Mt. Teneriffe has been on my wish list to hike in summer, ever since I did it in January three years ago. Today, I finally had a chance to do it solo. I arrived at 7 sharp (only one in the parking lot) and the gate was already open. The toilets were still closed, but the Portapotties were in good condition.
I saw one trail runner and one hiker the entire day. There were a total of 4 cars in the parking lot when I finished just before 2. I adore shoulder season hiking! Cool temperatures, no crowds, fall colors, and plenty of opportunities to hear the birds. And did I already mention no crowds?
The last mile traversing the ridge between Si and Teneriffe felt So. Very. Long without someone to talk to but having peekaboo sights of Rainier and also Glacier Peak helped. I heard 19 bird species (including a sooty grouse and a hawk), saw many slugs and dew-covered spider webs, and shot pictures of a TON of interesting mushrooms/fungi.
The trail is in great shape. I considered going up Kamikaze to save on mileage, but after the previous day's rain, I sensed the rocks might be slick and chose to do the long route up, but I came down via the Teneriffe Falls Connector. There is running water in places, but none flowing under the Connector bridge, so I didn't continue back up to the Falls after I completed Teneriffe like I thought I might. 13 miles/3800' gain was enough for today.
I was lucky: not a single drop of rain, only moisture falling from branches after yesterday's rain and fine fog droplets blowing high on the ridge which made for some cool photo opportunities. Otherwise, the winds were pretty calm. It was a great day for a hike and I had the summit all to myself for half an hour. Fall colors are just starting -- in another two weeks, we might start seeing more.
Comments
Washington Trails Association on Mount Teneriffe
Such beautiful photos, really love the fog shot! We hope you'll consider submitting your work to our Northwest Exposure Photo Contest, open until October 6!
Posted by:
Washington Trails Association on Sep 27, 2024 03:52 PM
Courtbirder on Mount Teneriffe
Thanks so much! I was unaware of a contest but will look into it.
Posted by:
CourtHiker on Sep 27, 2024 04:12 PM