Mt. Si Journal
September 12, 1999


See Pictures of this Hike


One of my bestest friends, Amy, invited me to go with her and her family on a trip up 
Mt. Si, the backdrop for North Bend, WA.  We left town sometime around noon.  The trail 
started out flat, but quickly became steep.  Even so, the pathway is very crowded and 
best travelled on the weekdays if you like (a form of almost) solitude.  A lot of "city 
folk" hike up the mountain on the weekends and it is quite obvious.  With markers every 
half mile, a person who is not physically fit will soon realize how slow they are going. 
However, trees cover most of the way making the sun less menacing...when there is sun. 

 
All of us together made for 2 adults, a 1-year-old, a 9-year-old, a 14-year-old, and two 
16-year-olds.  Many people brought their young kids along and only carried them part of 
the way.  The elevation gain is 3800 feet in 4 miles, so we got our work out.  At the half-
way point, there is a spot to rest and we took advantage of it.  Just before this point, 
the trail splits in two where the right fork leads to a small creek.  Treat the water 
first if you want a drink.  


On the way up we could see I-90, the town of North Bend, and 
Mt. Rainier.  The top is all rock - big boulders, small boulders, some as big as a house.  
Also at the top are views of North Bend, Mt. Rainier, Lake Sammamish, and on sunny days, 
Lake Washington and Puget Sound.  Watch out for the steep drop-offs.  On the way back, we 
jogged most of the way, such as we saw many others do.  The total length of our trip was 8 
miles.  We found the car again around 5 or 6 that evening, making for a 5 hour hike. 


See Pictures of this Hike


More Journals | Hike Summaries | Pictures