Granite Mountain — Friday, Sep. 26, 2025

It’s been three years since I’ve done this hike, probably the first “hard” one for me, and the one that gave me the hiking bug. Took advantage of a day with less smoke and good air quality thanks to favorable winds to revisit it. I remember the toilet back then being awful and having to hold my breath. Well, guess what, be prepared to literally hold your breath while in the toilet at this trailhead. By far the stinkiest pit toilet I have ever come across in over three years of hiking. For the hike itself, now is a good time to come here for fall colors. There’s some color from bottom to top with vine maples, Sitka mountain ash, and huckleberry/blueberry bushes. This may not be the prettiest year though. I could be wrong. To me a lot of the foliage looks like it’s about done, drying or falling off, probably from such a long dry summer. But it’s still pretty. At the lookout the view today included Rainier, Adams, and plumes of smoke from the WILDCAT fire in the south and Labor Mountain fire in the east. On the way up, the view north included beautiful peaks, Tuscohatchie Lake, and Crystal Lake. No wonder I got the hiking bug from this hike.