Look at that little cutie, guys. That was Theron, when he was just 4. Oh, those eyes. I just want to eat him up. That was the first time he did a big hike on his own two feet. No daddy back packs anymore for this guy.
Flip to today. That little guy is now almost 10, and he’s such a pro hiker. So….what better way to spend my 44th birthday than with this guy? I said to him, “Wanna skip school and hike with your mom on her birthday?” Without hesitation, YES!
We ended up at the Little Si lot on a drizzly Thursday morning (after the most horrendous West Seattle traffic of my life. Please open bridge, PLEASE OPEN!), not because we wanted to tackle this trail again, but because I found out this is where to connect with the OLD Mt Si trail which I had NEVER done before. Also, we are having a particularly cold Spring and a lot of trails are still covered in snow. Slim pickings for adventures close-by, so here we are in North Bend again. Let’s make the best of it.
So like I said, I’d seen this “Old Mt Si” trail on maps before. For something different, it seemed fun to plan a loop involving this old trail and some other connectors to make it back ’round to the car. I’m always up for something new as long as Gaia maps is by my side! And….I love me a loop trail.
The planned route? Let’s see if I can get this right…. Start at Little Si Trail, up to the upper half of the Boulder Garden Loop trail, connect onto the Old Si trail, then connect over to the last bit of the regular Si trail, head behind and visit the haystack, after traverse across on the Teneriffe connector trail, down the new Teneriffe trail, cut back over on the Roaring Creek and a brief blip of the Talus Loop Trail, trot for a few minutes on the Douglas Fir trail connecting back to the Boulder Garden Loop, and FINALLY back down the last bit of the Little Si Trail. Phew.
This is definitely a good booty-maker trail, as I like to call it. Steeper than the regular Si trail, the Old Si trail was in my opinion a lot more interesting and WAY less traffic. I think we passed maybe 3 other groups. Powered by gummies, Theron and I made it up in less than 2 hours.
So I had the idea in my head that it might be a day to attempt the Haystack. First off, I have done the Haystack climb before, a class 3 scramble found up and over the boulder field at the top of Mt. Si. It scared me, a lot. I honestly wasn’t sure I really wanted to do it again, but something deep down wanted to remind myself that I can do hard things.
Second, I had a young child with me. This is NOT a hike for most kids. Don’t even think about it unless you have a grasp of climbing and the dangers associated with it. Theron and I have spent time in the climbing gym, but that doesn’t mean you should tackle an outdoor climb where falling means broken bones in the best case scenario. Also, in retrospect we should have brought helmets. Thankfully there was only one other person climbing that day, but loose rocks are always a risk.
So yeah, you see where this is headed. I bring Theron back there, and up front he states he has no real intention of climbing this thing after viewing backside. But then he gets up close to the route, looks at me and without hesitation says, “We can do this mom.” Well that was all I needed to hear. We dropped our bags and Theron led the way.,
This kid. He was so confident, using good handholds and secure footings to guide his way up. He continually showed me the best holds and warned me of a few damp rocks to avoid. At one point I look down and panic a little. I ask Theron, “Are you afraid at all? I think my legs are shaking.” “Nope,” he says. And he keeps climbing up. My mind is spinning on how we get down (the scariest part, I remember) but I follow.
Gross, my hands are clamming up as I type, just conjuring up this memory.
Once you get going the climb is actually pretty short, maybe 15 minutes and you are at the top. But in that 15 minutes I’ve produced what feels like liters of cortisol. I’m not technically afraid of heights in the sense of just being high up, but I am afraid of heights when phrases like “don’t mess up” keep running through my head.
But we make it, and I am so relieved, but the thought of going back is what worries me the most. Thankfully, Theron had a plan. I kid you not, he led the way once again and found a safe path that somehow I clearly didn’t find the first time I climbed this. It felt almost easy and in most cases NOT like my life was in imminent danger. Theron pep talked me along the way, saying things like “You got this mom,” or “Over here mom, come this way.” I say this a lot, but I mean, this kid.
We got down in one piece. The rest of the hike was a breeze in comparison. We took those bazillion of connector trails to make our way around and finally back to our starting point. What a day.
Thank you Theron so much for being by my side. I had the BEST birthday with my little man. Cherry on top was coming home to the hubs who took me out for a very fancy dinner at Il Nido. I wish every hike could end like that.
**DISCLAIMER: Like I mentioned, please do not attempt the Haystack portion with kids or anyone inexperienced with climbing. A fall from the top would be certain death (this has happened), and a fall while going up or down could mean broken bones, a severe head injury, or possibly death. Also, never attempt if the rocks are wet. BUT, do venture out and over the boulder field and take in some additional views if you feel up for it. Most stop right where the trail lets out but there is more beyond if you fancy a bit more adventure.
Hike Details:
Mt Si Trails (see a maps app for trail ideas and routes)
Total Distance: For our route, 10.8 miles
Comments/Suggestion: This is kind of a choose-your-own-adventure thing. Look at a map and make up a route you’ve never done before. There’s lots of connectors that can make for a fun loop or new scenery. Estimate your distance though, because it can be easy to tackle too much and run short on time. Many parts of these trails are great for trail runners.
Difficulty: Depends on your route, easy to difficult
Location: North Bend, I-90 corridor
Elevation Gain: For our route, 4,200 ft
