A short walk in the cold was my objective for this day. Clear skies and moderating temperatures (it was above freezing - about 35 degrees - at the Sky Country Trail Head). Not many folks out on this afternoon and the trails were concrete hard frozen with ice everywhere water flowed. The ice was not a problem except for a short stretch on Red Town Trail near the "ball park" which was about 10 feet in length and required modest caution. Once temperatures return to normal, trails will get quite muddy so I was glad to have the time to enjoy the benefits of our freeze.

In general the trails were in super shape, mud holes all frozen and solid for easy walking. On the return saw Seattle area covered in a brown haze (smog) due to the lack of turbulent air mixing - looking forward to the rain/snow to move this junk out.

This is a tale of two hikes in the Issaquah Alps over the last two Saturdays. The first hike was on November 14th and did a loop hike to Coal Creek Falls from the Sky Country Trail Head. This is a short 3 mile walk on good trails which were not very muddy and had no significant blow down. There is a new bridge over Coal Creek on the trail, quite nice and likely overdue.

On the more recent Saturday, I walked to Wilderness Peak from the Sky Country Trail Head and then to Long View Peak, returning via the Deceiver and Shy Bear Trails. On the 21st there was more evidence of wind fall (blow down) but nothing that could not be stepped over easily. The trails were a bit more muddy and Shy Bear Marsh was more like a shallow lake.

On both days I avoided rain, a nice thing, and saw deer tracks in the mud. Trails are still in good shape despite the rain.

A short walk with moderate elevation gain on a beautiful fall day. The trails were all in good shape and the 4 miles of trail took about 1.5 hours to cover. I saw several folks on the walk and one black bear near junction with the By Pass Trail on my return. A man with a dog pointed out the young bear and I avoided the area the bear retreated into.

The man said he had seen other bears in the area over the past few weeks so some caution is advised.

Winter just won't let go on Cougar Mountain, which sported a coat of new snow on its higher elevations today. But the sun finally did come out in the afternoon, promising better weather to come. There were lots of new leaves and buds on the plants--I even saw a trillium blooming.

Here are the conditions of the Cougar Mountain trails that I visited:

Old Man Trail (C11):

Good, a little muddy.

Bypass Trail (C9):

Good condition. One short slope was a bit scoured by water runoff.

East Fork Trail (C8):

Mud is a problem in spots. Recently worked on by the WTA. Drainage is working well, but some of the clay soil used for fill is mushy.

Tibbets Marsh Trail, south end from Clay Pit Road to creek(N9):

Some of the recent work done by the WTA may have to be redone, because the clay fill dirt has turned into a mushy, trampled mess in places. Hopefully, summer weather will solidify the clay permanently.

W. Tibbetts Creek (E10):

One of the prettier trails on Cougar, which gives views into Tibbetts Creek's little gorge. An old low-standard trail, muddy and rooty in places.

Bear Ridge (E3):

Another nice trail with some interesting scenery, home of the Fantastic Erratic. A few mud holes and eroded sections with failed drainage higher up. Great condition lower down.

Talus Connector

A new and well-crafted trail forming a useful link between the Bear Ridge Trail and the Talus development. In excellent condition.

Surprise Creek Trail (E2):

Serious drainage problems and erosion below No Name Trail junction. One big blowdown. This trail needs help! Above No Name, the trail is in much better condition, although the somewhat undersized drain dips (as usual) need maintenance.

Coyote Creek Trail (C3):

In good shape, mud holes are the main problem. There are a few filled-in drain dips toward the top end of the trail.