I was up early in Seattle and saw only a few clouds in the sky. But as I turned east on I-90 it was obvious the weather was going to be very different in the Tigers. A heavy cloud cap enveloped the entire mountain, and it looked like I would be hiking the cloud forest today. I planned my route to include two Tiger trails I had never hiked: a short section of the Hidden Forest Trail going downhill (south) from the TMT, and the section of the 15 Mile RR Grade going east from the Hidden Forest Trail to the point where the RR Grade crosses the TMT near Custer's Bridge. I decided on a long loop route that includes both these trail segments. At 7 AM I started up the High Point Trail and turned west on the TMT. At the crossing of High Point Creek the bridge still is "out," although signs posted there indicate a replacement is planned for the Summer of 2013. In the interim, trail crews have made the crossing easier by removing some large, slippery logs that formerly had to be scrambled over. The creek itself was low enough for easy boulder-hopping. As I proceeded uphill on the TMT to the intersection with the K3 Trail, then up the K3 itself, I quickly found myself not just looking up at the clouds, but actually in the clouds, and I would be there for most of the rest of my hike. This was visually quite pleasant. I took the K3 through to the upper part of the TMT, then took the TMT on across the ridge between the W. Tiger #2 and #3 summits. I continued south on the TMT another 1.5 miles to "Larry's Crossing" and its signed intersection with the Hidden Forest Trail. I turned downhill onto the latter, a new route for me, and I tried to eyeball a distance of about 1,100 feet, when I would need to be alert for the 15 Mile RR Grade coming in on the left. As I suspected, there is no sign there but the RR Grade trail is obvious enough. The first hundred yards or so are rather minimal, and then the grade levels out into something that might once have been a logger's RR grade. The footpath itself remains narrow, encroached on both sides by very moist plants: bleeding heart, vanilla leaf, waterleaf, fringe cup, salmon berry, tall wild grasses, et al, so my pants cuffs were quickly soaked. The RR Grade parallels the TMT, with the TMT at most a few hundred feet upslope. But the RR Grade has a much wilder feel than the TMT, and at least the western part clearly gets very little use. Along the RR Grade I saw two trees, quite some distance apart, with bark clawed off (photos.) On one the scratches were high enough to be a bear's territorial marking. But I was puzzled by the other which had bark removed all the way around from the ground level up to about 2 feet. A bobcat, perhaps? At one creek crossing along the RR Grade there are signs of flood damage. If there was ever a bridge there it is completely gone now. Today, with the water level so low, there was no problem just stepping across the creek and finding the trail on the other side. But there are signs of impending major trail work, and a few yards east of the crossing considerable steel and wood materials have been stashed. So perhaps a sturdy, all-season bridge is planned. I continued on the RR Grade, crossing the TMT then, soon after, crossing Road 4000 at the Paw Print Rest Area. This was a good snack stop, after which I continued on the Paw Print Connector to reach the Bootleg Trail and, eventually, Dwight's Way which took me back to the High Point Trail and my trailhead. My total distance today was about 10.5 miles with about 2,000 feet elevation gain. I maintained a leisurely pace, made a lunch stop and some photo stops, and finished the hike in about 5 hours. I saw no large critters, and encountered only one other hiker. Despite the heavy cloud cover there was no rain. My route is less complicated than it may sound, and I had no problem with route finding. But I'd recommend that anyone unfamiliar with the Tigers consult the Green Trails Map 204S before attempting this hike (the 2013 revision of the map is printed on waterproof, tear-resistant material well-suited for use in the Tigers!)

Started from the TH at 15 Mile Creek. There are no good parking places; so, had to walk ~½ mile along Tiger Mtn Road to the TH ... no shoulder, not fun walking with a dog. Per the map (see attached) walked 1.4 miles to the well marked TH at 1200'. But after that, finding the Middle Tiger Trail was impossible. Per the map, it's supposed to be on the north side of the creek. But spent an hour bushwhacking & scrambling, and only found the Hobart-Middle Tiger RR Grade trail. There are clearcuts and logging roads not shown on the map. Could it be that the Middle Tiger Trail was demolished in one of the clearcuts??? Found a trail on the south side of the creek which was littered with railroad debris (see picture), but the trail quickly ended in tangles of downed trees, brush and devil's club. It climbed out of the drainage toward the east, and might have intersected with TMT. The blowdowns were too dense for me to continue that far.

