Mount Si - Old Trail, Boulder Garden Loop & Little Si — Monday, Apr. 11, 2011

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

Wanting a little more quiet than the Regular Mt. Si trail, we opted to go up the Old Trail to Mt. Si. Parked in the Little Si trail parking lot, and headed .3 miles up the Little Si trail to the Boulder Garden Loop Junction. Followed the Boulder Garden Loop to 1400' elevation and then took the stone steps up onto the Old Mt. Si trail. Trail was easy to follow and after the first 1/4 mile of rock, followed by 1/4 of mushy mud, followed by a short steep root and dirt scramble, finally became a pretty descent trail. It is steeper in section than the newer Si trail, and has a lot of very short switchbacks which gain elevation quite quickly. In fact at one one point we were gaining 2400' per hour. It actually took us 2 1/2 hours to reach the summit, where the regular trail gets us there in 1 1/2 hours. It passes right next to the regular Mt. Si trail at 3200' (so close you see the traffic and think it is in your lane), then heads steeply up a ridge and finally rejoins the main Si trail at 3750 before the final push to the top. All in all about 3576' of elevation, and a total of 8.58 miles if on return to the Boulder Garden loop you continue on and complete the loop. Snow began at 3000'. Got icy and slick from 3100' on and traction was needed along with poles. Windy and cold on top of course, but had some views off and on. More pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33346716@N03/sets/72157626361243425/with/5614188215/