It was raining at the
trailhead. It was raining all the way up. It was raining at the summit. And it was raining on the way down. Still I encountered 50+ people on the trail on this rainy weekday. This well manacured DNR trail is in very good shape. The only problems I saw were lots of social trails cutting switchbacks that people (or at least the ones I saw) like to use on the way down. There was also a surprising amount of litter in the camping/picnicking area at the summit. At the top, the fog was so thick I could just barely make out the haystack. Underwear of the day: L.L. Bean.

(Old Trail) Clear of snow
except for a very minor amount at the top. Little Si trail in good shape except for a few muddy stretches.

Yeah, I know... everybody's
done Mt. Si. Well, Ihadn't done the old trail, and had to give it atry today. It rained the whole way up and down,except for snow for the last mile. The old trailis in pretty good shape. There were no blowdownsthat would impede progress. The only thing thatimpedes progress is steepness. Yup, only a dayafter Mailbox Peak, I tortured myself again. Ain'tlife fun'! ""No brain, no pain"". Anyway, there wasa couple feet of powder at the top, no view dueto instrument meteorlogical conditions except forthe wonderful snow cover on everything. It's thefirst time I've gotten to kick my own steps on Si.I'd give the old trail the nod for scenery and for *steepness* overthe new trail. BTW, I got lost finding the start,which was an interesting routefinding challengefor this bozo. Found a lot of new sidetrailsup there, though! Looks like some developed rockclimbing areas are established around there.

[Online-Editor's note: I've never climbed Si myself. I'm saving it for myold age.]

The trail up
Mt. Si is in fantastic shape, with hardly any mud, and is snow-free until just short of the summit area. Of course, I brought snowshoes the whole way up, so I had to use them! I kept on going to Mt Tenerife on a couple feet of crusty snow. Not much of a view from there, because the trees get in the way, but it's a good snow slog.

The day dawned drab, coudy, and
cold. The ERC nonetheless decided that a short hike was in order. The Corpspersons are Seattle natives, yet they had never been on Mt. Si. Yes, their list of summits surveyed includes Stuart, Dickerman, Forbidden, Ellinor, Spire, Three Fingers, even the late Mt. St. Helens, and no Mt. Si. It was time. Discouraged by the absence of Sun-Ra, and lulled by the short drive, short hike, the ERC started out at a leisurely pace. ""We'll have time for chores when we get back home."" A quick stop at the Ranger station yielded directions to the trailhead. Proceed east on the ""old"" highway, SR 10, east of North Bend to Mt. Si road. Go left on this road over the river, past the Little Si trailhead and wind seemingly waaay around to the east side of Si. Leaving the parking lot at about 1:00, the Corps met many folks rolling down the sometimes steep, sometimes rocky trail. Quite a few joggers were encountered, and most folks appeared to be carrying maybe two or three of the ten essentials. Mt. Si is certainly not given the respect that an almost 3,700 foot climb to the top of a 4,200 foot peak deserves. The trail proceeds through deep forest, climbing steadily, until about half way up, it reaches a flat. Several story boards describe an early century fire and impact on the mountain, including never being logged. Interesting and very majestic. At about 3,000 feet the Corps climbed above the cloud cover into brilliant sunshine! Hail Sun-Ra! At about 3.5 miles the trees start to thin, and are smaller, the trail winds through rock outcrops, and finally reaches Haystack Basin. The Navigator proceeded to the summit to complete the survey, and the First Lady remained in the Basin communing with Sun-Ra, a couple of Stellar Jays, and Zuccini bread spread with cream cheese. Spread out below was a sea of clouds, obscuring civilization. Two previous ERC objectives were visible above the cloud cover, Tiger and Ellinor. Mt. Rainier dominated the southern vistas. Reluctant to leave the warm sun and awe inspiring views, and at much too late an hour, the Navigator and First Lady started the trek downward. Surprisingly, they met several groups going UP. Light became increasingly dim as they descended under the cloud cover back in the deep woods. It was finally time to admit the need for illuminating devices, and finish the descent by flashlight. The trip took about 2.5 hours up and just under 2 hours down. The Corps isn't known for speed. ""The chores will just have to wait until another day"", they agreed as they drove out of the parking lot just after 7 pm. Mt. Si is a worthy destination, a considerable workout, the equivalent of many more remote hikes, features a fairly well maintained trail, fabulous view, and there is certainly plenty of help along the way if needed. And, it deserves more respect.