 |
Cougar Mountain has a little of everything for family expedition
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../image/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
While you're waiting for the snow to melt out in the high country, don't overlook some of the hikes that King County parks have to offer.
Wild geranium, bleeding heart, false Solomon's seal, elderberry, trillium, vanilla leaf, western spring beauty, false lily of the valley, bedstraw and fringecup are just a few of the flowers that can be found on Cougar Mountain in early May.
However, a Garden of Eden is never without villains -- you'll find the pungent but beautifully sculpted skunk cabbage, and the well-named devil's club.
Cougar Mountain reminds me of a forested lot we lived next to when I was growing up -- there were trilliums in the spring, mushrooms in the fall, and a scary cabin -- rumored to be haunted -- where we found garnets under the floor.
My father told many tall tales. He told me that if you got a needle from the devil's club in your flesh, it would travel through you and out the other side. He also said that when a trillium was picked, the plant died and never bloomed again. We used to look for arrowheads and he said that the voices of departed American Indians sitting around long-ago campfires were still spiraling toward distant stars.
Trilliums do not die when picked and devil's club is merely nasty. But an old American Indian trail did pass over Cougar Mountain on a route over the Cascades, and portions of that trail are hiked by us today.
The park's Duwamish Trail is believed to date back 8,000 years. There are more than 50 miles of trails on Cougar Mountain, part of the range known as the Issaquah Alps. It is a mountain full of history: coal mining, and even remnants of an old townsite called Newcastle. And believe it or not, Cougar Mountain was manned with anti-artillery guns during World War II to protect Seattle and its burgeoning industries. These gun bases were upgraded to Nike missile and radar sites during the Cold War.
Loggers were here too, leaving many trees behind because they were too small to harvest. Now those trees have grown and are home to a community of animals and birds. Remnants of virgin forest can be found near the summit of Wilderness Peak.
Cougar Mountain is populated with cedars, hemlocks and a generous supply of vine maple. The ground is carpeted with small flowers, bracken and sword fern. Permanent residents include black bear, bobcat, coyote, weasels and blacktailed deer. Birds include ruffed grouse, Swanson's thrush and bald eagles, to mention only a few.
Kathe Stanness and I hiked slowly to identify the flowers as we headed to Wilderness Peak, the high point. There is no grand view from the summit but there is a summit register. Small children will get a kick out of signing the register -- it may be their first official mountain summit.
All the trails are well-signed and maintained and there are brochures at the trailhead describing the trails and the history of Cougar Mountain. Several loops are possible. We hiked up to Shy Bear Pass (never saw the bear) but we did see a lot of snails. We also hiked to Doughty Falls, a small-budget waterfall, but the moss and fern-covered boulder next to it is worthy.
The bridges are intact, with handrails where needed, and boardwalks lead across swamps. You can even work up a sweat and get some exercise -- five miles with an elevation gain of 1,230 feet is enough to keep you in shape for challenging hikes to come.
Getting there
Take Exit 15 (Renton) on Interstate 90, turn right, drive to the Newport Way stoplight and then 2.8 miles beyond to the trailhead parking on the right. There is room for about 15 cars.
Trail detail
Wilderness Peak Loop -- The trail begins from the parking area at an elevation of 365 feet. Wilderness Creek is crossed on a bridge and begins to climb in a series of switchbacks along the gorge to a "Y" after crossing the creek again.
Cliffs Trail goes to the right and reaches the summit of Wilderness Peak (1,595 feet). We turned left to the Boulders Trail near the creek, a cool respite on a hot day. The trail crosses the creek again and climbs to an unsigned split. Turn right (the left goes to Ring Road), pass Cougar Mountain Cave and cross a bog on a boardwalk. At 1 1/4 miles is Shy Bear Pass at 1,320 feet.
Here you have plenty of options. We turned left and proceeded to the Long View Peak Trail, then descended to Doughty Falls, where we saw the largest trilliums imaginable. We retraced our route to Shy Bear Pass, climbing a half mile to the summit, returning on the Wilderness Cliffs Trail, enabling us to make a loop back to the car.
Other trails that lead to the Newcastle Historic District can be accessed from other trailheads on Cougar Mountain.
Trail data
Wilderness Peak Loop, about three miles round-trip, elevation gain 1,230 feet. For more information refer to "Walks and Hikes in the Foothills and Lowlands around Puget Sound" by Harvey Manning and Penny Manning (The Mountaineers, 288 pages, $14.95). For general information on Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, call 296-4171.
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
