12-23-24
My
goal of 900 hiking miles looked to be well within reach at the end of
November. I only needed 67 more miles. After two early hikes and
another on the 10th I was within 39 miles. Then I caught a cold. I had
not been sick in a decade. The result was eight days at home getter
over it. By Sunday the 22nd I was still 39 miles short only
10 days to go. I headed out early to beat the rain. A quick 7 miles on
Grand Ridge went pretty well. It only had 900' of elevation gain but I
was down to 32 miles to go. The forecast was for rain nearly every day
of the remaining year except for Monday. I took the day off and headed
for a favorite trip to get in longer mileage. I head up East Tiger
often from Tiger Summit. The trip is only 8 miles with 1700' of gain.
Be starting off a logging spur a mile+ north of Tiger Summit I can walk
a seldom used logging road all the way to the summit in 6.7 miles. It
only has 2000' of gain. I usually do the .70 mile summit spur twice to
bring 13.4 miles up to 14.8 miles and to bring the gain up to 2400'. If
I feel strong that is. After over a week in the house recovering, I was
not sure if I would be up for two summits. Regardless, I would need an
early start to beat traffic in the morning and the afternoon. I was on
the road at 6:55 am. Traffic was not bad and I turned off I-90 onto
Highway 18. Construction has the route down to one lane in each
direction. Traffic was light going my way but very heavy in the other
direction. It was still dark as I drove the 3+ miles of Highway 18. I
found the spur and pulled off to find one car already there. That is
unusual, especially at 7:32 am. Sunrise was at 7:56 am. It was already
light enough not to need a headlamp. I packed up and started out at
7:35 am.
The gate is not far from the highway. The road climbs quickly to the big powerline corridor. These big lines bring in power from across the state. The road is next to and at times under the powerlines. I could see the towers on nearby West Rattlesnake Mountain. There was snow up there a few weeks ago but it looked to have all melted away. That made me very confident I would not see any snow atop 3004' East Tiger. My starting elevation was 1089'. The whole road is smooth and steadily graded. The last few miles have much of the elevation gain. I felt surprisingly good after the illness and then a 7 mile hike the day before. The whole 14.8 miles would be a good challenge under those conditions. At about .75 miles the grade drops steeply to the Raging River. I could see the old and new bridges on Highway 18 below. I could also see some peaks to the northeast. About a half moon was overhead. The road makes a sharp left turn and heads into forest. There are wildflowers here in the spring. There is not much of anything but grass in December.
The road climbs a bit here. On the right I saw a nice barbecue that has been there for at least four or five years. At 1.3 miles I reached the junction with the Northwest Timber Trail. A series of trails starting here can cut off several miles on the way up East Tiger Today, I wanted more miles. There are many mile signs and bike trail signs which list mileage on the road. I knew where I was without needing to consult my GPS unit. It was in the low 40s and partly overcast when I started. That is pretty warm for early morning at 1100' in late December. The road was a few ups and downs. The biggest one is shortly after the NW Timber Trail junction. I logged a 55' drop to cross a creek and then a 110' climb up the other side. At that point homes can be seen below in Upper Preston. There are also views of the Cascade Mountains. Those views were much better on the way back. In 2003 I spotted a bobcat along this stretch of road. I had about ten minutes to observe and take photos. I looked this time but saw nothing.
At 3.1 miles the road meets another junction. Straight ahead is an old road dropping to Preston. That is the road up East Tiger in the 1960s. It crosses private property and is always gated. It was open this day. Switchbacking left is the road up East Tiger. Now the elevation gain begins. I think of the road as steep here but I was able to keep up a 3.2 mph pace, much to my surprise. The Preston RR Grade, Silent Swamp and Bale Out trails meet the road along here. My GPS usually ready high. Google Maps shows the distance and elevation gain for my road route, even though the roads are gated. My GPS was just a fraction higher than the road signs and the Google 6.7 mile distance to the top of East Tiger. It was a Monday two days before Christmas on a lesser used road. I did not expect to see anyone until near the top of East Tiger. In fact, I did not. At 8:50 am I reached the big cement truck bridge and took my only break heading up. A little food and water and I was back on my way. At 9:05 I reached the picnic tables where the Fully Rigid and Off The Grid trails meet the road. The road continued climbing. I soon saw two small trucks parked on the side of the road. I have no idea what they were doing. On the way back I saw them again farther down the road. I did not see any people.
