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 hosted three 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. Last year, we landscaped Cougar's newest trailhead,
Sky Country.
After last year’s event, Niki McBride, Cougar's head
ranger, said: "Your group is fantastic. They are, without a doubt,
the hardest-working volunteers we get." High praise, and word has
spread throughout King County Parks (280 units) that geocachers are
good park stewards.
Time and place? The CITO is 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Meet in the parking area at Red Town trailhead (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
folks. Thanks!
Work project? We'll be doing trail maintenance at Red
Town Creek dam - moving rock up there, finishing the new trail
section, and revegetating the old trail. Rangers Kevin and Rob will
be supervising.
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.
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? Red Town 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 Puget Sound Chapter of 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. |