slogging through hip-deep snow we decide to put on the snowshoes and head directly up the the west ridge. The snow slopes are steep, and it is a difficult choice deciding whether to say on the spindrift-covered rocks or kick steps on hard snow. Visibility is poor, and the wind is relentless and cold. We break trail the last half mile until we see the grey box of the lookout tower, laced with rime ice, and perched near a cornice of snow. No views to speak of; I feel as if I am in a swirling cloud of snow. The ascent took a little over 2 hours, gaining 3800' in elevation. Such feats will make Laura looking buff by summer. Decending was just as tiring, due to the qulaity of the snow and the very steep descent. As one reaches the edge of the forest, the snow in the gulley is soft, with a lot of air pockets--snowshoes help only marginally at best. Laura postholes down on her own until we reach the trail emerging from the forest. Met up with a lot of day hikers who seem satisfied that the walk in the forest is sufficient enough for them to enjoy the last days of winter in the Cascades.

Beautiful sunrise in the morning so I decided to go for a hike while the weather was nice. I went out I-90 to exit 47 and parked with about twenty other cars. It has been a month since I was last out here and there was less snow in the parking lot but more on the trail. No snow on the branches so one did not have to duck under them. There were no new down trees up to the cutoff to Granite. I stopped to check out how much snow has avalanched off at the first wide switchback. It looked to be about 10-15 ft. deep. Nice to know that the first load has come off. I expect at least one more big one will come down before the year is out. A guy with his dog passed me by then a couple of guys.I passed them while they were talking at the junction to Granite. They passed me again on the way up. Just above where the second set of switchbacks enters the woods I spotted a couple of skiers going up. Here I passed one of the two guys and continued up. I think the two guys cut over to the avalanche chute from here as I did not see them again. Near where the trail crosses the chute I took a break to take some pictures. From here I spotted four people in the chute. It looked like two going down and two up. I continued up as the snow became softer and the packed steps fewer. I wanted to gain tree line to take more pics which I did. I put my pack by the last tree while I took some shots. I spotted the guy with the dog on the ridge. A couple of more skiers came up while others were going down. I was hopeful of glissading down but the snow was too soft. I wished I had snowshoes now. I tried going straight down but it was too tiring. So, I cut over to the trail until I got into the woods where I knew the snow would not be as deep. From just west of where the first set of switchbacks near the chute I was able to go straight down. I did not get one single butt slide,however it was a great work-out for the thighs. I will have to go back on a colder day or earlier in the morning. Still, it was a great day in the woods. Trail is in good shape.

Sunday, John Solo and I headed out to Tiger Mtn for our weekly hike. As we were coming over Eastgate, the view of the cascades grabbed us and we found ourself driving further and futher. Next thing you know we were at the base of Granite Mountain, Glancing up at the West ridgeline that looked bare all the way to the top. We could see dots in the avalanche gully and patches of bear ground at the avalanche start zones. That was our ticket to the top! Destined to make it to this classic i-90 coridor summit We set off. We definatly had the right gear for the situation. Had panned to train packs for Rainier, so they were fully loaded with your classic winter gear. Up toward the top we went. Ran into the author of the report on WTA, a few times. (Yup we were the ""two guies"" he talks about) Once reaching the avalanche gully, the head strongness took over and up the chute we went. Normally, I am varry of conditions, but the conditiosn this day were prefect. I was not sure if they would every be so ripe for the rest of the season. Plus at 2 miles this is the normal cut off for my crew. It is not a matter or machoness, but rather more a manner of letting the mountain demand more of you, and realizing at the top that it was worth it all. Also Granite has always been one to instill humility into the hiker. It did so this day. By the time we made the west ridgeline, there were gust up to 45 mph it seems, and I was just about out of the zone. With a short rest, I kept thinking about the Everest Climbers I had heard about at the Second Ascent Lecture on Wednesday. With the almost comical speech about the situation of winds at the top, I could imagine myself there on the side of the Hillary Step. The view south to Rainier was almost as matching... In a sort squint your eyes way. So finally, scrambling up the ridgeline we made the top. There is nothing like coming up the snows towards the blue-grey tower of Granite. Once you stagger above the ridge, to unvail the secered beauty of the peaks of the Alpine Lakes... All the biggies were out, Chair Peak, Kalateen (that has a hypnotic allure), Stuart in the Distance, and Lehman Peak mass (not sure all there names, neet to crack open the maps). It was a view that I typically don't get till the meltings of spring. But this being my Year of the Mountains, I was deturmined not to allow the Cabin Fevor of the Cloudy days of Ballard to set in. Here was home, amoung friends. Seems to make my Geology Classes come alive when you can picture it in one grand view. There were two skiers who spoke French on the top. I took there pictures and would later send them that night. Worried about Light, Solo and I head down the mountain. we started Glassading, and dropped 2000 ft in minutes... Wild ride to a wild day. Our enthusiaism got the better of us and we continued down the shoot past the trail junction. It was here that the snow was tooo soft, and we post holded our way through 2 miles of thick soupy snow to the parking lot. Well, know better next time... -- Ridgewalker

Fleetfoot and I went for a short hike to check out the new snow. We decided to try exit 47 off I-90. There were about a dozen cars in the lot which was partially plowed. There are a couple of muddy spots on the lower section of the trail. By the time you get to the first switchback the snow is deep and the trees are hanging over the trail from the weight of the snow. We shook the snow off some of the branches so the trees would rise above the trail. After a break at the Granite Mt. junction we decided to go up instead of to Lake Ollalie. The powdery snow was packed down from those in front of us and we went to the second set of switchbacks that cut to the avalanche shoot. From here we could see some of the ridge but not across the highway. A light snow was falling. This would be far enough for a short hike so we headed down. Just inside the woods we thought there was enough snow depth to go straight down but not deep enough to glissade. Too powdery we thought! Fleetfoot slipped and went a -ways. So we sat down and made it to the trail on our butts. The last half mile out the snow was wet and there was slush in the parking lot but all in all a great short hike.