The trail is primarily used for hiking and nature trips. The descent back to Froze to Death took 6 hours! Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The facility is clean with great staff and food. Mistake #3: Not paying attention. We napped most of the day, taking breaks to eat, enjoy short walks on the plateau, watch mountain goats, and appreciate the uniqueness of spending a beautiful summer day 11,400 feet above sea level. Sunday was extremely relaxing. “Granite Peak is one of the few mountains I’ve climbed multiple times,” Lemke added. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. When the weather opened up in late September, Jeremy Wood and I decided to climb the East Ridge of Granite Peak in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness of the Custer National Forest. We left town at 7:30 am and by 8:30 were driving in circles in the maze of 4WD trails that are at the base of Granite. Mistake #1: Late Start. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Granite peak is the highest point in Montana. I can’t express enough how terrible of an experience this “trail” will be. As a result, this is one of the most heavily used trails in the Trinity Alps, exceeded only by the Canyon Creek and Granite Lake trails. Granite Peak under ominous leaden clouds, from the slope of Froze-to-Death plateau (1991-08-26). The actual climb is a challenging ascent, rated a class 4 in its upper reaches. Top Hikes. For this reason, Granite Peak is considered one of the more difficult US state highpoints. The approach hike to the base, no matter which route you take, is an arduous trek. Things mellow out once on FTD plateau but don't underestimate FTD, stay high and keep an eye on the map. Plenty of parking and there are no fees. The Dam at the end of Mystic Lake and looking down the valley you drove up to get to the trailhead. Granite Peak hems in the east side of Red Mountain Meadow. Much of the hike is bouldering make sure you have ankle support if you need it and soled shoes. It's also considered by some to be the second most difficult state high point to summit after Denali. Eventually we figured out where we were, and were able to scramble up and over to the snow bridge. Granite Peak is the highest point in Montana and is considered one of the most difficult of the 50 state high points. The head-badge was often crooked and off-center. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Many people bring ropes and pro for this part. No need to get on a plane to experience that family vacation. Restaurants, bars, ice skating, indoor water parks and arcades are just minutes away to enhance your vacation with us. In addition to long views along Lake Tahoe’s east and south shores, you’ll also see … Emerald Bay, Cascade Lake, Fallen Leaf Lake, Freel Peak, Mount Tallac, and aspects of Desolation Wilderness. The USGS map, Granite Peak, is recommended for the hike across FTD plateau. Rick and I were so focused on the prize that we didn’t pay enough attention to the route down. Should only be attempted by those with good mountain sense. Change ). As the highest point in Montana, it’s a peak that’s been on the bucket list for a while. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Keep your eyes out for mountain goats. Turn left here follow the dirt road for 14 miles (West Rosebud Lake Road #17) until you reach the trailhead. Rick and I rose at 5 am Saturday morning and started hiking across the boulder field toward the Tempest Traverse. The traverse was actually the least sketchy part between the plateau and the summit. All combined, a total of 7 helicopter rescues were performed the next morning, because high winds prevented them from happening that evening. Nonetheless, I’ve never been so happy to see a sunrise in my life! This route is difficult to navigate with a pack between the Mystic Lake trail and Avalanche Lake. This is our day hike up Granite Peak in the Beartooth Wilderness of Montana. This 12,799 located in the Beartooth Mountain Range of Montana in the Rockies is one of the harder state highpoints to get due to the distance technical challenge of the last 200 feet of the summit block. ture ever; the weekend in July 2013 when my friend (Rick) and I climbed the highest peak in Montana. I have rappelled down this section but I would not recommend up climbing it as it is very loose and very steep. Grew up in Harlem (MT), married (Mardi), 4 grown children, retired - taught high school science 37 yrs (Helena High Earth Science 1994-2019), enjoy hiking, peak-bagging, trail-running, snow-shoeing, and kayaking. Granite Peak Ski Resort is a ski area in the Town of Rib Mountain, Marathon County, Wisconsin, south of Wausau. Very tiring but one of the best hikes with the best views in Montana!! The day hike to the south peak of Maggie’s Peaks is an incredibly worthwhile challenge. All approaches to Granite are long and rough, largely off-trail above tree line, which is below 10,000' feet in this area. Do not underestimate the risks, and I strongly advise staying out of the chimney (directly south of the peak), which is very prone to falling rocks (big and small). As a result, after making the 240-mile drive to the trailhead, we didn’t start hiking until 2 pm. Granite Peak: Great Place For Hiking/Skiing - See 288 traveler reviews, 58 candid photos, and great deals for Wausau, WI, at Tripadvisor. Lying deep within the rugged Beartooth Wilderness, it is surely one of the most difficult of the 50 state high points. Extend the Sunset Peak trail to include the Granite Peak route, but the shortage of water on either trail is a serious issue; Hike to Sunset Peak from Tamarack Saddle; From the shoulder of Granite Peak, continue on the ATV trail to the Stateline trail and Pear Lake. From here drive southwest about a mile and then turn left (south) onto West Rosebud Road. There is a very narrow snow bridge with a lot of exposure and it doesn't look like there is a route to the top but there is. One expert received his Granite Peak with open holes in the welds on the seat-tube and chain-stays, where the frame was separating. They sometimes sheared off or rounded the axle, pointing in the same direction. It's a good idea to bring an ice axe and crampons for this part. Make sure to stay to the right after the 7 miles up Phantom Creek, as the trail disappears into the plateau and you may think you want to circle back on to Phantom but you don’t as that trail runs away towards East Rosebud. The route shown