Trip Report
CHS 2 Hike - Wilderness Peak Loop
12 of us enjoyed an overcast, early morning start that included trillium, Pacific wrens, skunk cabbage, and 7 slugs. Strong group at a 2.4 mph moving pace.
Courtenay Schurman
- Tue, Apr 7, 2026
- CHS 2 Hike - Wilderness Peak Loop
- Cougar Mountain: Jim Whittaker Wilderness Peak Trailhead
- Day Hiking
- Successful
-
- Road suitable for all vehicles
-
This trail never disappoints. Morning fog left the trail a tad muddy in places but we encountered removed trees from blow downs and no diversions on our loop including Gombu-Whittaker Peak-Shy Bear Pass-Deceiver Pass-Doughty Falls. Portapotty at the trailhead. We DID have one confusion about the WTA coordinates -- for Jim Whittaker Wilderness it sends folks to a spot north that goes past Fantastic Erratic when the main trailhead is at 47.5247, -122.0676 a fact that one of my hikers pointed out and which clarified earlier confusion from other hikes I've led to this same destination.
Doughty Falls is pretty this time of year, nice flow. The "jenga" stack of wood is still there from when the stairs were built. Mostly clean on the trails we hiked; I picked up a banana peel and 3 dog poop bags, unusual for this trail, as it's usually clear of human evidence. Boardwalks are in decent shape and skunk cabbage is blooming in the swampy areas.
12 of us enjoyed a 2.4 mph average moving pace with a 7 minute stop at the Summit register and another 13 minutes at Doughty Falls, but otherwise this was a steady-paced conditioner with happy participants who did very well. We saved 7 slugs, heard or saw 10 bird species, felt tons of stairstep mosses and lichens, and encountered a few trail runners but mostly people heading up around 10 a.m. as we were finishing up.
We got a 7:13 am start with 2:45 total moving time for 7.6 miles /1760 ish feet, depending on whose stats you believe. And despite the early drizzle, everyone was dressed accordingly and the happy smiles above indicate the trip was a success.