This hike is a link-up of several local trails that are part of Newcastle Trails and Cougar Mountain Park. I named it the Newcastle Cougar Mashup. The hike ascends the Terrace Trail switchbacks and continues east into Cougar Mountain Park on the narrow, gnarly cliffside De Leo Wall trail to the overlook. Then on to connect with the Wildside Trail down to the Marshall’s Hill Trail and back up to link with Newcastle’s CrossTown trail heading northwest to exit to 136th Ave SE. Then back along 144th Pl SE to the Terrace Trail steps. It connects two loops in a barbell shape, about 6 miles with 900 feet of gain.
These trails are close to where I live, so I can walk to the Terrace trailhead and improvise a route depending on my whim. Today it was a rucking wildflower hike with a pack weighted with cameras, lenses, and a tripod to simulate what I might carry into the North Cascades.
The great thing about these local trails is that you can create many trail combinations depending on your objectives. And while these nearby hikes do not feature serene lakes, towering peaks, or mind-blowing vistas, they are surpassingly beautiful, especially the wild parts. I really like the narrow western stretch of the De Leo Wall Trail as it is not much more than an unmaintained boot path. In such places, you can relax into the present moment and let your attention wander to the little things, the tiny wildflowers, and the dramatic structure of the sword ferns.
However, I was shocked and disappointed to notice that the Wildside Trail looked hardly wild after some maintenance crew with weed whackers had mowed down two to three feet of trailside wildflowers on each side. I mean, really? Sure, I appreciate the trail crews when they cut large deadfall from the trail, but needless so-called ‘brush cutting’ not so much. The Wildside Trail is 4 to 6 feet wide anyway, so how could any encroaching wildflowers need to be hacked away? Seems like a thoughtless venture. I named them the ‘wildflower slayers.’ Made me angry. Grrrr!
However, the profusion of wildflowers on Marshall’s Hill Trail, back up the De Leo Wall connector, was completely untouched. I most enjoyed the narrow sections where the fragile plants reached out to touch me as I hiked along. Nature is messy and beautiful in its messiness. More and more, when visiting an alpine destination, I seek out the places far less travelled, often brushy, muddy, steep, and challenging. It seems the most rewarding places require the most effort, and sometimes a bit of suffering. Yes, I like it wild.
Back on the CrossTown Trail, I stopped at a new bench installed by the local Eagle Scouts. I took enough images to construct a spherical panorama. It is the second bench on the trail, the earlier one at a location named ‘Eagle Scout Aerie.’ Both offer a serene spot to pause and reflect. I have attached links to both panoramas below. For the most immersive viewing, open to full screen and scroll.
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