Began my hike from the Sky Country Trailhead at the former US Army Nike missile base on a foggy day, but no rain. Check out the back of the four-sided kiosk for some history and photos of the Army base during the cold war. The missiles were to help defend the Puget Sound area from incoming USSR Bear bombers. After the base closed the site was an elementary school for one year. The portal classrooms were on the site of the present-day parking lot. I took the Old Miner's Trail and passed a small A-frame building. This was part of the dog kennel for the Army guard dogs. I crossed over the North Fork of Coal Creek to get to the Fred's Railroad Trail. This trail is named for Fred Round, a former logger and coal miner. There was now some snow along the sides of the trail. At the junction with the Shy Bear Trail, I headed southeast to Shy Bear Pass. Once at the pass (1,380') I took the Deceiver Trail at the junction with the Whittaker Trail. I passed the side trails to the Ring Trail and Long View Peak (no view) and headed down hill to cross Cabbage Creek above Doughty Falls. After crossing the creek, the trail goes back up hill through a nice grove of larger Doug Fir trees. Some about 36-inch DBH. The trail goes over a ridge, then back down hill to the west junction with the Shy Bear Trail. I turned right on the Shy Bear Trail and went through a swampy area at Shy Bear Creek. There are some raised board walks with metal grating over the cedar boards, so they are not slippery. Before the trail heads back up hill, I found a good fallen tree for my lunch time bench. With the temp in the mid '30's my hot soup and cocoa tasted pretty good. After lunch I continued on the Shy Bear Trail which has some ups and downs on the way to meet Fred's Railroad Trail. Along the way I crossed a branch of Cabbage creek on another metal grated board walk bridge. After finishing the loop part of my hike, I went back to the trailhead the way I had come.
I only met four other hikers on my trip, two were a young couple who I had a nice chat with about hikes and running. I also saw six trail runners and one dog walker. The only animal I saw was a wren at my lunch spot on my Cougar Mtn. hike. There were a few trees down over the Deceiver Trail, but just step overs. Made for a quiet hike. George
For some history and trails of Cougar Mtn. see the books, "Hiking and Strolling Trails of Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, Coal Creek, May Creek" by Harvey Manning and Ralph Owen. "The Coals of Newcastle, A Hundred Years of Hidden History", by Richard K. McDonald and Lucile McDonald. Both books were published by the Issaquah Alps Trails Club.
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