Continuing with our preparations for the Inca Trail in Peru in about 6 weeks, we took on the beautiful Mt. Si just off the town of North Bend. The trail climbs 3100 feet over 4 miles to the summit through alders and firs.
The ascent is continuously steep and entirely through forest, which my 5 year old, handled with panache and a bottle of lemonade.
The mountain is names after Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt, an early local settler. It is pronounced "Mount Sigh", just like the middle syllable of "Josiah".
The tiring climb does not end with the best of the views, you see some ramparts cascades and an eastbound I-90, but then if you have the right company and the food (and I had both), the summit is a bliss.
The Haystack at the top is optional. While the climb has been made easy by the flocks (75,000 to 100,000 each year) that climb each year, many have died in this relatively short fall. The last mile on both sides is a killer. Remember climbing down is more challenging and taxing than the onward journey. Especially if cannot run down for e.g. you are with a kid…
Notice the typo on the signage. 
