I started at the intersection of East Lake Sammamish Parkway and I-90. I followed the Issaquah to HighPoint trail, which is paved only for a short section until it crosses under Highlands drive. Then it continues on as an old dirt road, very gradually climbing along the freeway corridor. At about 2 miles is the Coal Mine Trailhead and entrance to Grand Ridge Park. There’s probably nicer ways to access the park than along the freeway, but I wanted to experience the trail end to end. And today it was just a nice reminder of the wonderful trail access we have only minutes from the amenities of town. The trail switchbacks up, then climbs more gradually as it nears the top of the ridge. There is one deep stream crossing that is a bit dangerous if the small logs are wet and may be a deterrent for the average mountain biker. Indeed, I had the trail to myself today, a nice change from the crowds of Cougar or Tiger mountains. I noticed the WTA has been doing work on this trail along the ridge. And even though I recognized the wide and trip-hazard free trail, I was most thankful for their work on the drainage because there is no standing water or shoe-sucking mud in these sections. After a mile or so of flat cruising at around 1000’, the trail starts to descend and winds into a thicker forest of large maples and red cedars. When I got down around 400’, there were a couple really muddy sections, the last which required a 50 yard or so wade through ankle-deep muck. You may want to just turn around here, for the trail only goes another quarter of a mile further and comes to an end. From there, it is roughed in the last few yards to the Issaquah-Fall City road. I had reached the end, roughly 7.5 miles. Only there is no mountain top, panoramic view or sparkling mountain lake. My reward was the morning solitude, and the candy bar in my pocket which I enjoyed before I turned around and headed back.

Enjoyed a pleasant hike along the entire length of the Grand Ridge Trail. There are no views, but the century-old forest is lovely. Maples provide some nice fall color. You won't see many hikers in this quiet area, or bikers for that matter (the trail is open to mountain bikes). The path is complete almost to the Issaquah-Fall City Road, which can be reached with a short hike up the hillside.

Most of the trail is in good shape. There is one unbridged and muddy crossing of a small creek toward the north end of the trail. The crossing of the wetland at the end of the trail needs some major work (such as putting in a boardwalk) before it is complete. For now, expect some mudholes in this area. The south end of the trail, where it drops down to the Issaquah-High Point Trail, has deteriorated a bit, with mudholes, flattened drain dips, and encroaching brush.

This was a first time on Grand Ridge Trails which are a great asset to Issaquah and the new housing development on Grand Ridge.

The trail we took (Issaquah Alps Hike) started at Fire Station 73 and worked its way to an unsigned junction. Here the group followed a phone cable trail/road which would eventually lead to a county park. The walk on this section was hindered a bit by a major blow down, tricky steam crossing and mud. These were the worst obsticles on the trip.

Once in the park we hiked on a county trail (trail map of area can be obtained at www.issaquahhighlands- Parks and Trails) that went around some new homes and took the group to Kathy's trail. Kathy's trail headed down toward the fire station and cars. The WTA was doing some work on the trail repairing a bridge among other things.

Once off Kathy's trail we walked on other trials and sidewalks back to our cars. Total trip length about 6 miles with 900 feet of elevation gain and loss.

This was a great chance to visit the area and certainly a good area to explore during the winter.

Wow, the Issaquah area got hit hard by the recent snowstorm. Looking for a trail that involved minimal driving on icy roads, I rambled up the Grand Ridge trail starting at the High Point trailhead. A half foot of snow covered the trail, almost enough to make me wish that I had brought my cross country skis. There was actually a snowmobile track on the trail...definitely not a legal activity here. The cold and powdery snow made for a beautiful winter scene along the trail.

I followed the Issaquah-Preston trail west for a mile, then veered right onto the start of the Grand Ridge Trail at the signed junction. After that, I followed the Grand Ridge Trail for several miles, to a point where the trail leaves an old road bed and crosses a marsh on a turnpike bridge. Blowdown had been removed, and there were few difficulties encountered on the trail other than deep snow. However, the unsigned spur trail that leads to upper Preston at 280 Dr SE was in terrible shape with mud, brush, and blowdown.

May 21, GRAND RIDGE MINING HIKE A 30-minute lecture followed by a three and a half hour walk, well worth the $5 contribution to the Issaquah Historical Society. We met at the old railroad depot in Issaquah. Our guide was Steven Grate. He covered the history of coal in the area beginning with prehistoric forests, using maps and photographs to pinpoint the mines around Issaquah, and finally describing the relics still to be found on Grand Ridge.

We had so many questions the lecture lasted much longer than half an hour. Then we walked on Sunset toward I-90, walked under it and along a wide trail going north. Lots of freeway noise. We passed some giant, stylized metal sculptures of local floral, painted a garish orange. Passed a bicycle/pedestrian tunnel which Steve said was part of original trail and so was required to be integrated into new construction; this tunnel turned out to be important.

There was only one signpost along the trail, but Steve knew the locations of mine entrances, airways, moss-covered concrete bases that had once held up heavy machinery, etc. As the group was ready to turn back, Steve said that the trail we were on continued up to the top of Grand Ridge, cut through an upscale housing development, and re-joined the trail we were on, making a loop. Don and I were ready for a longer hike, and we were prepared with lunch and full packs. Steve showed us the loop on the 2005 Green Trails map of Tiger Mountain, and we took off. The trail up to the top was in excellent condition, except for a few muddy places. Someone has put a lot of work into trail building. We ate our lunch near some big trees. Soon after we came out on a road at the top of the ridge. There was a trail on the other side, but no signpost; we weren't sure that this was our trail; it seemed to go off in the wrong direction. We walked toward the houses. We thought we could ask someone, but no one we asked knew anything about a trail. We knew where I-90 was, at the bottom of the hill, so we started walking down. We passed some ""Info"" offices, but those were sales for the development. We passed a fire station, but it was all locked up. We continued down. We came to an area named ""Trail Vista"" where we found a stylized map of present and future trails, including a tunnel under I-90. We continued down. We came to some bicycle lanes, and we figured those would go under the freeway, so we followed those down and down. Eventually we saw a couple of those garish orange metal sculptures, and a sign pointing to Sunset, through a tunnel. When we came out, we knew exactly where we were, and walked back to get our car at the depot in Issaquah.

Altogether we walked 9.15 by our fairly reliable pedometer. I now understand that if we had taken the trail on the other side of the road on top of the hill, we would have walked a little further but ended up at the same tunnel. If I ever do this one again, I think that when I get to the road at the top of the hill, I will turn around and come down through the woods again.