Blowdown Mountain Road, Mount Si - Old Trail — Sunday, Mar. 3, 2013

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

The old trail was icy around 2500ft MSL, but reasonable with Microspikes to the lower haystack area. Wind-blown snow was copious past the final sign marking the haystack, and the 25kt gusts made it better to change into snowshoes in the cover of the trees. Fortunately, there is sufficient snow to affect a reasonable passage to the Si-Blowdown connector through the woods to the east (though there is a small ridge climb to get there). The main snowshoe track along the old road actually stayed north toward Blowdown instead of descending to Teneriffe Road, which is ideal since that loses a good deal of altitude which one would have to ascend to get back up to Blowdown Mountain. The trail from Si to Blowdown was mostly powder, about 18" atop a softening layer. At times, deviation a few feet off the trail is easier on the ankles, particularly during some ascents and descents. The return trail, for example, that passes the north-eastern most sign below the haystack, is rather steep: You might roll down this hill, or "ski down in snowshoes" if you're not careful, but a jaunt to the south through the trees should soften the descent. I had intended to make a run over to the east of Blowdown, and then north from there to hit the two summits, but energy, time, and surface snow were against me. The ridge down from Blowdown to the east seems very steep just east of the summit out of the trees, and with the 18" of powder, I was worried about sliding off the saddle. In more solid conditions, that approach might be more reasonable, but approaching from the south or southeast from Teneriffe Road might be better in these types of snow conditions. As always for these webs of old roads and little-used tracks, take your map and use it. The views from the saddle off Mt Si (1/3rd mi east) are spectacular north and south, with visibility today extending pretty much to infinity. The views improve drastically on approach to Blowdown, mostly to the south and a bit before the 'summit' (approx 47.5120N 121.723W), though there are a few footpaths leading off to places where views can be had to the north.