Squak Mountain

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Squak Mountain
Squak Mountain (southeast and central peaks) from Poo Poo Point (looking west)

Squak Mountain (southeast and central peaks) from Poo Poo Point (looking west)

height 618  m (according to NGS)
location King County , Washington , USA
Mountains Issaquah Alps
Notch height 515 m
Coordinates 47 ° 29 '47 "  N , 122 ° 2' 18"  W Coordinates: 47 ° 29 '47 "  N , 122 ° 2' 18"  W
Squak Mountain (Washington)
Squak Mountain
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The Squak Mountain is the second westernmost mountain in the Issaquah Alps , a mountain range in King County in the State of Washington . It lies between Cougar Mountain in the west and Tiger Mountain in the east. The Interstate 90 parallel to the base on the north side of the mountain. Much of the catchment area drains into Lake Sammamish . Most of the mountain is protected as Squak Mountain State Park and as a Cougar / Squak or Squak / Tiger Corridor.

Squak Mountain consists of three main peaks:

  • the Central Peak 2,024 ft (617 m),
  • West Peak 1,995 ft (608 m) and
  • the Southeast Peak 1,673 ft (510 m).

The name "Squak" comes from the Southern Lushootseed place name / sqʷásxʷ / , which is also the root word for the names Issaquah Creek and Issaquah .

history

Remnants of the Bullitt family home on Squak Mountain
The Broad- Leaved Seven Star ( Trientalis latifolia ) is a native perennial plant on Squak Mountain.
The Polar toad ( Bufo boreas ) is a native Lurch on Squak Mountain.

Squak Mountain first appeared in the history of European settlers in 1859 when coal was discovered there. This fueled the opening of the first coal mine in Issaquah (1862) and Renton (1863). While there is no longer any coal mining at Squak Mountain today, the dangers of the abandoned mines are one of the reasons the area was not populated.

Squak Mountain State Park was established in 1972. The starting point was a land grant of 590 acres (239 ha) by the Bullitt family. The land is close to the summit and the surrender determined that the area should be left in its natural state. These requirements can still be found today in the extended restrictions on the use of the park at the summit, on the parcel that originally belonged to the Bullitt family. The remains of the Bullitt's house (only a foundation and a fireplace) can be viewed on this plot.

Over time, the park has expanded to its current size of 1,545 acres (625 ha) by acquiring more land.

Although generally a quiet and safe park, Squak Mountain has seen other things over the years.

  • On 15 January 1953 it was DC-4 of the Flying Tiger Line during a heavy storm on the way from Burbank (California) for Boeing Field off course, roamed the trees near the summit and crashed near a farm at the Issaquah-Hobart Road from; all inmates were killed. The fire at the crash site was so intense that rescue workers did not reach it until four days later to recover the bodies.
  • On May 4, 1991, demented Donna Barensten disappeared while hiking with her husband Ron in Squak Mountain State Park. Her body was found almost a year later, on April 27, 1992.
  • On April 25, 2004, the body of Alena Stathopoulos (29) was found by two hikers on the Squak Mountain Trail not far from SE May Valley Road. Her roommate, Esther Rose Havekost, was arrested in December 2004 for the murder of her in their shared apartment; she should have paid a man $ 10,000 to dispose of the body. She was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
  • On August 7, 2011, Kenneth Blanchard (53), an experienced paraglider pilot , died after a problem with the lines on his wing caused him to fall from a height of 40 ft (12 m) ... 50 ft (15 m). He had started at Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain with the intention of landing in a meadow near his home in Renton rather than at Tiger Mountain Flight Park. While he was flying over the High Valley on the southwest side of Squak Mountain, his equipment suffered a catastrophic failure that resulted in his fall to his death in a meadow.

park

The well-marked hiking trail system consists mainly of deserted roads that narrow further to narrow paths every year. One of these streets leads to the foundation and fireplace of the Bullitt family's former summer home. Distant views are rare due to the forest. The main attraction of Squak Mountain is its urban wilderness .

Hiking trails

The settlement development in Issaquah has up to the park boundaries in a height of 1,100 ft (335 m) extended. The park can be entered through an access point 740 ft (226 m) on the hairpin of Mountainside Drive to the north and 350 ft (107 m) through the signposted entrance on May Valley Road to the south. A smaller access point is on the Renton to Issaquah road to the west, 400 ft (122 m). Further access points can be reached via the Sycamore Drive SE and the Sunrise Place SE.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Byron . National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  2. ↑ Squak Mountain, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  3. ↑ Squak Mountain West Peak, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  4. ↑ Squak Mountain-Southeast Peak, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  5. ^ William Bright: Native American placenames of the United States . University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 2004, ISBN 0-8061-3576-X , pp. 187, 459 .
  6. ↑ Harry M. Majors: Exploring Washington . Van Winkle Publishing Company, 1975, pp. 78 .
  7. ↑ Sherry Ginderland: Hiker mines Eastside's coal-fired past . In: Seattle Times , October 27, 2005. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  8. ↑ Complete information for Squak Mountain . Washington State Parks. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  9. ↑ Tim Pfarr: Uncover the dark side of Issaquah . In: Issaquah Press , February 15, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 
  10. ↑ Flying Tiger cargo plane crashes at the base of Squak Mountain south of Issaquah, killing seven, on January 7, 1953. . In: HistoryLink . Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  11. Jump up ↑ Trackers Hunt For Woman, 59, Missing In Hike . In: Seattle Times , May 6, 1991. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  12. ↑ Katherine Long: No Sign Of Woman Missing On Squak Mtn. . In: Seattle Times , May 7, 1991. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  13. ^ Search Suspended For Hiker - Issaquah Woman Still Missing After Four Days On Squak Mountain . In: Seattle Times , May 8, 1991. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  14. ↑ Katherine Long: The Vanished Hiker - Puzzled Husband retraces Fateful Walk On Squak Mt. . In: Seattle Times , May 10, 1991. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  15. ↑ Body Found On Squak Mountain . In: Seattle Times , April 27, 1992. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 
  16. ↑ Body On Squak Mountain May Be Issaquah Hiker’s . In: Seattle Times , April 27, 1992. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  17. ↑ Bones Identified As Woman Hiker Missing For A Year - Cause Of Death Remains Unclear . In: Seattle Times , April 28, 1992. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  18. ↑ Death of woman found on Squak Mountain is a mystery to authorities . In: Seattle Post-Intelligencer , May 5, 2004. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  19. ↑ Sam Skolnik: Woman who ran escort agency charged in roommate's death . In: Seattle Post-Intelligencer , December 1, 2004. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  20. ↑ Woman gets 27 months in slaying of friend . In: Seattle Post-Intelligencer , July 15, 2005. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  21. ^ About Tiger Mountain Flight Park . Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  22. ↑ Warren Kagarise: Paraglider pilot plummets to death near Squak Mountain . In: Issaquah Press , August 9, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 

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Web links

Commons : Squak Mountain  - album with pictures, videos and audio files