Drenched on Si

Mossy trees just past the trailhead to Mount Si

Last time I tried hiking Mount Si I was sluggish and blamed it on cottage cheese for breakfast. This morning I had no cottage cheese and I was still sluggish. I reached the lunch spot in 3.5 hours and completed the hike in 6.25 hours. Not a great accomplishment.

Toward the end of the hike it rained heavily and I found myself cold and wet. I decided to descend for safety reasons and at times found myself to be exhausted, so I ate more trail mix to boost my energy. But I gave the rest of the bag to a young woman I passed, who I had advised a bit on proper preparation for the hike. It was cold and miserable, and many people weren't dressed for that, including two petit young muslim women, one wearing a niqab. I ran into them just when the rain was picking up and they were a mile from the top. They had only their clothing and no gear. I was concerned that they would get soaked and chilled, so I instructed the young woman to share the trail mix with them when she ran into them.

Just as I was reaching the top I ran into two men who asked me to take their photo at the trailhead. One was wearing a $19 waterproof top and pants he picked up at Wall Mart. I will be adding that to my backpack tomorrow.

One final surprise -- a young man pushing his mountain bike up the trail. I told him I didn't think they were allowed, and after he was gone I had the presence of mind to Google the question. No mountain bikes on the Mount Si Trail.

What follows are photos taken along the trail.

A favorite turning point along the trail, this time sprinkled with fall leaves

A familiar aqueduct I step over on every climb

A mysterious fungus I discovered while on a cell phone call with Meg Wingard

The one-mile marker along the trail

"The Bannister," a log with roots running its length, which you can grab as you ascend the steps.

Evergreen needles and tree roots breaking through the ground at the snack bar

Statistics for the day:

Distance: 8 miles
Elevation gain: 2,900
Conditions: Chilly, with a cold rain that soaked backpack
Load: 20 pounds of backpack

Statistics, year to date:

Distance: 1463.00 miles

Elevation gain: 51,220 feet  -- 6,424 feet to my next Rainier.