I took this 7.5 to 8.0 mile loop in Cougar Mt. Park as a tune up hike for several planned summer hikes including a traverse of Rattlesnake Ridge.

Saturday turned out warm and pleasant and a great day to be out. My allergies which had been bothering me did not affect the hike which took about 3.5 hours with two breaks at Longs Peak and Far Country Look Out.

Lots of people were out with pets, trail running, or their children. The most notable parts of the hike were low land flowers and a deer family on the Cave Hole trail. The attached photos are of Skunk Cabbage near Doughty Falls and Phlox on the Coal Creek Falls Trail. Coal Creek Falls were as stunning as I have ever seen them.

All an all a great trip, with about 1200 to 1400 feet of elevation gain and loss. Trails were generally dry with some mud holes particularly on the horse use trails.

Climbed up beside a lively and chattering Wildeness Creek -- saw just enough snow to make one sno-cone. Blue skies! Sunshine! Pileated woodpecker! Machine noise from the gravel pit across the highway -- yuck. Turned left at Long View Peak trail and continued on for lunch at Doughty Falls -- the best part of the hike-- pretty, quiet, peaceful. Crews have been busy here -- dozens of blowdowns all neatly sliced away, but the layer of twigs left on the trail is thick enough to make the footing slippery in places.

Çontined west on Deceiver and then circled back east on Shy Bear trail. Encountered no serious blow-downs until starting up the Wilderness Peak Trail. They could all be scrambled over, under, or around with moderate effort. An angelic-looking Mt. Ranier was just visible through the trees coming down Wilderness Cliffs trail. Returned to the Wilderness Creek trailhead around 3 pm-- found cars lined up, waiting for a parking space. Gorgeous day.

AS#1 Girl Scouts

Saturday was rainy and slightly cold – a great day for hiking in the lowlands. I did a double loop to Wilderness and Long View Peaks via the Wilderness Cliffs Trail, Long View Peak Trail, Deceiver Trail, Shy Bear Trail and Wilderness Creek Trail. Trail conditions varied from fairly dry to wet and “sticky mud” on parts of the Shy Bear and Deceiver Trails.

The Issaquah Alps trail club had a hike over this same area but I did not see them at any point on the loop, not surprising since I started about 2 hours later than this group.

The cliffs trail was in good shape with limited mud and that mostly near the summit of Wilderness Peak where the trail levels somewhat and goes near a bog. The trail to Long View Peak was in good shape and there was no mud on the first section of Deceiver to Doughty Falls, from the falls to Shy Bear there is some mud and muck but much more on Shy Bear which goes through several bog areas before connecting to the Wilderness Creek Trail. Some of the Shy Bear Mud holes were of the boot sucking type and need to be stepped around or over.

Wilderness Creek has some mud but nothing unusual (did not have any boot sucking mud holes) for the day or time of year.

There was some sun as I passed over a board walk crossing of Wilderness Creek but in general it rained most of this hike. The good part of the hike being few people were out on Deceiver or Shy Bear making it a quite time.