This is a series of trails harboring many surprises (Figure 2). There are big trees (but the biggest are a long ways from the trail), there is a precipice (sort of), there are red cedars (there are lots of other species), there was a lost Beagle (was it found?), Surprise Creek (the U.S.G.S. map does not show or even have contours where it might be. In contrast, the Green Trails map has found some contours for it from the U.S.G.S. map, but then puts it in the wrong place.  Even the powerline right-of-way, relative to the trails, or the trails themselves, appear to be in the wrong place. Perhaps, this explains why the beagle got lost or were the owners lost?), Military Ridge (until you know the history of the summit area, this seems a strange name), and then when you are convinced that the those naming the trails have had no problem find a name up to now, but suddenly you are confronted with a "No-Name Trail!"  Fortunately, the condition and the signage associated with all these trails and the numerous junctions are outstanding.  King County Parks has done an excellent job and they are currently greatly improving the drainage on the Shangri La Trail.

As much as I make fun of the names and locations of these trails, they and the entire Cougar Mountain complex of trails and trailheads are an outstanding and a wonderful resource for folks located in King County.  This is a great time of the year to enjoy these trails (I was hoping for much more snow).  Their frozen status (thawing is beginning) and the 1/8 to 1/4 inch of snow meant dry, clean hiking shoes.  There was some ice on short sections or parts of the trail, but there was always an ice free by-pass. 

When I first reached the trailhead, I was surprised by how cold it was (at the same time, it was -2oF at Snoqualmie Pass) and how many cars were already in the designated parking spots (no permits required).  Several cars left as I was getting ready and several other cars left when I left two hours later.  Lots of turn-over. This relatively new trailhead is getting good use (https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2023-12-10.2610533860).  It is in a great location.

I have described this trail systems in detail in two other reports (1: Dec. 10, 2023: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2023-12-10.2610533860 and 2: Nov 6, 2022: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2022-11-06.3627036611 ).  I will not repeat the detail found in those earlier reports.  However, I will say that this very intense cold period has resulted in some very interesting ice formations: first (seen in Figure 3) are the vertical crystals that have shoved rocks and soil upward. These formations are prevalent on the exposed parts of the trail and often, because of trail use, they collapse. You can see where parts of the trail that have been lifted and are undermined by ice crystals and are ready to collapse.  Both the already collapsed sections and the sections not yet collapsed force you to be more observant.  In some cases, the water crystals appear like almost transparent solids extruded through square or rectangular openings.  In other cases, they appear like basalt flows (see Figure 3). 

Water was flowing in the small streams including Surprise Creek.  However, any obstacle encountered resulted in splash and ice formation (see Figure 4).  This photograph was taken where one is on the Military Ridge trail just above the Harvey Manning Park at Talus and near where I and the trail crossed from Surprise Creek from its north- to the south-side. For the rest of the trip down, Surprise Creek is always to your left.  Surprise Creek flows under SE Newport Way about 5 feet NW of where the return trail reaches the road.  In other words, considerably SE of the relatively new trailhead.  Back to the mysteries surrounding Surprise Creek.

While Jeno and I have hiked over 90% of the trails on Tiger Mt and Squak Mt we have not done much over on Cougar Mt.  We decided to change that up today and try a new trail for us.   I sometimes drive home from our Issaquah Alps hikes along Newport Way and have seen the new parking lot/trailhead for Big Tree Ridge and I told Jeno about it so we decided to hike up to the “Million Dollar View” from there this morning via the following route:  Big Tree Ridge > Red Cedars > Surprise Creek > Shangri-La > Million Dollar View and back.

I scouted out the parking lot previously and the gate is not closed at night so we were able to pull in before 6 AM this morning and headed out in cold (32 degrees) and foggy conditions.   The trail climbs relentlessly upslope via a number of switchbacks.  It’s definitely a thigh burner in spots.  All the intersections are well marked and the trails are all in good shape with only a couple of small trees down on the Big Tree Ridge trail.   

We got to the viewpoint with it’s pergola and picnic tables a little before 7:15.  It was still dark and foggy at lower elevations so not much of a view this morning (see my poor photo).  After a snack and water break we headed over to Harvey Manning Park which is fairly large.   The permanent bathrooms are locked for the winter but they did have two sanikans that were open, clean and stocked.  After checking the park out we headed back down.  We saw one runner about halfway down and one dog walker near the parking lot but that was it for people on the trail this morning.

The lower parts of this route parallels Surprise Creek in spots and it was really flowing this morning.  There are a few spots where you can catch a brief glimpse of it through the trees and we saw a lot of white water.  The sound of running water is your companion for a portion of the hike which is quite nice.  It sure beats the traffic noise from I-90!  

Well, it’s that time of year….Jeno and I want to wish all of our fellow hikers and people we have corresponded with on this website and chatted with on the various trails this year Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy whatever your persuasion may be.  I hope Santa brings you what you asked for. 

Stay safe everyone. See you on the trail.  Ho! Ho! Ho!   SR  

Couldn't waste a sunny afternoon sitting around the house.  Cougar Mountain is a great way to get a quick hike in when I'm in town.  I started on the Military Road trail from Harvey Manning Park in the Talus development.  There's lots of tall, mossy, second growth trees, ferns and fungus, and some decent though filtered views.  Creeks are pretty full right now.  There was a nice turnout with two bench seats overlooking a creek when I returned on the Harvey Manning Trail.  You can get more mileage in by combining other trails, this one was a short two-mile loop.

