The trail has mud in a few places but given all the recent rain, the trail is in far better condition than I expected. I give King County an A for trail maintenance, as only a few places remain where the tread is dicey. The new construction (bridge, stairs, railing) near Doughty Falls is awesome.
Our trip started at Whittaker Wilderness parking lot at 8:10 a.m. and looped to Whittaker Peak, Shy Bear Pass, and Doughty Falls. The parking lot for Whittaker Wilderness is fairly small; carpooling is highly recommended. Unfortunately, my group came from all areas of the PNW in separate cars.
Fortunately, when we arrived between 7:30-7:45 a.m., we were among the first to arrive. By the time we left around noon, cars were lining the street at the bottom of the parking lot. A portapotty is available. No permits are needed.
We saw or heard 14 bird species including a pileated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, brown creeper, and northern flicker. Total trip time 8:10-12:10, 7.6 miles / 1700' gain. Another group of 6 arrived at Doughty Falls as we were preparing to leave, and an unofficial Mountaineers group (Tacoma folks and a golden retriever) were just starting their trip as we ended. We probably saw 25-30 people enjoying the lovely break in the rain and a day off from work.
Everyone was so happy to get out in the sunshine. We had dry, windless conditions and plenty of moments to enjoy the beautiful wilderness. After canceling my previous 2 trips due to inclement weather, it was an absolute delight to succeed with this trip. I couldn't have asked for a better group of participants. Happy New Year!
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