Good amount of mud on the trail, but other than that pretty great. A way more delightful trail than I thought it would be. Took a 4 year old corgi and a 3 month old German shepherd, they were trying hard but they both did it. Have fun, stay safe!

Along with the sun setting over the Olympics, crocuses popping up through the grass late winter, whales breaching in Puget Sound, and the first plum and cherry blossoms of the year, the brilliant sun shining through snow-blanketed conifers is one of the most majestic sights in the Pacific Northwest.

This was a quick lunchtime foray up Little Si to break up the work day and get psyched for a more substantial hike this weekend, and although the hike time about equalled the roundtrip driving time, it was well worth the trip for the peaceful walk and fresh air.

There was about 6" of snow on the ground, but it was packed down pretty well on the trail. You'd be fine hiking this in just boots, but I appreciated the extra traction of YakTrax since that meant less attention to sure footing and more attention to arboreal-crystalline splendor.

I hadn't walked up Little Si in years, but it was truly a beautiful, if modest, venture into the woods.

What a wonderful day for UP!!! The sun was out, the air was brisk, I was hiking with friends from Boy Scout Troop 594 and we were headed up to Boulder Garden, Little Si, and then Big Si via the old Si trail. This was my first time up Little Si and to Boulder Garden and I really enjoyed it. The lush forest and green cascading moss made for a picturesque landscape.

The view from Little Si was spectacular as visibility was nearly unlimited. We rested for approximately 20 minutes, had a small snack and headed down to the Old Si trailhead. The trail is under dense cover and without much air exchange, one finds it to be cold and humid. Cold enough for gloves and hat despite the strenuous hiking conditions. The trail starts its climb with an immediate ascent and continues to get steeper and steeper (we estimated 30 – 40 degrees at one point) until it joins with the new Si trail just below the top. The trail was icy and narrow and with ample opportunities to take a tumble down steep banks, I put on my Microspikes.

While we encountered only a small number of hikers on the old Si trail, the new Si trail was loaded with hikers. The base are around the haystack was fairly crowded and covered with just enough snow/ice to make climbing to the bench area challenging. Like Little Si, the view was spectacular. There was little wind and with the sun out it made for enjoyable resting/lunch break.

The trip down was uneventful, less my missing the old Si cut off by 20 yards. By the time we made it down, my legs were spent. We hiked the other have of Boulder Garden to the trailhead. It was very nice to sit on my car seat and put the bum-warmer on for the drive home. I had my gps in track-mode and have charted out our hike for future reference.

With the Sunday weather forecast set to be sunny again, I convinced my daughter and wife to hike with me I took them to Boulder Garden / Little Si. While I had just hiked this the day prior, I wanted my family to enjoy this special area and with them being new to day hiking this was the perfect venue. They both loved the Boulder Garden area and the hike up Little Si.

Happy Trails!!!

I was worried there would be ice on the trail, but there was none. The trail was in great shape, a little muddy in places, and the climb was invigorating. A clear day and beautiful views, although hundreds of people swarmed the summit the minute I got there. Solitude is hard to find, but at least the sun was out and the birds were singing.