Tiger Mountain, Loop over Tiger 1: Bus Trail, Nook trail, Section Line Trail, West Tiger RR Grade, One View Trail, Poo Top Trail, West Tiger NO. 1 Trail, TMT Issaquah Alps Scott, Betty and I did this as an alternative to the originally scheduled Mountaineer’s hike of Mt. Si and Mt. Teneriffe. Hiked Bus Trail to Nook to Talus Rocks. Then continued on upper Section Line to West Tiger RR Grade. Continued to One View Trail. RR Grade was very overgrown and we got scratched up a bit. Continued on One View to TMT to upper Hidden Forest to Poo Top (tracks of illegal mountain bike usage here) to summit of Tiger 1. Great views and no one up here. Returned via West Tiger No 1 Trail and the TMT. More overgrowth. Trails never crowded and we met most of the other users late in the day. Damaged bridge on the TMT was easy to cross. Stats were 3,460’ gross elev. and 11.2 miles. Many of the Tiger Mtn. trails are now very heavily overgrown with thorny bushes and thistles. Don't wear shorts like I did. In fact long sleaves are a good idea.

This was an official Mountaineer’s trip with a party of 5. Our trip started at the Chirico TH on the Issaquah-Hobart Rd. The Chirico Trail has been vastly and continually improved with lots of steps. Took a short break at Poo Poo Pt. and then continued on the Poo Poo Pt. Trail (heavy overgrowth) to One View to TMT to the Hidden Forest Trail. This trail climbs steeply up to the Main Tiger Mtn Rd where it is renamed Poo Top. It remains very steep as it ascends a scenic ridge to the Tiger 1 summit. The trail was in nice condition and shows little use. We walked through the antennae farm to the bench just west of the “Hikers Hut”. Grand views here and lots of wildflowers blooming. Continued on the West Tiger No. 1 Trail to the Bootleg Trail. Very scenic in open forest and cool in the shade. Continued to the Preston Trail to Paw Print Rest Stop which was completely overgrown. We could barely see the picnic tables. Then found the RR Grade Trail which was so overgrown there was only the barest hint of a path through high vegetation. Turned west on the TMT. Again overgrown, but we can see the tread. Found a massive new bridge with steel beams over a creek with a history of washouts. By mistake I headed down the Hidden Forest Trail, but soon realized my mistake and we regained the TMT. Then continued our return down the One View Trail and back to Poo Poo Pt. Poo Poo Pt. was now busy with Para gliders, one hang glider and lots of spectators. With a cool breeze, in sunny conditions and a rainbow of flyers in the sky it was hard to leave. On the return we met Mike who has been building the steps on the trail for years and years. Stats for this very nice trip were 11.1 miles, 3,900’ (includes getting off-route) and 9 hours 20’ with 3 very long view/eat/rest stops. Heavy overgrowth along the trails was about the highest and heaviest I had ever seen. We did not see one other person between leaving and returning to Poo Poo Pt.

Started in Issaquah at Sunset/I-90, up Poo Poo Point trail to TMT, TMT to Middle Tiger, Road to East Tiger (awesome view of Rainier...), East Tiger trail to Bootleg to West Tiger 1, West Tiger 2, West Tiger 3, West Tiger 3 trail, Bus trail, Wetlands trail back to car. 4:00 hours car to car. Dog was pooped out! Besides the expected muddy spots here and there all trails were in pretty good condition. TMT: They are rebuilding a bridge, work in progress, but easy to get by. East Tiger trail: upper part is quite rutted from many mountain bikes on this "hikers only" trail East Tiger trail between Hobbart Railroad trail and the "new" road where they logged a few years ago: Someone tried to discourage bikers from using this "hikers only" trail by placing a few dozend logs across the trail. Unfortunately this also makes it difficult to hike and run on the trail. I removed many of those logs..... Making the trail difficult to use for ALL users is not the solution for keeping bikes off the trail. Oh, and there are a few remnants of snow on the road leading up to East Tiger, and in the shady (NE side) part of West Tiger 1.

