Jun 28, 2006

Little Si

By far our favorite hike so far is Little Si, located just east of North Bend.

Elevation gain on this hike is about 1500 feet, and the hike is about 5 miles round trip. We did this with our five year old, and it's a trail suitable for kids.

The trail offers a lot of variety: flat trails, rock-covered trails, slight climbs, a stream, even a wall for rock climbers. Top of Little Si was busy the day we were there, but plenty of room for a small snack and rest, as well as taking in views of Snoqualmie Valley, the Cascades, and Mount Si.

I highly recommend this hike. Can be completed in three hours even at a leisurely pace.

Cougar Mountain

Cougar Mountain is the Westernmost mountain in the Cascades along the I-90 corridor. Nestled between Bellevue and Issaquah, it has been preserved from commerical and residential development.

We haven't done much at Cougar Mountain yet. We did a quick hike around Anti-Aircraft peak, which is a site of a former anti-aircraft battery. It has a great view of Lake Sammamish, the Sammamish Valley, and Mount Baker.

We also parked at the Red Town Trailhead and did a quick hike to the Red Town Dam. The Coal Creek Trail seemed to be a magnet for dogs.

Will post more as we explore Cougar Mountain.