Fall Colors on Granite Mountain

Blueberry bushes cover the side of Granite Mountain.  Josh and I snacked on the sweet fruit on our way to the top.  Vibrant fall colors painted the bushes with red, yellow and orange hues.  The haze was thick from wildfires on the eastern side of the Cascades, yet it was still a beautiful day to be out hiking.

It had been a few weeks since our climb to the top of Mount Rainier and we had to get back out on the trail and this 8 mile route on Granite Mountain did the trick.  It was fairly steep and definitely a great workout.

At the top is a fire lookout where we met a volunteer for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest.  An Osborne Fire Finder was still in the lookout to be used in locating fires throughout the forest. The volunteer showed us how it is used.  It’s incredible to think of how this structure was built so high up at 5600 ft.  We were told the materials were carried up by mule teams.

It was an incredible hike in the cascades.  If you want to check this trail out, take I-90 from Seattle to exit 47 and park at the Pratt Lake lot.  Go to the WTA website for more information on Granite Mountain.  It might be too late for blueberries, only because I may have plucked the bushes clean!