Small Town, Big Mountain

We were driving into North Bend, Washington on a crisp fall day in search of two things.  The peak of Mt. Si and Laura Palmer.  Okay, we already knew who had killed her after investing nearly two months in re-watching the entire Twin Peaks series, but were looking to catch glimpses of her old haunts from the 1990s hit television show.

View of Mt. Si just outside Snoqualmie

North Bend and neighboring Snoqualmie were home to many of the exterior shots from the show.  The towering view of Mt. Si is seen in numerous episodes and we were determined to conquer the trail to the top.  Mt. Si (pronounced "sigh") is one of the most popular day hikes in the Seattle metro area.  It's estimated that between 30,000 and 50,000 people hike the trail each year.  That's quite a feat for the average hiker considering the trail is 4 miles to the top and gains almost 4,000 feet in elevation.

The Haystack at the very top of Mt. Si

Hiking the trail at Mt. Si requires the purchase of a Discover Pass. We purchased ours as we drove through the small, quaint downtown of North Bend.  Across the street from Twede's Cafe, the inspiration for the Double R diner in the fictional Twin Peaks and home of the best cherry pie, is the Pro Guiding Ski shop where we purchased the day pass on our way the trail head.

The hike to Mt. Si is not for the faint of heart.  The entire four miles is a climb through shaded forests with rays of sunlight only catching you through the small parting of leaves on the many trees.  Once we were able to push the thoughts of the intensity of the incline out of our heads, it became a rather mindless hike.  The trail is very well marked, maintained and traveled.

Fall is a beautiful time to be hiking this trail.  The golden yellows, bright reds and oranges of the changing leaves, contrasted by the lush green of the landscape, rivals any leaf-peeping in the Northeast.  We lucked out and had a clear day with blue skies once we reached the top.  The elevation gain requires layering.  The hike up kept us nice and warm, but the peak and hike back down was chilly and down right cold.

Valley views from the top of Mt. Si

I felt extremely proud of myself reaching this summit.  The views from the top encompass the entire valley with mountain views in the distance.  This isn't a hike where we could look down and just see our car parked in the lot. In fact, I doubt we could even see the lot without binoculars from up here.

It's rocky a the top but we easily scrambled up to find a picnic spot with breathtaking views.  Be weary of the angry birds though, they are often fed and one almost snagged a piece of bread right from my mouth.    

If you go, stop by the Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom just off the main street for a post-hike snack and a sampler of some local Washington brews.

What was the Great Northern in Twin Peaks

I'm sure you're wondering what happened to the search for Laura Palmer and friends.  Mt. Si took the best of us that day, but we did stop by Snoqualmie Falls for a glimpse of the Great Northern.  The Salish Lodge & Spa is the filmed exterior for the Great Northern Hotel. The hotel looks entirely different on the inside so save the trip if you are expecting a glossy, wood paneled interior complete with roaming Pacific Northwest characters.

For Twin Peaks fanatics like us, take this 30 minute drive west of Seattle into North Bend and discover the many sites of the show.  An amazingly thorough and detailed map of the Washington filming locations is housed on the In Twin Peaks site.  There is even an annual Twin Peaks Festival celebrating the series each August with guest appearances by some of the actors.  I hate to admit it, but I'm actually really intrigued by this 150-person event.

Have you been to the sites of a favorite television show?  Have they lived up to your great expectations?