Trip Date: March 1, 2019
Updated: January 2024
West Granite Peak Snowshoe Climb
Granite Mountain: west peak aka West Granite Peak aka Tusk O’Granite (5566 ft)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Lower Snoqualmie Range
Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Starting & Ending Point: Pratt Lake / Granite Mountain Trailhead off Interstate-90 at Exit 47 (Elev. 1900 feet)
Way Points: Granite Mountain Trail junction & West Granite Peak false summit & West Granite Peak summit (trail hike & snow hike & snowshoe climb)
Summit: West Granite Peak (snowshoe climb & descent via Southwest Ridge—South Ridge)
Approximate Stats: 7.0 miles traveled; 3900 feet gained and lost; 3.8 hours up; 2.0 hours down.
Information Sources
The following links provide helpful information for planning this snowshoe trek. Even these information sources, however, should not be taken as a substitute for having the fitness, knowledge, equipment, and clothing required for snowshoe trekking.
>>> WSDOT road reports for Interstate-90 and Snoqualmie Pass
>>> National Weather Service weather forecast for Snoqualmie Pass area
>>> Northwest Avalanche Center avalanche forecast for Snoqualmie Pass area
>>> Other easy to intermediate snowshoe treks in the I-90 / Snoqualmie Pass corridor
Full Trip Report
Ira and I teamed up for a snowshoe ascent of West Granite Peak in the Lower Snoqualmie Range. Most of the route to this summit is fairly safe from avalanche hazard, so it is a good destination in all but poor stability conditions—and always a much safer option than the adjacent main peak of Granite Mountain, which is only 63 feet higher.
We started at the Pratt Lake / Granite Mountain Trailhead and hiked toward Olallie Lake, first on bare trail and then on snow-covered trail. Soon after passing the trail junction and crossing two small creeks, at an elevation of 3200 feet, we left the trail and began snowshoeing straight upslope through moderately steep, dense forest.
With increasing elevation, the wide forest slope transitioned to a rounded ridge crest, and the trees gradually thinned out. The gradient also eased a bit, forming a slight shoulder at 4400 feet, then it steepened again just before we came over a false summit at 5180 feet. From here, the true summit was visible straight ahead. We descended 80 feet to a saddle and then angled up a broad, open slope to gain the summit (3.8 hours + 3800 feet from TH).
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Because this summit is free of trees, there were good views in all directions. Kaleetan Peak and Chair Peak could be seen a few miles to the northeast, with Tuscohatchie Lake closely below. The strikingly barren main summit of Granite Mountain stood ⅔ mile to the southeast.
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We followed our snowshoe tracks down to the trail at 3200 feet and finished off our day with a 2-mile hike back to the trailhead (2.0 hours + 100 feet from summit).
Equipment Comments
Due to the steep terrain encountered in different parts of this route, I feel that a mountain snowshoe rather than a trail snowshoe is needed. Trekking poles and an ice axe are also highly recommended. For more information regarding the various equipment that I used for this particular trip and that I typically use for this type of trip, see my gear discussions and reviews on the following pages:
>>> Trail & Mountain Snowshoes
>>> Backcountry Ski & Snowshoe Packs
>>> Wintertime Comfort Accessories
Route Map & Profile
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Photo Gallery
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