My next landmark is the big quarry. This is more out in the open and I saw all blue sky overhead. Next I passed the spot where the Master Link Trail comes up, crosses the road, and continues as the Quick Link Trail. That is my usual route up East Tiger from Tiger Summit. This day I stayed on the road. I was now at a point where it would not be unusual to see bikers. I soon passed the top of the Quick Link and shortly thereafter I reached the high point where the Predator Trail heads steeply down. The road drops a little and meets the East Tiger summit spur road. Now I had 6 miles done with just .70 to go with 350' of elevation gain. I kept expecting some mountain bikers to pass me. I was very surprised to see that my moving speed was 3.2 mph. My GPS was reading just a little high but I was probably at about 3.1 mph. That is fast for me over a 6 mile climb. A week home with a cold did not seem to have hurt my pace. I tried my best to keep up the speed where the spur road gets steep. I arrived at the summit at 9:48 am. I hike up 6.7 miles with 1900' of gain in 2:13. The sky was blue with some misty clouds to the south. I could just barely make out Mt. Rainier. I reached the top without seeing anyone else.
I took a very quick break and decided to go for a second summit visit. I headed down the road to the bottom then back up to the open gate and I turned left to the lower viewpoint. From here, Mt. Rainier was completely lost in low clouds. It was still all blue sky overhead. As I headed back to the spur road, I saw three mountain bikers zip on by. I made good time heading back up the road. Good but not as good as the first ascent. I arrived back at the summit at 10:28 am. This time I sat down for brunch and a longer summit stay. I talked with the three bikers and mentioned my birthday hike. They seemed a little surprised that I was 66. That was nice. They headed down a little before me. I headed down at 10:48 am. I descended the Power Link Trail 3.5 weeks earlier. On that trip I cut out a big mess of down trees to reopen a spot on the trail. Farther down I helped some bikers who were sawing out another mess of down logs. I wanted to see what it looked like now. The spot I mostly opened up was now just like before the storm. Several big logs on the trail had been removed. I did not even notice the lower spot. All the small branches had been removed. This route is the same distance as the road but much easier on the knees with soft duff trail.
I retraced my steps heading back. Part way down some clouds blew back in. The sun is so low that I only had sunshine beating on me in a few spots. They seemed so much warmer than with out sunshine. With so much less effort going down I put on a windshirt on top and never took it off. It was less cardiovascular work but I was still getting worn out near the bottom. Hiking 22 miles in two days is a lot of work. The next day I hiked another 8 miles making it 30 miles in three days. I was in worse shape at the end of that trip. I did see a group of four bikers at the Fully Rigid trail junction and another, or the same, group of four below the Northwest Timber Trail junction. Those three biker sightings were it for the day. My pace seemed a bit slower even though I was going downhill. Back at the place with views to northern Cascade peaks I had clearer views than in the morning. Mt. Index was very clear with lots of fresh snow. To the left, I could see a slightly hazy but snowy Three Fingers Mountain.
After that I dropped down to cross the creeks and had the last short but steep climb. I passed the smaller quarry and the Northwest Timber Trail at the 1.3 mile marker. A few minutes later I was out of the forest and back in the big powerline corridor. Rattlesnake Mountain was a little cloudy in the morning but now views of the West Peak were completely clear. I zipped along the road past the half mile marker, had one more slight uphill, and headed down the spur road the the gate and Highway 18. There was one other car there. It was the same one I had seen in the morning. I arrived at the gate at 1:05 pm. I hiked up in 2:13 and hiked down in 2:17. I credit the slightly slower descent to just getting tired. One of the harder parts of the day is turning onto a highway on a steep hill while traffic is coming up at you at 55-60 mph. I really had to floor it to get started.
This trip was all I had hoped for and more. With 10 days left in the year my chances of reaching 900 miles looked bleak. Three days later I had hiked 30 of the 39 miles needed. This middle day was key as I needed a long trip. East Tiger the long road route proved perfect. The grade is never too steep and I had a whole lot of solitude. Even more than I expected. The lack of forecast wind and the blue sky was an added bonus. I timed the hike perfectly as I was early enough to miss the morning traffic and early enough coming home to miss the afternoon traffic. This trip is not one to do on a long sunny summer day. It is a great way to get in miles late or early in the year.
