Having the day off but still needing to stay close to the city, I thought it was time to revisit Cougar Mountain. I had only been once before a few summers back. This was my very first solo hike so I needed something fairly easy to get me started.
I got to the trailhead around noon (note: I followed the coordinates on the GPS from the trail guide and it took me to a private residence up the street, so had to turn around and find the parking lot that I drove past originally) and found it to be pretty full. Please remember to take your valuables with you and not to leave anything sitting out, because I noticed there was a car in the lot with one of the windows shattered.
The first mile is pretty gradual and was surrounded by the sound of running water. I ended up wearing my boots instead of trail runners, which was a good choice since there were patches of mud from the rain. The trail was very well marked, along with printed maps to take at the trailhead in case you get lost. After the first mile the switchbacks start to get a little steeper, but not for very long. I came across a few downed trees, but nothing difficult to cross.
At the actual peak, there is no real viewpoint, but do take a moment to stop and sign the notebook and have a seat on the memorial bench for a snack and a drink. I stopped at the same time as another woman and we chatted for a bit. She asked me if I was training for anything, and I blurted out, "Life?" We then chatted about hiking boots and poles, and she suggested that it is always good to carry poles when hiking solo in case there are suspicious people or cougars around (can you poke a cougar?). It then reminded me of a friend who told me about his first experience at Cougar Mountain. He got completely lost on his trail run and was getting dark. He started to wonder if there were actual cougars on the mountain and started running faster. Yes, he made it out safe and sound.
I decided to loop around on the Nawang Gombu Wilderness Cliff trail instead of retracing my steps. If you are looking for more of a workout than a leisure walk, I would recommend taking this route up, as it was much more steeper than the Wilderness Peak Trail. It had some nice viewpoints to stop and get a good view of the forest below.
I made it back to the trail head in under 2 hours at a leisurely pace. I was nervous about being on my own for the first time, but I survived, I didn't see any cougars and had a tasty La Croix waiting for me in the car as a reward.
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