Mount Si — Friday, Apr. 2, 1999

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

Today,a friend & I climbed Mount Si for the first time. We left from the trailhead at 9:40am. For the first 1.5 miles, the trail was predictably wet and muddy. From about the 1.5 mile mark, snow was on the ground, the trail mostly slush & mud. From about the 2 mile mark, compact snow was on the trail. For anyone with boots that lack traction (as did mine), this isn't so much a problem on the ascent. However, it was in the back of my mind that we were going to have a heck of a time coming down. We did have ski poles, which truly saved us. We decided our ""summit"" for the day was the area beneath the Haystack. We were in the clouds without a view and it was lightly snowing. While eating my lunch, a man was telling us that he has climbed Si many times and had never seen so much snow. He said it's not even this bad in December. Apparently, much of the snow was dumped overnight. Anyway, we began our descent. Our descent took 2 3/4 hours! (That exceeded our ascent time of 2 1/2 hours.) For anyone who plans to climb Si in the next few days, I strongly suggest wearing boots that track well in snow, and bring some poles. A couple breezed by us on our way down, thanks to their crampons. I fell about 4 times! A beautiful hike in spite of the clouds. Bottom line advice: bring snow gear and dress warmly!