Shy Bear, Deceiver, Long View Peak & Wilderness Peak Loop — Monday, Feb. 8, 2016

Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain

This was a repeat of a hike I did just over three weeks ago, on January 14. This time I enjoyed the company of my hiking buddy Marin who is visiting from New Mexico. It was a beautiful sunny day to be out on the trails, and the moss and ferns seemed even greener than before. Doughty Falls, just off the Deceiver Trail, was still running high and we timed our hike so the falls were illuminated by the early afternoon sun. We enjoyed negotiating the narrow catwalks that cross Shy Bear Marsh and the marsh along the Whittaker Wilderness Trail. And we appreciated the many large, mossy glacial erratic boulders along the route. In spite of additional rain, the trails still are in excellent condition with very little mud, and the few blowdowns are easily stepped over. The bridge across Wilderness Creek, just upstream of the junction with Gombu's trail, has been completed, and is brand new since my January hike. There were a few other hikers out on the trails today, but it did not seem at all crowded. No large wild critters appeared for us.