Today, I explored some old logging railroad grades in Tiger Mountains' Fifteen Mile Creek valley. This area is remote from the usual trailheads and has a delightful wilderness feel. Deep in the quiet reaches of the valley, one can imagine that he is far away in the heart of the Cascades. The first of the logging railroad remnants that I hiked is the Hobart-Middle Tiger RR Grade. This is reached by hiking road 1000 (from Tiger Summit, perhaps) to the Middle Tiger Trail, which after a quick little climb reaches the start of the railroad grade/trail. Once you are on the grade, the hiking is easy as the path make a gently climbing traverse into the deep valley of Fifteen Mile Creek. There is one rough spot where the trail crosses a ravine formerly spanned by a trestle. A crude path clambers down into the ravine and up the other side. Farther along, a tree with a ribbon marks the path that once dropped down to the end of the Grand Canyon trail. This trail is washed out and no longer usable, which is unfortunate because the path provided a useful connection for loop hikes. It would be a worthwhile project to construct a new version of this trail. After a mile, the trail passes a neat spot where the railroad grade is cut into bedrock; a rain-swollen Fifteen Mile Creek can be heard roaring far below in its steep canyon. Eventually the trail approaches the creek and reaches a junction with a steep and primitive connector trail that climbs up to the Tiger Mountain Trail. You can also continue along the railroad grade a short ways to the site of a big trestle bridge that once crossed the creek. I continued my hike by climbing to the TMT, then following it north through lovely old forest to Custer's Bridge and on just a bit farther to the junction with the Fifteen Mile Railroad Grade Trail. This old railroad grade/ trail, also wide and well preserved, gradually descends the north side of the Fifteen Mile Creek valley. The south facing slope that the trail traverses is nice on a sunny winter day. Like the Hobart grade trail, this trail is little-hiked. In places, it is carpeted with ground cover plants which seem little disturbed by footprints. A few new bridges spanning creeklets have been installed. The easy hiking ends rather dramatically at a major washout, about a mile from the Tiger Mountain Trail junction. The railroad grade here has completely slid away, creating a deep, nearly impassible gully. At the bottom of the gully, a stream tumbles down bare bedrock in a series of cascades--rather a pretty sight. Where the railroad grade ends, a crude trail climbs up the slope and through the ravine. Even this trail has been damaged and getting through the ravine is now rather tricky. At the other side of the ravine, the railroad grade resumes, but it is brushier and more poorly maintained. In less than a half mile from the washout, the trail reaches a junction with the Hidden Forest Trail. This junction is rather poorly marked by a yellow ribbon on a tree. To continue my hike, I descended the Hidden Forest Trail, an old-school primitive route with steep grades, down to Road 1000 and followed that back to my car. Maintenance requirements: Hobart-Middle Tiger RR Grade-- A low use, primitive trail that is in pretty good shape, with only one significant blowdown. Mudholes on the northern end. The tricky ravine crossing could use improvement. Connector Trail to TMT--primitive and steep, but otherwise in o.k. shape. Tiger Mountain Trail from Hal's Cove to Custers Bridge--Good condition, but somewhat muddy. Some turnpikes, filled with poor soil, have turned to mud. Fifteen Mile RR Grade--The east half is quite nice. One annoying blowdown and a little brush. Building a good trail through the washed out ravine is going to require a major effort. Currently, crossing the ravine is tricky and a bit dangerous. As noted, the continuation of the RR grade/ trail is brushier beyond the ravine...needs work. Hidden Forest Trail-- This is an old school trail with narrow, barely constructed tread, random dips and climbs, and sections with 50% grades. Eventually, the trail could use rerouting to reduce the grade, but usage is so light that such work is hardly a priority. There is one massive blowdown (5 feet in diameter) that is quite a challenge to climb over. Otherwise the path is in o.k. shape, though the narrow overgrown tread can be hard to follow.

