[HikerChar]

Howdy folks, Has anyone summited Granite Mountain in Montana via the Southwest Couloir or the parallel route Southwest Ramp? It is 28 miles RT and obviously an overnighter or two! If you have done this and have anything to share about your experience, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. I am over 60 and in pretty good shape and hiked/climbed for decades and would like to give it a go later this summer. Finding a couple of others to go along may be the hardest part : ) Tx! HC

[Eric Hansen]

Granite Mountain? You're referring to Granite Peak, in the Beartooths, right? Montana's highest? I have not done it, though I've eyeballed it from Mount Villard. And studied many of the reports on the Southwest approach. Seems like the route is a long, airy scramble with lingering snow or ice the joker. Been in Aero Lakes basin several times, also been on Glacier Peak there. And, no I'm not a candidate for this, for doing Granite Peak. I'll be 74 this year, and it is time to backoff.

[Redwic]

Hi, I have been on that approach twice. The first time, my partner and I got skunked by a massive storm system combined with an overhanging/lingering snow patch. The second time, my group was successful (we bypassed the snow patch section altogether by starting our scrambling earlier to get on top of The Slab). There are some in-your-face-but-hidden-at-first-glance spots down low, but after you are above The Slab then the route is quite obvious up high. We did not need any ropes; all Class 2 & Class 3 scrambling. We took the Sky Top Lakes approach, then Southwest Ramp route to/from the summit. VISIT THIS PAGE: https://www.summitpost.org/granite-peak/150239 https://www.summitpost.org/southwest-couloir/160092

[HikerChar]

Yes Granite Peak, thank you. My brain was lame last night. Thanks for your perspective...keep on doing what you can for sure.

[HikerChar]

Redwic, this is quite helpful regarding the snow patch which I see in quite a few pics and your workaround is good to know! Glad to hear the rest was straightforward. Checking out the links too and I have done some research. I found a post from 2012 that had the GPS coordinates and seemed well documented. Now to find a couple of willing souls to hike it with me. Thanks!

[Eric Hansen]

Worth passing on - grizzly are a possibility. One fatality at a Cooke City CG a few years back. Memory has a report of one hanging around Aero Lakes several years ago.

[HikerChar]

Grizzlies are a possibility. Skytop Lakes is the route I am thinking about.

[forest gnome]

We usually carry the smallest airhorns from the marine store...easy to clip on the shoulder harness ...learned from the guides in alaska... Most important rule of course is the RULE of separation... A few years ago a guy ran ahead of his group just a little ways, to get a pict.of them he had spray in his hand... Couldn't get the tab off so threw it over the bears head...did not end well...

[HikerChar]

Good to know this forest g. Thank you. I don't like griz country but it is what it is. I was already mentally going over any cooking for AWAY from the tent and DON'T wear any clothing that was around food, keep all that far AWAY from the tent....I boil water so not much cooking at all. The airhorns are a good idea and if the Alaska guide said do it, I would do it. When I hiked with my friends on Kodiak one year, he took his BIG gun along. I did feel safer and hoped he would never need to use it which he did not. I easily believe the story of the guy who ran to get a pic and couldn't get the tab off...why would anyone be doing that? Getting closer to take a picture? There are always those who help generate our statistics sadly. Don't be a fool no matter what we are doing outside! Then there was the guy who fell into one of the big pools at Yellowstone a few years back b/c he wanted a closer pic...sheesh.