We went up the Holder Ridge Trail, started up around the Knob, then cut over to Road K hoping to loop back to the trailhead via the Holder Creek Trail.  Alas, the Holder Creek Trail is closed.  Returned via Roads K and A for a hike of about 7.25 miles.

Today's reward was the spectacular display of Fox Glove on the ridge along the park boundary, near the junction of Road K and the upper end of the Holder Creek Trail.  The pink and white spikes visible through the trees took us by surprise.  The open view of the full ridge was breathtaking.  I have seen Fox Glove in many disturbed areas, but I've never before seen a display this grand.  Go now!

We hiked holder ridge first and then the loop of holder knob. Since the trail follows Road A it’s nice and wide going up a very deceiving incline. We enjoyed this trail and plan to go back! Tons of snails and slugs plus beautiful wildflowers. Plenty of parking and one of the nicest vault toilets I’ve seen since moving to Washington last October! By the end of our hike there were probably more horses than people. The riders asked us to come by the horses first so they could see us and not spook them.

The earliest wildflowers are just blooming, some buds: trillium and spring beauty. But the early bloomer shrub, Osoberry, does not yet have blossoms. This trail is a wonder of nurse trees. So many!  There are really big cedars and douglas fir, as well. Along this trail there's been a lot of selective alder removal and plenty of slash evidence. King County has announced this harvesting and provided a map, but said it would start Summer 2023. With your mind's eye, look past the slash to see the mixed conifer forest that will be there in a few years. Hopefully snags will be left in place because the woodpeckers need those and the cavity nesters need the cavities left by the woodpeckers!

Vault toilet and portapotty are both open and stocked. There was a WTA work party on site today; working somewhere further up Road A.

Arrived at the trailhead shortly before 10am. Just a few cars parked in the "regular" parking lot and a few in the open/bigger lot for horse trailers. The outhouse was closed (for the season?) but there's a portapotty that was fully stocked and appeared to be cleaned out on a regular schedule. 

Our crew today was 4 adults, 2 babies and 2 dogs. One baby is of walking age but in order to have this be a hike, we had her in a hiking backpack a majority of the time. We hiked the main gravel trail (Road A) all the way to the bridge and then did a loop back taking (I think) Road F and Whiskey Still trail. Wore hiking boots in anticipation of mud but it wasn't that bad. Just a few muddy places here and there. 

Did not come across any of the horses but we did see a couple walking with their 3 goats on Road A! And, only saw one other hiker the entire time, too. This is why we enjoying coming back to Taylor Mountain, it's never crowded. In total our hike was 4+ miles and took 2.5ish hours. 

Note: you drive by Poo Poo Point (when coming from Issaquah/I-90) and the parking lot for it looked pretty full on our drive to Taylor Mtn. On our way out (shortly after 12 noon), not only was it full but there were many cars parked along the road and even in the "overflow" aka private pay-to-park lots! I was just surprised since weather wasn't even super great today.