Mount Si
It's easy to see why people love Mt. SI—it's close to Seattle, the trail is wide and smooth, and the views at the top are exceptional. Normally I shy away from heavily populated destinations, but today was all about a comfortable hike with a good friend and since we had never been to Mt. Si before, it was a good choice.
Ed and I set out from the trailhead on the meandering path that gently wound up through the woods and eventually yielded to a blanket of snow. After a micro pause to put on some microspikes, we continued onward. I lost track of time as we talked and soon we were near the summit with a crowd of about 30 people, all enjoying the sun-splashed mountain views.
We briefly considered climbing to the top of the Haystack, but with partial snow cover and slippery conditions, we decided against it. We didn't see any climbers attempting the true summit while we were there.
After pausing for lunch and some photos, we headed back down and before we could say "Bob's your uncle", we were back at the trailhead.
Starting elevation: 663 ft | Elevation Gain: 3,382 ft | Distance: 7.18 mi Equipment: poles, microspikes