Trip Report
Mount Teneriffe
A solo jaunt to see Mt. Rainier, Glacier Peak, and more. Foggy conditions provided wonderful photo opps of mushrooms and sun rays.
Courtenay Schurman
- Thu, Sep 26, 2024
- Mount Teneriffe
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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I arrived at 7 a.m. sharp (only car in the parking lot) to find the gate was already open. The toilets remain closed, but the Portapotties are in good condition. There were a total of 4 cars in the parking lot when I finished just before 2. Cool temperatures, no crowds, fall colors, and plenty of opportunities to hear the birds. I only saw two people all day, half an hour from the cars.I was lucky: not a single drop of rain, only moisture falling from branches after yesterday's rain and fine fog droplets blowing high on the ridge which made for some cool photo opportunities. Otherwise, the winds were pretty calm. It was a great day for a hike and I had the summit all to myself for half an hour. Fall colors are just starting -- in another two weeks, we might start seeing more.
The last mile traversing the ridge between Si and Teneriffe felt So. Very. Long without someone to talk to but having peekaboo sights of Rainier and also Glacier Peak helped. 19 bird species included a sooty grouse and a hawk. I also saw many slugs and dew-covered spider webs, and got a TON of photos of interesting mushrooms/fungi.
The trail is in great shape. I considered going up Kamikaze to save on mileage, but after the previous day's rain, I sensed the rocks might be slick and chose to do the long route up, but I came down via the Teneriffe Falls Connector. There is running water in places, but none flowing under the Connector bridge, so I didn't continue back up to the Falls after I completed Teneriffe like I thought I might. 13 miles/3800' gain was enough for today.