02-22-25
February
was rapidly coming to an end and I did not have many miles or much
elevation gain done. The weekend had multiple storms arriving one after
the other. I needed to get in at least one short hike with some
elevation gain. The forecast the night before looked awful. I might get
in a dry hour in the morning but I expected to get soaked. In the
morning things looked better. I might have a couple dry hours. I hung
around the the forecast looked even better. So what if I get wet for a
while? At 8:10 am I headed east. On the Ship Canal Bridge I could see
over to Tiger Mountain and it was not even close to being in the
clouds. The drive was dry. Dry and warm. The wet weather also brought
an evening low of only 46F. I arrived at High Point to find it 48F with
no rain in sight. That is not what the Doppler showed half an hour
earlier. I was packed and on my way at 8:47 am. Six days earlier, I
wore microspikes for nearly the entire trip up Tiger 3. It was very
icy. This day it was bare trail. I took the High Point Trail to the
Tiger Mountain Trail (TMT) and followed it higher.
I wondered if I would reach some icy spots higher up. I never did. I also did not see many people. The biggest difference over the past weeks was all the green. Snow and ice gave way to a very green trail. There were no new trees down though a few small ones on the TMT after the bridge were still there. I reached the junction with the top of the K-3 Trail and continued uphill. My hope of reaching the summit of Tiger 2 before the rain started was looking good. Above Tom's Crossing I could hear the wind. As I reached the end of forest I could see the summit tower above. I stopped to put on my rain jacket. It was easier to do it just below the wind than in it. The last part up went pretty quickly. I could see across to the outline of Mt. Si. Mt. Teneriffe, right behind Si, was lost in the clouds. I could see the bright snow at the base of Mt. Rainier but the mountain itself never came into view.The last narrow section before the carved bench had a snow patch I had to cross. That was it for snow on the trail. A dozen feet of snow and then back to dirt. There were some hikers near the bench enjoying the views such as they were. I turned right heading around the summit. Tiger 3 came into view. Seattle and Bellevue were above most clouds.
Issaquah was right below. Fog covered most of it though I could see part of I-90. Lake Sammamish and north were out of the fog. As I came around Tiger 2 the wind picked up. It was a steady 10+ mph gusting to the high teens. Cold enough to have my hood tied down tight. I went to the summit and some views over to Tiger 1. I then backtracked down a short way and along the summit fence to a spot out of the wind. It was blowing ten feet away but just a light breeze at most where I was. It was now 10:35 am. The rain should have started more than half an hour earlier. Looking around I did not see anything that looked like rain. I had planned on reaching the top and heading straight down. Now I was thinking about extending the trip for more miles and elevation gain. This had been a poor month for hiking and I did not expect to get in many miles this weekend. Why not take advantage of much better weather than forecast just a couple hours earlier?
Gary and I did a trip early this year up Tiger 2 then down towards Tiger 3. We turned onto the TMT and followed it back to Tom's Crossing. That and going down the Lingering Trail near the bottom brought a 7 mile hike up 8 miles. Other than a windy descent that seemed like a good idea. After some photos I headed down. The trail up Tiger 3 is much more popular and I was not surprised to now see more hikers coming from Tiger 3 to Tiger 2. As I neared the TMT I decided that continuing up Tiger 3 and then back up Tiger 2 would add another mile and 300' more elevation gain. There was no rain in the offing so that was my plan. My stay on Tiger 3 was about three minutes. Just enough time for some more photos and slightly better views to the west. The fog was burning off and I could now see more of Issaquah. I though about just taking the TMT over to Tom's Crossing but I wanted more elevation gain so I continued up Tiger 2 once again. The wind n my face near the top was very cold.
I went back to by small wind free spot for some water and a final break. At 11:10 am I headed down. Once I was behind the summit of Tiger 2 the wind deceased markedly. I was quickly in the forest and the wind just about ceased. I made good time coming down. There were no stops on the way out. I did remove a dozen or so small branches across the trail coming up and a few more coming down. I zoomed by Ruth's Cove and on down to the junction of the High Point Trail and Lingering Trail. The HPT is shorter but I wanted miles so I turned right onto the LT. This was lonesome hiking as I did not see anyone on this trail. My jacket came off soon after getting out of the wind. It was in the mid to high 40s all morning. I met the HPT with about half a mile to go. That went quickly and I was back at my car at 12:57 pm. I was on the trail for 4:10 covering 9 miles with 2900' of elevation gain. There was not so much as a stray raindrop falling on me all day. Once again the forecast was way to pessimistic the night before and the morning of my hike. I carried microspikes, rain pants, and an umbrella and never used them. I did use my rain jacket but just as a wind blocker.
I had low hopes of a fun hike this day. I was ready for a wet day under my umbrella and in a coat when it was to windy up high. Instead I had a very nice dry hike and even some views from the summit. I not only reached the top of Tiger 2 I did Tiger 3 and Tiger 2 again. This was my second highest elevation gain hike so far this year in just less than two months. The drive home was even a breeze. Half a mile from home the rain began. Now that was good timing.
