Frontcountry Trail Run - Cougar Mountain Loop

Please note that the difficulty rating of this run is now CHALLENGING due to the conditions! Be prepared for snow and ice (and a very long email in regards to that... sorry)!!

Otherwise, hope to see you there!

Meeting Location: the parking area for Big Tree Ridge Trail off Newport Way. It's a widened area on the side of the road to allow for vehicle parking. If coming from exit 15, it should be on your left a few minutes down the road after turning on to Newport Way (the photo is facing the opposite direction). 

Departure Objective: shoes on, talk accomplished, and feet to trail by  5:30 pm. Check out the nice map below. :) 

Goals:

1. - Build community and enjoy getting outside during the beautiful and temperate winters of the PNW.
2. - Our aim is to complete an approximate five mile loop, keeping an eye on the time and conditions. (I'm approximating a 1-1.5 hour run.) We'll be adjusting the run, as needed to account for terrain, conditions, and how everyone is doing.
3. - Be safe'ish-prepare for mud! Also, maybe snow. Currently, it's looking like this will be a WINTER RUN (finally!). We'll be running slow, to account for this, so the moderate ranking of the run is more based on the conditions than anything else.

PACE:

I'm expecting a pace range between 11-15 minutes/mile. There will be an ascent at the beginning, but then terrain should be fairly gentle and rolling. It should be easy to adjust to accommodate all!

TERRAIN:

This area of Cougar Mountain is an lovely mix of everything from a few gravel roads to single track and heavily wooded areas to several graveled tracks. Expect elevation gains varying from ~1300 feet (according to Caltopo) elevation gain depending on the distance/pace we choose. Expect a lovely evening with at least a stop or two to check out the evening's sights, read some historic signs, and water the pooch.

Link to the King Country Trail map:  https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/gis/web/VMC/recreation/BCT_CougarMtn_brochure.pdf