08-25-24
It
rained for the previous two
days. That is not usual in August. Sunday looked to be dry and I
planned a close in hike. I needed to be home be mid-afternoon. I was
out the door at 7:25 am and I reached the Red Town Trailhead at Cougar
Mountain at 8:00 am. There were only four cars in the lot. This time I
planned to go counterclockwise. I would be on the busiest part early
before the crowds and I would come down the least busy part in the
early afternoon. I headed over to the Ford Slope and onto the Wildside
Trail. I crossed Coal Creek and it was dry. Some water runs underground
but there was no trace of water. I saw lots of wildflowers on the
Wildside Trail on a spring hike. Thee were none this day. What I did
have was a low morning sun lighting up all the leaves on trees
alongside the trail. I was not planning on doing a trip report so I
only took a few photos. I ended up with enough for this trip report
after all. I did see some fresh new mushrooms. The recent rain may be
getting the fall show up and running.
I cruised down the Indian Trail. It is nearly flat. I saw a couple of hikers. I would not see a whole lot all day. I did drop down to Far Country Falls. I could hear water but not see any. I quickly headed on. The climb up to Far Country Falls was the first of the day. I managed to get in 2000' of gain but it took 12 miles to do so. I saw some interesting leaves. They were green, yellow, and orange. Some fall color is just getting going quite early. The view at Far Country Lookout is getting smaller each time I visit. When I first visited some 40 years ago, it was a clear cut with big views. By now I decided to do the big loop. This one is 12 miles long. There are so many trails on Cougar that you can tailor a route to your distance and elevation preferences. I turned off the Shy Bear Trail Trail and headed for Deceiver Ridge. The trail climbs then drops to cross the creek which drops over Doughy Falls. I turned off to take a look at the falls. Again, I could hear water but not see any. The falls are mossy and it was damp. That was it.
I crossed the bridge and began the switchbacks up Deceiver Ridge. Just across the bridge are steel beams and wood for a new bridge. I like the old one but it is beginning to rot. This climb always takes longer than I expect. I finally reached the top and just a couple minutes later I was at the side trail up Long View Peak. The trail is very short. Even half a dozen years ago there was a small look to the south. Now there is virtually no view. Perhaps the name "No View Peak" is now more appropriate. I had a little water and food and then I was back on the trail. .40 miles later I was at Shy Bear Pass. I was about 4.25 miles into my day. The old trail up Wilderness Peak was .40 miles. The new one is .60 miles and much less steep. I made good time going up and reached the summit at 9:56 am. It as still early and I was at the highest point of the day and 4.85 miles in. I had been hiking for 1:55.
I dropped down to Shy Bear Pass and turned right. The Shy Bear Trail drops to a junction where I turned right onto Fred's Railroad. I quickly reached the top of the Quarry Trail and continued on. At the next junction I turned right onto the East Fork Trail. This head up towards the Clay Pit. It is almost straight until reaching Jerry's Duck Pond. An old trail goes straight reaching the Clay Pit quickly. The main trail turns left, goes around the pond, and climbs a little. It then drops to a min air shaft with a big grate atop it. There is a bench and mining related signboard. I continued to the Clay Pit Road. I turned right and proceeded to the Clay Pit. There was some blue sky and lots of big puffy clouds as I looked east to Tiger Mountain. The cloud layer was down to about the top of West Tiger 2. It was just as well that I did not go up Tiger today. Several other hikers arrived and I headed on. I took the trail over to Anti-Aircraft Peak. I dropped down to Tibbetts Creek then climbed back up to AA Peak. While there are no long climbs on my route, there were many short one and many ups and downs.
I arrived at the Million Dollar view atop AA Peak at 11:14 am. With the trees full of leaves the view was worth a bout a plug nickel. I next headed out to the picnic shelter at the far north end of the grassy meadow. The sun was now shining around the clouds and it felt much warmer. It as time for lunch. I arrived at 11:18 am and left at 11:33 am. That was by far the longest break I took. I crossed the meadow and went up to the highest point on AA Peak. I took the Lost Beagle Trail down. There were a few people in the part at AA Peak but I was quickly back to more solitude. At the bottom of the hill I turned left on the Klondike Swamp Tail. This long mostly flat trail took be back to the Clay Pit Road. I crossed it and turned right on the Bypass Trail. It did not take long to reach the Cave Hole Road. This road/trail goes back to Red Town. That was not my route however. I followed the Cave Hole Road until I reached the Nike Horse Trail on the right. This trail took me to the Sky Country Trailhead. First I reached the big grassy Meadow. It was where the underground Nike missiles were stored. When I first visited, the missiles were gone but the silos were still there. I took a longer route across the meadow and back. I was just a little short of 12 miles and this would even it out.
I reached the junction with the Sky Country Trail. From here it is almost exactly 1 mile back to my car. It was now 12:23 pm and I had covered 11 miles. The last mile is all downhill. I made good time and so nobody. I arrived back at the Red Town parking lot at 12:46 pm. I had hiked 12 miles with 2000' of gain and it was still before 1:00 pm. The lot was now nearly full. I took a look at the new bridge that replaced a huge old culvert under the road. The road had been closed for many months. I took advantage as it was okay to go around the one blocked lane and reach Red Town during much of the construction. My days of a mostly empty parking lot are over now.
For the day I had a short drive and a long hike. I was home well before 1:30 pm achieving the mid-afternoon goal I needed. Twelve miles is a good long leg stretcher. The bad weather the previous few days may have kept the crowds away early. I enjoyed some solitude on some popular trails. There was a low chance of rain in the morning but it was completely dry. I would like to have hiked in alpine meadows in August but for a half a day hike this one worked out great.
