December Winter Conditioning Runs: 4-6 miles - Cougar Mountain: Jim Whittaker Wilderness Peak Trailhead

Meet at 8:00 am at Jim Whittaker Wilderness Peak trailhead. Following introductions, description of route and current trail conditions, plan to start running by 8:10 am. No passes required. Portable toilet available at trailhead.

Directions: From I-90—Take Exit 15 and drive south on SR-900 (17th Avenue NW and then Renton-Issaquah Road SE) for 3.3 miles. Look for the trailhead sign and an asphalt driveway that goes uphill to the right.  Parking may be limited - in the event there is no parking, options include the shoulder of SR-900 or down the road. 

We will follow a clockwise loop for ~4 miles total distance with 1,200 ft elevation gain, following the Wilderness Whittaker Peak trail. We will look to do an average pace of 3-4 mph: moderate to fast (depending on group comfort) hike uphill and 4.0-5.0 mph straightaway and downhill. Please bring a headlamp, since we will be starting in the dark!  Estimated total time will be 1h 30min which includes time for breaks and views along the way.

Link to GAIA route

Link to Strava route

For a complete description of  trail running with the Mountaineers, please consult the Trail Running Standards.