This was Mother's Day, and nary a word from my cats. A phone call, a card—too much to ask? It was obvious that I'd have to take myself out, if anyone was going to. And on a clear Seattle day, I can't see anything but mountains.

I've been exploring the hikes in Seattle for two years without visiting Mount Si, chiefly because I'm too much of a trail snob to try one so well-trod. But since the Forest Service still has warnings up ("burial at snow") for the faint of heart—a club I founded back in '73—Si was my only choice.

I ask for one of two things from a hike: a prod to my imagination, which is usually provided by the inevitable adventures of the unprepared traveler, or a little fuel for my sense of awe, especially after a winter of pacing Seattle's city streets. Si provided both, in turn.

In early summer, the first half of the hike is all green and gold: sky-high trees, waist-high ferns, and knee-high grasses spotlighted by the best sunlight in the Northwest. If you don't like scenery, speculate instead on what alien atmosphere spawned the need for camel packs, and why anyone would put a tiny, angry dog in a mesh backpack, where it can scare the bejeezus out of-well, everyone who doesn't know it's there.

Snag Flats is a notable stopping point on the way up. This small clearing shows off the decaying aftermath of a fire that happened almost a century ago. Si burned for weeks in 1910, the same year that Washington state gave women the vote and Charles "Wappy" Wappenstein was Seattle's chief sin profiteer. Coincidence? I think not. Let's face it: nothing says conspiracy like a man named "Wappy."

Mount Si
DAWN MCCARRA BASS

From the Flats, a steady slope upward takes you to Si's real treasure: a chance to be truly above it all, from the sprawl of Seattle's outskirts to the highway that will take you home. You'll be nose-to-nose with Rainier, Mount Baker, and other surrounding peaks. Don't get dizzy trying to see it all at once—there's nothing soft to fall on.

The granite domes at the top of the trail offer hiding spots enough to give everyone a private seat for lunch, provided you measure privacy by seeing instead of shouting distance. I can't identify the ash-feathered, dark-eyed bird that ate from my hand; I can only assure you that I never thought he'd actually take the crumb I offered. I've no desire to upset anyone's delicate ecosystem. Food-happy but camera-shy–such are the birds of Mount Si.

There's an option at the end to skinny up one final peak, the Haystack, for slightly better views and a little touch of wilderness. Don't try this scramble unless you know how. If you do go up, though, don't let the return trip scare you. It's not too hard to crabwalk down the rock face, finding a hold for each hand and sliding your feet gently to the next rest. I was safe in the wake of a family of four, out for their own Mother's Day expedition. And if a couple of 10-year-olds can make it down—singing the soundtrack from "Mary Poppins," no less—so can you.

Directions: Take exit 31 from I-90. Turn left immediately at the bottom of the ramp, right on North Bend Way, and then left onto Mount Si Road in just over two miles. Along the way, you'll have a chance to scope out the local shops and possible caffeine sources for after the hike. (Hint: Dylan's Manchester concert, no matter how edgy it was in 1966, will not be enough to keep you awake on the ride home-not after a scramble up the Haystack.)

Stats: Distance is eight miles, round trip. Elevation gain is about 3,400 feet.

Also useful: Leave early, and carry your own toilet tissue. The couple who stole that last parking spot may leave you stranded in other ways. No pass is necessary to park at the trailhead.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company