We got to go hiking again!!!!!!!!!

Effective May 5th, Washington state parks and public lands managed by DNR and WDFW opened back up for day use. Since we wanted to give ourselves the best chance at social distancing, we waited a little over a week from the easing of outdoor recreation restrictions to go hiking (it was an overcast weekday, which helped as well). I chose Mount Si  for several reasons – it was clear of snow, it was a short drive away, and I’d already been to the top and would be much less disappointed if the weather affected the view. I forgot, however, how hard it is, especially since I haven’t kept up a regular workout routine since the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order came out late March. We brought our cloth masks, and overall, people just seemed happy to be out enjoying nature, and at least half of the 76 people we saw put on their own masks as we passed them.

We got to the trailhead around 9:00 am, and there were only a handful of cars already parked. As a note, it doesn’t appear that anyone is servicing the trailhead restrooms – bring your own TP! It took us three hours to get to the top, and I was too tired to do the scramble so we ate coffee cake at lower viewpoint. This was the only time I’ve sat at the top of a hike with no one else around, and it was amazing. When we reached the parking lot at 2:15 pm, the parking lot was only a little over half full. Let’s just say I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to see the trailhead as I was after this hike!