Northwest Dirt Churners ran a winter run with Run Determined in Squak Mountain from the Sunrise Trailhead.  Christopher Gregory developed a 10.4-mile route that starts up the Squak Mountain Access Trail and East Ridge Trail, climbing 2.4 miles and 1335 feet as a lollipop stick.

East Ridge Trail sign from Sunrise Trailhead

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We turned left down Phil’s Creek Trail to start a 5.5-mile loop that would eventually bring us back to this spot.  Phil’s Creek runs into Phil’s Connector before reaching the Squak Mountain Southeast Road in a mile.  The next 1.7 miles is an 830′ ascent to West Peak using the Horse Connector, Mill Valley, Perimeter Loop, and West Peak trails.

 

Ascending on the Squak Mountain Access Trail

 

The descent from West Peak is a quad-pounding 550′ descent, three-quarter-mile using the Bullitt Fireplace Trail before turning right on a tie trail connected to the Center Peak Trail.  The trail climbs 600 feet in less than a mile to the Squak Mountain microwave towers.  The view of Seattle was snowed out this day, but we had a fun snowball fight.

 

Somer Kreisman leads Bret Jorgensen, Ted Scott, and Zach Knabe up Mill Valley Loop Trail

After the summit, we headed back through the access gate and turned right on Old Griz for a long descent turning right on Phil’s Creek Trail, taking us back to where we started the loop.  The descent continued down the East Ridge Trail and Squak Mountain Access Trail back to the trailhead.

 

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