Got to the trail head early and there was already an inch of snow on the ground. Snow level stayed at the 2-3 inch level for about 1.5 miles, but by then the snow was coming down hard. As the road starts to go up hill the snow quickly got deeper and I had forgotten the snow shoes. Got to the first cut-off to Mt Si after a little more than 2 hours, but the white stuff was now over my knees with each step. Enough about the snow. This trail in my opinion has much more to offer than the main Mt Si trail. It offers mini water falls, beautiful creeks, and opens up to gorgeous views on the way to the top. Plus you get a choice of which summit to go for.

A 14-mile hike with two summit destinations joined in a loop trail. Snow coverage for Mt. Si and Mt. Teneriffe currently is everything above 3000’ elevation.

I took the regular Mt. Si trail up to the haystack. Needed to put on Katoolah spikes at about 3000 as the trail was hard pack snow and ice from there to the top. Very windy at the for the last mile up and at the top with gusts hitting 35 mph or more. One brave soul had climbed to the top of the haystack and reported when he came back that the wind was "extreme." I took his word for it.

After a short rest at the bench at the haystack, I took the ridge connector trail across towards Teneriffe Road. It was a few feet deep with snow, but there had been enough traffic to compress it so I didn’t need snowshoes. Once at the road junction, I turned left and followed the snow trail up the road that was broke in already and eventually got to the road-end where the ridge trail to the summit of Teneriffe starts. Following the ridge trail, it is a steep climb, but the snow was solid enough to use the previous tracks for steps. It was also ice crusted under the tree cover. Wind was again considerable as you headed farther up the ridge.

The last push to the top is even steeper and the wind was even fiercer. At 4700’ elevation I turned back due to sunset approaching and the wind was bitterly cold. I wasn’t prepared for the final open ice/snow scramble at the summit and decided I’d come back another time to sit on top. The one place I didn't want to be after dark was on the upper ridge trail on Teneriffe.

The trail back was quicker and easier, but the wind was still blowing and branches were occasionally falling. Once on the Teneriffe road I followed it all the way down, past the ridge connector trail with Si, to about 1700’. It was totally dark by now and navigation was by headlamp. Snow ended on the road at 2800’ leaving about 1100’ to descend on the “not-too-pleasant” rocky road surface. There were a few blowdowns across the road, but all could be passed around, under, or through.

At 1700’ I found the connector user trail across Roaring creek (just a step across stream currently) and then connected with the Talus loop trail. Took the Talus Loop lower half trail back to the regular Si trail with no trouble. All blowdowns were cut out and nothing blocking.

About 14 miles altogether with a few side trips here and there. Total hiking time was 8 hours 11 minutes. Total gross elevation with the ups and downs and snow cover came in at 5600’ if my Suunto altimeter was accurate.

Start early enough to get off the final Teneriffe ridge before darkness sets in. There is no real trail and the tree cover is heavy with sharp drop offs on both sides if you wander off route too far. Bring a headlamp as it is may be dark by time you get back even if you start at 8 or 9 am this time of year. Poles and traction needed. Snowshoes if we get more snow. Ice ax only needed for the final summit block.

Best part: you are likely to be the only person on the trail after you leave the Haystack at Mt. Si.
Most challenging part: distance and elevation gain.

Best Features
-View: The 360 degree regional view and looking DOWN on the Mt. Si summit was incredible and well-worth the 14 miles and steep climbs.
-Solitude: I had this trail all to myself on a cloudless summer day.
-Flowers: Admittedly, I don't know much about flora, but the trail features purples, yellows, whites, and pinks of all shapes and sizes.

Worst Features
-Bugs: Large flies orbited me relentlessly up to the summit; bring repellent.
-Ankle-rolling rocks/hard surface: The road trail resembles a washed-out riverbed at many points making for unsteady ground. I also have a sore knee and found the long, repetitive thumping on the hard surface on descent a little bothersome.
-Trash: There is unsightly styrofoam sheets, twisted metal, and some other items discarded toward the top near the road turnaround.

Other Issues
-Unclear Route at "Turnaround" and Summit Path: I was somewhat confused about the proper route in two places.

First, at what appears to be a truck turnaround (after the initial walk on the ridge and where the road opens up to grand northerly views), I was confused by the "Day Hiking" guide's description (p. 85) that suggests the remaining route is a "boot-beaten path" to the summit. At the turnaround, there is such a path on the left (tree across entrance), but an 8-foot wide rocky road going up to the right--hardly just boot-beaten (see photo). I chose the road. At its end is a mess of logged trees (see photo) and a small path to the right, currently marked by an old green t-shirt, that eventually went to the summit.

Second, the summit path is under tree cover on dark ground; it would surely be impossible to travel well at night as it was hard to see at 2 p.m. Other hikers variously marked their own routes with flags or paint; however, it all seems to lead to the top.

-Final Summit Scramble: The final climb through the trees onto Teneriffe's exposed summit was a lot steeper than I anticipated; I used my hands at times. The pine needle covering also made the steep path slippery on the way down and I found myself "ping-ponging" between trees for good stability. Hiking poles would help.

Overall, it was all worth it for the view and the challenge!

       Woke up this morning, saw the sun out, and then I chose this hike at random for a decent climb with a bit of mileage to be had. Sunny days are always great days to get out and on top of things. So to sum it all up, I was just looking to get kind of high...in terms of altitude haha. Based on previous reports on this hike, I expected it to be less scenic and less enjoyable then it actually was. But the lower forest along this hike is turning very green right now, snow melt was creating some pretty cool falls by road/trail side, and the top of the ridge provided some awesome views of the snow covered mountains through the Snoqualmie pass. The only problem I faced was a very common problem I have run into during my spring hikes this year; snow cover reaches lower down the mountains, and is much greater in accumulation then normal for this time of year IMO.

         Hiking without any snowshows or trekking poles above 4,000ft proved a bit difficult and very exhausting to my feet which were awkwardly sinking into the snow and creating a feeling of mild strain. But I slowly made my way up to a peak in the ridge around 4,500ft, less then a mile away from the Teneriffe summit. There, the few shoe tracks from other hikers who came earlier in the soeason were much less established and I decided to call it a day and turn around. But before turning around...I took 15 minutes to enjoy the views from the ridge, and the warmth of the sun burning in a crystal blue sky. I was lucky to get such a nice day to hike on my only day off from work this week :)

        The trail is in great condition minus one area of large boulders that fell from an eroded face on the left side of the road. It proves no obstacle to anyone though, as it blocks only 3/4 of the trail with plenty of space to walk around it on the right. OTher then that, can't think of anything in specific to prepare for. I highly recommend this hike though, it seems underrated by most people. To me it provides a perfect balance between moderately strenous exercise, and some decent quality scenic points.