Mt. Si - Simplify and Add Lightness

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 12/14/2019 at 21:27 • Filed to: Hike, Pnw, Seattle, Mt. Si

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It’s ya boy—the chronically underdressed hiker—back at it again with another regaling tale of heroism and adventure! Gather round the campfire and listen in awe as I unfold a masterfully crafted tapestry of hopes and dreams—yes, you heard me right—hopes and dreams. We’re not here to play, we’re here to go HAM.

Now, with Papa John himself personally arriving at my home in twenty minutes to reward my trek with only the finest Italian-American cuisine, I’m afraid this write-up won’t be lengthy. Be still my children, dry your eyes. Realize that what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in girthy goodness—I’m here to please.

And what could possibly be more pleasurable than an obscure history lesson?

Mt. Si. Originally believed by the Snoqualmie Tribe to be the body of the moon, fallen to earth after succumbing to trickery from the wilier forest animals. Thanks to modern science, I can say with a fair degree of certainty that Mt. Si is likely not in fact the body of our second-favorite celestial body. (first-favorite being Uranus, heyo!)

I woke up at 9am—only my second Saturday free from the clutches of a draconian corporation over the past 3 months—and my very first thought?

“I’m going to watch a guy play video games on YouTube for a few hours before leaving the sheltering embrace of my blanket fort.”

How I went from that admittedly Very Good Idea to “let’s hike a mountain” I cannot say, but alas… 40 minutes later I was driving 35 miles to Mt. Si with 400mg of ibuprofen, 100mg of caffeine, and remnants of last night’s pizza all sharing an uneasy embrace within my gut.

Mt. Si is—to describe it as my hiking soul mate would—breath-taking. Eye-opening. Heart-achingly beautiful. It is her very favorite hike on this entire planet, and she’s told me this no less than 50 times. Likely because I can’t really comprehend her thought process behind said opinion, and I keep asking her to repeat herself. To me Mt. Si is the most average hike imaginable.

8 miles round-trip?

Average.

Minimal flat sections, minimal steep sections, zero brutally steep sections?

Average.

Decent overall traction, with a mix of smallish rocks, a few roots, and hard packed trail?

Average.

View at the top of various other local mountains, and—oh wait... Is that the highway..?

Again, quite average.

Si does have one quality completely unique to it though, and that quality is… A frustrating penchant for obfuscation. Let me explain. Having done Si near a dozen times, when I think of this hike I imagine a super easy stroll up the mountain. Get out of the car, walk a bit, hit the summit, run down. Boom. Done. Driving home. However… While Si is no Mailbox Peak—not even a Blanca Lake level endeavor—it is not easy. Nor quick. Time and time again, Mt. Si refutes my expectations, dashes my preconceived notions, and makes a complete mess of my evening plans. And time and time again… As soon as I complete the hike, my brain refuses to accept the reality that Si is not in fact a 45 minute stroll in the park, and will usually steal 5+ hours from me.

I vowed that this time things would be different.

There was one goal today. Speed. Like a 16 year-old bequithed a turbo Busa from that one uncle—you know the one—I ripped the throttle and held on for dear life. Earbuds in, custom playlist half death metal and half hardstep club music, the likes of which blare out from a wall of speakers in the hottest clubs worldwide. Powering past jagged breathing and jellified muscle fibers through sheer will, this was the first time in my life that I considered myself a “hiker”, as apposed to an “adventure lover who happens to hike sometimes”.

Pants were left at home, replaced with silk-thin basketball shorts. Traction spikes were untied from their usual resting spot on the outside of my pack. Gloves and hat removed from stash pocket. Food left in the car. Mid-layers were left at home. A thin base layer and an emergency wind-breaker rolled up into a fist-sized bundle were all I brought to keep my torso toasty.

My only concessions to weight were my trusty pair of boots, and mountaineering-thick knee-high wool socks.

I was That Guy, blowing by everyone with thighs bare to the world as God intended, forearms unencumbered by the weight of sleeves.

And you know what? It felt great. I found my niche, and that is as the ultra-light guy. Sure, Mr 80 liter pack over there might have the gear to comfortably survive any unfortunate happenings, but my goal is not to be reactive. I’m trying to be proactive. Stay a step ahead of misfortune, two steps ahead of the weather, and twenty steps ahead of every other hiker on the trail. Oh and I don’t believe in hiking poles. Perfect traction is for wussies. REAL hikers learn to LOVE the aches and pains felt in their knees for days after a hike.

Me

Verses the guy she told me not to worry about.

Final time was 88 minutes from trailhead to the top, and 91 minutes back down. Not bad for a steepish hike through mud, and up to a foot of snow. Temps were 41°F at the bottom, and colder at the top. Shorts kept me from overheating, and the windbreaker was put on once I started the descent. All-in-all, this was the most successful gear load out of the year, and the approach I’ll use for the remainder of my cold-weather hikes this season. At no point was I miserable, and comfort level was kept in the goldilocks zone of “cold enough to make you move faster without being unsafe”.

On the way down I came across a young woman jogging uphill, in shorts and a tank top. Snow still falling in thick chunks, I jumped out the way with a massive grin, yelling “is that all you got?! Pick up the pace!”

Never breaking stride, she turned her head back and said, “you’re right! Thanks!” before speeding up even more.

It was the most profoundly beautiful moment I’ve ever been a part of.

I’ve got tomorrow free, which means tonight I get to enjoy something I’ve been missing for a very long time.

