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Karen
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Joined: 22 Dec 2001
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Karen
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PostMon Jun 04, 2007 2:02 pm 
This was a Mountaineer conditioning hike and we got our money's worth today given the heat. The hike begins (of course) on the Granite Lake Road off the MFK and a lot of it was in shade with just a hint of a cool breeze. Usually I hike/snowshoe this road in the winter -- this was my first visit early in the year and it was much prettier than I anticipated. Lots of flowers lining the road, little freshets, deep, cool woods, monolithic stumps with jack-o-lantern faces (springboard notches). Learned a new word today regarding working in timber .. "butt swell". A nifty word for where to measure the width of a tree -- at the time it was kind of funny and we joked around about tree-porn. There was another colorful term, too, applied to timber work but I've forgotten it. The last stretch before the "picnic" table was in full sun and it was darned hot. By the time we got to the picnic table most of us were ready for a rest and a snack. Then we continued down to the lakes on old/road dwindling to a brushy path. No problem to follow. A view of the "lower" lake, a little bit more hiking and we were at Upper Granite Lake. We fought for scraps of shade (slight exaggeration) but most of us settled for dappled light and watched the fish jump. This is a pretty spot, indeed. There were many more wildflowers than we expected to see -- the last bit of road down from the picnic table was almost lavendar with violets (the purple ones). Never saw so many in one place. They were sharing the territory with yellow violets and the first marsh marigolds I've seen this year. Also saw columbine, Canadian dogwood, false lily-of-the-valley, vanilla leaf and beargrass (beginning to bloom at the lake). Before we got to the picnic table (at lower elevations) there were tons of thimbleberry blossoms, RIPE salmonberries, buttercups and bleeding heart, foamflower and fringe-cup (fringe cup mostly past prime). I don't know much about grass but there was a lovely type of grass growing along stretches of the lower road -- wish I knew what it was, I'd plant it in my yard. Only two other people at the lake -- they carried in a small raft. We envied them! It was so muggy that it was even hot going down hill. By the time we were back in North Bend the thunderheads were building white anvils in the sky. 11 miles round trip, about 2,400 feet gain. Karen
Hiker on the Granite Lake Road
Hiker on the Granite Lake Road
Seed pods
Seed pods
Relaxing on Upper Granite Lake
Relaxing on Upper Granite Lake
Granite Lakes, marshmarigold and ant
Granite Lakes, marshmarigold and ant

stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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Kat
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Joined: 05 Oct 2003
Posts: 2560 | TRs | Pics
Kat
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PostMon Jun 04, 2007 2:37 pm 
Well I did a double take with this TR - thought you got a pic of us! But we were there Fri/Sat - and my goodness you are correct - that last piece of exposed road is hotttt.
Curtis Raft and Diablo III telescopic rod
Curtis Raft and Diablo III telescopic rod
And fyi - we got an ugly surprise - the campsite by the outlet has pretty much been obliterated - the large Doug Fir there came down. Not much else at the lake that I could see (altho we stuffed our little tent onto a flat spot near the outlet) - options are at the top of the bootpath heading down.

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Karen
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Karen
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PostTue Jun 05, 2007 7:58 am 
Kat, I DID wonder about the raft and wondered if it was someone from NW Hikers. I was only off by two days! Karen

stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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Yana
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Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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Yana
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PostTue Jun 05, 2007 9:57 am 
Ah, Granite Lakes Road-Trail. How I miss thee! Love the flower shots, Karen.

PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
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