Overview: I've never been in this area of the forest, nor have I hiked up Middle Tiger, so I did not know what to expect. I was in for quite a surprise. Nothing but slushy snow, a river of mud on the trail, and horse crap every now and then. Middle Tiger has no views at all, and South Tiger area is all logged. Very bad trip overall. Details: I hiked along TMT for 1.1 miles. Lots of mud and horses really tear up trail in many spots (plus they crap occasionally, as well). Then there was a junction and a horse trail went right around a small hill and TMT hiker trail went left. So I got a little break from the horse highway. Trail passed by Carkins Cliff and there some flowers (a memorial? did someone die here?). After another .3 miles the trail came to an intersection with a road. Stay off road and look for the TMT (look for sign) and continue along TMT (back to the horses) for .8 miles to the powerlines. Go right along road under powerlines and soon spot signs for TMT on the left. Now start getting into the sloppy wet snow. It was really muddy and annoying in many places. After 1.1 miles come to a junction with the South Tiger Traverse (more like a road) that comes down off a hill on the left. Keep going straight to a junction with the West Side Road (Road 1000). Look for trail on other side of the road to the left a bit. Now I went back into the woods and hiked through a really bad mix of wet snow, mud, and water on the trail. It got a little better closer to the junction with Middle Tiger Trail. Affter 1.2 miles, come to that juction and go up to the right. Follw trail in snow up to summit at 2607 feet. Small summit with nothing but trees and not a single view. Verrrry borrring!!!!! Now hike back out to road. Then go to junction with that South Tiger Traverse. Here I went up to the right (more uphill in wet slushy snow). Soon come to the looging area and a junction that isn't on any maps. Take the right fork and look for the trail signs. Look for the sign that directs you left. Now hike to a clearcut. Looks like a huge tornado ripped through the area. Very ugly crap! Then hike back into the woods and then the trail gets real bad! The mud and water on the trail is worse than ever. I stayed off to the side of the trail for quite a while. It is soooooo bad! But soon it gets a little better and I ended up under the powerlines again. Pretty nice view to your right. Here you do not want to follow the powerlines at all. Look for a trail sign straight ahead and follow the trail/road back down to a familiar junction and hike out the way you came in. Sloppy wet snow. Tons of mud and water. Logging and clearcuts. Horse crap on the trail. No really exciting views. I am never going back. Stick to the good trails on the other side of the forest. Poo Poo Point, West Tigers, and East Tiger are all great. But leave Middle and South Tigers alone. Not worth your time!

Today I hiked many of the less traveled trails that lead to the best views! I started at the High Point Pond trailhead down that gated road right off the freeway ramp. Hiked the High Point Trail 0.7 miles then turned left onto Dwight's Way. Then went 0.6 miles and turned right on the West Tiger #1 Trail (might be marked as Preston Trail). This is where you really have the whole trail all to yourself! Then hiked another 0.6 miles to another trail junction. Went left on the Middle Bootleg Trail. Hiked another 0.9 miles, up into the snow, and turned left onto the East Tiger Trail. After about 0.5 miles I came to a clearcut and a road. None of this is on the maps! This is a somewhat new area. The trail crosses the road and continues on the other side, leaving the ugly stuff and leading back into some nice forest. Still no other people! After another 0.5 miles or so come to the Preston Railroad Grade Trail. Once again, the trail crosses the road and keeps going up the hill. After another 0.5 miles level out and come to the road that leads to the summit of East Tiger, which is the highest summit in the forest at 3004 feet. Go up to the right on that road and go up to the summit. There are a few big communications towers and there is also a picnic table. Mt. Rainier was hidden today, but this summit usually has the best view of Rainier. I still saw all of the south Puget Sound lowlands laid out below me. Now I hiked all the way back down to the Bootleg Trail (where I originally turned onto the East Tiger Trail). I turned right as if heading back the way I came but quickly veered left onto the Upper Bootleg Trail toward West Tiger #1. I went another 0.8 miles until I reached the junction with the West Tiger #1 Trail. I continued straight for another 0.6 miles the Hikers Hut viewpoint (do not try to go up to the summit. It is all fenced off). The viewpoint is the best spot. Mt. Rainier was still not visible but still had nice views of Puget Sound, Seattle, and also Bellevue. And look to the right of the actual summit and in the distance you will see East Tiger! Hard to believe I was just up there. Now I continued down the road off of the mountain, toward West Tiger 2. Go 0.6 miles on the road down, then back up to the summit of West Tiger 2. Now go up and around the fenced off area at the top of the hill. Around back you will find the trail leading off the summit. Hike down 0.2 miles to Tom's Crossing (juntion with the Tiger Mountain Trail). Turn right and hike another 0.3 miles or so to a flat area with a trail leading off to the left, marked as the K-3 Unmaintained Trail. It is actually in good shape. Hike about 0.3 miles down to the West Tiger RR Grade. Continue straight on the K-3 Trail down another 0.5 miles to the TMT and turn down to the right. You should pass a flyer posted on a tree that warns of a damaged bridge up ahead. Ignore that warning (read on and you will see why). In about 0.5 miles you will come to the bridge that is closed off. Notice how it is tilted and missing some of its railing. Just go under it! The creek is small enough to cross! Soon after come to a junction with the High Point Trail and turn left and hike that trail all the way back to the trailhead. 11.5 miles round trip.