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I wondered if I would reach some icy spots higher up. I never did. I also did not see many people. The biggest difference over the past weeks was all the green. Snow and ice gave way to a very green trail. There were no new trees down though a few small ones on the TMT after the bridge were still there. I reached the junction with the top of the K-3 Trail and continued uphill. My hope of reaching the summit of Tiger 2 before the rain started was looking good. Above Tom's Crossing I could hear the wind. As I reached the end of forest I could see the summit tower above. I stopped to put on my rain jacket. It was easier to do it just below the wind than in it. The last part up went pretty quickly. I could see across to the outline of Mt. Si. Mt. Teneriffe, right behind Si, was lost in the clouds. I could see the bright snow at the base of Mt. Rainier but the mountain itself never came into view.The last narrow section before the carved bench had a snow patch I had to cross. That was it for snow on the trail. A dozen feet of snow and then back to dirt. There were some hikers near the bench enjoying the views such as they were. I turned right heading around the summit. Tiger 3 came into view. Seattle and Bellevue were above most clouds.
Issaquah was right below. Fog covered most of it though I could see part of I-90. Lake Sammamish and north were out of the fog. As I came around Tiger 2 the wind picked up. It was a steady 10+ mph gusting to the high teens. Cold enough to have my hood tied down tight. I went to the summit and some views over to Tiger 1. I then backtracked down a short way and along the summit fence to a spot out of the wind. It was blowing ten feet away but just a light breeze at most where I was. It was now 10:35 am. The rain should have started more than half an hour earlier. Looking around I did not see anything that looked like rain. I had planned on reaching the top and heading straight down. Now I was thinking about extending the trip for more miles and elevation gain. This had been a poor month for hiking and I did not expect to get in many miles this weekend. Why not take advantage of much better weather than forecast just a couple hours earlier?
Gary and I did a trip early this year up Tiger 2 then down towards Tiger 3. We turned onto the TMT and followed it back to Tom's Crossing. That and going down the Lingering Trail near the bottom brought a 7 mile hike up 8 miles. Other than a windy descent that seemed like a good idea. After some photos I headed down. The trail up Tiger 3 is much more popular and I was not surprised to now see more hikers coming from Tiger 3 to Tiger 2. As I neared the TMT I decided that continuing up Tiger 3 and then back up Tiger 2 would add another mile and 300' more elevation gain. There was no rain in the offing so that was my plan. My stay on Tiger 3 was about three minutes. Just enough time for some more photos and slightly better views to the west. The fog was burning off and I could now see more of Issaquah. I though about just taking the TMT over to Tom's Crossing but I wanted more elevation gain so I continued up Tiger 2 once again. The wind n my face near the top was very cold.
I went back to by small wind free spot for some water and a final break. At 11:10 am I headed down. Once I was behind the summit of Tiger 2 the wind deceased markedly. I was quickly in the forest and the wind just about ceased. I made good time coming down. There were no stops on the way out. I did remove a dozen or so small branches across the trail coming up and a few more coming down. I zoomed by Ruth's Cove and on down to the junction of the High Point Trail and Lingering Trail. The HPT is shorter but I wanted miles so I turned right onto the LT. This was lonesome hiking as I did not see anyone on this trail. My jacket came off soon after getting out of the wind. It was in the mid to high 40s all morning. I met the HPT with about half a mile to go. That went quickly and I was back at my car at 12:57 pm. I was on the trail for 4:10 covering 9 miles with 2900' of elevation gain. There was not so much as a stray raindrop falling on me all day. Once again the forecast was way to pessimistic the night before and the morning of my hike. I carried microspikes, rain pants, and an umbrella and never used them. I did use my rain jacket but just as a wind blocker.
I had low hopes of a fun hike this day. I was ready for a wet day under my umbrella and in a coat when it was to windy up high. Instead I had a very nice dry hike and even some views from the summit. I not only reached the top of Tiger 2 I did Tiger 3 and Tiger 2 again. This was my second highest elevation gain hike so far this year in just less than two months. The drive home was even a breeze. Half a mile from home the rain began. Now that was good timing.
 Mossy Green Trees |
 A Very Green Trail |
 Ruth's Cove |
 Cascading Creek |
 Big Bridge |
 Log Across Trail |
 TMT Below K-3 |
 A Faint Mt. Si |
 Tiger 2 In Sight |
 Tiger 1 |
 Bottom Of Mt. Rainier |
 Tiger 3 Is In Sight |
 Tiger 3 Close Up |
 Fog Over Issaquah |
 Scenic Fog View |
 Biggest Snow Patch |
 Group Near Bench |
 Trail To Tiger 3 |
 View Southwest |
 Squak Mountain |
 Another Look |
 Tiger 3 Just Ahead |
 Mt. Si To The East |
 Issaquah From Tiger 3 |
 Downtown Seattle |
 Not The Summit |
 Mailbox Peak |
 Heading Down |
 Green Lingering Trail |
 Very Very Green |
 The Green Dragon |
 See The Heron |
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