Wilderness Peak Loop — Friday, Jan. 21, 2000

Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain

Weather is always a factor in winter hiking, but we were lucky this day, hitting a break between storms. We started out from the tiny parking lot for Wilderness Creek, from Highway 900. The trail gains elevation quickly, passing through primarily alder forest, with patches of hemlock, cedar and fir. There is an intersection with Wilderness Cliffs trail after about 1/2 mile, then the trail climbs up to Shy Bear Pass and another major trail junction. We headed to Longview Peak and were rewarded to a view over towards Sea-Tac and Puget Sound. We could hear an owl sounding off nearby. Next, we hiked along Deceiver Ridge to Doughty Falls. We had to pick up bits and pieces of windfall. The previous Sunday, there had been a strong windstorm. Several small trees and lots of branches covered parts of the trails. We looped around back to Fred's Railroad and then towards the Claypit. Fred's RR crosses the headwaters of Coal Creek. The area is a bit swampy in places and thick with salmonberry, cottonwood and alder. Claypit Road was a heavy use truck road and is open to foot and horse travel. I don't recommend climbing around in the Claypit because it just that... your boots sink into a gooey mess inches deep. Next we headed to the Mine Shaft, which a barricaded hole, very dark and deep, dripping with water, where we had lunch. A light fog had settled in and it was a little chilly. After lunch, we cruised pass the Duck pond on East Fork trail returning back to Fred's and Shy Bear Pass. Then we completed our loop by visiting Wilderness Peak (the highest point on Cougar, 1595 feet) and dropping down the Wilderness Cliffs trail. For such a close-in area, there is really quite a feel of ""wilderness"" even though most of the trip is done in formerly logged over areas. Still, we did not meet too many people except during the return to the cars. Little rain. Not bad for a winter hike. By the way, there was a lot of mud in places, so wear good boots in this area. I had on gaiters, some of the other people had mud up to their knees. There was a little crunchy old snow on Wilderness Peak.