Did the wilderness creek "loop" on this rainy Sunday. Its a great time to do this trek, since the trees are fairly thin, but there is still plenty of green around. No snow this weekend, just lots of rain. The lower part Wilderness Creek Trail is in good shape, but has lots of big leaves covering the trail. Wilderness creek is running fairly strong and provides some nice mini-waterfall views up to the Boulders. The steeper Wilderness Cliffs trail is also very good shape, no real drainage issues on the way up. Watch out for runners making the trip up. Wilderness Peak Trail is a bit of a sloppy trek in places. I cleared some newly done drainage ditches. The newly wooden walkways are doing a great job of keeping you above the very watery marsh on the trek back down Wilderness Creek trail. Really great rainy day hike -- It starts to get busy around 9am on Sunday. If you can, grab a sack of gravel provided at the Wilderness Creek Trailhead parking lot for the upper Peak area. Dog owners - be sure to keep you dog leashed as there are a number of blind curves and fast moving runners in this area.

This is a tale of two hikes in the Issaquah Alps over the last two Saturdays. The first hike was on November 14th and did a loop hike to Coal Creek Falls from the Sky Country Trail Head. This is a short 3 mile walk on good trails which were not very muddy and had no significant blow down. There is a new bridge over Coal Creek on the trail, quite nice and likely overdue. On the more recent Saturday, I walked to Wilderness Peak from the Sky Country Trail Head and then to Long View Peak, returning via the Deceiver and Shy Bear Trails. On the 21st there was more evidence of wind fall (blow down) but nothing that could not be stepped over easily. The trails were a bit more muddy and Shy Bear Marsh was more like a shallow lake. On both days I avoided rain, a nice thing, and saw deer tracks in the mud. Trails are still in good shape despite the rain.

Sun was out and temperatures were mild (low 40's) for a 'climb' of Wilderness Peak. Snow was evident around the parking area and on the beginning of the Old Man Trail but the trails were mostly damp, muddy in places with no ice to worry about. Total hike took about 2 hours to cover 4 miles and 500 to 600 feet of elevation gain. All the area looked pretty in the 1/4 to 1 inch of snow cover. A few folks were out on the trails including trail runners, dog walkers and hikers. This is not a typical hike due to the non-view situation at Wilderness Peak. Views were evident coming down the Wilderness Peak Trail (out toward Long View Peak). Alex who left a message at the peak register was disappointed by the lack of a view - he should try Longview Peak next time in the area. HAPPY TRAILS!

