Mileage/Total Elevation: 8.55mi/3,203ft
Weather: Partly cloudy
Total Time: 4:08

This hike was originally going to be a straight-forward loop around West Tiger #1, #2, and #3 up through the Cable Line Trail and down through the Preston Trail. Since the trail system in West Tiger is super vast, it ended up being a bit of a meander.

Parking: We arrived at the trail head around 9:40. The parking lot closest to the Cable Line Trailhead is pretty small and most vehicles park along the side of the road. We were lucky enough to pull into a spot that was steps away from the trailhead. There was plenty of parking available on the road near the trailhead and even more further away. When we got back down, it seemed like the volume of vehicles hadn't really changed.

Foot Traffic: There was a trail run event going on today so there was some extra foot traffic and commission from that. We probably had to stop to let around 10 runners pass the whole time we were on the trail so it wasn't that bad. Outside of the trail runners, we ran into a handful of other groups on our way up the Cable Line Trail. Once we got to adjacent trails, it was pretty smooth.

Notes: Our loop took us up through the Cable Line Trail, down through the Preston Trail, ducked into West Tiger Trail, through West Tiger RR grade, then down through Cable Line Trail for the last bit.

Signs at the trailhead for Cable Line Trail worn you that it's unmaintained and that's mostly correct. It's short and steep and there are no switchbacks. Even though it was a dry day, the trail still felt slick from the week's rains. It's rocky and rooty and challenging to navigate without poles but doable. My watch clocked a little under 2mi and 2,500 ft of elevation gain in this stretch alone.

Once you get through that stretch, you're greeted by the summit of West Tiger #3 and the expanse of wildflowers on the summit. The summit is too low-elevation for breathtaking views but the wildflowers closer to you make it well worth the climb.

From the summit of West Tiger #3, we headed to #2 and #1 via the West Tiger Mountain Trail. Note: You'll have to cut off from West Tiger to Poo Top Trail near Hiker's Hut since there is some trail work/restructuring going on. It's a very short detour.

From our summits, we began our journey down through Preston Trail. It's a wet shadowy walk through the forest. The trail is narrow and overgrown in some places. There are also some downed trees that you'll have to walk around. Overall, nothing impassable for a hike.

Deep in the forest, you can lose yourself in the trail system -- like we did. We had originally planned on taking Preston straight down but missed a junction and ended up snaking on West Tiger Trail again before we grabbed the West Tiger RR grade as our connector back to Cable Line. Taking Cable Line down was not a fun experience (especially without poles -- are we picking up a theme?) and the going was a bit slow as you'll need to be quite careful with your footing.

Overall, a great day of hiking! I love this region because you could spend the whole day walking through the forest, connecting from trail system to trail system and build your own adventure. Some trails are less maintaining and more challenging then others but that means there is a great variety of adventure for all levels of hiker in the area.

Good conditions

Leash your dogs.

Trail in great shape.  Rainy and really blustery at the W Tiger summits, nice in the trees.  Other than the very beginning and end of the day, only saw 2 people on the trail proper, and we oddly showed up at the Hiker's Hut at the exact same time.  I followed directions as laid out in the WTA description for 10.9 miles and 3450'.  I made a public track, which would be easier to follow than reading the description as you go like I did: 

https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.5/-121.9912/47.5132&pubLink=jhF231MlM53U9OthS6FSutov&trackId=dbb1a7f5a5202ded130a6b33cbfef76d

I set out to hike a slightly altered version of the West Tiger Four Summit Loop. The plan: from the main High Point trailhead parking lot, Tiger Mountain Trail -> Cable Line up to West Tiger 3 -> West Tiger 2 -> West Tiger 1 -> Poo Top -> One View -> Poo Poo Pt Trail to Poo Poo Pt -> back down Poo Poo Pt Trail -> Bonneville -> Bus Trail -> Around the Lake Trail -> car.

This started off perfectly but I got turned around after the One View/Poo Top trail crosses the Main Tiger Road. At the road, the Poo Top Trail turns into the One View trail. After .2 mi, I encountered a trail junction and a sign indicating I was on the Hidden Forest Trail, crossing the TMT, no mention of the One View Trail. I was planning on the One View trail for longer than .2, so I followed the trail going straight, the Hidden Forest trail. Wrong Choice. .2 mi later, I intersected the RR grade trail, which I definitely wasn't expecting, and finally checked the map. Alas, I was supposed to turn right on the TMT. I should have checked the map, but was thrown off by sign not mentioning the trail I was expecting. My lesson to always check at junctions was learned the hard way, because even only .2 off route, I had to re-gain 350 feet in that .2.

Once back on the TMT, I realized the TMT portion was quite brief, as I quickly re-joined the One View Trail to the left and took that to the Poo Poo Pt trail. I'd lost 30 minutes with the wrong turn and re-righting myself, so I lacked the time to head to the point, but instead headed down to the Bonneville trail to the Around the Lake Trail and back to the lot.

TRAILS: Mostly in superb shape. The Poo Top trail, especially at the top, is clearly less traversed, but still well maintained. My brief mistaken jaunt onto the Hidden Forest Trail was the only time the trail was overgrown and less well maintained. The One View Trail especially had evidence of major blowdowns from (I assume) this winter's windstorms, but everything was cleared. Thanks, trail crews!

FLOWERS: In various states of blooms! I saw some trilliums, including purple (!). Some were past their prime, a few were fully in prime. Lots of others - bleeding hearts, salmonberry blossoms, and many I don't know the names of. Additionally, the trees are still in budding phase so everything is bright green and magical. The Poo Top and One View trails were the best for the flowers and foliage, though there was a purple trillium on Cable Line!

BUGS: It is beginning. There were mosquitos on Cable Line, and I was bit at least once. I noticed them on the lower TMT as well, hovering around dried up (but still damp) creeks. Higher, they weren't so bad, but there were flies and plenty of gnats.

CROWDS: Hardly any on this breezy spring Wednesday. A few on Cable Line, but I saw no one else until I was nearly to the Poo Poo Pt trail. Then, a handful until the lot.

PARKING: Lot about 1/3 full both when I arrived at 10:30 and left at 4.

TOILETS: Smellier than two weeks ago, but still fine with plenty of TP.

I calculated 9.3 mi with 3250 gain. I would hike it again, without getting lost next time!