One of the givens of hiking in the PNW during the Fall and Winter (and let's be honest, Spring and Summer) is the challenge of varying conditions as elevation changes. Often that means rain down low getting you wet just in time for the rain to turn to snow up high so it can freeze you.
It's a rare treat when there's a single condition from the trailhead to the summit. Even more rare when it's snow starting at 600 feet. Although I'm not usually a cheerleader for Mt. Si, which sees about 100,000 people each year, it's a different experience in the snow.
This day there was five inches of fresh snow perfect for both easy hiking and snacking. (Don't tell the kids, but I'm a bit of a snow connoisseur.) The powder compressed perfectly so I could walk by a tasty pile, grab a handful, and have a chunk to consume for the next few minutes. Delicious!
Near the summit the snow was blown into deep drifts behind boulders and it was scoured to the ice. Traction was an absolute must. Unless you're Treen. Darn dog not only has built in traction and four-paw drive she doesn't seem to ever get tired.
Even better than the pristine snow on the summit was that we saw only one other party on the way up or down. Two guys were on their way up. One was well rested and moving easily. The other labored under 80 pounds. Why? Oh, just training for Denali.
I wasn't trianing for Denali (or any of the other seven summits) so I only had a paltry 30 pounds on my back. And I wasn't doubling the climb on this trip. Treen wasn't carrying anything at all. Nonetheless, after frolicking up and down the mountain in the snow we were both ready for naps. But at least we weren't wet and cold.
