Russian Butte via Granite Lakes

Trip Report

Ian and I rode our mountain bikes up the Granite Creek Road-Trail, the later part of this road is too steep for us to pedal up and it sure is hard to push a bike up a road with a overnight pack on. We parked the bikes shortly before the road that forks right to the Granite Lakes and continued on up to Thompson Point 5124 on foot. We set up camp where the logging road meets the top of the ridge at an intersection. In good weather the view here is very nice, but we were in a cloud by this time.

We awoke to worse visibility but at least no rain (yet). We went up the ridge to a spur road that leads NE toward Revolution Peak, followed that road to its end then traversed the clear-cut into forest. The only difficulty on the way to Revolution Peak is a steep gulley that we had to drop below. Revolution Peak had a register.

We continued on north to the butte, eventually dropping down to the east side of the ridge. We passed through some delightful meadow land, is this really the middle fork? where is all the brush?!? Most of this trip was remarkably brush-free.

We scrambled to the summit of Russian Butte from the SE side. This involved 20-30 feet of wet rock that I found very challenging and not at all enjoyable. At least in wet weather I prefer our descent route.

The summit register was the most interesting one I have come across. The earliest entry I found was 2002. Entries included John Roper, Mike Torok, Johnny Jeans, a guy who approached via Mason Lake (!), a party that ascended from the Gifford Lakes, Bob Driesbach (author of Seattle Outdoors: Hiking & Cycling-Puget Sound and Cascades), Carl Driesbach (author Middle Fork Guide: Seattle's closest mountains), and Jeff Howbert (The Northwest Peakbaggers Asylum). The summit register was an unbound collection of paper in a plastic bag inside a glass jar.

We descended via the steep heather slopes NE of the summit then circled around to the south side, longer but no wet rock to downclimb. After passing Revolution Peak we screwed up and encountered the steep gully too high, instead of descending like we should have we crossed the gulley high on exposed, wet, dirt ledges, a low point of the trip for both of us.

Quote of the trip: "I like big buttes, I cannot lie."

References

• Book: Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes: Vol 1 - Columbia River to Stevens Pass
• Book: Seattle Outdoors: Hiking & Cycling-Puget Sound and Cascades

Driving Directions

Take exit 34 off of I-90. Go north on 468th Ave for about 0.4 miles. Go right onto SE Middle Fork Road. (At the intersection with Lake Dorothy Road I always take Lake Dorothy Road since it seems wider, Lake Dorothy Road joins with the Middle Fork Road before the Mailbox Peak trailhead.)

The Mailbox Peak trailhead is 2.5 miles from the intersection of the Middle Fork Road and 468th Ave SE, immediately before the Middle Fork Road turns into gravel. (3 miles from exit 34.) Parking is on both sides of the road.

The Granite Creek Road-Trail is the first road on the right after the Mailbox Peak trailhead. It is blocked by a yellow gate. I usually park at the Mailbox Peak trailhead and walk to the Granite Creek Road-Trail.

Maps

• Greentrails map: Bandera

Travel Times

• 2 hours 58 minutes ascending from Mailbox Peak trailhead (815') to turnoff to Granite Lakes (near where we left our bikes) (3,140')
• 1 hour 36 minutes ascending from turnoff to Granite Lakes (near where we left our bikes) (3,140') to camp below Thompson Point 5124
• 1 hour ascending from camp below Thompson Point 5124 (4,865') to Revolution Peak summit (5,605')
• 2 hours 42 minutes ascending from Revolution Peak summit (5,605') to Russian Butte summit
• 4 hours 19 minutes descending from Russian Butte summit (5,225') to camp below Thompson Point 5124
• 50 minutes descending from camp below Thompson Point 5124 (4,645') to turnoff to Granite Lakes (near where we left our bikes) (3,100')
• 55 minutes descending from turnoff to Granite Lakes (near where we left our bikes) (3,100') to Mailbox Peak trailhead

Visited

• Bandera USGS quad
• Chester Morse Lake USGS quad
• Granite Creek Road-Trail
• King County
• Middle Fork Snoqualmie Drainage
• Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
• Revolution Pk.
• Russian Butte
• Washington State