Granite Mountain
Date: November 22, 2013
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Distance: 8.6 miles / 13 Kilometers roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3,800 feet / 1,158 meters
Time: 4 to 5 hours
Location: Exit 47, I-90
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: Discovery Pass Required
Trail Conditions: Wet to Frozen to Packed Snow.
Hiking With: Rick Massie and Macho the dog wonder.

It has been unusually cold and sunny here in the Northwest, but to see the sun in November is a treat and one should take advantage of that. Rick Massie and I decided to hike Granite Mountain about one hour west from Seattle knowing we would have beautiful skies and abundant views from the summit.

We got an early start with only one car at the trailhead. The trail became snow packed about half way up where we stopped and put on our traction devices. It was damn windy as we came out of the trees into the open, we stopped and added layers. The wind was blowing a constant 30 mph plus on top, the last time I had so many layers on was maybe when summited Mt. Rainier in 2005.

After the hike, I warmed my mind, body and soul with a bowl of jambalaya soup at the North Bend Bar & Grill.