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Trips - 2024
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I cruised down the Indian Trail. It is nearly flat. I saw a couple of hikers. I would not see a whole lot all day. I did drop down to Far Country Falls. I could hear water but not see any. I quickly headed on. The climb up to Far Country Falls was the first of the day. I managed to get in 2000' of gain but it took 12 miles to do so. I saw some interesting leaves. They were green, yellow, and orange. Some fall color is just getting going quite early. The view at Far Country Lookout is getting smaller each time I visit. When I first visited some 40 years ago, it was a clear cut with big views. By now I decided to do the big loop. This one is 12 miles long. There are so many trails on Cougar that you can tailor a route to your distance and elevation preferences. I turned off the Shy Bear Trail Trail and headed for Deceiver Ridge. The trail climbs then drops to cross the creek which drops over Doughy Falls. I turned off to take a look at the falls. Again, I could hear water but not see any. The falls are mossy and it was damp. That was it.
I crossed the bridge and began the switchbacks up Deceiver Ridge. Just across the bridge are steel beams and wood for a new bridge. I like the old one but it is beginning to rot. This climb always takes longer than I expect. I finally reached the top and just a couple minutes later I was at the side trail up Long View Peak. The trail is very short. Even half a dozen years ago there was a small look to the south. Now there is virtually no view. Perhaps the name "No View Peak" is now more appropriate. I had a little water and food and then I was back on the trail. .40 miles later I was at Shy Bear Pass. I was about 4.25 miles into my day. The old trail up Wilderness Peak was .40 miles. The new one is .60 miles and much less steep. I made good time going up and reached the summit at 9:56 am. It as still early and I was at the highest point of the day and 4.85 miles in. I had been hiking for 1:55.
I dropped down to Shy Bear Pass and turned right. The Shy Bear Trail drops to a junction where I turned right onto Fred's Railroad. I quickly reached the top of the Quarry Trail and continued on. At the next junction I turned right onto the East Fork Trail. This head up towards the Clay Pit. It is almost straight until reaching Jerry's Duck Pond. An old trail goes straight reaching the Clay Pit quickly. The main trail turns left, goes around the pond, and climbs a little. It then drops to a min air shaft with a big grate atop it. There is a bench and mining related signboard. I continued to the Clay Pit Road. I turned right and proceeded to the Clay Pit. There was some blue sky and lots of big puffy clouds as I looked east to Tiger Mountain. The cloud layer was down to about the top of West Tiger 2. It was just as well that I did not go up Tiger today. Several other hikers arrived and I headed on. I took the trail over to Anti-Aircraft Peak. I dropped down to Tibbetts Creek then climbed back up to AA Peak. While there are no long climbs on my route, there were many short one and many ups and downs.
I arrived at the Million Dollar view atop AA Peak at 11:14 am. With the trees full of leaves the view was worth a bout a plug nickel. I next headed out to the picnic shelter at the far north end of the grassy meadow. The sun was now shining around the clouds and it felt much warmer. It as time for lunch. I arrived at 11:18 am and left at 11:33 am. That was by far the longest break I took. I crossed the meadow and went up to the highest point on AA Peak. I took the Lost Beagle Trail down. There were a few people in the part at AA Peak but I was quickly back to more solitude. At the bottom of the hill I turned left on the Klondike Swamp Tail. This long mostly flat trail took be back to the Clay Pit Road. I crossed it and turned right on the Bypass Trail. It did not take long to reach the Cave Hole Road. This road/trail goes back to Red Town. That was not my route however. I followed the Cave Hole Road until I reached the Nike Horse Trail on the right. This trail took me to the Sky Country Trailhead. First I reached the big grassy Meadow. It was where the underground Nike missiles were stored. When I first visited, the missiles were gone but the silos were still there. I took a longer route across the meadow and back. I was just a little short of 12 miles and this would even it out.
I reached the junction with the Sky Country Trail. From here it is almost exactly 1 mile back to my car. It was now 12:23 pm and I had covered 11 miles. The last mile is all downhill. I made good time and so nobody. I arrived back at the Red Town parking lot at 12:46 pm. I had hiked 12 miles with 2000' of gain and it was still before 1:00 pm. The lot was now nearly full. I took a look at the new bridge that replaced a huge old culvert under the road. The road had been closed for many months. I took advantage as it was okay to go around the one blocked lane and reach Red Town during much of the construction. My days of a mostly empty parking lot are over now.
For the day I had a short drive and a long hike. I was home well before 1:30 pm achieving the mid-afternoon goal I needed. Twelve miles is a good long leg stretcher. The bad weather the previous few days may have kept the crowds away early. I enjoyed some solitude on some popular trails. There was a low chance of rain in the morning but it was completely dry. I would like to have hiked in alpine meadows in August but for a half a day hike this one worked out great.
 Dry Coal Creek Bed |
 Lots Of Green |
 First Mossy Arch |
 Fresh Mushrooms |
 Leaf Turning Color |
 Another Colorful Leaf |
 Mossy Trail Border |
 Misty Forest |
 Tiny Flowers |
 Doughty Falls |
 Old Bridge |
 New Bridge Parts |
 More Mushrooms |
 Small Yellowing Leaf |
 Heading Uphill |
 Tall Trees |
 Wilderness Peak Summit |
 Even More Green |
 East Fork Trail |
 More Arches |
 Coal Mine Air Shaft |
 Tiger Mt. From Clay Pit |
 Tibbetts Creek Bridge |
 Very Colorful Mushroom |
 Blue Sky At Last! |
 Million Dollar View |
 AA Peak Meadow |
 Road Atop AA Peak |
 Klondike Swamp Arches |
 And More Arches |
 Mossy Arches |
 More Klondike Trail |
 Big Meadow |
 Above Big Meadow |
 Small Bridge |
Trips - 2024
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