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The gate is not far from the highway. The road climbs quickly to the big powerline corridor. These big lines bring in power from across the state. The road is next to and at times under the powerlines. I could see the towers on nearby West Rattlesnake Mountain. There was snow up there a few weeks ago but it looked to have all melted away. That made me very confident I would not see any snow atop 3004' East Tiger. My starting elevation was 1089'. The whole road is smooth and steadily graded. The last few miles have much of the elevation gain. I felt surprisingly good after the illness and then a 7 mile hike the day before. The whole 14.8 miles would be a good challenge under those conditions. At about .75 miles the grade drops steeply to the Raging River. I could see the old and new bridges on Highway 18 below. I could also see some peaks to the northeast. About a half moon was overhead. The road makes a sharp left turn and heads into forest. There are wildflowers here in the spring. There is not much of anything but grass in December.
The road climbs a bit here. On the right I saw a nice barbecue that has been there for at least four or five years. At 1.3 miles I reached the junction with the Northwest Timber Trail. A series of trails starting here can cut off several miles on the way up East Tiger Today, I wanted more miles. There are many mile signs and bike trail signs which list mileage on the road. I knew where I was without needing to consult my GPS unit. It was in the low 40s and partly overcast when I started. That is pretty warm for early morning at 1100' in late December. The road was a few ups and downs. The biggest one is shortly after the NW Timber Trail junction. I logged a 55' drop to cross a creek and then a 110' climb up the other side. At that point homes can be seen below in Upper Preston. There are also views of the Cascade Mountains. Those views were much better on the way back. In 2003 I spotted a bobcat along this stretch of road. I had about ten minutes to observe and take photos. I looked this time but saw nothing.
At 3.1 miles the road meets another junction. Straight ahead is an old road dropping to Preston. That is the road up East Tiger in the 1960s. It crosses private property and is always gated. It was open this day. Switchbacking left is the road up East Tiger. Now the elevation gain begins. I think of the road as steep here but I was able to keep up a 3.2 mph pace, much to my surprise. The Preston RR Grade, Silent Swamp and Bale Out trails meet the road along here. My GPS usually ready high. Google Maps shows the distance and elevation gain for my road route, even though the roads are gated. My GPS was just a fraction higher than the road signs and the Google 6.7 mile distance to the top of East Tiger. It was a Monday two days before Christmas on a lesser used road. I did not expect to see anyone until near the top of East Tiger. In fact, I did not. At 8:50 am I reached the big cement truck bridge and took my only break heading up. A little food and water and I was back on my way. At 9:05 I reached the picnic tables where the Fully Rigid and Off The Grid trails meet the road. The road continued climbing. I soon saw two small trucks parked on the side of the road. I have no idea what they were doing. On the way back I saw them again farther down the road. I did not see any people.
My next landmark is the big quarry. This is more out in the open and I saw all blue sky overhead. Next I passed the spot where the Master Link Trail comes up, crosses the road, and continues as the Quick Link Trail. That is my usual route up East Tiger from Tiger Summit. This day I stayed on the road. I was now at a point where it would not be unusual to see bikers. I soon passed the top of the Quick Link and shortly thereafter I reached the high point where the Predator Trail heads steeply down. The road drops a little and meets the East Tiger summit spur road. Now I had 6 miles done with just .70 to go with 350' of elevation gain. I kept expecting some mountain bikers to pass me. I was very surprised to see that my moving speed was 3.2 mph. My GPS was reading just a little high but I was probably at about 3.1 mph. That is fast for me over a 6 mile climb. A week home with a cold did not seem to have hurt my pace. I tried my best to keep up the speed where the spur road gets steep. I arrived at the summit at 9:48 am. I hike up 6.7 miles with 1900' of gain in 2:13. The sky was blue with some misty clouds to the south. I could just barely make out Mt. Rainier. I reached the top without seeing anyone else.
