Teneriffe again? Yes!

For Tuesday's outing, the big "loop with a pigtail" to Teneriffe Falls, Mt. Teneriffe, and Mt. Dixie. This route is a new favorite, a challenging 14 miles and 4000 feet of climbing, a great diversity of forest and mountain environments, and lots of big views. So rare and exciting to observe three mountain goats from about 150 feet, and a big brown rabbit, ears limned with black, from much closer.

I was in clouds from the time I started up the trail at 5:45 a.m., but they were thin and patches of blue came and went and eventually I had some brilliant sunshine through the wrack.
 

 Climbing toward the falls, looking west at Mt. Si.

Do you know what this is?
 

This is a couple hundred feet of the falls, and they continue maybe 300 feet more below.

Here's my bunny.
 

Just before emerging from forest onto the summit outcrop.
 

And this is what I saw when I stepped out of the forest.
 

Ready to summit Teneriffe. I'll come back here for my first breakfast.
 

On Teneriffe summit looking north to volcano Mt. Baker.
 

And south to Mt. Rainier.
 

East toward Snoqualmie Pass.
 

Back down to this little saddle, which today was shelter from the breeze so I boiled water and made hot chocolate and ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich.
 

Mt. Si off to the west.
 

The east-west part of the very little used ridge trail to Mt. Dixie.
 

The monument at Mt. Dixie's summit, looking west where the clouds parted to reveal the city and the Olympics beyond the Sound, then closed, parted, and closed again.
 

Fungi.
 

Rachor Lake between Teneriffe on the right and Dixie on the left.
 

Looking back up at Mt. Dixie's meadow summit.
 

Back on the main Teneriffe "road" trail, looking back up at Teneriffe summit.
 

Mountain goats!
 

And back down to the bottom, where the waters collect in fens and quiet pools.
 

Denizen.
 

Salmon berry.

First foxglove of the season.

And in case you just can't get enough, here is a collection of video from this hike, set to music that I had a hand in (two hands, actually). Full screen and HD resolution recommended.