haha yeah I have been to sudden valley a bunch and I've seen deer EVERY freakin' time.
go4itlab - thanks for the tip on the DNR quad maps, i'm ordering one. also found this free map of state owned land:
http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/eng_rms_mpl_7_med.pdfit almost looks like the area around Sudden Valley is state owned!
konrad - I'd like to check out that area you were talking about. If you're going south on 9, how far past the bridge do you go?
Anyway so after work today I went out driving trying to find a way up to the South side of Mt Stewart...drove along Park Rd, then took a left on Highway 9. According to the maps I'm looking at, it shows just north of the Park Rd intersection on 9 is the entrance to "Wickersham Truck Trail" - going west up to Stewart. Found it gated with about 10 no trespassing and private property signs. I ended up turning around and went back on Park Dr going West, went past the little store and the train tracks on Blue Canyon Road until it got to gravel. Didn't keep going because it was getting late by then, but I saw a Y in the road that went uphill - had a gate but no signs and no houses around. Looked promising so I may try hiking it out.