As I wrote on the register at the top ""...all work and no play makes Adam a dull boy. That's why I hike after work. Can't wait for my next 'business' trip to Seattle. Maybe next month Tiger Mtn? Month after that Alpine Lakes Wilderness?..."" Weather was perfect. 45 minutes up. 30 minutes down. About 4 miles for the loop. No windfalls, no mud, no bugs, no complaints.

Although we were dismayed to note a break-in at an earlier parked car upon arriving at the Wilderness Creek trailhead at 7:30 A.M. the rest of the day was nothing but peace, tranquility and joy, punctuated by several volleys of puffing trail runners. Accurate maps of the trail system are free for the taking and all signposts appeared at intersections intact and oriented - something we have discovered is quite noteworthy. Our trip to the Far Country Viewpoint along the northerly and southerly loops totalled nine or so miles with 1200' elevation gain and 600' gain on the return. Along the meandering way are glacial erratics polished by ancient ice and the oil from the thousands of hands to which they are irresistible; marshes with fresh yellow arum spathes of skunk cabbage; clear running creeks in glens and ravines. A few flowerings of purses of wild currant in a progression of pink, violet and magenta and microcolors in between. Mosses on mosses on mosses, every tree a host. Doughty Falls is an essential side trip with its rocks covered in layers of drenched green like Turkish towels. The obscured views are not the reason for taking this trip - the subtle shadings and friendly intimacy are. The shy bear was not seen today but we could imagine him at home here. Yes, there is mud, isn't it wonderful?

The hike had a little bit of everything in it, views of the Cascades, flowers, sun, rain and hail. I started the loop at Anti-Aircraft Peak and wandered down the Shangri-La and Bear Ridge trails to highway 900. Both trails are in relatively good shape with some mud but not the swamp many trails turn into this time of year. Queen Ann’s lace is beginning to flower on the Shangri-La trail but did not see more of this plant on the rest of the hike. On the first leg of the loop views of the Cascades, Tiger and Squak Mountains were great, sun filtered through the spring forest and signs of summer were evident. The hike along Highway 900 was not bad and there is a wide shoulder to walk along for most of this part of the route. One note of caution is that there is a section of about 100 yards with very little shoulder on either side of the highway. I went up the Wilderness Creek and Cliff trails in rain and hail. The sun came out again as I stopped for lunch on the Wilderness Peak Summit. One of the surprises on this section of the hike is a new connector trail to Squak Mt. – E1. There also appears to be an unofficial trail off the Wilderness Peak Summit that may connect with the Cliff trail. I did not walk much of the trail but it does appear to be getting used. From Wilderness Peak I hiked, Shy Bear, Fred’s Railroad, Cougar Pass and Anti-Aircraft Ridge trails back to my vehicle. These trails have mud and water running over them. The trail quality varied from great to boot sucking mud holes. Again the weather provided a mixture of sun, rain and some hail. This hike was a great conditioner for me at least with some distance and good uphill work put in with a typical spring day in Seattle. The forests are beginning to come out of winter even as snow piles up in the Olympics and Cascades. It is a great time to walk and smell the roses.

Autumn rains have arrived, but there was a lull between storms, so I had the pleasure of introducing a friend to the wilds of Cougar Mt. For readers who do not know, Cougar is a King County Park. Trail maps are available at the major trailheads. We started from the Wilderness Creek TH, located off SR 900 and climbed to Shy Bear Pass. This area of Cougar is one of my favorites because it is so little used and heavily forested in mostly second growth. With the pale yellow vine maple leaves still making a bright show against dark conifers, it was a very pretty place. We then hiked via Deceiver Ridge and Shy Bear trails to Far Country Lookout and had a brief lunch stop. There is a rustic bench there. From the ""lookout"" you can see through a gap down to the Puget Sound and, on a clear day, to the Olympics. We then dropped down to pick up Indian Trail briefly and started the return loop by following Quarry Trail. The lower part of this trail has been completed redone, with new switchbacks and forest trail until just past the falls trail. Then the tread returns to its old roadbed. Shy Bear Pass has a lot of junctions so one has to look at the map or be acquainted with the area. We chose to return via Wilderness Cliffs Trail, which steeply switchbacks down the southeastern face of Cougar to a junction with Wilderness Creek. From the view spot, we could see the bottom slopes of Mt. Rainier looking very close. The entire loop was just over 6 miles, with a lot of ups and down. Cougar is a great place to go if you don't want to travel far or the weather in the mountains is uncertain. Horses are allowed on some but not all the trails. No mountain bikes are allowed anywhere on Cougar.

This is my favorite Cougar Mtn. trail. Green lush forest with some big trees. Cool on this warm day. Trail was in good condition with some mud. We got our peek-a-boo view of Mt. Rainier, saw a Ground Hog, deer tracks, and shared our skin with mosquitoes at the top (1600 ft.) This was a nice after work escape to a quiet green world away from the city but close in. Only two other cars at the trailhead. 3.8 miles, 1200 ft. rise , trailhead is on hiway 900 about 3 miles south of I-90.