Si

I call the large rock at the point where the trail makes a hairpin turn left "the hall monitor."

It was time to climb Mount Si. This will push me onto my "third Rainier" in terms of elevation gain for 2018. I had a good night's rest and started the hike with unbelieveable energy. There seemed to be no end to it. It was hard to get my blood rate up. But after a while it did race, and I got at least as high as 144 bpm.

That exuberance didn't last long. By the second mile I was tired and wondered whether I would finish. But I did finish. There were stops, the wringing out of the sweat band, the consuming of snacks, and, toward the end, a slow plodding, especially as I approached the 3.5 mile post, pictured at the right.  Then I hit the milepost I was longing to see -- I turned a corner, and there stood "the hall monitor," a big rock at a hairpin turn on the trail that seems to be watching as we reach the final push to the top.

After that, there was more plodding and catching of breath, until I reached my objective, called by some as  "the lunch spot." I had made it. Washington Trails Association says the climb is 8 miles and a gain of 3,150 feet. But the WTA page also implies that this includes the true summit, which could be, in my estimation, another 250 feet. So I am only claiming 2,900 feet on this climb.

So, the statistics:

Today's figures

Distance: 8 miles
Gain: 2,900 feet]
Load: 15 pounds
Time: 6 hours; from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to climb Si. and from 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. to descend.

I enjoyed a milk shake at the North Bend Dairy Freeze following the hike. In a few days I expect my body to feel invigorated. But right now I'm really tired.

Statistics year to date:

Distance: 1439.30 miles
Elevation gain: 44,120 feet -- 887 feet beyond my "third  Rainier."

The "lunch spot"