Sunday, January 27, 2008 Summary Vehicles upon Arrival: 0 Vehicles upon Departure: 20 Weather at Trailhead: low overcast Weather at Wilderness Peak: light freezing fog Round-Trip Distance: 4.0 miles Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet High Point: 1,595 feet Driving Directions Follow I-90 (paved) eastbound from Seattle and take exit 15 to the right. Turn right onto Newcastle Way (paved) and drive ahead about 2.5 miles to the signed Wilderness Creek trailhead parking on the right side of the road. The parking area is paved and there is a privy available. The Experience What a beautiful day for a hike! I expected there to be a considerable amount of snow awaiting our arrival at the trailhead given the low snow levels over the recent days, but to our surprise, there was none! The trailhead parking area was a bit icy in places however and we slipped around a bit as we made our way across it. We (being myself and Courtney, my hiking partner for the day) were anxious for some precipitation as we both has some new waterproof gear to test out. I had reapplied some DWR (durable water repellency) to my Gore-Tex shell and pants and had also purchased a waterproof shell that fit over my backpack. Courtney has upgraded her garb as well sporting a flashy new waterproof jacket, pants and backpack. We gave the interpretive signs, complete with a Cougar Mountain trail map, a good once-over and were soon on our way, plodding northwestward up the Wilderness Creek Trail. The wide path ascended gently just east of Wilderness Creek before coming to a small wooden bridge. We crossed over to the west side of the creek, stopping to take a couple pictures, before following the trail as it contoured upward in multiple switchbacks. After a few said switchbacks, we made sure to take a breather and admire a couple large boulders alongside the path that were just so covered in ferns as to resemble Chia Pets. Courtney scrambled to the top of one of them and I took the opportunity to snap a photo of her proudly modeling her sexy (or what we so deemed sexy) new pants and Outdoor Research trail gaiters. After transgressing away from the creek, the path soon rounded a gently promontory before rejoining and paralleling the trickling waterway. At 0.5 mile from the trailhead we encountered our second creek crossing at a grand place called “The Boulders.” Wilderness Creek fanned out in this flat area into two smaller streams before they rejoined and rolled down a series of smooth wet stones towards the Renton-Issaquah Road. Two footlogs crossed both braids of the creek, the first offering a handrail on its port side to aid the wobbly hiker. Just beyond, about 30 feet up the snow dusted path was the second footlog, this one offering no railing but a much wider plank. After crossing, we stumbled across our first trail junction (signed). To go left was to continue along the Wilderness Creek Trail in the direction of Shy Bear Pass and Long View Peak. To go right was to hop onto the Wilderness Cliffs Trail in the direction of State Route 900 and Squak Mountain. We didn’t deliberate long and quickly chose to go left and keep along the Wilderness Creek Trail. Now momentarily back on the east side of the creek, the trail keeps close to it’s namesake through a low-lying thicket of ferns. The route will soon push its way into a boggy wetland, snaking its way around another fern and moss covered boulder on a narrow plank boardwalk before once again turning northwest. The snow cover gradually increased as we slowly gained elevation but at no one point was it ever more than an inch or two. The forest to the west was a thin bramble of branches and twigs with a sparse stand of scraggly trees. The terrain was moderately inclined to the west of this vicinity with a steeper incline towards the east, just across the mellower Wilderness Creek. At 1.5 miles from the trailhead, a second trail junction (signed) was reached. To go left was to head towards Long View Peak and Doughty Falls along Cabbage Creek. We opted to head to the right, towards Wilderness Peak. After a short 25 to 50 feet a third trail junction (signed) was encountered. To go left was to descend along the Shy Bear Trail towards the East Fork of Coal Creek. With almost no consideration, we decided to make a loop and head straight, following the Wilderness Peak Trail to said summit. Gaining elevation at a steady grade along a good path, the trail swung eastward as it made its way up the gentle northwestern slope of the forested peak. Courtney stayed well ahead of me for this leg of the journey as I felt inclined to stop and enjoy the silent serenity of the place. I knew that our journey would be over relatively soon and I wanted to absorb as much of it as I could. Courtney and I have different hiking styles; I like to take my time and extend my day in an effort to appreciate nature’s splendor while she likes to kick it into high gear so she can feel the burn. Realizing this, I stopped to take a photograph of a trailside branch that seemed to have recently snapped off a larger tree. I admired the layered aspect of the wood in the branch’s interior and the dusting of snow that coated the exterior bark. I stopped again to gaze at a giddy woodpecker pecking profusely on a rotting snag. After meandering for 0.4 mile we reached a fourth trail junction (signed). The path to the left led in the direction of Wilderness Peak and it is the path we decided to hike. In a short 0.1 mile we arrived at the cold, forested and foggy summit of the 1,595 foot Wilderness Peak. We were cordially greeted by a friendly resting bench and a summit log nailed to a tree encased within a plastic container inside a wooden shelter. A light coating of rime was visible on the summit flora and we both took some time to test our luck at getting a suitable picture. I signed the summit log as ‘skimpyphud’ and soon thereafter surrendered the summit to an approaching party of two. We made our way back down to the fourth trail junction and continued our loop by turning left onto the Wilderness Cliffs Trail. The good path began its gentle descent down the west slope of the mountain as we began the longest leg of our journey. After numerous switchbacks, a pee break and a Powerade and Moon Pie break, we came upon a small pond just as the trail turned southward. The pond lied in a shallow depression amidst towering evergreens that reached into the foggy atmosphere overhead. I stopped and snapped a picture despite my cold fingers and we were then on our way. Our next photogenic scene was a bramble of holly that was draped over the trail. We stopped and did what nature required of us and then once again renewed our gait. As we left the summit to the fog, small views began opening up through the curtain of evergreens. The western slope of Squak Mountain peeked its way in and out of view as did numerous unnamed hills to the south. A short side trail branched off towards a viewpoint on the right about two thirds of the way along this leg. Views to be had were minimal. At 3.1 miles from the trailhead we reached trail junction number five (signed). The path to the left led in 0.7 mile to the Renton-Issaquah Road and the Sunset Quarry. We continued our loop by taking the path to the right, following the Squak Mountain Connector Trail a short 400 feet back to The Boulders at the first trail junction. We snapped some pictures of said feature and another one or two of the fern draped boulders before arriving back at the trailhead. Trail Conditions All the bridges are intact. There was a little snow on the trail at higher elevations but never more than a couple inches. The tread was good with only a little mud in places.

Cougar Mountain - Wilderness Creek to Far Country Lookout Date of Hike: January 2008 Hike Route: Wilderness Creek Trailhead > Long View Peak Trail > Deceiver Trail > Shy Bear Trail > Far Country Lookout loop > Shy Bear Trail > Wilderness Creek Trail This hike is similar to other Cougar Mountain hikes, semi-steep start with gentle trails once you reach the top of the park. Winter is a great time to do this hike, since the views are better and spots of snow and ice make for an interesting hike. There is still plenty of ""green"" on this hike, thanks to moss, ferns and evergreen trees. It also seems like more wildlife is out and about -- maybe they are just more visible since there was less tree cover to hide within. The Wilderness Creek Trailhead is off SR900 between Renton and Issaquah. There is parking for about 10 cars. The hike starts off going uphill for almost all of the 1.5 mile length of this trail. Along the way are some well-constructed log bridges and walkways. At the end of Wilderness Creek Trail, there is a right turn onto the Long View Peak trail which has a log walkway above the marsh area. Long View Peak offers a small lookout spot. It looks out onto Renton and the Southcenter area. Doughty Falls is also close by and nice diversion if there has been recent rains. Its not a true waterfall, but its a nice break on the way. The trail was semi-covered by ferns but its easy to find and you cant miss the ""falls"" Unlike the summer months, the sun shines through very brightly on to most of the trails including the Deceiver and Shy Bear trails. After about 4 miles, you reach the Far Country Lookout trail. After a short walk, you will reach a small bench on the Far Country Trail where you can view the ""lookout"". I didnt want to spoil the view, but if you really want to see it you can view it here A nice long hike with a couple things to see on a very well maintained trail system. Full Trip Report on WeekendHike.com More Trail Photos Basics: Area - Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park (Near Issaquah,Washington) Length - 8 miles out and back - Easy Hike (moderate uphill on first 1.5 miles) Trail - Loop, dirt trail, limited stops along the way. Well marked and maintained. Bikes - Not allowed on this hike View - Just two -- and only on a clear winter day Fee- None, free parking Weather - Cold in the mornings with some ice and snow during the winter. Other Trails - tons! Including this hike: Cougar Mtn - SR900 to Mine Shaft