This hike is a tale of two trails. Always have wanted to check out Mount Teneriffe but have been leery of the crowds. An early start today seemed like a good day to give it a go. Pretty awesome paved parking lot, very Mailbox Peak-like. Decided to take the new trail up, which is in very good shape. A dusting of snow appeared at about 3 miles and by 4 1/2 miles in, the snow was pretty deep. Someone had been up in snowshoes sometime last week, which helped a bit, but with the recent snow, the tracks were mostly filled in and without snowshoes, the last 2 miles were pretty slow going with no real boot path and no snowshoes. Only saw two people the whole way up, who were heading down to try and pick up the Mount Si connector trail after summiting Teneriffe the "old" way.

Emerging from the woods, deep snow changed to icy snow for the last few hundred feet to the summit. Very fortunate to be above the clouds and in the sun today, and with no wind the summit was very nice with nice views. Gaining 3,800 feet over 6 3/4 miles makes this a moderate, if long, hike. Decided to do the loop and take the traditional route down which had less snow, but was a bit more treacherous due to steepness and more compact snow. Several groups were coming up, and this route is clearly more popular, at least this time of year. Dropping elevation rapidly, the trail is efficient and straightforward, reminiscent of Mailbox Peak/old.

Descending into the clouds, it was actually misting, and the falls were very socked in. Several dozen people congregating around the falls, and the final 2 1/2 miles down saw non-stop people coming up, poop bags everywhere, and lots of off-leash dogs running around, so typical I-90 hike. Mileage down was 4 miles, so a substantial difference between this route and the new trail. Definitely preferred the solitude and beauty of the new trail.