Name: Mt. Si Creek
Placed by: Eliza B.
date placed: 06/9/02
nearest town: North Bend, WA, USA
county: King
 
difficulty: directions are easy, trail is really hard.

I wanted to place one at the summit, but there were just too many people there. This is one of the most popular conditioning trails in the Northern Cascades, so be careful when finding/replacing boxes. Other cautions: Both bears and cougars have been sighted on Si. If you stay on the trails, though, they're so heavily traveled that you should be fine.

This is on a spur trail from the first Mt. Si Trail box. You can get them both at the same time.

To get to Si, use the "trail" directions, or take this alternate route: Take I-90 East from Seattle to exit 32. Turn left over the overpass, then left again where the road T's. Take a right on Mt. Si Road, over a bridge, and veering slightly right. Follow the road for 2.5 miles, and the enterance to the park is on your left, in some trees. The trailhead is marked, near the rest rooms.

TO FIND THE BOX:
Half-way up, through the snag flats, there is a place where the trail diverges. Take the Creek path.

Go across the small wooden bridge and up the small hill. It turns right, next to the roots of a downed tree.

From the turn, take approximately five-six steps.

On your right will be two trees, one larger than the other in diameter. Immediately to your left, maybe one more step, is a pile of rocks on the ground. The box is there, under the grey rock with moss on half of it, under some piled bark and evergreen.

If you go on to summit Si, be careful to bring enough water -- I ran out half-way up, and if it wasn't for a good samaritan near the top, I would have been hard-pressed to get out of there un-dehydrated. (Not that water isn't a hiking basic, but it bears repeating.)

I have some pictures of the top here, if you'd like to go on. (Warning: The stamp is shown. If you're one of the ones that likes to wait to see them, don't click.)

please also see the letterboxing USA site for all the regular disclaimers and waivers that you assume when you decide to go out looking for boxes. (blah blah blah, legalese saying that you know it's your own fault if you get bit by stuff, fall off a cliff, or if things aren't where they're supposed to be. That kind of thing.)