Cougar
Mountain Regional Wildland Park is the crown jewel of King
County Parks (KCP), with 3,082 acres, more than 36 miles of hiking
trails, and 50+ geocaches. Bordered by Bellevue, Newcastle, and
Issaquah, Cougar Mountain is a natural oasis today, but this
“Issaquah Alp” has a rich mining and railroad
history.
We've previously hosted two very successful CITO events at
Cougar Mountain, building a lot of goodwill with KCP. In 2008, we
pulled blackberry (and rocks) and replanted the picnic area at
Red Town trailhead. In 2009, we performed similar duties at the
pergola viewpoint at
AA Peak trailhead. This year, it's the turn of Cougar's newest
trailhead, Sky Country. Cougar and KCP have been very supportive of
geocaching, so let’s thank them by making this another
successful work project!
Time and place? The CITO is 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Meet in the parking area at Sky Country (posted coordinates).
Please arrive promptly, so KCP can get us organized and maximize
the work time. When you RSVP, please note how many will be
participating, so I can provide a head count to the Cougar rangers.
Thanks!
Everyone will need to sign a liability waiver on-site. If anyone
under age 18 plans to attend without parent or guardian, I have a
form you must get signed in advance in order to participate. I
can't upload the PDF, so please email me.
Work project? We'll be planting and fencing native trees
at Sky Country and possibly whacking scotch broom.
What to wear and bring? Long pants, boots, and water are
a must. Dress to get dirty! Raingear and layers depending on
weather. Bring work gloves if you have them; KCP will provide other
necessary tools. Update 3/4/10: Weather forecast is 60 degrees and
sunny!
Swag? Of course! There will be geo-goodies for the
hard-working participants, courtesy of WSGA, Groundspeak, and your
host.
Vittles? Bring something to eat and drink - you'll be
hungry and thirsty afterward!
Hiking and caching? Sky Country Trailhead is a primary
entry point to the park's trail system, and there are several
caches nearby. There are park maps at the trailhead kiosk, or
here's a
PDF version. (If you use a Garmin GPSr, Northwest
Trails could also prove helpful.) For a complete list of Cougar
Mountain caches, see the
Caching Cougar Mountain bookmark list.
 This event is sponsored by the Washington State
Geocaching Association. If you are a geocacher in the state of
Washington, please consider joining WSGA. See the WSGA website
for details. |