Chang, baby! Thailand’s best delivered straight to my door! Along with about 10 different ciders.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 21:35

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Have I not told you you’re a fucking crazy bastard recently?

My compliments nonetheless.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 21:38

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You need some sockovers, lad.

AestheticsInMotion > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 12/14/2019 at 21:46

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Some what

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/14/2019 at 21:47

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You have not! I've started thinking I might have gone soft over here... 

wafflesnfalafel > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 21:59

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very nice

don’t like poles either...

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 22:00

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The closest I got to being active today is when I put on flip flops to take out the recycling and get the mail. You did work for both of us.

I also had cookies for breakfast, I’ll have to work harder tomorrow.

AestheticsInMotion > fintail 12/14/2019 at 22:02

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To be fair I ate an entire pizza, am about to indulge in many ciders, and haven’t seen a vegetable in a week.

My HOA removed the recycling bins last month. I guess... Recycling isn't a thing here anymore... 

SmugAardvark > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 22:07

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Last time I went hiking/snow-shoeing in the snow whilst wearing shorts and a shirt, I ended my day with the single worst sunburn I ever recall having. So many burn blisters....

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 22:07

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I just had more cookies for dessert. It’s Christmas, no point in trying for a couple weeks.

My building’s recycling goes into one big dumpster, which probably gets mixed with the normal garbage upon pickup.

AestheticsInMotion > SmugAardvark 12/14/2019 at 22:09

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Oh lord. I’ve had that happen once, but nowhere near that bad. Worst part was not having sunglasses. It’s a very easy mistake to make if you don’t have someone to explain what can go wrong...

someassemblyrequired > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 22:54

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Si just aggravates me, I can’t deal with all the crowds and I find it a pretty boring hike right until the end . I always used to go one exit further and do Dirty Harry’s Peak or Mt. Washington. Same kind of hike, way less (usually no) other hikers, more to see . Does mean you have to bring a lot more stuff though, since you might be on your own for a while if something goes sideways.

someassemblyrequired > AestheticsInMotion 12/14/2019 at 22:58

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These, they’re a godsend for muddy trails and snow :

https://www.rei.com/product/852793/outdoor-research-rocky-mountain-high-gaiters-mens

SmugAardvark > AestheticsInMotion 12/15/2019 at 00:15

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Yeah. I grew up in Florida, so I should have known better. Water reflects UV rays, so of course snow would as well.

jminer > AestheticsInMotion 12/15/2019 at 01:09

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Well done! I don’t usually go that light but am not as bad as that person in the full pack. I just go out with a small first aid pack, couple protein bars and basic emergency survival supplies (firestarter and such) that plus water keeps me pretty light. I tried using poles recently (bought a set on sale) and I hate them, they never get used anymore.

I’m off for the next two weeks and I definitely need to get out and do a fair bit of hiking here, nothing quite as pretty here in Missouri though.

AestheticsInMotion > someassemblyrequired 12/15/2019 at 01:16

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I did Mt Washington right in the middle of larch season and honestly it was one of my least favorite hikes to date. Just seemed a bit boring with not much to see on the way up and... Not much to see at the top lol. But it only had a few people which was nice.

I'm with you on Si. Haven't even heard of Dirty Harry's, have to give that a shot! 

AestheticsInMotion > jminer 12/15/2019 at 01:17

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I’ll admit to some curiosity as far as poles are concerned. Maybe I’ll track some down at a garage sale this summer.

Do it! Grab some pictures. It's nice to see different areas! 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > someassemblyrequired 12/15/2019 at 02:37

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Whilst I have a canvas pair like that for walking in spinifex country or Tasmania...I was thinking more like these:

https://www.overboots.com.au/weatherproof.html

I wear the standard versions  almost daily.

someassemblyrequired > AestheticsInMotion 12/15/2019 at 21:14

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Yeah, it’s generally a little nicer earlier in the year as it gets more sun than Si - there’s a few routes up too but one is not super well marked and is a bit technical in a couple of sections (but that trail was pretty much grown over the last time I hiked there) . Plus parking is way less crazy.

Dirty Harry’s peak isn’t super well known, it used to be primarily a climbing spot for people sick of the crowds at Little Si but there is a trail to the top and an awesome view off the back to the north.  You’re lucky to see another person on that one though, it’s pretty obscure. Check with WTA on that one, I know the trail washed out recently so I think it may have been modified/rerouted. Parking used to be outside the Fire Training Center gate, with the trailhead about a half mile inside the gate.

The view is better in the cooler months, though you’ll probably want snowshoes. It stays pretty wet into the summer, it’s generally a better late summer/fall hike.

someassemblyrequired > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 12/15/2019 at 22:07

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Yep those are pretty much the same thing - the bottoms are the same kind of waterproof shell . T hey do sell the low ones in the PNW, but most people have the calf-high versions due to the usually damp conditions (and they’re obviously Gore-Tex instead of canvas) . You can also get some pretty substantial trailhead to peak temperature variations, so you’ll often see people put those on as you get up towards snow if it’s warm at the trailhead .

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 12/28/2019 at 22:34

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How much water did you carry? I find that water is the unavoidable weight that I can’t cut  and it always bothers me. I’m stuck debating between trying to get my pack lighter and dehydration. Sure I can bring my filter but most trails that are around here in socal have no water most of the year anyways. I always carry 3L and try to get by with literally nothing else other than maybe some protein bars if it’s a longer hike. And then I'm still slow because of all that damn weight and being lazy.