Granite Mountain Hike

10 October 2012

Enlarge to see the lookout just to the left of C.J.'s head

C.J. and I should have done this hike years ago while we were relatively hale and healthy. It's a bit more than four miles to the summit fire lookout and about 3800 vertical feet to gain, making the hike about equivalent to Mt. Si. The advantages to hiking Granite Mountain are that the summit is 1000 feet higher and much of the trail is in the open.Also the mountain is farther into the Cascade Range and there is a good view in all directions.

C.J. on the traverse toward the summit

Knowing that we would take a slow pace, we got a relatively early start - on the trail close to 0900. The trailhead parking lot had a half-dozen vehicles so we could expect some company on this trip - fewer hikers than Si but more than Bare Mtn. We had snowshoed up to the Pratt Lake trail jct and on up a few switchbacks to a viewpoint on one of the slides a couple of winters ago - maybe 1 1/2 miles. This time we continued across the slides (the first crossing showed a lot of avalanche damage) and up the switchbacks above until we broke out into the open. The fall color had been getting better as we climbed and it continued to improve as we ended the long eastward trending switchback and started up the ridge toward the distant summit.

 At around 4600 ft we crossed a basin with several dry ponds, granite slabs, and full of colorful huckleberry bushes.

G at the basin, dry this year

We stuck with the official trail climbing to the north of the ridge leading to the summit. At around 5200 ft we crossed a meadow that reminded me of the scenery in Rocky Mountain NP, and began the final climb up the north side of the summit to the fire tower at 5629 ft. We were glad to make it there just at our time-to-turn-around, 1300. We took time for a lunch break and some more photos before starting back down. Surprisingly, my knees did not give me much pain, but C.J. had problems with the neuroma on the sole of her left foot and the arthritis in her hip. We still managed to be out of the woods before 1730 but were slightly astonished to meet folks heading up the trail even as the light began to take on the hues of late afternoon.

Bare Mountain Hike

3 Oct 2012

Fall colors below Bare Mountain ridge

C.J. and I have done most of the day hikes near North Bend so this one, located out along the North Fork of the Snoqualmie, sounded like a winner. The guidebook indicated that it was seldom hiked due to the long rough county and USFS roads leading to the trailhead. Indeed, we met no one at all on the trail and the last party had been there three days before.

Not making a really early start we reached the trailhead around 1030 and secured our Alpine Lakes Wilderness registration tag to my pack. The trail was rocky as it climbed through the forest and more like a streambed than a trail. Not far along the way we were surprised to see an owl swoop in silently and land on a low branch directly above the trail. C.J. managed to get several pictures before the bird flew off into the woods. The first half mile or so was in forest with some very large cedars and hemlock. Then we broke into the open and remained in the sun with only occasional tree shade.

G with Paradise and Bench Lakes

The trail continued up the Bear Creek valley across a long stretch of sidehill with head-high ferns and  brush heading toward an obvious headwall. Before reaching it, the trail forked with the main trail starting to climb switchbacks to the left and a fainter trail leading right to mining ruins. When we reached the lower end of a large talus slope, we stopped for lunch. The trail made about 40 switchbacks before we topped out on the ridge at around 5000 ft. The summit of Bare Mountain, sporting a dark triangular flag, was visible above while the Paradise and Bench Lakes were directly below to the north. After a brief rest and some trail mix we started back down, having reached our turn-back time being 1430.

Back down the switchbacks and across the brushy slope, we returned to following the creek which had several pretty, rocky spills and pools. A rustic bridge marked one of the crossings of the stream and the boundary of the Wilderness Area. The same owl greeted us once again near the same spot, doubly surprising us. By 1630 we were back at the car and readying for the drive  down the North Fork to North Bend.