Griffin Lake Peak (7.5 miles; d=9.50)
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Griffin Lake Peak Winter Hike Route Map
The approximate track of my winter hike up Griffin Lake Peak, depicted a la Google Earth...
Griffin Lake Peak Winter Hike Route Map
The approximate track of my winter hike up Griffin Lake Peak...
Mile 38 Road Winter 'Trailhead' -- 1,170'
The hike begins here...12 miles from the highway the plowed road ended...we liked the looks of the snowmobile tracks though, it'd make easier walking...
About a half mile in we'd take a right onto the trail road which would lead up to the summertime trailhead...
I remembered this spot from my previous visit...there's actually a tiny creek running through the middle of the picture that I had to ford with my pickup the last time through...
This was the first major climb, and to my memory, the worst part of the hike...I would be quite wrong...
About a mile from the trailhead, the high ridge that we'd eventually be traveling along came into view...our first hint that we still likely had a decent amount of climbing to do...
A mile and a half in we reached the summertime trailhead...from here we'd be leaving the nicely packed snowmobile trail and start breaking our own path through the snow...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 1,600'
The snow was DEEP...real deep...and it's only December!
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 1,700'
It took about 15 minutes for breaking trail to get quite old...I appreciated having a partner on this hike to trade off being the point man, though I doubt he shared the sentiment...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 1,760'
A brief bit of sunlight and blue sky...about all we'd get for the entire hike...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 1,800'
The surroundings on the way up were monotonous, yet quite beautiful...too bad it was lost on us as the deep snow pack was quickly kicking our butts...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 1,900'
Snow arch...dunno, just thought it looked cool...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,000'
Topping out along the ridge, we began to encounter a new nemesis...if you look close you can see drifts crossing the trail in parallel waves...what you can't tell is how the top of each drift was semi-solid, holding you for a second then collapsing under your weight...between the drifts was just soft, deep snow allowing you to sink before stepping up onto and then collapsing into the next drift...it was brutal, just brutal...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,030'
It always amazes me how conifers can handle such huge snow loads and survive...this ones almost folded over on itself, and winters' only just started!
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,060'
There is hope!!! This clearing marks the 'false summit' that had briefly fooled me upon my first visit here...after more than a few doubts passing this spot meant we just might make it...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,070'
I thought, for about half a second to climb up to the clearing to see if I could see anything...I couldn't summon the energy to care, however...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,080'
I seem to remember this little clearing being a small marshy area...likely where I pictured the moose track in my other album...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,100'
It might of been all in our heads, but the snow seemed to be getting deeper the higher we climbed...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,110'
Snow-flocked spruce...
Griffin Lake Peak Trail -- 2,130'
Our destination FINALLY comes into view...after a good two hours of breaking trail we were too tired to be real excited...
The true summit, and the views we came here for, sits in the shadow of this old fire tower on the north end of the summit clearing...
Looking north and east Griffin Lake Peak's namesake sits quietly among the snow-covered hills...
Griffin Lake, over a thousand vertical feet below...