No snow on the top of little si. Apparently it melted off since the last trip report. It briefly lightly snowed when we were up there, although the snow wasn't sticking. Mt Si looked like it had snow halfway up on the trees, and rattlesnake mountain itself had snow on the trees starting just above the ledge.

Little Si is a quick, short hike just to get out there even in poor weather. It is just outside of North Bend with the trailhead right on the road. Nice paved parking lot and outhouse. Best of all the trail quickly leaves the suburban area and dives into the quiet rain forest between Little and Big Si. With slushy snow today there was considerable mud on the trail. The trail snakes back around the north side of Little Si before it starts climbing to the top. There is a 12"" diameter blowdown not far from where the climbing starts. People are skirting it easily but damaging plants in the process. Further up there is a log deliberately blocking what looks to be the trail but which is actually a signal to turn left and climb steeply up the rocks and roots. This section could be better routed. Up on top was a crunchy 2"" cover of snow. With more snow falling and Big Si looming over, it was a beautiful sight.

What a glorious day for a hike! 35 degrees, fresh snow on the ground and clear roads. Little Si is a just a little warmer upper hike but on an overcast day alone in the snow it is a lot of fun. The lower stretch of the trail had a light dusting of buckshot snow, crunchy and not slippery. Up on top of Little Si the snow is more of a fluffy packing variety and about 4"" deep. The trail up is a little confusing under snowpack but traceable without too much trouble. The lower trail was melted off when I came down, the sun was peeking out, and it was lightly snowing. That's North Bend weather for you!

Wonderful trail with lots of varying scenery. Good trail for kids with outstanding summit view of Little Si's neighbor Mt. Si. No snow, no mud and no blow downs.

Our group of seven met up at the Preston P&R, then did a car drop at the Little Si trailhead before continuing to the Mt. Si trailhead. Both parking lots were fairly full considering the hour and the holiday. There’s constant snow over the upper third of the Mt. Si trail, so traction devices are advised. Other than that, the trail is in pretty good shape. My last trip up Si in January was in a steady snow and visibility at the top was nil. I had better luck this trip. Rainier was stunning against a blue sky with lots of different cloud accumulations, and the views of the Snoqualmie Valley went back to a teeny-tiny Seattle and the Olympic range. We had lunch at the base of the Haystack and waved off the fatted jays. We returned to the Little Si trail via the old Big Si trail and the Boulder Garden Loop trail. These are also in good shape but unsigned at both ends, with a log “blocking” the start of the Boulder Garden Loop trail. For some reason the DNR must be trying to discourage their use. We retrieved our cars and met up at Ken’s Truck Stop for a carb reload and a long storytelling session, then headed home to get off the roads before the craziness started. Happy 2007!