Although the spring of Seattle has been disappointingly cold, it doesn't stop us from going outdoor. We're trying to get back in shape after the long winter and the long cold spring. Thanks to my friend's Betty's recommendation, we went to Mt. Si last Saturday.
Mt. Si is to the east of Seattle at North Bend. It's only 25-30 mins away from downtown Seattle by car. We had a late start at 2:30pm on a misty "wintry"day. Despite the weather condition, there were a lot of hikers there already and the entire parking lot is really packed. Mt. Si is covered with hundred year of pine trees and hard rocks. There is only one trail going up and down. It welcomed us with a beautiful flower decorated smooth slope. We thought, oh this would be an easy. We were wrong! It wasn't EASY, at all. The trail is only 4 miles, but the elevation is about 4000 feet. We hadn't exercised much, so it was pretty challenging to go upslope constantly. We were taking water breaks, scenery breaks and mileage breaks along the trails, and finally dragged our dreary legs and dehydrated bodies to the top of Mt. Si. There wasn't much to see on a misty day, but it added some Twilight atmosphere to the mountain trail. We heard that on a sunny day, you have a good view of both Seattle and Bellevue.
I wouldn't recommend first-time hikers to start with this trail, because it's difficult and it can be crowded (Seattel crowded, not Shanghai crowded).
Hiking tips:
1. Bring enough water, 2 bottles per person. You will sweat a lot going up, so you will NEED water.
2. Bring some healthy snacks. After consuming so much energy, you will feel hungry for sure. At the top of the mountain, while we were hungry, we saw a hiker pull out a bag of carrots. The only thing came out of my mind was, "Oh man, he is wise!" After we completed our hike, we were so starving that we ended up going to a fatty burger restaurant and compensated all the calories we just burnt.
3. Start in the morning, so you will have time to go check out the Snoqualmie River and Snoqualmie Falls nearby.
4. Wear very comfortable shoes. The steep slopes can easily cause blisters on your toes when coming down.
5. Do NOT use the rest room at the trail head. Believe me, you would rather go natural after you open the door.
6. Mt. Si is NOT Little Si, which is a lot shorter, less steep and easier than Mt. Si. Make sure you're heading towards the right one.
7. Do NOT sleep in the parking lot at the trail head. It is dangerous. When we returned from the hike, we saw two women passed out and sound asleep on the ground of the parking lot, while cars moving around them. If you're tired, sleep in your cars.
8. Try out a few easier trails and get youself in certain shape before getting on Mt. Si. It's a tiring one for sure.
Okay, if you're ready, enjoy Mount Si.
