Mount Si
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| Mount Si | |
|---|---|
 Mount Si from the southwest |
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| Elevation | 4,167 ft (1,270 m) |
| Location | Washington State, USA |
| Range | Cascades |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Si |
| First ascent | Unknown |
| Easiest route | hike + short scramble |
Mount Si is a small mountain in the US state of Washington. Although just 4,167 ft high, it lies on the western margin of the Cascade Range just above the coastal plains around Puget Sound, and towers over the nearby town of North Bend. The mountain was named after local homesteader Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt. It was made famous in the show Twin Peaks, which was filmed in North Bend.
Only about a 45-minute drive from Seattle, the mountain is a favorite outdoor destination for Puget Sound locals. On most summer days one can count numerous of hikers on the trail to the summit. It is said to be the most-climbed peak in the United States.[1]
The trail climbs 3,500 ft in about 4 miles, making it an ideal conditioning trip, and it is open during the winter and spring when most of the Cascades are snowed in. Hikers wanting extra exercise will carry up jugs of water in backpacks, then empty them at the top so as to reduce knee stress on the walk down.
The trail only goes as far as the summit ridge at the base of the "Haystack". The ascent of the Haystack to the actual summit is a short but somewhat exposed scramble and not recommended in wet or snowy conditions.
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[edit] Oceanic Plate Volcano
Mt. Si is a remnant of an oceanic plate volcano and the rocks are highly metamorphosed. Related to the Indian legend and seeing that the rock of Mt. Si is indeed 'foreign' rock and not like that of the surrounding countryside it might, perhaps, be that the Indians had recognized this fact and attempted to explain it with the story of the Moon falling to earth.
[edit] In local native legend
Mount Si figures prominently in a Prometheus story from the Snoqualmie tribe. According to the story, recorded by Ella Clark in 1953, it is the dead body of Snoqualm, the moon. Snoqualm had ordered that a rope of cedar bark be stretched between the earth and the sky. But Fox and Blue Jay went up the rope and stole the sun from Snoqualm. Snoqualm chased them down the cedar rope, but it broke and he fell to his death. Fox then let the sun free in the sky and gave fire to the people. A face like Snoqualm's is visible on the rocks near the summit.
[edit] References
- Fred Beckey, Cascade Alpine Guide, vol. 1
- Ira Spring and Harvey Manning, 102 Hikes in the Alpine Lakes, South Cascades, and Olympics (Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1978)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Mount Si at Peakbagger.com
- Mt. Si NCRA brochure
- Maps and aerial photos
- WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
- Surrounding area map from Google Maps
- Location in the United States from the Census Bureau
