Mount Teneriffe via Kamikaze Trail – 9/12/15

Panorama from Teneriffe summit
Panorama from Teneriffe summit

We have been to the Teneriffe summit but not via this route.  We looked at the Kamikaze Trail before but passed on it because we were not sure where it came out and how much time it would take.  We had a hard stop to attend Finley’s kindergarten class so at what we thought was the beginning of the trail we turned around.

Not today.  Today we mapped our distance from the car to the Kamikaze Trail as 2.8m and our elevation at 2,800 feet.  When we got to the summit we were at 3.7m and 4760 feet which means that stretch of trail is steep.  1,960 feet of elevation gain in .9 miles.  Yikes!  Our legs were beat by the time we hit the top but what views from up there!

Rattlesnake Lake and Ledge
Rattlesnake Lake and Ledge
It's all mountains all the time
It’s all mountains all the time
Mailbox Peak
Mailbox Peak
Watch your step right here
Watch your step right here

There is one last test before you hit the actual summit.

Teneriffe summit scramble
Teneriffe summit scramble

We took the main trail down.  It has a side trail that takes you up to the Mt. Si summit but we skipped that side trip today.

approaching Mt Si on the way down
approaching Mt Si on the way down

And a nicely framed view of the area behemoth.

Ranier through the trees
Ranier through the trees

Kind of a gentle descent down the main trail, with plenty of interesting sights.

Pretty spot on Teneriffe trail
Pretty spot on Teneriffe trail

Here is the summit disc:

Summit disc
Summit disc

We may do a hike next weekend, but we are definitely on for a hike on the 24th.  The plan is to hike with Darrell and George but George might have a conflict and if so, we will see if Darrell (who has been rehabbing a knee) is still on and if so, perhaps we can persuade him to try Vesper Peak again.