I took a very quick break and decided to go for a second summit visit. I headed down the road to the bottom then back up to the open gate and I turned left to the lower viewpoint. From here, Mt. Rainier was completely lost in low clouds. It was still all blue sky overhead. As I headed back to the spur road, I saw three mountain bikers zip on by. I made good time heading back up the road. Good but not as good as the first ascent. I arrived back at the summit at 10:28 am. This time I sat down for brunch and a longer summit stay. I talked with the three bikers and mentioned my birthday hike. They seemed a little surprised that I was 66. That was nice. They headed down a little before me. I headed down at 10:48 am. I descended the Power Link Trail 3.5 weeks earlier. On that trip I cut out a big mess of down trees to reopen a spot on the trail. Farther down I helped some bikers who were sawing out another mess of down logs. I wanted to see what it looked like now. The spot I mostly opened up was now just like before the storm. Several big logs on the trail had been removed. I did not even notice the lower spot. All the small branches had been removed. This route is the same distance as the road but much easier on the knees with soft duff trail.
I retraced my steps heading back. Part way down some clouds blew back in. The sun is so low that I only had sunshine beating on me in a few spots. They seemed so much warmer than with out sunshine. With so much less effort going down I put on a windshirt on top and never took it off. It was less cardiovascular work but I was still getting worn out near the bottom. Hiking 22 miles in two days is a lot of work. The next day I hiked another 8 miles making it 30 miles in three days. I was in worse shape at the end of that trip. I did see a group of four bikers at the Fully Rigid trail junction and another, or the same, group of four below the Northwest Timber Trail junction. Those three biker sightings were it for the day. My pace seemed a bit slower even though I was going downhill. Back at the place with views to northern Cascade peaks I had clearer views than in the morning. Mt. Index was very clear with lots of fresh snow. To the left, I could see a slightly hazy but snowy Three Fingers Mountain.
After that I dropped down to cross the creeks and had the last short but steep climb. I passed the smaller quarry and the Northwest Timber Trail at the 1.3 mile marker. A few minutes later I was out of the forest and back in the big powerline corridor. Rattlesnake Mountain was a little cloudy in the morning but now views of the West Peak were completely clear. I zipped along the road past the half mile marker, had one more slight uphill, and headed down the spur road the the gate and Highway 18. There was one other car there. It was the same one I had seen in the morning. I arrived at the gate at 1:05 pm. I hiked up in 2:13 and hiked down in 2:17. I credit the slightly slower descent to just getting tired. One of the harder parts of the day is turning onto a highway on a steep hill while traffic is coming up at you at 55-60 mph. I really had to floor it to get started.
This trip was all I had hoped for and more. With 10 days left in the year my chances of reaching 900 miles looked bleak. Three days later I had hiked 30 of the 39 miles needed. This middle day was key as I needed a long trip. East Tiger the long road route proved perfect. The grade is never too steep and I had a whole lot of solitude. Even more than I expected. The lack of forecast wind and the blue sky was an added bonus. I timed the hike perfectly as I was early enough to miss the morning traffic and early enough coming home to miss the afternoon traffic. This trip is not one to do on a long sunny summer day. It is a great way to get in miles late or early in the year.
 Before Sunrise Start |
 Powerline Corridor |
 West Rattlesnake Mt. |
 Clouds & The Moon |
 New Hwy 18 Bridge |
 Into The Forest |
 Tiny Waterfall |
 NW Timber Trail Junction |
 First Quarry |
 Crossing Creeks |
 A Bridge? |
 Fuller Mountain |
 Cascading Creek |
 Angry Squirrel |
 Lots Of Signs |
 Big Bridge |
 Creek Under Bridge |
 Picnic Tables |
 Blue Sky & Moon |
 Second Quarry Site |
 East Tiger In Sight |
 Summit Spur Road |
 Big Shadow |
 Summit Towers |
 Mt. Rainier |
 Lower Viewpoint |
 Powerlink Trail |
 Misty Sun Rays |
 More Rays |
 Shiny Road |
 Long Shadow |
 Grade Flattens |
 Lit Up Leaves |
 Uphill? |
 Clear Over Rattlesnake |
 Mt. Index |
 Three Fingers Mountain |
 Colorful Moss |
 New Bridge Again |
 Almost Finished |
Trips - 2024
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