Week 05 Oct. 03 - Granite Mountain

Total Distance: 8.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 4000 ft.
Time: 10:15 am ~ 4:15 pm
Weather: Cloudy, overcast, chilly.

This was the first week I had no one hiking with me.  I wanted to find a good hike for fall colors.  My original plan was a 3~4 hour drive away, a place called Maple Pass up on the North Casacades Highway.  On Saturday I spent a lot of time working on some important paper work and felt too exhausted to get up before 5:30 am to see some fall foliage.  I hopped back on www.wta.org where I found my original hike, and looked for something closer.  I saw listed in the "Great Fall Colors Hikes" this one that I went on today.  I remembered this name from my very first backpacking trip.

In the fall of 2006, I strapped a backpack to my back and began my first multi-night, you carry all you need, no car next to your camp, camping trip.  It started at the same trailhead I drove to this morning.  I was excited to be back, and to be back alone.  I was only on the same trail for the first two miles before I took the spur up to Granite Mountain, but I still enjoyed thinking about how far I have come since that first trip.

After those nostalgic first two miles, I made the turn to climb to the top of Granite Mountain.  It was a long, slow climb.  Thankfully, I found a pace that kept me moving for a solid two hours without stopping, but it was only slightly faster than 4 elderly women behind me who had never hiked in their lives.  As I kept up this slow, arduous climb into the clouds, the trail was getting harder and harder to see.  At one point, I swear I couldn't see more than 30 feet in front of me.  I climbed for what seemed like forever.  Finally reaching what seemed like the end, only to smacked in the face with a 600 foot vertical climb over the last half mile up to the fire look-out.

When I made it up to the look-out, and what every website and trail book describes as a "majestic view" or "worth the burning in your thighs," I still see clouds, only clouds, clouds all around.  It's OK, I am glad I made it to the top.  I had lunch.  I walked around and found what looked like an old foundation for a building no longer there.  I took a 30 minute power nap on the foundation.  It was the best rest I have had in weeks.  When I woke up, I got my things and began my descent.

Orchid: The power nap at the top of Granite Mountain. And the fall colors I saw all along the climb up to the top.

Onion: All the dog owners who didn't leach their pets and didn't clean up their dog's poop.

Picture:

Google Map