12-29-13
With
just three days left in the year I headed out once again. The Seahawks
final game was on at 1:00 pm so I chose an easy hike where I could be
home early. After 3600' of gain the day before the 1800' on East Tiger
was much easier. I arrived at Tiger Summit off Highway 18 at 8:15.
There were only two cars in the lot. The nice grading job done in the
spring has reverted to large puddles and small lakes in the lot. I
headed up the gated road in a thick overcast but no rain. The grade is
gentle but gains elevation steadily. I can always hike at a good pace.
I quickly spotted another hiker head of my. She was hiking at a
slightly faster pace. That was the only person I saw until nearly up to
the summit.
The last few weeks has been one misty damp hike after another. This one was no exception. No views but the mist provided a very different feel to this road hike. Higher up I had some views out. Some lone trees in a near clear cut had a background of white clouds. It made for an interesting sight. At 2.8 miles I reached the road junction. Left goes to Tiger 2 and 1. Right heads uphill towards East Tiger. The temperature was in the mid 30s. A little breeze was very cold but most of the way up was in the dead calm that has perpetuated this long foggy spell. At the next junction I turned left for the final .70 mile climb to the top. A sign pointing to the summit has only been there for a few years.
Since I saw no snow at 2900' on Tiger 1 the day before I expected none on 3004' East Tiger. That is exactly what I found. One hiker passed me heading down near the top. At the top I met the one hiker who had sped ahead of me earlier. It was her first time up East Tiger. We had great views of clouds and not much else. I took 1:14 to hike up 3.9 miles, arriving at 9:36 am. Not too bad with photo stops included. I did not stay long on top. By 9:50 am I was on my way down.
I stopped at the picnic table and viewpoint just above the open gate. A group of four hikers were there. South Tiger and Sally's Summit were in sight but not much else. After a few photos and conversation I headed down once again. At the junction I turned left and soon picked up the way trail to Sally's Summit. The added 120' of elevation gain put me just over 1800' for the day. The missing summit sign is still missing. I dropped back to the road and took the downhill junction. .40 miles later I turned left on the main road.
The rest of the way down was fast and easy. I saw several groups hiking up but not a single bicycle. That was a first. With the gloomy weather and the football game there were not many folks out this day. Down at the parking lot there were half a dozen other cards but it was the most empty I have seen the lot in a long time. By 11:45 I was on my way home. I was home a full hour before the game started. This was the perfect hike for the day. Fast and easy but 8 miles long with 1800' of gain. It also had a lot of solitude. A good way to spend a Sunday morning.
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Trips - 2013
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The last few weeks has been one misty damp hike after another. This one was no exception. No views but the mist provided a very different feel to this road hike. Higher up I had some views out. Some lone trees in a near clear cut had a background of white clouds. It made for an interesting sight. At 2.8 miles I reached the road junction. Left goes to Tiger 2 and 1. Right heads uphill towards East Tiger. The temperature was in the mid 30s. A little breeze was very cold but most of the way up was in the dead calm that has perpetuated this long foggy spell. At the next junction I turned left for the final .70 mile climb to the top. A sign pointing to the summit has only been there for a few years.
Since I saw no snow at 2900' on Tiger 1 the day before I expected none on 3004' East Tiger. That is exactly what I found. One hiker passed me heading down near the top. At the top I met the one hiker who had sped ahead of me earlier. It was her first time up East Tiger. We had great views of clouds and not much else. I took 1:14 to hike up 3.9 miles, arriving at 9:36 am. Not too bad with photo stops included. I did not stay long on top. By 9:50 am I was on my way down.
I stopped at the picnic table and viewpoint just above the open gate. A group of four hikers were there. South Tiger and Sally's Summit were in sight but not much else. After a few photos and conversation I headed down once again. At the junction I turned left and soon picked up the way trail to Sally's Summit. The added 120' of elevation gain put me just over 1800' for the day. The missing summit sign is still missing. I dropped back to the road and took the downhill junction. .40 miles later I turned left on the main road.
The rest of the way down was fast and easy. I saw several groups hiking up but not a single bicycle. That was a first. With the gloomy weather and the football game there were not many folks out this day. Down at the parking lot there were half a dozen other cards but it was the most empty I have seen the lot in a long time. By 11:45 I was on my way home. I was home a full hour before the game started. This was the perfect hike for the day. Fast and easy but 8 miles long with 1800' of gain. It also had a lot of solitude. A good way to spend a Sunday morning.
 Heading Up The Road |
 Moss & Ferns |
 Lone Trees |
 East Tiger Towers |
 New Signs |
 Summit Views |
 Closed Trail |
 Speedy Hiker |
 South Tiger Mt. |
 Trees & Fog |
 Lower Viewpoint |
 Sally's Summit Trail |
Trips - 2013
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