Tiger Mountain -West Summits

Summit #57 of 70--December 26, 2023

After a spell of rain, I couldn’t let a another sunny day go by yesterday without lassoing another summit. I’d wanted to include something from the Issaquah Alps in my list this year, so despite the drive I settled on Tiger Mountain, a few miles east of downtown Issaquah. I dropped Kris at work in the morning and was on the trail by 11:30 am.

I randomly chose the Cable Trail to quickly gain some altitude, then diverted to the Tiger Mountain Trail, crossing High Point Creek on a stout bridge. From there, a moderately steep ridge hike led to the summit of what’s dubbed West Tiger #2. The top 100 feet or so was entirely and recently clearcut, so once your eyes made it past all the stumps, turned-up ground and a towering tower of radio stuff, the place offered a pretty amazing view. I stepped on a high bit of dirt next to the security fence and called it a summit—my 57th.

From there, an easy road walk, mixed with a bit of new trail, squiggled down to a saddle and briefly up again, all in clearcut, to West Tiger #3. The view here was almost as good, though a couple hundred feet lower in elevation. The effort was too little to claim credit for a second summit, plus I’d skipped the uninviting tower-strewn crest of West Tiger #1, even though it’s slightly higher than the others. Thus, it would be a one-summit day, though quite an enjoyable one at that.

West Tiger #3 from West Tiger #2, Lake Sammamish middle right.

As knees began to whine a little, I headed into the woods, down the steep Section Line Trail to the Talus Trail and hung a right. This was all new ground for me, so I wasn’t going to pass up a trail named for rocks. Good choice. The path slithered among some house-sized boulders for a short distance—a scenic and curious stretch. From there, I took the Nook Trail down to the bottom of West Tiger and skipped on back to the truck. The loop ran about 6.5 miles with 2,800 feet gained.

Issaquah Alps is the name for these hills (Tiger, Cougar and Squak Mountains) originally applied by the legendary hiking guide author, wilderness geek and dedicated rabble-rouser, Harvey Manning. I was fortunate enough to know Harvey, to work with him at the North Cascades Conservation Council (NCCC), and to help publish his conservation history of the North Cascades, Wilderness Alps, in 2007.

Thinking of Harvey, I drove into Issaquah to the bronze memorial in his image. I’d been there for the unveiling, so it was nice to finally stop in again. I thanked him for his tireless work helping to secure these places for all. I should note that Wilderness Alps is a timeless great read, richly illustrated, and as entertaining as it is informative throughout its 480 pages. New members of the NCCC can enjoy a free copy here.