East Access #SQUAK-E1,Central Peak #SQUAK-C1,Bullitt Access #SQUAK-N1,East Side #SQUAK-E2 — May. 25, 2002

Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain

Erik M

Beware of: trail conditions

I love Squak mountain. It is the only basically urban hiking area that I can routinely get lost. I did the Bullet access road, Phil's creek trail, Eastside trail loop with a couple ""uh.. now which way"" side trips resulting in a couple, unanticipated, extra miles. I saw only two other people, and there were no other cars at the trail head - amazing for an early Sunday afternoon. The trails are in great shape. There are just a few blow downs that don't really obstruct passage, the mudslide near the boyscout bench on the Eastside trail and the nettles are starting to get ankle high - ouch. I heard atleast one raven 'squaking' away, saw a whole bunch of funky purple beetles (are those the ""bad"" kind of beetles?) and a cute like brown tree frog. On one of the side trips I walked past a collection of huge boulders that were pretty neat. To top off the afternoon I heard on the radio coming home that the Talis development is 'donating' 400 acres of land between Squak and Cougar mountains. Yes, I'm sure it's in exchange for some zoning exception or something, but I'll take what I can get - I'm sure that the beetles and tree frogs there will be happy.

Phil's Creek #SQUAK-S3,Central Peak #SQUAK-C1,Squak Mountain Access #SQUAK-N2,Perimeter Loop Trail #SQUAK-PLT,East Side #SQUAK-E2 — Jan. 19, 2002

Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain

Erik M

Beware of: trail conditions

Spent Sunday morning hiking around Squwak mountain . I started at the Mountainside access point and went up the central creek trail coming back down Phil's creek trail and the Eastside trail, (a very nice loop as described in Mr. Manning's 55 hikes around Snoqualmie Pass book. It was pretty windy and there was some new blow down on the trail. Saw a good sized alder crack and go over just a half mile or so from the trail head. There was still snow from several days before covering the top 400 or 500 vertical feet of the mountain. It was pretty darn sloppy, (read popsicles for toes.) The top was completely socked in, couldn't even see the top of the microwave towers and pretty darn windy up there too. Phil's creek trail was very slippery, a hiking stick would have helped, (or a tobogan...) There is a new, good sized mud slide on the return trip along the Eastside trail, but mother nature slid a nice stump right in the middle to hold on to while pulling you boots out of the mud. This is a very nice loop for a morning or afternoon; quiet, lots of great scenery and close.

Perimeter Loop Trail, South Access Road, Central Peak, Bullitt Fireplace Trail, West Peak, Squak Mountain Access Trail, May Valley Loop — Jan. 12, 2002

Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain

Colonel Sparky Murphy

The Valley Connector and West Peak Trail junction with the Bullitt Fireplace Trail is as shown on the Green Trail map (as opposed to what was reported earlier). They are just buried under a mass of logs. At 1.0 miles, the May Valley Trail leaves the road to the left at a hairpin curve. There is a sign that indicates the trail ends in 0.1 miles. This pertains to the side trail to the east that ends at a private property line. The May Valley Trail heads north along Bullitt Creek. There is some construction on the May Valley Trail. There are some muddy spots and brushy areas. No logs across the trail. The tread is narrow and there are brushy spots on the Perimeter Loop Trail. There are brushy spots along the West Peak Trail and there are many logs across the trail. There is a small transmitting station on West Peak. The West Peak Trail is buried under many logs where it meets the Bullitt Fireplace Trail. The Bullitt Fireplace and Central Peak Trails are clear except for one overhanging three on The Bullitt Fireplace Trail. The Valley Connector Trail has many logs across it. Skies were overcast and temperatures were moderate.

Squak Mountain — Nov. 27, 1997

Issaquah Alps > Squak Mountain

lmersereau

After being scared off by the rain last week, Grace and I decided to make a go of Squak Mnt no matter what this time. We were using ""Walks and HIkes in Foothills and Lowlands"", and maps of Tiger and Cougar Mnts. For the trailhead off 900, there is parking for two vehicles on the other side of a gate- if it is a rainy miserable day you might not have to park on the road. The West Access Trail is mostly a road, with lots of water bars. We wound our way up to the fireplace, and took a faint tread over and under the slot cut slash. One other party was enjoying the peak's foggy view of Seattle the Emerald City indeed! It started to rain again. We wanted to take the Central Peak-Northeast Face loop, and easily found our Summit Trail connection. Going down this trail we noticed how much elevation we gained (""boy, I'd hate to have to climb this"" [foreshadowing] ). Here the directions became sketchy. The book's map is to be used at your own hazzard (I had been going off of the directions), and there was no signs for ""Thrush Gap"", but there was a junction for Phil's Creek Trail, not mentioned in book. Directions said go left (north), and we trudged on in the rain for about a mile, never finding the sought after sawdust pile. Worried we might end up on a road on the other side of the mountain, we backtracked back to what thought was Thrush Gap. Bummer. We have no idea where to go, and lousy maps and directions. Time to bite the bullet and go back up the nasty Summit Trail. Of course, the rain turned into a downpour for our route finding disgrace. Mmmm...vertical slippery wet leaves. After visiting the microwave towers again, we took a more civilized route back to the fireplace. Then back onto West Access Road. Found the final stretch of the loop, East Side Road. Somehow, we lost the trail again, and ended up on Side Mnt Trailhead. Good Grief- are we ever going to get out of here'!! We found Coal Creek Trail, which led us stray sheep back to WAR and back to the car. This might be a good summer stroll, but if you do not know the trails, your 6 mile hike may end up 10 ...not that I mind a good steep hike at this time of the year. Might come back and do opposite loop.