Mount Si

For my first major hike in Washington I chose this formidable piece of rock that juts up nearly 4,000 feet out of the Snoqualmie basin. It's the first true head turner as you drive East along the I-90 out of Seattle. As the guide book says, "if it were anywhere else in the U.S. it would be a national monument". The hike itself gains about 3,200 feet in just four miles to the summit. 90% of it meanders through giant pines impacting on the view factor unfortunately. However the views from up top are well worth the wait.
I've been running quite a bit lately in an attempt to get back into some sort of shape. It had been over four years since I last hiked a big mountain and I didn't do too bad all things considered. Although I couldn't believe how tired I was the last mile or so. The guide book says to allow 8 hours and I managed it in 5, there and back - not bad. Mount Si is not so much a mountain but rather a giant wall where at the top, the wilderness truly begins. From the top the snowcapped, glaciated volcano, Mt. Rainier is clearly visible to the south and to the west, downtown Seattle can be spotted over 30 miles away. After sharing lunch with an uninvited guest (to the right) I took off for the rather long knee-popping hike back down.