Mount Teneriffe — Friday, Mar. 1, 2002

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

To get there drive about 1 mile past the parking lot for Mt. Si. There is a small turnoff/parking area. We parked at the gated area at about 900' elevation. From here it's all up - mostly up. I knew this wasn't going to be a good day from the get go. It was taking me an awful long time to warm up. The first mile or so of the road is fairly flat with only about 400' of gain. After that the road grade steepens as is switches back and climbs the ridge. At about 3800' the grade eases just a bit before meeting up with the trail junction to Mt Si. At 4300'. We had some pretty awesome weather. Sunny blues skies and warm. We were treated to views along the way of Rainier to the south, Mt Si to the west, and Teneriffe our destination to the east. The trail on the road is pretty well compacted and snowshoes aren't really necessary. In fact, it wasn't until we reached 3200' that there was snow on the road. There is only a short stretch just shy of the summit where they came in handy. The road drops about 200' in elevation as it heads NE to a small pass that on the map is just S of Rachor Lk. From this pass we finally left the road and headed slightly SE to bump 4650' then dropped about 160' to a saddle NW of Teneriffe. From the saddle we had to gain 300' to the summit. The last stretch as we came out of the trees was a bit icy and the cleats on the snowshoes did come in a bit handy. From the summit was had unobstructed views in all directions. Baker, Shuksan, and Glacier Pk to the north. Rainier to the South. And we could even make out Seattle nestled next to the Sound with the Olympics visible in the distance. I had never done this trip before as was quite surprised that while Si is jammed packed with hikers on a clear day, Teneriffe left a whole different impression. It's only the next big bump on the ridge after Si but it feels so much more remote. After a nice leisurely lunch at the summit we headed back down the road to the car. I have to say that while I really enjoyed this trip I hated the road trip out. By the time we got back to the car my feel were screaming for freedom. Most of this trip is on the road and my poor feet really took a beating. Stats: 4.5 hrs up, 3.5 hrs down, 12 miles, 4650' gain. Janet.Putz@eddiebauer.com