2022.6.11. Granite Creek

6/11, Saturday. I signed up with a new group for a "morning" hike to Granite Creek. The meeting time was 7am, but we didn't leave until 7:35am. If I ever go with them again, I'll arrive late too. There are 11 of us, all younger than me. There's one professional guide (river and bike guide in his prior career). They are all into outdoors, quite fit, very friendly. However, too much chitchatting, so slow moving. So this became a very easy outing, not a workout. I was in a car with 3 other girls: Rachel (in marine biology, moving to Portugal for grad school soon), Serena (seems to have an action-packed life), and Charlotte (working in food preservation, beginning climber, going to attempt Rainier in 2 weeks). I learned TooGoodToGo app from them.

The TH is 2 miles past Mailbox, which is overflowed, cars parked along the road for a long stretch. All WA state parks are free this weekend, no wonder. Thankfully, Granite Creek TH has a large parking lot, and it's not as popular. Only 1/3 filled ~8:30am.

Granite Creek trail almost follows the creek. The trail is much higher than the creek until this bridge (at 1.8 mile). The view of the water is mostly obscured by trees. Over-engineered. You can pile a lot of people on the bridge. Good view of the creek. There's a bench before the bridge (and a few scattered along the trail).

The trail has 2 junctions. The first is at 1.1 mile. The main one is at 3.5 mile. Turn right and going a little lower to the lakes. The left fork goes up to Thompson Lake and Peak. We headed to right. More water on the trail. Also the drizzle had become really rain. Everyone was in rain jacket, except Serena (she wore T-shirt till the end). This is the widest crossing, a little higher than ankle height. Bucky (the guide) changed into sandles. There are tree branches left by prior hikers if you didn't bring your trekking pole. After my crossing, I handed my pole behind to some one in my group. The whole group stayed together more or less all along.

We reached the end of the trail a little after 11am, but there's a larger creek to cross. I found a way over some snow (surprising to see snow so low in elevation ~3100') to an opening at waterfront, and went back to fetch them. We spent ~1.5 hours here, because M? decided to try fly fishing. He even borrowed Bucky's sandles, walked into the lake. The rest of us all begining to get cold. Hanah didn't bring enough clothes, so she was jumping up and down. The sun came out in the middle of our wait. So at least we saw the lake without too much cloud cover. Conversation never died, so I didn't have to take my book out. I passed along a bar of Theo chocolate, barely made the round. Bucky told us his river raft trip with Ivana Trump, and other tales.

Back at the parking lot, half of them used the toilet. Drove back in sunshine. Nice day to walk home, about a mile for me. Tried the new app, and ordered some food for tomorrow. Will see.