Started my hike from the Harvey Manning Park just north of the Talus condo development off Highway 900 in Issaquah. The small park has room for 7 cars, a restroom and a kids play area. The trail begins on the north side of the park, but there are no trail signs. There is a junction right at the start, so I went left up hill. The right trail heads down hill. The Military Ridge Trail goes through a mixed stand of trees on a 8-10% grade with a couple of switchbacks and creek crossings before getting to the first junction with the Precipice Top Trail. I went up it and while going under a power line I had a view north. This trail crosses a small stream on a bridge with a little waterfall. Once up to the Surprise Creek Trail, I took it, then cut up to the Shangri La Trail. I hiked it up to Anti Aircraft Peak. From the Million Dollar View I could see north to sunny Mt. Baker with Lake Sammamish down below. Other peaks in view included Pilchuck, Bald Mtn. Big Four and Vesper. I then headed through the grass area of Anti Aircraft Peak which was the site of the former US Army 90mm Skymaster anti aircraft guns from 1953 to 1957. From 1957 to 1967 they had a Nike Missile Defense System using Nike Ajax missiles. This was part of the defense of the Seattle and Puget Sound area from in coming Bear Bombers from the USSR.
I then Headed down the Lost Beagle Trail where I saw a decorated Charlie Brown Christmas tree. At the next junction I went left on the Klondike Swamp Trail to get to the Cougar Pass Trail. Before getting up to the pass (no snow yet) I went through a really muddy wet area where water is running down the trail. In all the years (over 20) that I have hiked the trails on Cougar Mtn. Park, King County Parks still has not done anything to fix this section of the Cougar Pass Trail. Guess they don't hike the trails during the Winter wet season to check them out for drainage problems.
When I got to the Tibbetts Marsh Trail, I took it back to the Shangri La Trail to finish the loop part of my hike. I then took the Surprise Creek Trail down to the Red Cedar Trail, then on to the Military Ridge Ridge Trail to get back to the Harvey Manning Park near Talus.
There were some muddy wet areas on the various trails with a couple of trees blown down to step over. The Military Ridge Trail was the one with no mud holes and nice to hike. Only saw a few people on my hike, a couple of trail runners and dog walkers, plus a few other hikers. About half used masks when meeting. My hike was 6.8 miles round trip. George
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