Squak Mtn, from west to south, via Trailhead Direct

I've been looking for shady hikes for hot days, and this hike, which we did earlier this year, looks like a good option, as current forecasts for the fourth weekend in August are around 80 deg F. We'll modify it a bit to be sure of finishing all the uphill bits while the day is still cooler.

Taking the Trailhead Direct bus lets us enter the Squak area from the west, at the Margaret's way trailhead, tag the west and central peaks, and come out the south, at the May Valley trailhead, without having to swap cars or walk a loooong way back to the starting point on busy streets.

This will be about 7 miles, 2600 ft elevation gain. This is intended to be appropriate for folks who had a bit of difficulty with Mt Si hikes earlier this year, but who want to try something more than an "easy" hike. We aren't planning on a fast pace, but do ask folks to plan on completing the whole hike.

Note! The start and end times for the event are at the Mt Baker Transit Center, where the Trailhead Direct Issaquah Alps route originates. More detailed times are given in the Logistics section, with information about getting on the bus at other points, where to park if you want to drive partway, etc.

In more detail...

Our hike will start at the Margaret's Way trailhead. We will ignore the various alternative trails near the start, none of which are interesting...other than wondering what they were for. Unlike last time, we will plan on skipping the various detours to "viewpoints', with the goal of getting to the uphill bits in the morning...and also because, if they have views at all, they are of houses and buildings below. Then we'll take the West Peak trail -- this turned out to be "interesting". There are signposts with numbers on them, that we eventually decided might be elevations in meters. We did see what we think is the high point. The downhill trail could use some work -- my "I'm going to slip" paranoia kicked in, but everyone else was fine.

Our usual lunch spot is the the Bullitt Fireplace. However, that may be in full sun, so we could continue on a ways, up the not-so-secret-any-more alternative trail up to the Central Peak. It has several spots with logs to sit up, in the shade. IMO this short segment of trail is the prettiest in the area.

(Locals may recognize the Bullitt name as associated with KING FM and KING TV, but the Bullitt family has also done *lots* of charitable work in the area. The Bullitt family donated the land that became Squak Mtn park -- the fireplace is all that remains of a cabin they had there.)

After lunch, whether at the Fireplace or on the secret trail, we'll visit the Central Peak very briefly. It is a microwave / cell tower installation, and has no view. We'll start downhill on the service road from the peak, but soon turn off onto trails -- we'll take the Summit trail, then Phil's Creek trail, then the Equestrian Loop, then the May Valley Loop out to the May Valley trailhead.

We have several options for return bus times, depending on how fast we move. The event end time assumes we catch the bus that leaves the May Valley trailhead at 3:59pm -- buses leave at about half hour intervals.

Logistics

Bring water, lunch, snacks. There is nothing technical on these trails, but you'll want hiking shoes or boots with good traction -- there are a few spots that can be slippery. The trailheads have vault toilets but no water. Current weather forecast is for a high of 80 deg F, in mid afternoon, and sunny.

The bus we're taking to the hike is scheduled to depart from the Mt Baker transit center at 8:42am, and gets to the South Bellevue station at 8:52am, and to Issaquah transit center at 9:06am. There are a few wrinkles: If you want to catch the bus at its first stop...the Mt Baker transit center is *not* the same as the Mt Baker Link station! If you take Link to Mt Baker station, go north on Rainier about a block, and cross to the east side. The bus stops at South Bellevue Station and the Issaquah Transit Center -- it does not stop at Eastgate any more.

Bus riders: If you are on the Seattle side, you can take Link to the Mt Baker station, then walk about a block north to the Mt Baker transit center. The #7, #8, #14, and #48 buses will also get you there or nearby. Or, you can get on at the South Bellevue station or Issaquah transit center -- see times above.

Drivers: Do not drive to the trailhead! You'd be stuck taking a Trailhead Direct bus to get back to your car at the end...if it's not too late. If you are on the eastside, there is parking at both the South Bellevue Station and the Issaquah Transit Center. The Mt Baker Transit Center has no parking nor does the Mt Baker Link Station. Google Maps claims there is parking near Mt Baker station, but it is a private paid lot. So if you are on the Seattle side, consider trying transit, or park at one of the Link stations that does have parking, and take Link to Mt Baker station. See timing info for the bus above. Leave extra time to get to the bus stop after you park.

Use comments to coordinate.

Information

Trailhead Direct Issaquah Alps schedule (this refers to the May Valley trailhead as Squak Mtn State Park): https://trailheaddirect.org/issaquah-alps-2025/

Official map: https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/gis/web/VMC/recreation/BCT_CougarSquakTiger_brochure.pdf

Some Bullitt family history:
https://www.historylink.org/file/7184
https://www.issaquahalps.org/articles/2022/4/26/bullitt-family-legacy