Gained the East Ridge Trail via the Sycamore Access Trail from SE Crystal Creek Circle. Parking my car in the neighborhood setting was a little too intimate for my tastes. After the hike, I scouted out other access points and concluded that using the Squak Mountain Access Trail from Sunrise Place SW provides open street parking while only adding 1.2 miles round-trip to the hike (0.9 miles ow to East Ridge Trail from Squak Mountain Access Trail at Sunrise Place SW vs. 0.3 miles ow from SE Crystal Creek Circle).
I used the downloadable King County Parks’ Cougar-Squak-Tiger Mountain Corridor map to follow the trail system and it made my navigating experience a pleasure. I also supplemented my understanding with the City of Issaquah Parks and Recreation Department’s Issaquah Trails map (also downloadable) which helps better understand overall access points. The signage at junctions was thorough as well, except from the Central Peak to The Bullitt Fireplace.
As much as has been written about the bomb-cyclone damage to the upper section of the East Ridge Trail, I will only add that the destruction may now constitute the reason for a visit. At first I was indifferent, but as the tenths of miles clicked on, escorted by giant upturned root-balls, I started to imagine being at the scene as it was happening, trees toppling over with nowhere to hide. While calling this hike a form of disaster tourism is certainly a stretch, I would argue that you don’t have to drive all the way to Mt. St. Helens to get a small dose of the destructive power of nature.
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