MT. BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST, WA :: I hiked up Granite Mountain on Sunday and had an enjoyable time. It’s less than an hour from Seattle and couldn’t be any closer to I-90, making it a popular choice for many other hikers on this sunny and warm weekend. The trail starts at the Pratt Lake trailhead in a nice forest. After about a mile, a signpost marks the spot where hikers must veer right to continue up to Granite Mountain. From here, the way is fairly steep for a couple miles, gradually opening up to a grassy hillside before reaching the basin below the lookout tower.
At this point there are two options to proceed. I could see a path winding its way through the snow-filled basin. I could also see what seemed to be a more direct route to the lookout via a rocky ridge. The snow was fairly icey, so I chose the ridge. Once I was on it, the boulders ended up being quite a bit larger and sharper than I thought, so it was dicey making my way. It’s often harder to recognize the best route going up, but on the way down, it seemed best to hop along the topmost boulders, rather than try to wind my way between them. If you’re bringing a dog or someone with shorter legs, definitely take the basin route. Another man on the ridge was forced to carry his large dog the rest of the way to the top.
The lookout was unoccupied and locked up today, but is apparently still used during the summer. I imagine it’ll be staffed frequently during this year’s drought. On the other side of the tower are views of Mt. Stuart and Tuscohatchie Lake, which you can hike down to complete a 14 mile loop through Denny Creek. The trail to the top of Granite Mountain is about eight miles roundtrip and climbs 3800 feet.
At this point there are two options to proceed. I could see a path winding its way through the snow-filled basin. I could also see what seemed to be a more direct route to the lookout via a rocky ridge. The snow was fairly icey, so I chose the ridge. Once I was on it, the boulders ended up being quite a bit larger and sharper than I thought, so it was dicey making my way. It’s often harder to recognize the best route going up, but on the way down, it seemed best to hop along the topmost boulders, rather than try to wind my way between them. If you’re bringing a dog or someone with shorter legs, definitely take the basin route. Another man on the ridge was forced to carry his large dog the rest of the way to the top.
The lookout was unoccupied and locked up today, but is apparently still used during the summer. I imagine it’ll be staffed frequently during this year’s drought. On the other side of the tower are views of Mt. Stuart and Tuscohatchie Lake, which you can hike down to complete a 14 mile loop through Denny Creek. The trail to the top of Granite Mountain is about eight miles roundtrip and climbs 3800 feet.
