We started from the Mountainside Dr trailhead and looped past Bullitt Fireplace, up to Central Peak and back for a 4.5 mile short hike.  Very quiet in the forest and past only a couple people.  Mostly this report is to alert whomever lost their Toyota keyfob that it can be found on the TH sign ... hope you reconnect with it.

I was aiming for some specific mileage and elevation goals today, so I put together a Squak Mountain loop based on May Valley Loop. I started at the May Valley trailhead and headed up the May Valley Loop trail. When I saw the mountain out on my way to the trailhead, I decided to take the turn to the Perimeter Loop trail and then to Debbie's View to see if the mountain was fully visible. It nearly was - the bottom half was visible, but it was otherwise clear skies and birds soaring. Debbie's View was by far the most crowded I have ever seen it on a weekday; I estimate about 25 folks all hanging out and enjoying the full spring sun and view. After a brief snack break, I headed out, and turned left to hike the Chybinski Loop. I took that to the West Access Trail and then the Bullitt Access Trail to end up at the fireplace. After a lunch break, I continued onto the Central Peak trail, followed by the Summit Trail to the Phil's Creek Trail, and ending on the South Access Road. In all just under 9 miles with about 2400 gain.

I was expecting a muddier trail but there were only a couple of muddy parts on the Chybinski Loop and the Phil's Creek Trail. The tree that was on the trail to Debbie's View a month ago has been cleared, and there's just a couple small, easy-to-scale trees otherwise (one on May Valley Loop trail, one on Phil's Creek Trail). No snow at all, and it was 64 degrees at the fireplace. There was some significant still water just off the trail in the trees before the fireplace, which might be melted snow or recent rain, and means bugs might be a nuisance in the near future. 

Other than Debbie's View, the mountain was not crowded. I saw a couple of people at the fireplace, including one who chatted with me for a while (great to meet you, Jackson!). Indeed, this is a great mountain for solitude with lots to offer. This was my first time on the Chybinski Loop and it was absolutely lovely. Meandering, peaceful, lush trees and flowing water, well-kept bridges. The climb from the bottom of the Chybinski Loop to the fireplace was trying at times but a good workout. Phil's Creek Trail felt like a whole different world from the rest of the mountain, and I definitely recommend people give it a shot. 

Parking lot was 1/4 full when I arrived mid-day and similar when I left mid-afternoon. Vault toilets are still closed, but the porta-potty was in good condition. According to the service log, it gets serviced once a week on Tuesdays, so hiking on a Wednesday probably helped my opinion of the condition.

In all, a great loop on a day that finally felt like spring has arrived!

Pleasant hike up to Bullit fireplace, trail was in good condition but a little slippery in places from fallen leaves. Fog gave it a creepy vibe, appropriate for Halloween. 

TRAILHEAD CRIME ALERT (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Another victim, another day. Today (September 15) another driver reported having a large rock thrown at her car, damaging the windshield.

Original Warning:

This is not a trip report but a warning to anyone who is tempted to visit any of the trailheads on SR-900 or May Valley Road, between Issaquah and Maple Valley.

I've read numerous reports from both victims and eyewitnesses about a man along the side of both roads. He has (allegedly) thrown large rocks at windshields, catching drivers by surprise and causing major damage to windshields. The most recent known incident was today at 1pm when he hit a school district truck.

See link for history of known crimes and warnings at trailheads on SR-900 and May Valley Rd: https://datastudio.google.com/s/hVL2m8DqusI

The only viewpoint on Squak Mountain. You can see Rainier on a clear day. Great well maintained Trail perfect for a hot summer day when you want to hike without the sun beating down on you. Bugs aren't generally a problem as you keep moving through the forest. However, I got several mosquito bites sitting on the bench at the Viewpoint for about 15 or 20 minutes so we'll remember to use bug spray next time.

A quicker route than the more common Margaret's Way is actually to park at the North Trailhead for the Bullit Fireplace Trail and hike as if you are going to Bullit Fireplace and ignore the first turnoff sign for Debbie's pointing to the right and hike the moderately steep trail sraight up and take the second turnoff to Debbie's before you get to the fireplace. If you take the first turnoff the climb will be more gradual climb straight up but the hike time will be longer (closer to Margaret's Way but still a little faster.) If you go the more gradual longer route you could stay to the right going back down the more steeper part to make the lower portion of the trail a loop (Chybinski's Loop) when using the Bullit Fireplace Access route to get to Debbie's View.