Home > Trip Reports > Alpental to Granite via Kaleetan 2/23/08

Alpental to Granite via Kaleetan 2/23/08

2/15/08
WA Snoqualmie Pass
10190
14
Posted by dave_perkins on 2/23/08 12:08pm
Today Monika and I skied Kaleetan Peak and Granite Mountain.  We left one car at the Granite Mt. trail head and drove up to Alpental.  We left the upper lot at 10am and toured up to the col between Bryant and Chair Peak.  Skied down to Upper Melakwa Lake.  Put the skins back on and toured up the drainage below Kaleetan before having to boot up the gully to the south face of Kaleetan.  From there we were able to tour up most of the way before taking the skis off to make it to the summit. 

We skied the south face of Kaleetan down to My Lake and then down across Pratt River to about 3200ft.  We put the skins back on and toured over a ridge to the south at about 3750ft until we crossed Tuscohatchie creek at the same elevation.  We followed the creek up to Tuscohatchie Lake.  We crossed the lake and made our way up to a saddle between Cad and Denny Lakes.  From there we followed the ridge up the summit of Granite Mt.  We skied the West face before traversing over to the lower section on the south side.  We got to the trail head at 4:40pm.

Overall the snow quality was firm corn snow except the lower south side of Granite where it was just sloppy.  Conditions were very solid all day.  The elevation gain was around 6700ft.  Our descent elevation was about 8100ft.  I haven€™t figured out the distance.

TR and pics on CC.com b/c I can post more pics there.

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/775607#Post775607

Nice effort Dave and Monika-
Great pictures too! Since you did such a nice job describing the route I used my topo electronic mapping and came up with almost the same elevation profile +/-. The distance came out to about 10.5 miles, adding  my own armchair switchbacks and such. There probably was more mileage with switchbacks, back tracks and all. Great effort and route finding, GPS or all map and compass? There seemed to be some pretty thick forested areas from your look back picture.
The other day I was looking out from Crystal to the Snoqualamie area and noticed Kaleetan sticking out  shining in the sun. My friend asked about that peak that was so prominent, and I told him I thought it was Kaleetan or Chair Peak. It's cool that you and Monika skied that beauty!
Not bad for a guy with no skins  ;) your legs must have been feeling mush like the snow below Granite after all that work.
Looks like you are ready for Vertfest.
Joe

Wow, that is great creative route selection.  Neat point to point, following the sun across the snow as the day progresses, great way to get up a couple of summits, and VERY strong!
Very nicely done.
John
author=Joedabaker link=topic=9278.msg37367#msg37367 date=1203864954]
adding  my own armchair switchbacks and such.

Great line, Joe!  You put in one heck of a virtual skin track, I'm sure!  Already done some "armchairing" myself this morning after a couple of long tiring days at Wintergrass!
John

Joe, 

I'm Steve's friend.  We have skied and mt. biked a few times.

Thanks for the distance info.  We used just a map and didn't have to pull out the compass.  The forest was only thick in a few spots.  The fall line off Kaleetan down to 3200ft was outstanding and the highlight of the trip.

BTW I had to use my rock skis due to the missing skins.

Dave

Hey Dave,

I don't know if it was you or not but I met a handfull of people at the notch there above the Bryant Col. If so nice to meet you but either way that is a cool trip.

author=Joedabaker link=topic=9278.msg37367#msg37367 date=1203864954]

Not bad for a guy with no skins  ;) your legs must have been feeling mush like the snow below Granite after all that work.



Dave does not tire--even after 15 hours of skinning and skiing. He is a freak of nature. And his not having skins is good news for me when I am back on snow, as he won't be laying down such a steep up-track--I can never stay in that billy goat track!

PS. Nice work! I looked for you with Binocs on Granite late in the day with no luck. Though I might have seen Marcus & Co skinning the stump in the am.

author=dave_perkins link=topic=9278.msg37369#msg37369 date=1203867123]
Joe, 

I'm Steve's friend.  We have skied and mt. biked a few times.

Thanks for the distance info.  We used just a map and didn't have to pull out the compass.  The forest was only thick in a few spots.  The fall line off Kaleetan down to 3200ft was outstanding and the highlight of the trip.

BTW I had to use my rock skis due to the missing skins.

Dave


I thought that was you Dave, nice route finding skills, we need to have you along for a couple of our spring fling tours with those skills. Yes -it would include a steep chute or two.

author=John_Morrow link=topic=9278.msg37368#msg37368 date=1203866278]
Great line, Joe!  You put in one heck of a virtual skin track, I'm sure! 

I was surprised when armchair Topo was only 12 feet off Dave's ascent and 9 feet off their decent! Nice job of describing the route, and good point John about following the sun. I subliminally think about that, but don't really put it into the plan enough.

author=Aaron_Riggs link=topic=9278.msg37372#msg37372 date=1203873184]
Dave does not tire--even after 15 hours of skinning and skiing. He is a freak of nature. And his not having skins is good news for me when I am back on snow, as he won't be laying down such a steep up-track--I can never stay in that billy goat track!


Ahh..I may have to retract my offer this spring if I will end up having to make a lower angle skintrack.
I have done a short early season tour with Dave and he does roll up the wall paper when setting a track!
Well..off to set my own low angle tracks...
Joe

VERY NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monkia kicked my butt yesterday. 

Monika,  good to see you back on the snow at your full-butt speed (well almost, I guess).

I was tired after two runs on Granite yesterday...

Nice work Dave- I spoke to you guys on the top of Granite and had you poiint out the route.

Do you think its significantly longer (more vert) than doing Kaleetan via Alpental and back?

Seems like a good trip for such an excellent day.

Hi Dave, I think we (party of 4) met you at Bryant Peak col on the way to Kaleetan. We followed you out there and then looped back around to Alpental. Great day! Posted a few of my pics here.

author=fresh link=topic=9278.msg37479#msg37479 date=1203996185">
Hi Dave, I think we (party of 4) met you at Bryant Peak col on the way to Kaleetan. We followed you out there and then looped back around to Alpental. Great day! Posted a few of my pics here.

Fresh, It was nice to meet you guys.  Glad you got up there too.

author=RonL link=topic=9278.msg37371#msg37371 date=1203871959">
Hey Dave,

I don't know if it was you or not but I met a handfull of people at the notch there above the Bryant Col. If so nice to meet you but either way that is a cool trip.

RonL, I think that was us you met along with Fresh and his group.  Were you the one who took the fun way down source lake?

author=Mjölner link=topic=9278.msg37475#msg37475 date=1203995237">
Nice work Dave- I spoke to you guys on the top of Granite and had you poiint out the route.

Do you think its significantly longer (more vert) than doing Kaleetan via Alpental and back?

Seems like a good trip for such an excellent day.


Mjölner, I think it is a bit longer.  There are great lines to hit on the way back to Alpental on both sides of Chair.

I have been wanting to try this tour for a few years and Monika was a great partner to do it with.

Yep that was me, there was an interesting mix of conditions in that chute but overall it was certainly a fun way down.

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alpental-to-granite-via-kaleetan-2-23-08
dave_perkins
2008-02-23 20:08:48