After a day at Mt. Rainier I needed to stretch my legs closer to home after a visit to the dentist. I decided to do a short loop in Cougar Mt. Park which took about 2 hours total and covered about 5 miles. The trails, including the new ones in the Sky Country Region were all in excellent shape. The Military Road trail can be hard to find when driving 166th but a new sign will help guide people to it from 166th. The new Sky Country trail head is a great place to start a hike as the road and parking lot are paved and the trail head now allows easier access to a number of the central trails in Cougar Mt. Park. I did not get to the Primrose Overlook, which must be on the short loop trail. Other than this, the hike was pleasant and relatively quite on this day. One note Coal Creek Falls has almost no water flowing over it. This is the driest I have seen the area. But I normally do not hike these trails in the height of summer.

I wanted to work off some Christmas calories on Wednesday and decided to look at Coal Creek Falls after the rain storm on Tuesday. To my surprise there was lots of snow on Cougar Mt. at low elevations, starting from the Freeway exit to Lakemont Blvd. The trails were slushy and wet in places but not difficult to navigate with the exception of one blow down on the Quarry Trail which just needed to be pushed down to go over it. The snow and light through the trees was quite nice. This was a first for me in my 8 or so years of hiking this area (lots of snow, mild temperatures for walking, and few people on the trails.) Coal creek falls was in full force from the recent rain and surrounded by snow on trees and ground. The overall loop took less than 2 hours and proved to be a nice walk.

After viewing the North Fork falls a few days earlier I decided to walk to Coal Creek Falls. These falls and the creek were running high with lots of water coming down. The trails are in good shape with some mud but not as much as one might expect after 6 to 7 days of rain. The attached photo gives a good idea of water levels in Cougar Mt. Park. I noted creeks running in places I had never seen or heard them.

The Three Waterfalls Loop on Cougar Mountain is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. The loop hike covers about 6 miles and passes three waterfalls and two viewpoints, along with giving you a healthy dose of just plain old Cougar Mountain forest goodness. To do the loop, park at the Red Town Trailhead (elev. 650') and start hiking on the Red Town Trail, which is actually a gated dirt road. In a quarter mile, turn left(east) onto the Cave Hole Trail. After a brisk half mile climb up the hill, go right onto the Coal Creek Falls trail, which leads you to the first of the three waterfalls. Coal Creek Falls is the largest of the Cougar Mountain waterfalls, with a drop of about 20 feet. This falls is a pretty spot, although popularity has caused the surroundings to look a bit trampled. The heavy spring rains had really got the waterfall going in mid-May. However, I was amazed to see how much the flow has diminished in the past few weeks. Better go soon before Coal Creek Falls is reduced to its usual summertime trickle. To continue the hike, follow the trail as it climbs uphill out of the Coal Creek Valley to a junction with the Quarry Trail (some smashed-down drain dips need repair here). Go left (east) on the Quarry Trail, a gradually climbing path in shady forest. WTA members will appreciate the heavy drainage work which was turned an eroded old road into a smooth walking experience (some drain dips have been washed out at the upper end of the trail--I did some quick repairs but more needs to be done). Go right (south) onto Fred's Railroad Trail, then onto the Shy Bear Trail, and later the Long View Trail. Few people wander about on this quiet upland part of Cougar Mountain; the main users seem to be trail runners. A final little climb brings you to the high point of the hike (1400') at somewhat misnamed Long View Peak. Heavy forest blocks most of the view from here these days. There's a bit of a vista to the south. From Long View Peak, follow the Deceiver Trail as it descends from the peak to a crossing of Cabbage Creek near a lovely pool. This spot is especially nice in fall when golden maple leaves carpet the forest and float in the calm waters of the creek. Just beyond the crossing, a side trail leads to the second waterfall, Doughty Falls, where Cabbage Creek drops over a ten-foot high mossy ledge. The quiet, peaceful setting of the falls invites one to stay for a bit and relax. The Deceiver trail climbs over another summit before descending to a junction with the Shy Bear Trail. Go left (west) and follow Shy Bear as it rolls along the crest of a forested ridge to Far Country Viewpoint, reached by an overgrown side trail (some lopping needed here, trail crews). At the vista point there's a log bench and a pretty decent view by Cougar Mountain standards. Beyond the viewpoint, the Shy Bear Trail drops down the hillside to a junction with the Indian Trail, an old road. Go right (north) here and follow the Indian Trail a short distance to waterfall number 3, Far Country Falls. Hidden in the brushy valley below the trail, you'll hear the falls before you see it. An short, unmarked side trail leads to the top of the falls. Far Country Falls is more of a cascade then a vertical plunge; multiple streams of water tumble ten or twenty feet down a broken andesite outcrop. Return to Red Town Trailhead via the Indian Trail, which becomes the Red Town Trail at the newly restored Ball Field Meadow. Of course a glance at your Green Trails Map (you brought one didn't you?) will show you a multitude of other hiking options if you've go the energy. King County has been pretty diligent in maintaining trails in this park, so they are in great shape for the most part.

This was supposed to be a very brief outing to test some recent footwear updates, but we got carried away, and zigged around for almost seven miles. First time I have been here. This trail system is reminiscent of an ikea floor plan, but fortunately much less peopled on Sundays in February, and with much better signage. The leaves are starting to come out on deciduous huckleberries, and there are a lot of them, here. What I think is Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian-plum, Osoberry) is leaving out on southern slopes, and we even saw one flower. The sun peaked out occasionally, and not a drop of rain, but it still looks very much like winter. There were a few very small blow-downs, but not worrisome enough to check as a 'problem'.