The trail had plenty of debris, with small branches scattered along as expected after the storm. Several downed trees blocked the path, but most were relatively easy to navigate around, except for one large tree that could be challenging for some hikers. Overall, the trail was in good condition.

I also noticed a few freshly cut trees, a clear sign that someone or a group had been working to clear the blowdowns. A big thank you to those who helped make the trail more accessible!

Starting around milepost 3.5, a thin layer of snow covered the trail and continued up to the boulder field. By the time I reached the boulder field, the wind had picked up, and light snow was falling. I chose not to go any further, quickly snapped a few pictures, and made my way back down.

Lots of blowdowns on the way up. One close to the upper talus loop intersection was a little bigger but no real problem. Minimal snow. Used poles but not spikes. Someone had sawed off several of the smaller blowdowns, so the trip down was nicer. Thanks for the quick action!

I arrived at the trailhead at 10:30am and the parking lot was nearly empty! The weather was overcast with a slight chance of rain, so I'm not surprised, especially with the winter storm warning from the day before. Thankfully there was no storm conditions today.

I took the Mount Si trail all the way up, which took me about 2 hours. It's muddy in places but not hard to cross. The summit has a light dusting of snow, though not enough to need any gear. I attempted to climb the Haystack but it was so cold, wet, and slick and I didn't want to risk it--I got about halfway. The clouds rolled in and out with the wind, so despite hiking inside a cloud most of the way, I did get some views. The top is frigid, especially when sweat cools, so bring lots of layers. The temperature difference between the bottom and top is stark. I wore a merino wool base layer, fleece, puffy, and raincoat with gloves and a beanie. The Canada Jays (or Camp Robbers) flocked me while I ate lunch but don't feed them! I know they're cute...but...don't ;)

On the way down, I decided to take the Talus Loop Trail. This is definitely the road less traveled, as many spots were overgrown and one spot had a small tree across it. The light really started to fade at 3pm which took me by surprise, so I started speed walking back to the trailhead so I didn't get caught out in the dark. 

Overall my moving time was around 4 hours, and was out for about 5 hours. 8.03 miles and 3,284ft elevation gain. 

Headed to Mount Si with the family to squeeze in a day hike in between all the wet weather. We arrived at the parking lot just after 10am and there were plenty of spaces still open on a cool, cloudy day. Starting at a quick pace our group immediately split in half as the fast walkers pulled ahead, and the other two of us hauled ourselves up the slope at a more ... leisurely tempo. The trail was muddy and flooded in parts but mostly firm, with good traction for the majority of the way. None of us used poles or felt we needed them, but I would say a large number of the people on the trail did have them and seemed to be making good use of them. Though the day was cloudy and overcast, sunlight kept breaking through and lighting the mist through the trees. I noticed some dark blue-purple bunches of Oregon grapes and black salal berries among the bright green foliage. The moss looked deep and soft, the trees were filled with vibrantly-colored needles, and at upper elevations there were pretty grass bunches filling in the undergrowth. It took our quick walkers just under two hours to reach the scree field, with us slowpokes coming in about 40 minutes behind. A cold wind was blowing right after the Old Trail junction as we approached the top, and the views were mostly shrouded in mist at the base of the Haystack. There were just the barest hints of snow at the top, but it definitely felt like more would be on its way soon. We clambered through the rocks to the bottom of the summit, caught a glimpse of the town through the clouds at the overlook, then turned around to descend at 1:20pm. The downward speed was much faster, and we returned to the car at about 3:20pm, factoring in an extended snack break at the interpretive spot by the boardwalk. Overall, despite the gray it was a beautiful hike and the forest felt lush and vibrant. We wondered if all the hikers starting up as we were coming down had taken into account an earlier sunset with the time change, but hopefully everyone was either faster than us, or had good flashlights for the descent!

Pacific NW day hike- a little rain, lots of mist, some sun back at the bottom. The trail is in good shape. It was a little sloppy walking through some wet spots. Windy and cold the last .3 miles. No snow or ice up there yet. Quite a few people on the trail but lots of open parking.