Note: My main goal for this hike was the Kamikaze Trail, which is currently unlisted on WTA, but can be found elsewhere, e.g. ProTrails. The trail is steep and relatively unmarked, so do your research beforehand.
It was a beautifully sunny day, so I made sure to wrap up work early and head out hiking! The parking lot is still pothole city, albeit not as bad as some of the lots off SE Middle Fork Road/NF-5600. I won't complain. 🤭
I elected to start at the Mount Si Trailhead because I wanted to explore the Roaring Creek Trail before tackling Mount Teneriffe. I started at 330pm and spent ~40m walking east to the fork leading to Teneriffe Falls, then another 45m getting to the falls. I somehow lost my way 2/3 of the way to the falls; ironically, this was seconds after another hiker told me to be careful following the switchbacks because there are a few turns that are easy to miss; this cost me 10m. I only encountered a single other group at the falls—not something one would expect on such a popular trail—and felt quite lucky to have them all to myself.
After 15m of resting & snacking, I found my way to the Kamikaze Trail, which starts a few yards east of the falls. Look for a steep bootpath that heads NE; you'll know it when you see it.
The beginning is the steepest part. It's not quite a class 3 scramble, but you might have to use your hands. After that, the trail becomes easier to follow; indeed, it gets enough traffic that you can look for foot prints or a path that is obviously different from the surrounding forest. When in doubt, follow the ridge line up! I managed to get to the summit in just under 80m with sneakers and no GPS; I can't recall ever feeling lost or not knowing where to go.
The views atop Mount Teneriffe were spectacular! I could see Seattle. (See the attached photos.) I heard this was possible on clear days from Mount Si, but I was not so fortunate when I did Mount Si the other week.
I jogged the normal trail down because I didn't want to kill my knees, then took the Talus Loop Trail back to the Mount Si Trailhead. This path had parts that were rocky/uncomfortable to run on, but it was overall doable. I now know why Mount Teneriffe is less trafficked than Mount Si: the trail is quite long for a similar reward. That being said, I could see having fun taking the connector trail before descending, as it mostly adds distance and not elevation.
Total trip was about 13.5mi over 5 hours. I brought 1.7L of water and ended up dehydrated, but that was likely due to the snacks I packed.
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