Bandera, the return to Poo Poo point and Granite Mountain - June Training

The June training continues with an increase in difficulty to intermediate levels. The first hike was Bandera in the Snoqualmie area. It starts very easy until 1/3 into the hike. It then starts getting steep for the next 1.5 miles. There was snow in the middle of the trail but we continued the hike. Snow clears up unless you take the route to Mason Lake. The last .5 miles is a fun hike up some boulders with good views of Rainier behind you. The boulder section gets a little challenging but once on the top you get some great views of Mason Lake, Rainier and the rest of the surrounding mountains. There was a lot of snow once at at the top but nothing too difficult.
We then tried another day hike to Poo-poo point, this time hoping to get to the actual launch site. This time the hike felt a little better and we reached the top way faster than the first time. This time we were able to reach the launch site. IT was fun to see some of the paragliders around but I didnt get to see anyone launching. It was warmer this time so there were plenty of bugs specially now that the grass was pretty high at the top of the mountain.
The highlight of the month was Granite mountain (Forest Pass required). I am a little dissapointed that we didnt reach the summit due to snow but overall was a good and fun hike. The trail is pretty good until the last mile where the snow took over. Its not too crowded and the trail is a combination of steep sections with different gradients but most of the sections were pretty open which made it a little easier. Watch out when crossing the avalanche chutes... they get steep with the snow so you might consider bringing some poles if you are doing this hike early in the year.

HEre are some stats from my buddy who has an awesome Garmin tracking device
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/95236115

Definetly coming back to this hike to make it to the summit this time!
Here is the recall again:
Bandera Mountain: Great views of Rainier and Mason Lake. Difficulty: 3.5/5
Poo-Poo Point: Great workout hike. Difficulty: 3/5
Granite Mountain: Awesome views of Rainier and the pass. Difficulty: 4/5

Pics from Granite Semi summit...