Big Si via Mt Teneriffe Trail, loop back via Mount Si and Talus Loop (~10 miles, 3150 feet).

Arrived at the Mount Teneriffe trailhead at 7am.  Only two other cars in the lot, and only encountered two other parties on my way to Mt Si. When I arrived at the lookout at the base of the haystack at 9:30am, no one else was there. This never happens at Mt Si, but surely the smoke obscuring the views had something to do with it. Encountered a few more folks coming up the Big Si trail on the way down.

Trail was clear almost the entire loop, except some overgrowth on the connector to Mt Si at the very top, and a small part of the Talus Loop trail. One log down on the Mt Teneriffe trail about 2 miles in. No bugs worth noting, except one bee who wanted my lunch.  13 dogs on the trail, 7 of which were leashed - thank you!  Berries and flowers have finished for the year.

Arrived back at the trailhead at 11:30am; it was about half full.

I arrived at 7:30a on Labor Day. There were very few cars in the parking lot. 

The hike is long and steep but doable if you have been hiking other trails in the area/region. There were plenty of other hikers coming up and down. If you are looking for a solo hike, this could be a good first one as you wouldn't be alone for long if you were to run into any trouble.

When I returned to the TH around 12:30p the lot was getting full but there were still plenty of spots. I was surprised because I thought it would be busier on a holiday. 

Arrived at the Mount Si main parking lot around 8am and was surprised to see the lot almost empty. There may have been 3 or 4 cars scattered in the parking lot. There were more cars upon my return around 4 pm, but there were still many parking spots even in the first row.

The Mount Si trail up to the top was clear with no obstacles.

The sky was partly cloudy, but there seemed to be a little haze that affected the view and photos. I am guessing the haze is from smoke from easter Washington fires.

The haystack is not for me. I have never climbed it and never plan too. Maybe if I were 20 or 40 years younger I would give it a try, but not at my age.

The Teneriffe connector trail was also good with no obstacles. This trail connects Mount Si with the Teneriffe Trail.

There was a little water in a couple creeks crossing the Teneriffe Trail in the upper section. The recent rains have added some water for the creeks.

I headed to Teneriffe Falls via the connector trail. This trail was also in good shape. Once on the Teneriffe Falls trail, there were a lot of rocks to hike on, which is normal. The trail was in good shape with no unusual obstacles to deal with.

There was some water in the Teneriffe Falls. Normally the falls would be dry at this time of year, but with the recent rains, the falls were trickling down. (There is a video on my Facebook page. A link is provided.) The falls may not last long as the weather is starting to look pretty good with summer coming back this week.

Hiked back to the Teneriffe Trail via the connector and continued downhill. There was one tree across the trail which can be climbed over or under. The Raging Creek trail was also in good shape as I headed back to the Mount Si parking lot.

Started hike at 11:00am PST on Sunday, August 25th, 2024. Parking lot was about 80% full but by this time, but most cars would leave in the next hour to clear out the morning rush. For an August day, the weather was not fantastic to start the hike, and only got worse at the top. The rule of thumb for an expected drop of 5 degrees F for every 1,000 ft of gain rang true for Mt. Si. Temp was maybe 65 at the bottom and easily 50 at the top; pack an extra layer for the top even if the hike up is very hot and sweaty. The gain was about 3,200 ft over 4 miles and was consistently graded the entire way. There are plenty of resting areas along the way and the trail does not become narrow often. The trail is well maintained and easy to navigate even though there are a few alternate trails that sprout from the Mt. Si one. There seemed to be a King Co. shuttle for Big and Little Si trailheads, so if you live in or around Seattle, that may be a good option for transportation to North Bend- I did not use it, though.

The trail was in great condition today, as to be expected this time of year. There were some ripe blackberries near the trailhead and some huckleberries along the trail. The thing I always want to know is what is the condition of the parking lot. It definitely has some potholes especially on the way out, but I have seen it worse. I made it fine going slowly in my Honda Fit. I sure wish they would pave this lot like Little Si and Teneriffe.