TLDR: ice and snow for the final mile- traction devices like microspikes really helpful and possibly also poles.
I did a trail run up the main Mount Si trail starting around 7:30am. There was a light drizzle and only one other car in the parking lot. I saw one hiker on my way up who had turned around short of the top.
Luckily for me the drizzle soon stopped. I began to see traces of snow in the woods about 2.8 miles from the trailhead and then snow and icy patches began right around 2.9/3.1 miles. The snow became increasingly thick and soon the trail was pretty much covered. I found microspikes extremely necessary for continuing and was very happy that I had brought mine plus a good jacket and waterproof hat.
It looked like fresh snow had fallen the night of 3/11/25 - and there were no footprints yet. By the time I was nearly to the somewhat flat area at the foot of the Haystack the snow had deepened to several inches of mostly fluff, speckled with rain and tree snow bombs… and a few blurred and (to me anyway) unrecognizable animal tracks. Snow plus all those lumpy boulders was pretty but made for tricky footing.
The views from this spot were great but the wind picked up, it began to snow and I hurried down into the woods before I could get too cold. Easy jog back down - pausing to remove my microspikes after about a mile of descent.
On my way out I counted 14 intrepid hikers ascending even though the weather shifted and turned to a steady rain. So, a pretty quiet day for Mt. Si!
Comments