Trip Date: August 10-12, 2026
Granite Mountain Hiking & Climbing Trip
Hyas Lake
Tuck Lake
Robin Lakes
Granite Mountain (7144 ft)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Upper Icicle Mountains
Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Starting & Ending Point: Tucquala Meadows Trailhead at end of Cle Elum River Road (Elev. 3400 feet)
Way Points: Hyas Lake & Little Hyas Lake & Tuck Lake Trail junction & Tuck Lake & Tuck’s Pot & Lower Robin Lake & Upper Robin Lake (trail hike & trail scramble)
Campsites: Upper Robin Lake (Elev. 6200 feet) & Hyas Lake (Elev. 3500 feet)
Summit: Granite Mountain (off-trail hike & rock scramble via Lower Northwest Ridge—West Slope—Upper Northwest Ridge)
Approximate Stats: 15.0 miles traveled; 4500 feet gained & lost.
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Full Trip Report
When Eileen and I went looking for a fun and scenic backpacking destination to do with Brooke, James, Andrew, and Yoko—all members of our immediate or extended family—we chose Tuck & Robin Lakes and Granite Mountain in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Although many parts of the Cascades were adversely impacted by wildfire smoke or even closed due to active fires, the smoke forecast for this area looked favorable. Our trip ended up being adjusted due to wildfire concerns anyway, but we still completed our objectives and had a great time in the process!
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Day 1: Trailhead to Upper Robin Lake
We headed out from the relatively quiet Tucquala Meadows Trailhead just before noon on a hot Monday. The Deception Pass Trail was in good condition for the first 2 miles, but after that we began encountering dozens of fallen logs (undoubtedly another casualty of last winter’s windstorm). The worst conditions were near the northern end of Hyas Lake, where multiple trees had toppled over in annoying clusters.
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Upon reaching a junction with the Tuck & Robin Lakes Trail, we happily left most of the fallen logs behind. A hot hike up the steep trail brought us to pretty Tuck Lake in late afternoon (4.5 hours + 5.3 miles + 1950 feet from TH). Knowing that there was still another 1000 feet to climb, we resisted the urge to take a swim here.
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From Tuck Lake, we followed a bootpath around Tuck’s Pot and up a bouldery draw. A combination of hiking and easy scrambling took us up a narrow rib, then across the northern side of a granitic knob to a small saddle. We continued upward on an expansive granite slab for 300 vertical feet before angling over to the right and crossing a low ridge.
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Atop the ridge, we got our first view of Robin Lakes. These two beautiful lakes occupy a granite bowl decorated with scattered groves of fir trees and patches of grass. Andrew, Brooke, and James had powered ahead during the ascent and could be seen sprawled out on a sunny bench at the lower lake.
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Eileen, Yoko, and I proceeded along a path that led us to Upper Robin Lake in early evening (6.6 hours + 6.6 miles + 3100 feet from TH). After our hot and sweaty afternoon of hiking, resistance was futile: the tranquil water demanded an immediate swim!
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The rest of our group soon arrived, and we all set up our tents in a lakeside meadow. Dinner was a social affair on some nearby rocks. As the sun dipped below the western horizon, the daytime heat was quickly erased, leaving us to grab warm coats.
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Day 2a: Granite Mtn Summit Scramble
The morning was warm and sunny, with no noticeable wildfire smoke in the air. I took this opportunity to wander around and enjoy the wonderful ambiance of Robin Lakes. The view of Mt. Rainier, Cathedral Rock, The Citadel, and Mt. Daniel hovering above the lower lake was downright mesmerizing!
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After breakfast, we all headed out with summit packs. A bootpath led us on a hiking and scrambling route southeasterly up a blocky ridge, down into a saddle, and then up a low-angle ridge to the summit of Granite Mountain (1.2 hours + 1050 feet from camp).
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From the summit, we could see smoke associated with the Three Queens Fire to our southwest and with the Little Giant Fire to our northeast. We were feeling pretty good about our own smoke-free location until a brownish haze appeared just a couple miles to our south. What in the world is that?! Minutes later, a helicopter made several passes over the same area. (We subsequently learned that it was the newly ignited Paddy-Go Fire.).
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Rather than retracing our up-route back to camp, we made a big curve around the northern end of Upper Robin Lake. A well-trodden path extends the entire way, indicating that this is a very popular ascent/descent route for Granite Mountain. The view of Upper Robin Lake from an ever-changing perspective is reason enough to take this roundabout path.
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Day 2b: Upper Robin Lake to Hyas Lake
Upon reaching our camp, we made a decision to pack up and move down to Hyas Lake for our second night—merely from an abundance of caution. This would put us much closer to the trailhead and facilitate a quick exit tomorrow in the event that the Paddy-Go Fire greatly increased. At 3:00pm, we shouldered backpacks and headed out.
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In early evening, we arrived at a roomy campsite near the midpoint of Hyas Lake and stopped for the night (4.3 hours from Upper Robin Lake). Everyone splashed off in the lake before congregating for dinner. There was one other hiking party camped nearby, so we warned them about the Paddy-Go Fire.
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Day 3: Hyas Lake to Trailhead
We awoke to see a smoky haze wafting over the ridge directly west of the lake, and there was a slightly smoky odor in the air. These new conditions made us very glad to have moved our camp down-valley yesterday. The nearby party stopped by to inform us that they had decided to abort their trip and also hike out this morning. By 11:00am, everyone finished the 2-mile exit hike back to the Tucquala Meadows Trailhead, which was now nearly empty. For our group of six, we felt that our trip was as successful and enjoyable as could be under the circumstances.
Route Maps & Profile
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Photo Gallery
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