After two great weeks of weather, Mother Nature finally caught on and put a halt to it. Was it really 80 F last Sunday? Sure enough, the clouds rolled in and regular weather for April in the NW ensued. Personally, I was sure this would be a washout, like the first Tiger hike. Shows you what I know: six people showed up - time to hike!
The objective this week was Mt Si, via the "old" trail. Last time TNAB was here, it was for the 2003 Winter Solstice. Ah, good memories (I think). Anyway, we did the prudent thing and parked by the bridge, to avoid the Parking Lot Nazis. We had run into a rain shower on the way out, and sure enough, it was sporadicallly sprinkling through the early part of the hike. Then it just got plain wet.
We hiked under a steady bombardment of rain all the way up. The densely forested route served to produce rainlike conditions throughout, whether it was raining or not. Fortunately, the trail was only somewhat muddy, and free of snow. We continued on, heedless of the conditions Finally, we all gathered near the top, soaked but happy. The Haystack was not an option tonight (sigh). As we gathered our strength, the gray to the West began to take on a golden hue...
Woo! The sun was peaking through the clouds, and the rain was mostly done. Wisely, we chose not to dally and made our way down. For the most part, it stayed dry for the duration. By the time we exited, we even had the opportunity to do some stargazing through the large holes in the cloud cover. Of course, the gate had not been closed - maybe all these budget cuts are having a good impact? I'm beginning to lose my Gatephobia.... No matter: TNAB hike for April 15th, 2004 - mission accomplished!
More Info (Real & Exaggerated)
Persons: Alicia (Dept of Blood & Gore), Chris (Pacesetter), Dan (Columbus of the Cascades), Maren (Bike Tube Patch Repair Clinic), Mark (Dirty, Wet & Smelly Hippie), & Mike (Returning Newbie, now certified TNAB'er!)
At Trailhead: 5:50 PM
First to Summit: 7:25 PM
Back to Cars: 9:20 PM
Mt Si: 4167 ft - if you climb the 'Stack
El gained: 3400 or there abouts (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not proud)
Next Week: Bandera! Hopefully, snow won't hinder the ascent. And remember, two weeks from now: MAILBOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are warned - supplemental oxygen may be necessary...
Happy Hiking, -Mark ***HFJ*** ---- TNAB ----
All images and content on these pages are Copyright © 2004 by Dan Scherer. Reproduction without expressed written permission prohibited.