Central Cascades by Mike Mcquaide

Author:Mike Mcquaide [McQuaide, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-57061-849-9
Publisher: Sasquatch Books
Published: 2014-04-29T04:00:00+00:00

34. West Tiger 3-2-1

RATING

★★★★★ DISTANCE

7.0 miles round-trip HIKING TIME

4 hours

ELEVATION GAIN

2,600 feet HIGH POINT

2,948 feet DIFFICULTY

♦♦♦♦♦

BEST SEASON

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

The Hike

Like a Whitman Sampler, this route gives you a sample of Tiger Mountain’s many flavors. You’ve got your people-pleasin’ West Tiger No. 3 with its huge Mount Rainier views (and crowds), and your obscure other summits (West Tigers No. 2 and No. 1) mere yards away and likely deserted. And for laughs, we throw in the Section Line Trail, which gains more than 1,300 feet in less than a mile.

Getting There

Head east on Interstate 90 to Exit 20, about 2.0 miles east of Issaquah. Take a right on 270th Avenue SE and then a quick right on SE 79th St. (Follow the sign for Lake Tradition.) Continue 0.8 mile to the West Tiger Mountain and Tradition Plateau trailhead, also known as the High Point parking lot. Elevation: 520 feet.

The Trail

Tiger is the largest of the three Issaquah Alps—Tiger, Cougar, and Squak Mountains—with more than 70 miles of trails crisscrossing it. (Although if you include Rattlesnake Mountain as one of the Alps, as some people do, I suppose Tiger Mountain would have a fight on its hands.) It ain’t exactly virgin forest—much of it was clear-cut in the 1930s and 1970s—and it’s still a working forest managed by the Department of Natural Resources. Still, Tiger Mountain’s mixed leafy-evergreen forest, carpeted with ferns and wildflowers, offers terrific hiking, wilderness opportunities, and some spectacular views. It’s all the more amazing given its proximity to the Seattle metropolitan area. When the higher trails are covered in snow, head here.

From the kiosk at the southwest end of the parking lot, follow the sign for trails and enter the forest. In 25 yards turn right after expanding that brain of yours at the interpretive sign. Just ahead go left and, after passing through a bike barricade, follow the sign for Bus Trail. In about 100 yards turn right at another sign for Bus Trail. Another 150 yards along a pleasant narrow path gets you to the Nook Trail—and the last of your early hike turns. Go left. Begin climbing steadily on a wide trail that gradually narrows and becomes a bit more primitive.

At 1.2 miles go right, following the sign for the Section Line Trail. This is the Connector Trail, a level hill traverse that lulls you into wondering just how steep the Section Line Trail is. In about a quarter-mile you’ll find out. Turn left onto the Section Line Trail at the next intersection and start climbing—really climbing. Mount Si–esque climbing. Times two. This narrow, winding trail climbs more than 1,300 feet in less than a mile, all the while entering deeper, darker, denser forest. Then why do it? Because it’s there, of course. Also, because its steepness keeps most folks—and their four-legged, at times invasive, canines—away.

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