On September 20, 2014, I first discovered the Big Tree Ridge Trail off Newport Way NW.  Everything seemed pretty new.  There was a formal trail with comprehensive signage introducing this trailhead and the trail it served, and there was limited, but clear off the main road parking.  A couple of years passed and then a major housing development was started on the north side of Newport Way and then Newport Way itself was being rebuilt and rebuilt in a major way. The obvious parking disappeared, but there were a few spots you could get into, then those disappeared.  About this time, signage appeared indicating that a formal trailhead with designated parking would be available spring 2021.  During Covid, I unraveled for myself many of the old trails that existed near or that intersected the Big Tree Ridge Trail, especially those on Military Ridge.  Later, I discovered that Yean Kim, a member of Boy Scout Troop 336 electronically mapped and signed much of this older trail system for his Eagle Scout project (Figure 2).  In a trip report by me on November 6, 2022, I voiced disappointment regarding the failed promised trailhead.

When I brought a colleague today to Cougar Mountain, we parked at the Harvey Manning trailhead and set off in an easily pasted together set of trails that formed a figure eight with a top end tail from the parking area to the peak to Newport Way NW.   There was lots of new signage especially on the  lower part of the figure eight loop.  When we clambered over the big basalt blocks just as one of the older, unmarked trails was reaching Newport Way, I saw immediately to my left that there was a new trailhead.  Not new yesterday, but within the last couple of months, but new.  In a November 16, 2023 trip report by AlpsDayTripper, he noted “the Big Tree Ridge trailhead, 30 parking spots, 2 port-o-pots, …” is present.  If I had been more diligent, I would have read that before leaving Seattle and we would have parked there.  However, I failed to do that.  Because of my failure, I was rewarded with this incredible visual change – from unfulfilled promise to this major parking area and newly re-established trailhead Figures 1 and 3).  Only photographs do this change justice. The new trailhead parking connects with a graded switch-back to the bike path on Newport Way (there is one of those on-demand lighted crossing areas from the north sidewalk and bike path to the trailhead).  There are places to lock your bike.  The two-porta-potties (clean, but not hospital clean) were functional, and people were using the parking lot.    

By the way, by knowing all of the main and side trails, hiking on Cougar Mountain can be very diverse in terms of types of trails, forest habitat types, peak-a-boo views, etc.  We enjoyed the cold, windy, moisture laden clouds on the upper 300 or 400 feet of this mountain (‘peak’ is at 1,486 ft) and the much less windy and warmer air on the lower two-thirds.  All streams had strong, but very clear flowsl

When I first began using this trail system, rarely except in the upper part of the figure 8 (easily accessible from the Harvey Manning Trailhead), would I encounter someone.  When I did, they were often as surprised as I was.  Now this new trailhead, and access from other locations in addition to the Harvey Manning Trailhead, will assure far greater use. Ideal.  A selfish loss for me, a huge gain for everyone, and for my and other’s carbon footprint a gain.  Good nearby hiking accessible by bus in the summer, and may be year round. 

A strange light from the sky shone down upon Cougar Mountain this morning. Gazing out the window I took a large patch of blue sky as a sign from on high that I should go do a quick exercise hike in between our sequence of Atmospheric Rivers and Bomb Cyclones. I double checked with a lesser authority and NOAA assured me I would not need an ark for at least 3 more hours. As I was lacing up my shoes there was a brief squall, but I am wise to such tricks by The (Weather)Man to steal my cardio gains, so I was not deterred.

I did a loop starting from the French cafe on Talus Drive, taking the Talus Path over to Harvey Manning Park (not to be confused with Harvey Manning Trailhead), across on the Harvey Manning Trail (not to be confused with the other Harvey Manning Trail), up Big Tree Ridge, Red Cedars, Surprise Creek, and Shangri La to the Harvey Manning Trailhead (not to be confused with Harvey Manning Park), then down via Tibbett's Marsh, Protector and Shangri La. 6 miles and about 1,400 vertical feet according to the GPS.

I had planned to come out via West Tibbett's & Bear Ridge but there is a closure for bridge construction for two weeks there (https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2023-09-26.2696657458) so I made it a figure 8 loop via Protector and Shangri La.

In the end I got rained on for about half the hike, mostly the first half. However I did get rewarded for my perseverance by a sighting of two white-tailed deer stags in the ravine that runs beside the Talus Path.

Despite the current and recent rains, the trails mentioned are all in quite good condition and not much in the way of mud yet. There is one splintered blow-down just as you leave Harvey Manning Park that takes a big step to get over and another blow-down about a third of the way down Tibbett's Marsh that can just barely be stepped over with a 36" inseam but will require either a crawl-under or a sit-and-swing-over technique for those shorter of leg.

There's a little bit of fall color creeping in in places, but mostly yellows so far, only a very few oranges and reds here and there. The rain has perked up the ferns and mosses so they look great, especially in the northeast corner of the park (Big Tree Ridge and surrounding trails).