Granite Peak

Arrived in Red Lodge to hear that the Beartooth Pass was closed due to snow - not a good sign.

Headed for Granite Peak via the switchbacks, Mystic Lake/Princess Lake/Avalanche Lake route on Thursday, August 26th. Reached Princess in about seven hours. Rain, snow and sleet set in around dusk - not a good sign at all. Woke up Friday morning to 32 degrees F., clear sky and high hopes. That ended with the onset of more rain, snow and sleet. We decided to bag it and head down. No point in going on to Avalanche Lake since we had the boulder field to cross in dicey conditions. We made Huckleberry Lake in about four hours. Took a break at Mystic, then headed down the switchbacks. We met several groups going up to the FTDP, and heard that one group had been on Granite for a week waiting for the weather to break. Needless to say, the weather was less than optimal and I didn't think anyone was going to summit during the brief time we were there.

Anyway, we plan to go back in July 2005 for another shot at the top. Great views, super vistas - it was well worth the time and effort even if we didn't reach our goal.