Mount Teneriffe and Green Mountain share a ridgeline from Mount Si. Both peaks overlook Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley. Meanwhile, Kamikaze Trail on the southwest ridge offers the quickest way to the top.
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Mount Teneriffe at a Glance
Access: Mount Teneriffe Trailhead
Round Trip: 6.4 miles
Elevation Range: 840′-4788′
Gear: microspikes, snowshoes
GPS: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Mount Teneriffe (Kamikaze) Trail
We needed a shorter today and resorted to Mount Teneriffe, one of my off-season favorites. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) built a new parking lot over the Fourth of July. So it was exciting to see the new trail.
The gate opened a quarter after 7, and we pulled into the brand-new lot and started soon after. In the past, we’d strolled the old roadway many times. But the new connector trail took off a significant chunk of the road walk.
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Steep Southeast Ridge
The path was mainly snow-free, with a dusting below Teneriffe Falls. I took a few minutes to marvel at the water feature and continued. It rained and snowed just after 8 for an hour before stopping. Luckily, we stayed dry in the dense forest.
The trail snaked up the steep slope, and we soon saw more snow. With every bit of altitude was more fresh snow, but we could move comfortably without dragging. I used microspikes for traction to go through the slick areas more quickly.
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Making the Final Stretch
Before stepping into fresh snow, I put on snowshoes by the 4400′ clearing. Then the pup and I plowed through knee-high powder along the summer trail. Meanwhile, we moved through the looming outcrops as it snowed.
Carving out a path was trying, but glad we only did that in the last 250′. Sadly, as in the forecast, the sky never cleared up in the late morning. So we were in a complete whiteout with only views of the line of trees below the top.
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Mount Teneriffe Summit
There snowed somewhat during our half-hour visit. Soon, the wind picked up as another hiker came up and joined us. We briefly chatted before he took off, and then the pup and I went down soon afterward.
We saw a group of six down at the clearing as they carefully walked up the steep crest. Then we met two solo hikers down on the ridge, plus several groups having a good time by the waterfall.
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