[tigermn]

Laziness to do much planning and not killing the whole day led me to Si. I had actually not visited for about a month. The intent was to go part way up the new trail and try and hook up just past the 1 mile area over to the old trail and continue up. That didn't quite work out... OH well.. more on that later. What to look forward to.

Mt. Si (mostly) from below before arriving at trailhead.

Just before 9AM I arrived.

Mt Si parking lot. Parking in 2nd area filling up fast. Some already parked in 3rd area.

There seemed to be tons of people around the cars in the parking lot. I expected hoards of people on the trail. I started up and in fact didn't see another human until after the lower talus junction.

Lower Talus junction Mt. Si trail.

Hikers nearing the Vista point Mt Si trail.

After the first vista point about a mile up or so I discovered in the past what looked kinda like an old trail/path that might hook up with the old Si trail. I decided to check it out. It was a path briefly then turned to more mossy/slippery rocks and soft ground. That combined with the fact that I couldn't keep the glasses unfogged. I decided to retreat and just continue up the regular trail. I started to see a few more people the higher up I got but not as many as I suspected.

Snag flats Mt Si trail.

No snow at all until sometime after 2.5 miles and not much until after 3 miles.

Mt Si trail 2.5 mile sign. No signs of snow yet.

First even hint of short lived snow before 2.5 mile sign.

Mt Si 3.0 mile sign. Snow started before here but still patchy clear spots.

Eventually it started to be a factor. Calling it snow might be a misnomer. More hard but seemed to have some texture and not just a sheet of solid slick.

Now the snow (more like hardpacked ice) is starting a little past the 3.0 mile sign. Still kind of avoidable on sides.

I decided to hop over to the old trail where it kisses the new trail. There was even less snow on the old trail.

Mt Si old trail beginnings. Surprisingly little snow on the old trail until it almost meets back up with the new trail.

Mt Si old trail maybe halfway from cutoff to rejoining new trail. Snow? What Snow? This would prove to be a much more snow free route than the new trail.

Not until I got pretty close to where it joins back up with the new trail was the snow/ice pretty solid. Until here you really didn't need much as far as traction devices.

Mt Si old trail a few hundred feet before rejoining the new trail.

Back on the new trail. Ahead is the infamous part people often slip and slide on without traction devices.

Rejoin new trail from Old trail. This is looking back down the old trail.

The rocks were bare.

Rock to go up Mt Si trail on way to basin.

A few views/or lack of from above the rocks.

Traditiona sign near top of rocks Mt Si trail. It's melting out for sure but not today. Pretty cool up here now. Freezing level said to be 3500 feet.

Views from above Mt Si rocks. Teneriffe where are you?

Views from above Mt Si rocks.

Views from above Mt Si rocks.

After about 2 hours and 15 minutes (including the screw around time on the aborted attempt lower to find the old trail), I arrived in the basin.

Arriving at the Mt Si basin area. Where is the sign?

Haystack from arrival at Mt Si basin.

It was cold but calm unlike last time about a month ago where the wind was blowing you off the mountain. I decided to head over to the benches which were both empty and eat a sandwich (and feed the begger birds).

The point and benches from Mt Si basin.

The point from Mt Si basin benches.

Robbery jays while eating my lunch at Mt Si basin bench.

Robbery jays while eating my lunch at Mt Si basin bench.

Robbery jays while eating my lunch at Mt Si basin bench.

After a few "view" shots I headed over to the haystack area just to check it out.

Views from Mt Si basin benches.

Views from Mt Si basin benches.

Views from Mt Si basin benches.

Rattlesnake from Mt Si basin bench.

Outlet malls from Mt Si basin bench.

Didn't see or hear any people near the haystack bench.

Sign nearing haystack bench Mt Si basin.

Looking towards Haystack approach.

Views out from Haystack bench.

Views out from Haystack bench.

Not having snowshoes or wanting to posthole I decided to head back down which was really the plan anyway instead of heading further east towards Teneriffe. As expected the crowds coming up where rather large. In fact quite a congregation down below the rocks.

Tons of people below rocks on Mt Si. Almost blocking the trail in places.

There was much more snow in the section between the old trail junction and where the old trail kisses the new trail. For less snow definitely jump off on the old trail.

Mt Si trail 3.5 mile sign. A lot more snow/ice this way than taking the old trail cutoff.

View from 3.5 mile sign vista.

View from 3.5 mile sign vista.

I flew down the icy section. It seems faster with microspikes on ice coming down than normal trail. I think a lot of it is smooth surface so less fear of twisting and ankle or banging a toe on a rock. I took the customary "to creek" return on the Talus loop trail.

The Mt Si "to creek"

Mt Si Talus field on Talus loop.

Tops of peaks still in clouds.

Views from Mt Si talus field on Talus loop trail.

Views from Mt Si talus field on Talus loop trail.

Views from Mt Si talus field on Talus loop trail.

Views from Mt Si talus field on Talus loop trail.

My string of seeing no people on the Talus loop was broken. I passed a family probably within 1/10th of a mile from rejoining the main trail. The kids were pretty much running around all through the woods, off the trail, just going wherever. Obviously not responsible trail/hikers. Oh well it's Mt. Si what is one to expect. All in all about a 4 1/2 hour car to car trip. Got back to the car just in time to hear the Seahawks 1st round draft pick announced. How funny was that as I wasn't even thinking about it.

[EastKing]

The Haystack is looking like it is going to clear soon. I have some unfinished business with it!! Good TR and pics.

[tigermn]

Yea I suspect the haystack will melt out soon and around the back on the actual rocks might even be mostly gone but I didn't walk back there to check. Shoulda just for reporting purposes. It was cold up there though so it didn't feel like much was melting on Saturday. Freezing level was said to be 3500 feet. My gloved hands were cold after sitting around a bit eating lunch. Just to enhance the fact that most of the people up there are not seasoned hikers/climbers. When I was taking my microspikes off on the way down where the snow/ice started a couple walking up made a comment that they basically never figured there'd still be snow on the hike.... To be fair I saw many/most people without traction and quite a few just wearing running shoes and they seemed to be making it up albeit at times carefully. Not my idea of fun.

[summithound]

Thanks for the informative trip report tigerman. The snow on Si sure has been disappearing quickly.

[1k]

If you want to avoid the this....

[tigermn]

[Doomgoggles]

How does one FIND the Talus Loop junctions? I went up Si yesterday (4/30) intending to hike the Loop trail, but I didn't see any signs or anything that seemed like a reasonable junction until the 'Creek Access' sign just before Snag Flats. I ended up just summiting Mt. Sie instead. I'm convinced it doesn't exist and is a conspiracy. Add to that the fact that when I click on your photo of the junction, it says the attachment doesn't exist! Something is afoot.

[tigermn]

[Doomgoggles]