Montana’s Granite Peak, a challenge and a retreat from modern life
There’s a reason why it’s called Mystic Lake — the incredible wilderness, the solitude and the sense of wonder are truly mystical here.
I try to get here to hike at least once a year, and I’m proud to say I’ve made it to three of the most challenging summits in the Beartooth Mountains and Custer National Forest about 75 miles southwest of Billings — Mount Wood, Tempest Mountain and Granite Peak, Montana’s highest point at 12,799 feet above sea level.
Climbing Granite, many say, is one of the hardest mountain ascents in the Northwest, and for good reason.
You have to be in shape and acclimated for high-altitude hiking, ready for a challenge and prepared with the right gear for what can be a three-day trek. And you have to keep a sharp eye out for lightning storms all the time. Bad weather can come up from below, and when you reach a certain altitude you just don’t see it coming sometimes.
But you’ll get a storm after 1 p.m. every day — guaranteed. Trust me, you don’t want to be on an exposed bluff or on the Granite Peak summit when there’s lightning. It’s not good. It’s as if heaven and earth are fighting it out in a cosmic clash.
I usually start out at the Mystic Dam camp, the living quarters for PPL Montana employees working at the historic Mystic Dam powerhouse, which has been producing renewable energy for 85 years. Starting out at 6,800 feet above sea level, you already have a glimpse of the sweeping high county yet to be conquered.
It’s a three-day hike to the Granite summit (a friend of mine who’s a Navy SEAL can do it with a light pack in a day). For me, it takes a day to reach the base camp at the Froze to Death Plateau, at more than 10,000 feet.
A popular approach up to the plateau is from the West Rosebud trailhead, which you pick up at the end of West Rosebud Road on the grounds at the Mystic powerhouse. The trail leads uphill to Mystic Lake and the dam. There are more than two dozen switchbacks on the way, which is probably why this stretch of the journey is appropriately named “Switchbacks from Hell.” But it’s a good trail that’s maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.
Many a hiker stops before crossing the plateau. Strewn with rock and exposed and barren, it often separates the day hiker from the mountaineer.
From here it’s about another seven miles to the base of Granite Peak. By now you’re seeing a really magnificent tableau of bluish snow-capped peaks above 12,000 feet. Mountain goats and pika, a high mountain rodent that chirps and loves to chew on your gear, keep you company.
When you reach the summit, you’re overwhelmed by the accomplishment and awed by the panoramic view. When you get up that high, 12,000 feet, you swear you can touch the jet streams. If you stay still, you can hear loose granite falling as a result of the freezing and thawing. It’s refreshing to hear it. It shows that the mountain is alive.
It’s hard for me to think of an appropriate answer when I ask myself why I make this climb. It’s kind of like life. It’s the climb up there that counts, not getting there. It’s something I really enjoy. It gets me away from the busy world. But what’s funny to me is that you get a strong cell phone signal up there.
The hike down, at least for me, is the hardest part. Scrambling downhill over glacier moraine, loose rock and ice fields is tricky.
I like hiking this area in July and recommend a good pack, sturdy boots, a water purification system, energy food, ice crampons and rope. For safety reasons, I always hike with a friend or two. I also pack a portable gas stove and a frying pan to cook fresh mountain trout. For me, there’s nothing better than freshly caught mountain trout cooked in butter.
I need to go back.
Access: From Fishtail, take the 17-mile Mystic Lake Road. At the end of this bumpy, dusty road, you’ll find parking and the West Rosebud trailhead, which leads to PPL Montana’s Mystic Lake and hydroelectric dam. From the east shore of the lake, you will pick up another trail that leads to the Froze to Death Plateau and its spectacular views, and then onto the base of Granite Peak. The lake and nearby areas are popular recreation destinations and provide hiking, fishing and backcountry camping opportunities. Because of its high elevation above 7,000 feet, most recreation use at Mystic Lake occurs in July and August when the trails are free of snow. Several trails from the lake lead into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, which surrounds much of the hydroelectric dam. PPL Montana works with the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies to maintain and develop recreational facilities.