A return trip to Tuck and Robin Lakes was in order, and I wanted to squeeze in a jaunt up Granite Peak while we were at it. I hadn’t been to Tuck and Robin in years, so the anticipation was high as Katie, Eric, and I set off from the ever-popular Tucquala Meadows Trailhead at around 8:30 am.
The first 3 miles were essentially flat, passing Hyas Lake and its nice selection of lake-side campsites. We then began a steep ¾ mile climb up to the turn off to Tuck and Robin. The section of trail after the turn off is also steep and rooty, gaining over 1000 feet in a mile to the shores of Tuck Lake.
Beyond Tuck Lake, the trail becomes more of a traditional climber’s path. It was much rougher than I remembered from previous trips, and it actually took a bit of route-finding to sniff out the best route around Tuck Lake. Another hard-earned mile and 1000 feet of gain brought us into the wonderful granite basin that is Robin Lakes.
Even on an overcast day, the lakes still shimmered with a brilliant blue. It is understandable why this is a popular backpacking destination. Eric and Katie were happy to hang out and explore the lakes basin while I went off on a quick jaunt to summit Granite Peak.
I was able to follow a decent path straight up the ridgeline between the two Robin Lakes. A short drop into a saddle brought me to the final class 2 climb and ridge-walk to the summit. Before this trip, I was sure I had summited Granite Peak before, but now standing on the summit it was clear I had actually climbed up a subpeak on the ridge above the lower Robin Lake. Happy to have now tagged the real summit I took in the view out towards the Cradle and Mount Stuart.
I made short work of the descent, returning to spend some more time lounging by the lakes. The whole climb of Granite Peak took me about 45 minutes roundtrip from the lakeshore.
Eric was going to stay the night and attempt a traverse to Paddy Go Easy Pass the next day, but Katie and I had to get back to the trailhead that evening, so we regrettably bid him adieu and returned the way we came down the rough trail. It was tough on the knees, but we eventually got back down to the valley floor and sped out the final 3 miles, finishing up a deceptively long day.
Final Stats: 15.2 miles / 4030 feet of ascent
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