Test Run: Mt Si

Knowing that we needed an elevation challenge before the real thing, we tackled Mt Si today. We set off early enough to be on the trail by 7:40am, mostly to avoid the promised crowds on such a popular hike.

Steady slog uphill, took about 2.5 hours to do the 4 miles up. I found the steps a little hard--many of them are rather high for a little person like me :) But overall, especially armed with poles, it was very doable and quite enjoyable. 

We stopped at the top to enjoy the view, eat sandwiches, and have coffee! In a fit of brilliance, DC brought along flasks with boiling water and milk, and instant coffee. Delicious, given the circumstances.

DC headed up a little further--more of a rock scrambling. I had thought we were looking at Haystack, but in fact it was out of view from where I was sitting and a much more substantial rock face. Needless to say, neither of us attempted!

Haystack. In about three weeks, we'll be hopefully visiting Haystacks, Cumbria, if the weather allows.

We headed back down. The trail was already much busier with people coming up, so we took the Talus Loop side trail, which was delightful--narrow, wilder, and quiet.

Took about 5 hours from when we left the trailhead to when we returned. Not bad! (Note that the MapMyWalk pace numbers are absurdly exaggerated...it thinks we did the whole thing in 2 hours! No idea why.)