Cougar Mountain

Today was a great day to hike--by February standards. A balmy temperature of 47 degrees, light misty rain, and no snow...what more could one ask for? Signs of spring continue to slowly appear: triliums and salmonberrys are blooming, and skunk cabbages are popping up in the wetlands. In particular, the wetlands along the Shy Bear Trail feature a nice growth of skunk cabbages.

I started my Cougar Mountain hike at the new Sky Country trailhead, and from there rambled a wide selection of trails. For the most part, the trails I hiked were in good shape. King County does a good job staying on top of trail maintenance these days. The main problem I saw were numerous flattened and useless drain dips. Here's the rundown on specific trail conditions:

Old Man's Trail: Good condition.

Bypass Trail: Good, but east end is a bit eroded, needs drainage work.

Freds RR Trail: Good condition.

Shy Bear Trail east of Deceiver Trail: o.k., a bit rooty and muddy.

Deceiver Trail: Good, a few mud holes especially east of Long View Pk.

Klondike Swamp Trail: Good, recently worked.

Coyote Creek Trail: Good, some mud holes.