[Karen]

I came down with a bad case of cabin fever yesterday (11-2) and made a dash to North Bend. Timing was good for a hike up Mount Si (though I wouldn't have minded more snow). Had to stop a couple of times, breaking in a new pair of boots and had to address feet issues but made better time than I thought I would. Didn't get into snow until the rocks but there's more snow beyond the overlook. Got to break trail for the first time this year as I went beyond Si and part-way along the road that takes you to Mount Teneriffe. I thought about making a loop and taking the Teneriffe road back to the Mount Si road and hiking back to the car but with my usual late start, I thought better of it. There seems to be a "new" old trailhead dog at the trailhead, a black lab with a blue collar and plenty of white hair on his muzzle. And up in the rocks another black lab, this one with a red collar, that didn't seem to belong to anyone but seemed to know where he was. I get a kick out of these dogs, they always seem glad to see you, whether or not you have treats to share. One runner on the trail, a few hikers. The rain held off until I got back to the car, talk about good timing. Karen

Mount Si November 3, 2005

[moosefish]

[Karen]

Moosefish, I KNOW how steep that Teneriffe Road is!! I've hiked up the road in the summer with every intention of continuing to Teneriffe but by the time I got to the connecting road, I'd had enough. Not only is the road steep, it's rocky. The Mount Si trail IS easier. The most challenging trip for me (on that road) was a snowshoe trip a few years ago in heavy snow with a group of Mountaineers. We went up that way and came down AND made it to the summit of Teneriffe. I'm not sure I could do that now. Karen

[TravelHiker]

Karen, I must have run into you on the trail without realizing it. Were you on the trail between 9:45 am and 2 pm?

[Karen]

Travelhiker, Yes, we may have passed each other except I took the "old" trail part of the way (up to the snag). I left the trailhead about 10 and was on top at 12:15. Then I kept going for a while, followed the untrodden path beyond Si to the road then turned around. Met another fellow on the rocks just as I was descending and we ended up hiking down together -- if you were coming down when I was going up, I was the older gal in red (black tights) and if you were coming up as we were going down, you would have seen two old-timers on the trail. Me in red and another fellow of a certain age with a battered ice-axe. You also might have seen me stopped at a couple of spots along the trail bandaging my *&^%#( heels. I faintly remember a couple of thirtyish-guys (both dark haired, I believe) near the rocks (just before we started down), maybe about 12:30-45 by then. Karen

[Karen]

Travel hiker, I just remember that when I got back to the rocks and met the older fellow that there was a couple (a man and a woman, I think, not sure) who were heading toward the "viewpoint". That was also where we ran into the friendly black lab -- was that your dog? Was that you? The lab on the rocks (sounds like a drink) was younger than the black lab at the trailhead and was very friendly. Karen

[TravelHiker]

hmmm, I don't quite recall meeting you on the descent. I may have met you in the parking lot -- you see, even at my 30-ish age, my memory fails quite a bit. You're right, my friend and I are 30-ish with dark hair, but I have the goatee. I'll ask my friend if he remembers seeing you. Were you hiking solo or with a dog, perhaps? There was a lady trailing us who hiked with a dog. If I did meet you, you'd be the first NWHiker I'd met on the trail. We left the trailhead at about 9:45 and reached a rock outcropping just below the basin at 11:45. We hung around until 12:10 and started our descent. We met the battered-ice axe weilding gentleman on our way down -- I stopped to admire him as he passed us -- would be just awesome to have that kind of determination when I get to that certain age, like many others I've casually met on the trails before. I do recall passing a mid-30ish guy and an older guy with the lab (maybe this is who you're referring to?), a young couple (girl wore a sling), another couple and 3 guys who were going to scramble up Haystack. First time hiking Si in a couple of years and it was actually quite pleasant to hike it without the usual crowd.

[Karen]

Travelhiker, I think I dimly remember seeing you now. You were just leaving the parking lot as I was messing around with my pack/boots. But I wouldn't recognize you if you knocked on the door because I wasn't paying much attention!!! I just remember a couple of guys heading out. I hiked alone on the way up and do sort of remember two guys (one with a goatee) near the rocks (or am I imaging things?). I also remember the 3 young guys (really young). Our paths may have crossed on or near the rocks. After I got up to the viewpoint, I went on up to the bench below the scramble and I broke trail -- no one else had gone that far yet. When I came back down is when I began running into people. Did you or your friend make some comment about being tired? Or was that someone else? The battered ice-axe guy I met right in the middle of the rocks, he was just coming up as I was starting down and he asked me if the black lab was my dog and we started talking and never stopped until we got back to the trailhead. We had an interesting converstion comparing some of the "abandoned" trails we've been on over the years. Anyway, what's the most unusual person/people you've ever run into on Mount Si? The oddest person I ever ran into was a guy who was carrying a refrigerator sized pack who planned to "live" on the mountain for the rest of his life. I remembered also seeing him on First Avenue and down in the Pike Street Market (obviously homeless) before he "moved" to Mount Si. Karen

[TravelHiker]

I think we did meet in the parking lot and said our casual 'hi's. you parked right next to the trailhead, right? for what it's worth, it was nice to meet you briefly then, however dim it's in my memory. I hope to recognize you in another encounter. If you saw two guys wearing red jackets near those rocks, I'd be the one standing on the rocks. I'm sure neither me nor my friend commented about being tired to anyone. Now to your other question -- that's a hilarious encounter! can't say that any of my encounters were that unusual. I guess the most unusual of my encounters on Si had to be an eastern European-ish family hiking the trail in long-sleeved shirts, slacks, dresses and casual shoes on one sunny June weekend. That even seemed atypical for me. The most eccentric person I came across was meeting Baja Dave on my Stevens-to-Snoqualmie PCT trip a few years back -- that story can be found in the"weirdest person you met on the trail" thread earlier this year.

[Yana]

moosefish opined:

[moosefish]