This 4.4 mile round trip moderate hike was perfect today. We started our hike at around 12:15 and found lots of people descended, so the way up was not too crowded. Given the lack of shining sun, the cool temps made the hike even more palatable. The conditions of the trail were slightly wet with a few mucky bogs along the way. Nothing too bad, though.

Was rainy, but not too bad. First time doing this hike and am very glad we did.

Headed out from Bothell, WA around 6 AM. Drove through Seattle to I-90, stopping to grab some snacks, and arriving at Little Si around 7:15AM. Got to love that bridge coming in! It is so pretty. When we got there, there were already a few cars in the parking lot. Used the facilities and whatnot, and got on the trail around 7:30. It was a little chilly and rainy out, so we both started with hoodies on, and Emily quickly changed from a fluffy yorkie into a muddy and wet rat. The trail is rather rocky, and starts out a little steep. A short way up there is a view point, that was breath taking! You can see the valley and mountains, and there was some pretty cloud cover. We continued on, and saw a few people on the trail, several of which had friendly dogs with them.

Eventually we came to a beautiful area that felt a bit like a valley. It was thickly covered by trees and many large rocks. There were what you might call rolling ups and downs for a while. Eventually a pair of two gentlemen passed us with packs on, and a little ways down the way we saw them going up a trail that lead to a large rock face. They were rock climbers! Which made us feel relieved, because we were a bit worried that we would have to go up that trail. The ‘valley’ lasted for a while, and was extremely beautiful. It was during this time that a couple of people passed us, and we met a couple of people coming back, so we knew we weren’t too far off from the summit.

After the valley there was a dramatic increase in elevation climb, including several switch backs and some rocky areas that had me thinking, “Hm, I might be able to go UP but how am I going to get DOWN!?” This is especially interesting for me since I am deathly afraid of falling. The last few minutes were very difficult and you could tell we were going through the cloud bank because the air looked like it was thick with smoke. When we reached the summit it was worth it! We could see over the valleys and were actually over the clouds now. Big Si was right next to us, and we were able to compare how much taller it was. There was a cool breeze that helped relieve us from the humidity of the climb up, but eventually we had to put our jackets back on because it got so chilly.

At the top we relaxed by sitting on a rock and having our snacks. Emily got a few big pieces of a peanut butter sandwich, and seemed very happy. A couple of other people joined us at the top, and we ended up striking up a conversation with a young man in college, who eventually hiked back down with us. It may sound cheesy, but this made me very happy since I am always reading these ‘adventure’ books where people make friends on the trail and whatnot, so it made me very happy to have that experience!

On the way down we saw several other families. Coming down the steep rocky areas turned out to not be so bad, though I did have to take my time. I must say that I am proud of myself for not slowing too much though! Between the momentum of the sugar spike from our snack and our new friends conversation, the trip back seemed to fly! Toward the end we passed SEVERAL people, and the trail started to become really crowded. Again, I was happy we got there early. The parking lot was full when we got back to the truck.

On the way home we took the long route on 202 & 203. We stopped at Snoqualmie Falls, which was beautiful, and then stopped in Fall City for a well earned burger, fries, and soda. I would say we will definitely visit this hike again, and I hope to complete Big Si by the end of this season.

Talk about a crowded hike! The parking lot was completely full, and we had to park a ways away and walk. The trail has been well maintained, and was free of mud. It was a gorgeous day for a hike! The only problem we encountered was the people... But I guess we'll just have to go on a weekday when it's raining. Be warned that this hike takes a little bit of exertion. If you are taking kids, know that they will get tired. :)