This was my very first hike on Mount Si. (also first hike in a long while indeed…) I had this idea with a friend visiting the Seattle area. Unfortunately my friend bailed.
I have already done the prep and brought the Discover Pass. Additionally the forecast said the day would be sunny. It is typically not easy to get a sunny day here… So I decided to go alone.
I woke up at around 830am. A bit later than I wished. I blame myself last night for going bed late haha… but getting sufficient sleep is important.
I arrived Mount Si Trailhead at around 10:40am. Plentiful parking spots available. I had some quick bites in my car and then started the journey around 11am.
The first hour of hike was a tiny bit more demanding than I had imagined. (Note that actually this is a hike with Hard difficulty level per WTA…) But luckily my body was able to adjust to the workload of ascending fairly quickly. (I am glad that I do workout and martial art regularly…) I think at around Douglas Fir Trail, I had to take off my outer layer because my body was getting hot and starting to sweat. After fully warmed-up, my speed was also faster.
Since this is my first Mount Si hike, I also spent quite some time taking photos and videos along the way. (for stories/reels lol)
Along the way I saw other people occasionally. Definitely not crowded tho. I’d say around ~15-20 people overall. Some hiked with their dogs. Everyone was friendly. I liked this vibe.
Around half-way up (approx. only by memory) the trail and trees started having visible frost. The surrounding started becoming quieter. I found the half-white-half-green scenery pretty serene and majestic. Especially the segments when it was slightly snowing while sunlight was shining through.
Approaching the last mile, the ground surface was all covered with frost/snow. It was kinda slippery and I had to slow down and use caution. I wished I had better shoes and spikes for this condition.
In the last 0.3 miles, I think I might have reached the basin of the Haystack. It was around 1:30 pm. At this point, my hands were already pretty numb. Luckily I packed a pair of gloves in my backpack. There were many large boulders around. I didn’t really proceed further and climb the large boulders because it can be dangerous without spikes and poles. I was also running out of time for another appointment in the late afternoon. The view here was good enough for me, although the scenery was partially covered by fogs/clouds.
I started my descend after some snacks and warm drinks. Got back to ground level at around 3:15pm.
I am happy with this trip!
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