Strated on Poo Poo Point Road walked up Hidden Forest Trail to short connector to 15 mile RR. All brushed, no problems and perfect solitude on my favorite Tiger Trail. Walked towards South Tiger looming ahead and took connector trail to Issaquah Hobart RR grade with easy crossing of 15 mile creek. Looked for the 70 year old iron RR swithching trestle with no luck before taking trail down to Grand Canyon Mine Road Trail and short walk home. About 7-8 miles toital or 4 hours to find the most beautiful trail on Tiger Mountain. Buddy, Jack and Donna Melill

Using the trusty Metro 209 bus allows some long one-way trips on Tiger Mountain. I parked near the Issaquah Trail Center (at First and Bush) and hopped on the 209, which stops close by. This bus runs hourly to North Bend, except on Sundays. Rode the bus to the Preston I-90 interchange and got off at the stop sign. This is not an official bus stop, but drivers on rural routes will usually agree to make a custom stop if it is safe. After getting off the bus, I walked the frontage road to the little used Preston DOT trailhead, the official start of the Preston Trail, elevation 520'. After a short bit through forest, the trail followed a utility corridor for a half mile. This stretch had been churned up by heavy machinery into a muddy mess, and is not a place you want to be with low-top sneakers. I always enjoy seeing the yard with the numerous chickens that the trail passes. At a signed junction, the trail left the mud and powerlines and entered lovely old second growth forest. All blowdown had been cleared from this trail. In fact this was true for all Tiger Mountain trails that I've recently hiked--whoever maintains Tiger trails, whether volunteers or professional crews, are amazing! I continued the ramble on the Lower Bootleg Trail, which is unmarked by signs. The ""powers that be"" apparently consider this a rogue trail and not worthy of signage or maintenance, but the trail had been cleared nevertheless. This perfectly fine path alternated between steep grades and relaxing level stretches that allow you to enjoy the great second growth forest, century old trees for sure. The Lower Bootleg rejoined the official Preston Trail, located on an old logging road, at an unmarked junction, elevation 1520'. A short hop up the Preston brought me to the start of the main Bootleg Trail. I followed that little-used route, which climbed forested hillsides ,dipped through ravines with tumbling creeks, and visited old logging railroad grades. This remote-feeling path can be hard to follow when it is snowy, a common enough situation in winter at this elevation. But there is no snow at all now. The trail eventually leveled out at tranquil Fifteen Mile Pass, 2200' and transformed itself into the Paw Print Connector. Tempting trails branched off in several directions at the pass. A gradual descent over 0.7 miles brought me to the Paw Print Rest Stop, featuring some handy picnic tables and an intact composting outhouse. Some slobs had left garbage inside, but this loo looked reasonably functional. I rested and snacked a bit at one of the picnic tables, but the rest was cut short by a chilly wind and spitting rain. Back on the road, I followed a segment of the 15 Mile RR Grade trail, then turned west onto the Tiger Mountain Trail. This section of the TMT is far from trailheads and gets little use. The trail followed a rough contour on steep slopes between 2000 to 2300 feet, which looked easy on the map but was tiring to walk. Some of the tread had been reworked, but mostly the path was narrow and slumped. This is the sunny side of Tiger, and the steep forest was open enough to give peek-a-boo views in places. One of the few scenic highlights was the huge mossy boulder dubbed ""Lone Rock"". Two miles later I arrived at the One View Trail junction, and here I finally left the TMT, which was getting to be an old friend at this point. Part of the One View Trail was rough, old school Tiger quality and part of the trail had been rebuilt to WTA supertrail standard. I'm still not sure where the ""one view"" is. An area of blowdown from a storm several years ago was still impressive to see. My trek continued on the Poo Poo Point Trail, which continued the long descent from the heights of Tiger. The High School Trail, built on an old pioneer road and distant ancestor of I-90, took me down to the flatlands of Issaquah. A final long trudge on the old railroad grade turned into an urban paved promenade led me back to the Issaquah community center and my car. About 11 miles of Tiger Mountain goodness covered today. --Tiger Mountain trail condition summary-- Preston Trail to Bootleg Trail Junction: Generally good. Cleared of blowdown. Utility corridor section very muddy. Lower Bootleg Trail: good condition, blowdown cut. Bootleg Trail to Paw Print Connector: fair condition, brushy sections, mud and water on trail in places, narrow rooty tread in spots. Blowdown cut. Paw Print Connector: good condition. Tiger Mountain Trail from 15 Mile RR Grade to One View Trail: fair condition, narrow, slumped tread in many places. Blowdown cleared. One View Trail: good condition, blowdown cleared. One section has steep eroded tread. Poo Poo Point Trail from RR grade on down: Good condition. One new blowdown on trail on upper section, otherwide blowdown has been removed. Drainage features need repair and improvement.