Mt Si,  North Bend, WA,  May 11, 2012     page 1 / 7

We've lived in western Washington for 25 years now and had never climbed Mt Si until last week. A friend of ours is training to climb Mt. Rainier this summer and wanted to hike up Mt. Si, so we decided to all go together.

Mt. Si sits right next to North Bend, Washington. It is one of the most popular hikes in the state due to its proximity to Seattle, and its relatively low elevation. The trail begins just a few miles off I-90 at an elevation of 675 feet. Though the trail is very well graded, it climbs roughly 3500 feet to the summit, making for a good training course.

The trail meanders in a series of switchbacks through second growth forest of fir, hemlock and cedar. During our visit the temperature was perfect, cool in the woods, but very comfortable for the constant climb.

Once we left the woods, about four miles up the hill, we found ourselves looking at the summit and a couple of adjacent rock hills. We quickly found a good place in the sun rest and refuel.