Mount Spokane State Park - Trail 110, Mount Spokane State Park - Trail 100, Mount Spokane State Park - Hay Ridge Loop & Mount Spokane State Park - Mount Kit Carson Trail — Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013

Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene

I keep looking for Mount Spokane trails that haven't been logged on the WTA website, and the Hay Ridge Loop has been missing. I extended the usual route for the loop by starting at the bottom of trail 110 just inside the park entrance. I took trail 110 up to where it crosses the Lower Mt. Kit Carson Loop Road, and continued up to the trail 100 intersection. From there, I crossed the creek on the fabulous new bridge (courtesy several WTA work parties!)and continued out trail 100 as far as Smith Gap (the site of the soon-to-be constructed snowshoe shelter; in fact, volunteers needed! See the volunteer website to learn more: http://mountspokanetrails.wordpress.com/other-volunteer-opportunities/). From Smith Gap I continued a short way up the hill until I reached the intersection with trail 170 for the Hay Ridge Loop Trail. This is a nice, shady route for hot summer days. There is quite a bit of vegetation growing in the trailbed on the first portion of the loop, but it is manageable (I was running and had no problems getting through, but I did have to watch my footing). When trail 170 meets trail 140 the tread gets a lot better (this section sees far more traffic). After I completed the loop, I took the Mt. Kit Carson Loop Road back down the hill until I reached the 110 intersection, and from there it was an easy downhill run back to the car. My mileage was 7.2, but this route can be shortened by starting at the switchback parking lot (snowshoe SnoPark lot). Get the map at http://www.mountspokane.org/ Hike-a-Thon mileage update (as of 8/15): 121.85 Please sponsor me!