from Princess Lake to Avalanche Lake is basically impassable without climbing gear. Sadly, on the way down another party of four experienced a death and another serious casualty during a rock avalanche down the "Chimney", as the first rappel point anchor rock broke loose. I hiked the whole thing in approach shoes and I would not recommend that! But views of pointed Kaleetan Peak, deep blue Crystal Lake, the climber-dotted Tooth, and Mount Rainier dominating the skyline to the south make it all worth it. We reached the start of the traverse at 7 am, and from there it took us 5 hours to reach the summit. High quality Granite Peak gifts and merchandise. Granite Peak Multifamily is proud to offer professional, innovative property management services to our our customers. Get the app Granite Peak Intermediate. “It’s one of the most captivating mountains.” At an elevation of 12,808 feet, Granite Peak is Montana’s highest point and is considered one of the most difficult in the United States to summit because of the long hike to get to its base, a plateau known as Froze to Death. Attempted July 4th weekend but a storm rolled in. This is an incredible hike! Granite Peak (12,799') is the highest peak in Montana. The astounding views from the summit of the Granite Mountain trail come at a price. From there, we retraced our journey back to Froze to Death Plateau. Our penalty for going down the wrong way was that we ended up doing several rappels, which are not necessary if you simply descend the same way you come up. When you get up there it will look impossible but if you can make it across the snow bridge safely there is a route you can scramble up to the summit. Trail Guide Best Trails & Photos. Day hiked it 8/6/19 and was an amazing experience that was well worth it!! Here’s how the trip played out, one mistake at a time. Granite Peak lies deep in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana. I enjoyed reading about your adventure, and good for you for admitting mistakes. Follow this paved road for just over 6 miles until reaching a fork. Made it to the tippy-top at 9:00am. We were both semi-prepared (head-lamps, extra layers, snacks), and fortunately it didn’t get too cold, nor did it rain. Cranks were thin. Into the archives. ( Log Out /  The southern peak is 8699 feet, while the northern peak is slightly shorter at 8499. ( Log Out /  We arrived back in Helena early Monday evening, both considerably smarter than when we started our adventure the previous Friday. This formidable mountain is located in the heart of the remote and scenic Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, just north of Yellowstone National Park. Climbing the scree slope above Avalanche Lake towards a glaciated slope ahead. Granite Peak Trail is a 19.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Fishtail, Montana that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Packed up camp and made it out to the parking lot at 11:00pm. Day two started at 4:00am and we made the summit at 3:30pm via "The Crux" route. There is a small area at the southern tip of Avalanche Lake to overnight, but probably 3 tents, max! From here the next 200 feet or so to the top looks impossible. Best done in early or late season to avoid the crowds. The junction is signed. Our group made it out safely, but only after spending the night on the trail due to a late start after helping the wounded as much as we could. Short of … Below: This map marks hikes that have been featured on bigskywalker.com so far, including several in Glacier Park – Select full screen to expand, zoom in for more detail, or click on a marker for a link to the post. A nearly-1000-feet-of-elevation-gain-per-mile price. A better route from Princess Lake is to follow the light trail from the west side of Princess Lake that follows the drainage from Snowball Lakes, then bear east, staying North of Storm Lake and around the Northern tip of Avalanche Lake, and then south along the eastern shoreline until reaching the approaches to the Granite Peak Saddle. Benbow OHV Road: East Fishtail Creek Trail to Island Lake, Quinnebaugh Meadows and Sundance Lake via West Fork of Rock Creek Trail, Kersey Lake Trail to Rock Island Lake Trail, September Morn Lake via West Fork and Lake Fork Trail. Exhausted and relieved, we texted our wives to let them know we were going get home a day late. Day one was W. Rosebud trailhead to Mystic Lake, then up "Switchbacks from Hell" and 1/2 way across Froze-To-Death Plateau. Nordic Skating on the Mighty Mo near Helena, Kayaking on the Missouri River north of Helena, Peak-Bagging in the Little Rockies: Mission Peak & Indian Peak, Headquarters Pass to Our Lake Traverse west of Choteau, St. Mary Peak and Trapper Peak in the Bitterroots, Sacajawea – High Point in the Bridger Mountains, East & West St. Marys Peaks on the Flathead Reservation, Ice Cave in the Big Snowies south of Lewistown, Floral Park Traverse in Glacier Park: Logan Pass to Lake McDonald, Hike through the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington, Crown Mountain on the Rocky Mountain Front. The northern peak has slightly better views of Emerald Bay, but the southern peak is higher and offers better views of Desolation. The standard and "easiest" route, the East Ridge, requires class 4+ to low class 5 climbing. This is not a trail. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. Left at 10:00am and made it to to Froze to Death plateau at 5:00. Located in Wausau - we are proud to partner with some of the best lodging properties located just minutes from the resort. In addition, the Granite Peak trail is one of the few hikes in the Trinity Alps that makes a reasonable day hike, rather than an extending backcountry excursion. Web Map Links: Peakfinder Panorama GeoHack Links CalTopo MyTopo Bing Maps Google Maps Open Street Map: Prominence: Key Col Page (Detailed prominence information) Clean Prominence: 4759 ft/1450 m Optimistic Prominence: 4799 ft/1462 m Line Parent: Francs Peak Key Col: Colter Pass 8040 ft/2451 m Keep your eye out for Carins. Just a 4 1/2 hour drive from Chicago it’s easy to to plan a last minute weekend outing. Once daylight came we were able to find the way back to our tent. Granite Peak Trail is a 2.2 mile out and back trail located near Reno, Nevada that offers the chance to see wildlife and is good for all skill levels. Granite Peak, with an elevation of 12,803″, is Montana’s highest peak. 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