Mount Si — Saturday, Jul. 21, 2001

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

Hiked to top of Mt. Si via the old route on the west side, off of the Little Mt. Si trail. The trail is steep, with lots of rocks and roots till about 2100 feet where the trail appears to leave and old clearcut or burn area and you pick the old graded tread which is a definite improvement, however steep. A definite improvement over the ""tourist route"" main trail. Only saw one person and no dogs till I hit the main trail. The old trail has an untrampled look that is missing from the new trail. The only downer of the day was that someone ahead of me had slashed the fronds from the ferns that over hung the trail and had chopped the huge ( 7 inch) puttey colored slugs in half and left them in the trail for others to step on. I don't understand killing the slugs, if you don't like then then just flip them off the trail with your hiking stick. The only person I saw on the trail was a older guy dressed like he was from the Austrian Alps and wearing long blue gaiters, the gaiters should of protected him from the wet ferns and leaping slugs--so if he was the chopper/slasher I don't see the need to go about destroying what Mother Nature has provided. However the trail is very green with mosses, ferns and understory plants and unpicked flowers right by the trail. None of the high traffic noise and congestion (sounds like Seattle) that you find on the new trail. No bugs, no blowndowns, no mud--just steep and slippery where the loose gravel would roll under foot. Also no water. The valley below was obscured from view by clouds but hiking up and down in the clouds made for a cool effort.