Sunday, January 27, 2008

Summary

Vehicles upon Arrival: 0

Vehicles upon Departure: 20

Weather at Trailhead: low overcast

Weather at Wilderness Peak: light freezing fog

Round-Trip Distance: 4.0 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet

High Point: 1,595 feet



Driving Directions

Follow I-90 (paved) eastbound from Seattle and take exit 15 to the right. Turn right onto Newcastle Way (paved) and drive ahead about 2.5 miles to the signed Wilderness Creek trailhead parking on the right side of the road. The parking area is paved and there is a privy available.



The Experience

What a beautiful day for a hike! I expected there to be a considerable amount of snow awaiting our arrival at the trailhead given the low snow levels over the recent days, but to our surprise, there was none! The trailhead parking area was a bit icy in places however and we slipped around a bit as we made our way across it. We (being myself and Courtney, my hiking partner for the day) were anxious for some precipitation as we both has some new waterproof gear to test out. I had reapplied some DWR (durable water repellency) to my Gore-Tex shell and pants and had also purchased a waterproof shell that fit over my backpack. Courtney has upgraded her garb as well sporting a flashy new waterproof jacket, pants and backpack.

We gave the interpretive signs, complete with a Cougar Mountain trail map, a good once-over and were soon on our way, plodding northwestward up the Wilderness Creek Trail. The wide path ascended gently just east of Wilderness Creek before coming to a small wooden bridge. We crossed over to the west side of the creek, stopping to take a couple pictures, before following the trail as it contoured upward in multiple switchbacks. After a few said switchbacks, we made sure to take a breather and admire a couple large boulders alongside the path that were just so covered in ferns as to resemble Chia Pets. Courtney scrambled to the top of one of them and I took the opportunity to snap a photo of her proudly modeling her sexy (or what we so deemed sexy) new pants and Outdoor Research trail gaiters.

After transgressing away from the creek, the path soon rounded a gently promontory before rejoining and paralleling the trickling waterway. At 0.5 mile from the trailhead we encountered our second creek crossing at a grand place called “The Boulders.” Wilderness Creek fanned out in this flat area into two smaller streams before they rejoined and rolled down a series of smooth wet stones towards the Renton-Issaquah Road. Two footlogs crossed both braids of the creek, the first offering a handrail on its port side to aid the wobbly hiker. Just beyond, about 30 feet up the snow dusted path was the second footlog, this one offering no railing but a much wider plank. After crossing, we stumbled across our first trail junction (signed). To go left was to continue along the Wilderness Creek Trail in the direction of Shy Bear Pass and Long View Peak. To go right was to hop onto the Wilderness Cliffs Trail in the direction of State Route 900 and Squak Mountain. We didn’t deliberate long and quickly chose to go left and keep along the Wilderness Creek Trail. Now momentarily back on the east side of the creek, the trail keeps close to it’s namesake through a low-lying thicket of ferns. The route will soon push its way into a boggy wetland, snaking its way around another fern and moss covered boulder on a narrow plank boardwalk before once again turning northwest.

The snow cover gradually increased as we slowly gained elevation but at no one point was it ever more than an inch or two. The forest to the west was a thin bramble of branches and twigs with a sparse stand of scraggly trees. The terrain was moderately inclined to the west of this vicinity with a steeper incline towards the east, just across the mellower Wilderness Creek. At 1.5 miles from the trailhead, a second trail junction (signed) was reached. To go left was to head towards Long View Peak and Doughty Falls along Cabbage Creek. We opted to head to the right, towards Wilderness Peak. After a short 25 to 50 feet a third trail junction (signed) was encountered. To go left was to descend along the Shy Bear Trail towards the East Fork of Coal Creek. With almost no consideration, we decided to make a loop and head straight, following the Wilderness Peak Trail to said summit.

Gaining elevation at a steady grade along a good path, the trail swung eastward as it made its way up the gentle northwestern slope of the forested peak. Courtney stayed well ahead of me for this leg of the journey as I felt inclined to stop and enjoy the silent serenity of the place. I knew that our journey would be over relatively soon and I wanted to absorb as much of it as I could. Courtney and I have different hiking styles; I like to take my time and extend my day in an effort to appreciate nature’s splendor while she likes to kick it into high gear so she can feel the burn. Realizing this, I stopped to take a photograph of a trailside branch that seemed to have recently snapped off a larger tree. I admired the layered aspect of the wood in the branch’s interior and the dusting of snow that coated the exterior bark. I stopped again to gaze at a giddy woodpecker pecking profusely on a rotting snag. After meandering for 0.4 mile we reached a fourth trail junction (signed). The path to the left led in the direction of Wilderness Peak and it is the path we decided to hike.

In a short 0.1 mile we arrived at the cold, forested and foggy summit of the 1,595 foot Wilderness Peak. We were cordially greeted by a friendly resting bench and a summit log nailed to a tree encased within a plastic container inside a wooden shelter.

A light coating of rime was visible on the summit flora and we both took some time to test our luck at getting a suitable picture. I signed the summit log as ‘skimpyphud’ and soon thereafter surrendered the summit to an approaching party of two. We made our way back down to the fourth trail junction and continued our loop by turning left onto the Wilderness Cliffs Trail.

The good path began its gentle descent down the west slope of the mountain as we began the longest leg of our journey. After numerous switchbacks, a pee break and a Powerade and Moon Pie break, we came upon a small pond just as the trail turned southward. The pond lied in a shallow depression amidst towering evergreens that reached into the foggy atmosphere overhead. I stopped and snapped a picture despite my cold fingers and we were then on our way. Our next photogenic scene was a bramble of holly that was draped over the trail. We stopped and did what nature required of us and then once again renewed our gait. As we left the summit to the fog, small views began opening up through the curtain of evergreens. The western slope of Squak Mountain peeked its way in and out of view as did numerous unnamed hills to the south. A short side trail branched off towards a viewpoint on the right about two thirds of the way along this leg. Views to be had were minimal. At 3.1 miles from the trailhead we reached trail junction number five (signed). The path to the left led in 0.7 mile to the Renton-Issaquah Road and the Sunset Quarry. We continued our loop by taking the path to the right, following the Squak Mountain Connector Trail a short 400 feet back to The Boulders at the first trail junction. We snapped some pictures of said feature and another one or two of the fern draped boulders before arriving back at the trailhead.

Trail Conditions

All the bridges are intact. There was a little snow on the trail at higher elevations but never more than a couple inches. The tread was good with only a little mud in places.