May 25, 2002, Granite Mountain, Snoqualmie Pass

Despite a forecast calling for showers we decided to go for it on this nearby tour. A finger of snow still reaches down the frontside gulley that the trail intersects at about 3500 feet. We ascended this head-on, then angled west towards the southwest ridge. Following tracks, we stayed on the westward reaches of the main south face, and attained the southwest ridge relatively high and close to the top. This ascent was direct and seemed safe. On the way up we observed a hiker descending off the summit down the south aspect of the south-west ridge, setting off huge surface "hisser" slides almost continually as he "lateralled". After waiting out a brief shower on the summit (the only rain of the day), we chose to descend the west bowl instead. Any portion of the south face was definitely out, with surface instability and lots of rocks in the gravity path. While the sw ridge would have been a safe choice, the bowl looked so inviting. We traversed in near the top, setting off continual hissers, to the northern portion of the bowl where the angle moderates. There, we had beautiful turns in buttery untracked for the main descent. Given the choice between a continuing obvious descent to snowy benches below, or an unknown left lateral traverse around to the southwest ridge, the choice was obvious. We kept going down. At about 4000 feet the lowest clearing is reached, arcing conveniently around to the southeast. We lateralled eastwards through the snowy forested hillside a few hundred yards, then descended a few hundred feet though a conveniently placed glade. Time to take off the skis and resume a southeast trending descent. The forest was quite open and the going was actually pretty relaxing. The trail put in an appearance quite conveniently. There should still be good snow in the west bowl for a few more weeks, and in better snow stability conditions, the steeper aspects of the bowl could be spectacular.

D. Koelle