WINDSTORM UPDATE: All our Cougar Mountain is basically a debris field from Sunday morning's wind storm. There are five significantly blocking trees down (1 on Old Man's Trail, 2 on Coyote Creek Trail between the Radio Peak and Klondike Swamp intersections, 2 on Cave Hole Trail).
SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE: At 9 PM there is snow accumulating above 500 ft in elevation on Cougar Mountain.
Hike GPS data for Google Earth viewing
Per Garmin, 3.12 miles/157 vertical feet.
Parking: Sky Country was pretty full this morning; probably people with their power out getting outside. Port-a-potty on lot.
Trail: The trail is damp with mud here and there and standing/running water very rarely. However, the trails are no longer clear; all of Cougar Mountain is basically a debris field after Sunday morning's wind storm.
Obstacles: Countless trees are down over the trails, but on the loop I hiked five large downed evergreens posed significant obstacles (1 on Old Man's Trail, 2 on Coyote Creek Trail between the Radio Peak and Klondike Swamp intersections, 2 on Cave Hole Trail). Getting past them requires that you are able-bodied and agile (e.g., passing the trees downed on Coyote Creek requires winding your way through 30 feet of clawing, jagged branches).
Wildlife: Birds calling, frogs, ground mammal alert calls. Things are really waking up.
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