The Old Mt. Si trail is accessed from the Boulder Garden Loop Trail off of the Little Mt. Si Trail. The old trail is rougher & steeper then the new trail and and is shorter by approx. a mile. The great thing though is that it has much less traffic and is more secluded then the new trail. Snow began @ approx. the 2500' mark and that is where I donned the micro spikes. After ascending and descending the old trial I then hiked up Little Mt Si which had it's typical high traffic level but was snow free.

Trail conditions: the trail was moderately icy from about 2600' up - especially for the first 500' above that elevation. Equipment: no need for gaiters; traction devices were helpful and were used; no floatation devices were needed; trekking poles desirable and used. Weather: no wind; high clouds, but extremely clear below those clouds. Times: car to Snoqualmie Valley Viewpoint - 2:35 hr; car to car - 4:50 hr. Companion: Amy.

Part II of our old Mount Si trail hike, via the Boulder Garden Loop: for part I, see: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2012-01-09.6375026414 We came to the junction with the old Mount Si trail at the "Boulder Garden Loop Trail" sign pictured below. Elevation gain starts with the loop trail and then continues unrelentingly onwards with the old trail. However, the trail is in good condition, with frequent switchbacks, and the solitude and interior views of forest compensate for the lack of mountain views. As we approached the top, we saw hikers along the new Mount Si trail. Near the top (within 100 or 200 yards) the old trail merged with the new, and we followed the crowds into the basin. There was no ice until we reached the basin. It was a little slippery in places, but microspikes were not needed. Boots and poles were helpful for the incline and to take some shock off the knees. We had views of the surrounding Cascades, including Rainier, with its peak variably enshrouded in clouds. We could see downtown Bellevue, downtown Seattle, and the Olympics to the East. Gray jays and blue jays were on the scene. I used the opportunity to try out my new zoom lens! Descending, two members of our party missed the junction with the old trail and took the new trail down. At the bottom, they "hitchhiked" a ride back to the Little Si trailhead. Ascent time: 2.5 hours. Descent time: 2 hours. Elevation change: 3500 feet.

We took advantage of a mostly sunny day and slightly warmer-than-average temperatures to hike Mount Si. This report is divided into two parts to do adequate justice to the Boulder Garden Loop part of the hike. Part I: We arrived at the Little Si trailhead at 11 am. The lot had a few spaces left. We also noted the presence of DNR Rangers' vehicles--one of the hikers in our group had seen $99 tickets handed out to vehicles not bearing Discover Passes. So don't leave your pass at home! We took the Little Si trail to its first junction with the Boulder Garden Loop. The trail is in excellent condition, with little water or mud. This spur gives lie to the widely held notion that the Mt. Si trail has little to offer in terms of views along the ascent. The Loop also provides a nice amount of elevation gain! Previous reports document that the junction with the old Mount Si trail occurs near a "Boulder Garden Loop Trail" sign--but there are two! The first of these took us down and to the right--it is a connecter to a DNR service road, and enabled the lead members of our group to play a minor prank on the rest of us. We turned back and continued uphill to the second "Boulder Garden Loop Trail" sign. At that point, we turned to another unmarked trail, the correct old Mount Si trail, which takes off upward and to the right...http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2012-01-09.9150375983/ Therefore, we did not do all of the Boulder Garden Loop, but it was nice to experience this part of the Mount Si trail system for the first time.

Mount Si is always a nice hike, especially on a weekday in early winter. I had not been to Si in a while but with all the snow in the avalanche chutes on the other local peaks I decided to reacquaint myself with Si this week so I hiked to the peak two days ago and it was terribly overcast and cool. I thought today would be a better day with a chance of sun. The hike was fun with few people on the mountain on a Friday. Snow started at about the 2 mile point today about a thousand feet lower than on Wednesday. Micro-spikes were very helpful on the icy trail and adding a jacket at the 3 mile marker and heavy gloves did the trick. Today was cold and the sun started to peek out at the 3.5 mile marker so I pushed the last half mile hard. The top came fast and I got one photo with the sun out...then a cloud settled in and it stayed cold and dim for the next while. I climbed to the base of the scramble and it was not worth the work and risk today so I sat at the bench and tried to wait out the clouds to no avail. The jog down the mountain was fun and without incident...a good day!