[cascadeclimber]

Cut out of work a bit early yesterday to make the best of the weather. Had heard that Granite was in a low-snow condition, but was just shocked to be able to hike to the top via the gully taking maybe 50 steps in the snow, total (and all right below the lookout). The back side, where the summer trail runs near the top has more snow (north-facing, wind load, etc), but the south face is nearly bare. I hiked all the way to the top in bike shorts and no shirt. Felt like a late May afternoon. On the down side, at the top there is the remnants of a tent platform between the lookout and the high point. Sitting next to it is a large turd of either human or canine origin. Either way, EXCEPTIONALLY poor form to leave a sh## behind. Burying turds in the snow is not an acceptable disposal method. On trails that get snow like Mailbox I've frequently seen people kicking snow over dog turds in winter. PLEASE be more respectful of those that come behind you. Please. Edit to add: On the way down at dusk I found a black bandana on a rock below the gully crossing. I carried it down and tied it to one of the outhouse roof posts. No snow on Mailbox

Granite South Face

Summit pano

Lookout at sunset

[RichP]

[Malachai Constant]

Yeah, we saw that on Sunday when we went toward Pratt and yesterday went up the peak that shall not be named with out any snow to the 12 flag.

[joker]

Yikes it is bare and dry up there!

[Opus]

Unbelievable. There is actually less snow up there than when I hiked it around Christmas.

[seattlehikertoo]

I don't understand the dog poo thing either. I have taken my brother's dog, Gary, hundreds of times on these I90 corridor hikes. In snow, I'd end up carrying 2 or 3 of his prodigious loads which end up dangling about my pack. You can't "bury" them in snow. It only preserves them until the melt-out, where many unsuspecting "souls" end up with more than mud on their "soles." ...Loren, I could have gone yesterday.

[wolffie]

I sheepishly admit that I have been guilty of this. I know when my dogs are going to defecate (soon after the meal), and I try to keep my eye on them, but sometimes I've gotten distracted. Sorry. One thing we dog owners can do to even the score is religiously remove all the litter, crap, crap bags, and graffiti we find -- especially at home in the city -- who patrols the neighborhood more than dogwalkers?

[Randito]

What I find facinating are plastic dog poop bags tied to tree branches along popular trails. When I see these at first light -- it's a good guess that whomever tied it there walked right past on the way out. if you aren't going to "pack it out" -- at least "make the deposit" off the beaten path by a hundred feet or more -- whether there is snow or not. When your dog makes a deposit near the beaten track use your snow-shovel to move it away.

[cascadeclimber]

[Randito]

[AlpineRose]

If a tree falls in the forest.......

[Randito]

[joker]

If your dog wears a diaper, carry the damn dirty diaper out! Otherwise, doing what you'd responsibly do with your own or your child's poo seems like a reasonable approach. I tire of the "will come back for it later" bags-o-dog-poo that are increasingly showing up trailside. Especially the ones that look days old. I'd much rather that the owner had done as Randy suggests than take this approach... Is spray in TRs OK when the OP starts it?

[cascadeclimber]

[El Puma]

Looks like you had a nice day Monday as well. I was up there Sunday (via the gully as well), and after comparing pictures found out I had been there exactly a year ago. You can guess which picture is from when...