Good day up Granite Mountain. Late start at 11:00 AM. 3.5 hours up. Trails in good condition. Snow only above the treeline about the 5000-foot level. The snow was soft and easy to hike/kick up mid-day. Recommend poles for stability, microspikes/crampons optional. Most folks just hiked up, some in boots, some in trail running shoes. I used poles. Ice axes recommended for a good glissade down. The snow trail is in good shape, soft with a cornice on the right side. Take care going up. I only made it to about 5400 feet level, past the major boulder/scree field, as a storm blew in and rain making the rocks somewhat slippery, and it was unclear how long the rain would persist. Many people used crampons for the final summit. It will have to wait another day.
