Can I have a Christmas Tree?

View toward Granite Mountain

I cannot believe I set out for a hike in early December.  I intended to try the Ida Springs trail, which leads to Mason Lake, knowing that I wasn't going to make it all the way because of snow.  I didn't expect to get turned back at the beginning of road but it was unplowed and folks were heading strapping on their snowshoes a good three miles short of the trailhead.  Since I had neither snowshoes nor interest in walking on a road, I got back on I-90, with the intention of going to Annette Lake.  As I approached a tee in the road, planning to turn left I came upon a cluster of cars and trucks in various states of disarray. One car was stopped in the middle of the road to install chains and it seemed fruitless to wait.  I turned right instead, but why? It was uncharted territory and didn't go anywhere that I wanted to go.  Argh! There were cars and trucks stuck all over the place and while I wasn't concerned about getting stuck by losing traction, I was worried about getting high-centered or stuck without an easy way out.  After a mile or two on a narrow, slippery, heavily rutted road I came to a tee in the road where I turned around to look for a better alternative. 

I found it on the north side of I-90 at the Granite Mountain trailhead.  This is a tough slog any time of year.

Near the end of the trail

Looking south, across the valley

Self portraits are tricky!

The first mile of the trail heads toward  Pratt Lake up to a sign pointing right, and up to Granite Mountain. The next mile of the trail was quite a bit steeper but still in the forest.  Finally, the trail reaches a steep clearing, commonly known as an avalanche chute.  I had checked the snow conditions on the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) web site before I left home and the conditions were moderate at all elevations and aspects.  The snow was crusted over and settled confirming the online report.  Half way across the first chute a boot trail headed straight up the fall line, which has to be nearly 40 degrees.  I wasn't up for that level of exertion so I continued on the normal trail, noticing that fewer hikers had traveled before me and the trail was narrower with more "postholes" left by hikers who stepped off the beaten path.

The trail switches up through the trees before entering another avalanche chute.  Again a set of tracks veered straight up the slope and the "primary trail turned to two sets of tracks, one up and one down.  After another 100 feet or so, the person who had been breaking trail turned back, as did I.

All in all it was a great day to be in the mountains. It was sunny, cool,and plenty windy, but it beat lying on the couch.