With the impending holidays I needed to get out and get in a hike before things got too busy. Mt. Si it was. I had been up here on 12/4 and not a lot had changed. In fact it seemed there was less snow than before.
Went up the standard new trail route to return via the talus loop. No snow until between the 2 and 2 1/2 mile sign. I thought it was odd that the new signs on the lower talus junction were gone. Maybe somebody stole them. The upper sign was still there as was the sign up on the tree to mark the K-Falls cutoff.
Half mile up Mt Si trail.
Mt Si talus junction but the sign is gone.
Mt Si 1 mile up.
View from vista spot just past the 1 mile mark on Mt. Si trail.
Mt Si 1.5 miles up. Still no snow.
Upper Talus junction. No snow.
Snag flats. Bone dry.
Icicles on Mt Si trail above Snag Flats.
Mt Si 2 miles up. Still no snow.
First hints of snow past 2 mile mark on Mt. Si trail.
Mt Si 2.5 mile sign. I had put on microspikes just before here.
I put on the microspikes about at the 2 1/4 mile area. The snow had texture and I saw people booting up OK, but what the heck, I had them so why not use em.
By the 3 mile mark it was pretty solid white on the trail.
Mt Si 3 mile sign. By now pretty snow covered but it had some texture and wasn't pure ice.
Snowy Mt Si trail past 3 mile marker.
View from 3.5 mile sign.
View from 3.5 mile sign.
The trail was as usual well packed down and easy with the microspikes.
Mt Si old trail junction heading down.
The part that gives tractionless people trouble just past the old trail junction.
Hikers heading down the trouble section not having a lot of trouble but going slow without traction devices.
Coming up below the rocks it was very windy.
Teneriffe from below Si rocks.
Views from Si rocks area.
Views from Si rocks area.
Teneriffe from below Si rocks.
The sign up the Si rocks.
Views from top of Si rocks.
Views from top of Si rocks.
Views from top of Si rocks.
I continued up to check out the basin at least and hope there was a spot not too bad to sit.
Not really much snow up there. You could see the brush through and the sign wasn't even close to being covered.
Si basin arrival.
Haystack from Si basin arrival area.
I went over to the benches and it was just out of the wind enough to allow a quick bite to eat and some pictures.
Looking towards basin benches. A bit windy.
Views from basin bench area.
Views from basin bench area.
Views from basin bench area.
Views from basin bench area.
Views from basin bench area.
Views from basin bench area.
The robber jays were especially annoying often having to swat them away.
Robbers jays somewhat bothersome.
Robbers jays somewhat bothersome.
Robbers jays somewhat bothersome.
Robbers jays somewhat bothersome.
I crumbled up some potato chips and watched them devour them.
A few more pictures and it was getting cold and time to head down.
Views from Si basin bench area.
Views from Si basin bench area.
Views from Si basin bench area.
Views from Si basin bench area.
Back at the rocks it was even windier now.
Views from Si basin bench area.
Views from Si rocks area.
Views from Si rocks area.
McClellan Butte from Si rocks area.
Views from Si rocks area.
Views from Si rocks area.
I took the talus loop fork for something different.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
Views from Talus area on Talus loop.
I actually saw some people on this loop. Two guys at the east bend and two ladies further down.
Hikers on Talus loop.
In short order back at the car. A nice outing and some good exercise to kind of stay in hiking shape.
The snow really makes Si look pretty. Was it very windy lower down? I'm always afraid of getting hit by a tree limb if it is too windy.
No in fact I thought it might be a calm day. Zero wind down low but once I got past the 3 mile marker or so you could tell it was breezy higher up. I didn't notice any trees snapping or anything even close to that. I too am leery of hiking if it's too windy for you can often see the results in blowdowns and branches on the trail.
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