Another hike with the Issaquah Alps Club, moderate in length and elevation gain but a good tune up hike for the upcoming season. Denis Harney was our leader on a hike I have done before, looping past all three water falls in Cougar Mt. Park. The hike started on the Wildside Trail which has a series of undulations, some of which are moderately steep providing a good warm up quickly. Once off the Wildside Trail, the first falls (Far Country Falls) can be seen just off the Indian Trail, and from here to the Far Country Look Out is a short hike up hill. The trails to this point were in good shape considering the recent snow and rain. Snow was evident on the sides of the trails, but no snow on the trails. From the Far Country Look Out, view has been obscured a bit by tree growth over the last 10 years, we walked Shy Bear and Deceiver Trails to Doughty Falls (not impressive for the water flow over the rocks but worth the short side trail to the falls). The Deceiver Trail did have some mud holes as did the Long View Peak Trail and other trails that followed. Off the Long View Peak Trail, we then followed Shy Bear to Fred's Railroad and then via the Quarry Trail to the Coal Creek Falls Trail. Coal Creek Falls was impressive with lots of water from recent rains and snow melt coming over the falls. After the falls, the trails were in good shape, with the Cave Hole and Red Town Trails being dry and hard packed (old road or railroad beds). Weather was great, mild with just a bit of a rain shower near the end of the hike. Statistics, 6.5 miles of walking, 1200 to 1500 feet of elevation gain and loss.

Another short loop in Cougar Mountain Park with the daughter. The weather was clear and very sunny (needed my sun glasses on for much of the drive and hike). The first thing I noticed was that while the air temperature was relatively warm, there was frost on the ground. In some places on the Quarry and Coal Creek Falls Trails, the frost was more like ice/mud slick, brown and hard to see. As noted in a recent report, the Old Man, Nike, By Pass and Fred's Railroad Trails are all in good shape with minimal mud (in part due to the cold ground which turned mud into a hard packed surface). The Quarry and Coal Creek trails were icy on the south slope with the Coal Creek Trail going down to the falls quite icy in places. The frost did make for some interesting views of ferns. The falls were great with lots of water coming down them. After the falls the Coal Creek and Cave Hole Trails were muddy with several nice mud holes to step around. The weather made this hike a good one if not great exercise.

Hiked today with a good friend, Pandora. She let me pick the trail. I decided on Cougar Mt. Red Town Trailhead. We hiked 4 hours total and did a good loop To coal creek falls then far country lookout and falls (not much of a view or falls). Coal Creek was much better. Then headed back via De Leo Wall Trail, we skipped the viewpoint didn't look too grand. Hopefully we didn't miss something wonderful there. Then we stopped in the Meadow restoration area and saw some beautiful lillies that were flagged. Great day to be out, could not have asked for better weather. Not too many people on the trail. Well signed area with maps at the trailhead. Lots of history in this area, we even got a mini lesson from some guy on the trail about the coal miners settlement, very interesting. He was very proud of ""his area"" as he lived close by. We saw young, old, horses, dogs all enjoying the trails today. I will be back to explore more of this area.

I took this 7.5 to 8.0 mile loop in Cougar Mt. Park as a tune up hike for several planned summer hikes including a traverse of Rattlesnake Ridge. Saturday turned out warm and pleasant and a great day to be out. My allergies which had been bothering me did not affect the hike which took about 3.5 hours with two breaks at Longs Peak and Far Country Look Out. Lots of people were out with pets, trail running, or their children. The most notable parts of the hike were low land flowers and a deer family on the Cave Hole trail. The attached photos are of Skunk Cabbage near Doughty Falls and Phlox on the Coal Creek Falls Trail. Coal Creek Falls were as stunning as I have ever seen them. All an all a great trip, with about 1200 to 1400 feet of elevation gain and loss. Trails were generally dry with some mud holes particularly on the horse use trails.

Sunday's weather wasn't quite as glorious as Saturday, but I had free time for a hike and was looking for something close-in, so Cougar Mountain it was. If you're looking for a nice outing in the foothills, Cougar doesn't have quite the crowds that Tiger Mountain has. And you can get to the trail by bus or bike, making it an especially ""green"" hike! See the end of the report for more details. The maze of trails is confusing at Cougar, so be sure to pick up one of the printed maps at the trailhead or download one from here before you go. I started at the Red Town Trailhead just off the Newcastle Golf Club Road. I started up the Wildside Trail (W1) with a brief detour to the old mine shaft and kiosk on the coal mining history of the are just a few hundred yards up the trail. Then continuing up W1, saw plenty of wildflowers in bloom right now. Saw my first trilliums of the season, plus evergreen violet, red-flowering currant and miner's lettuce. The bleeding heart should be in full bloom in about a week. I then turned off to the De Leo Wall Trail (W9) and the forest changed from western red cedar, ferns and alder to salal, Douglas-fir and madrona. The viewpoint was a pleasant spot for lunch although I preferred the view of the madronas and pink flowers of the currant bushes to the vantage on Renton and the nearby suburbs. Heading back down, I branched off on the Indian Trail (W7) and took a right uphill on the Quarry Trail (C6). Then it was left on the Coal Creek Falls Trail (C4), to the falls, which are running quite nicely now. Then it was down the Cave Hole Trail (C3) to the trailhead. All told, the hike was about 2 hours and approximately 5-6 miles of hiking. Trail was in good shape, only one blowdown and a few patches of mud. And the neat thing was: I didn't burn a drop of gas to get to the trailhead. This is a great hike to bike or bus to! From Seattle, you can take the Sound Transit 550 to the South Bellevue Park & Ride, then connect to the M240, which heads out on Coal Creek Parkway. Request a stop at Coal Creek and 119th. You'll have to hike an additional 4 miles round trip on the Coal Creek Trail to get the Red Town Trailhead. Or pop you bike on the bus and complete the trip along Newcastle Golf Club Road to the trailhead. Biking from Seattle requires about 2 hours one-way and it's a very pleasant ride. I found my way to the paved I-90 trail, crossed the lake, then headed south on the Lake Washington Trail. Cross over I-405 on Lake Washington Blvd. and head up over the hill on SE 68th St. Take the Newcastle Golf Club Road (which becomes Newcastle-Coal Cree Road) to the Red Mountain Trailhead. On the return, head back on Newcastle Golf Club Road to Coal Creek Parkway, then you can take the wide bike lane all the way back down the hill to the Lake Washington bike trail and I-90. If don't have a copy of the King County bike map, pick up a copy at any King County library or print sections from it here. Total, it was about a 6-hour journey and it felt good not to add a single drop of carbon to the atmosphere!