Granite Mountain - 2.24.2015
Directions from the Preston Park and Ride to the Pratt Lake Trailhead.
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rodman's GPS track of our trip to Granite Mountain... taking a direct line to the summit via the south slope... and returning via the summer trail... 6.7 miles roundtrip... gaining 3736 feet of elevation.
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The Pratt Lake Trailhead (1880')... lots of parking, but it fills up quickly on a nice weekend.
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After hiking the Pratt Lake Trail for one mile we have reached the junction with the Granite Mountain Trail... the terrain steepens here.
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At ~3900 feet we left the Granite Mountain Trail and headed up the avalanche gully on the south side of the mountain.
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After a short distance up the gully, the terrain opens up a bit.
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Still heading up the steep south gully on Granite Mountain.
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Working our way up the south gully.
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tomman on the steep south side of Granite Mountain.
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Our first good look at the Granite Mountain Lookout.
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Still some boulder work to do to reach the lookout.
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A little bit of snow in the boulder field.
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Getting closer... just a few more steps.
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Kaleetan Peak, Chair Peak and Bryant Peak from the Granite Mountain Lookout.
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A closer look at Kaleetan (left), Chair and Bryant.
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Looking across Denny Mountain to the Snoqualmie Pass Peaks and on into the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
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The 'Peaky Scramblers' on the Granite Mountain summit (5629').
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Looking down on Crystal Lake and Tuscohatchie Lake... and across Low Mountain to Kaleetan Peak, Chair Peak, Bryant Peak and The Tooth... Preacher Mountain on the far left.
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Snowdog in her pink seahawk hat... with Mt. Rainier in the distance on the right.
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Looking down the SE ridge of Granite Mountain... I-90 reaching Snoqualmie Pass on the left.
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Bandera Mountain, Pratt Mountain and Mt. Defiance from the Granite Mountain summit... with Tusk O'Granite in the right foreground.
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We decided to save our knees and go down via the SE ridge and the basin on the north side of Granite.
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Dropping off of Granite's SE ridge into the basin.
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Almost down to the basin on the north side of Granite... and looking back at the lookout.
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Nearing the basin on the north side of Granite... still nice views of the mountains.
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In the basin and looking back at the lookout.
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Out of the basin now... and back on Granite's SE ridge... which we will follow until we are back on dirt.
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Still on Granite's SE ridge... looking back at the lookout... with the basin on the right.
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Izzy watches our group going down Granite's SE ridge... almost back on dirt.
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There is no snow on Granite's south slopes... earlier in the day we went up one of those steep gullies... ~3 miles of hiking will get us back to our car.
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