Swamp Trail, Big Tree Ridge, Puget Power, Section Line Trail — May. 9, 2024
Issaquah Alps > Cougar Mountain
4 photos
+ video
7 people found this report helpful
Wild Ginger is blooming! One spot is just to the east of the giant Doug fir on the Big Tree trail, on the south/uphill side of the trail. Many of the blooms are in plain sight (I did use a light to get photo 1, these tend to grow in shaded places). Tiger Mt is exploding with plant growth, lots of shade from the canopy above and flowers every step of the way. There are lots of trailing blackberries in bloom which attract bees and bumblebees. There were lots of spring beauties out on this sunny day (photo 3), very pretty arctic stars (photo 4), and lots of other blooms (a few more flowers and pollinators in the slideshow, there are a few non natives in there, I can't shun them, especially when there's a pollinator on them).
I like the old road above Sunset Way that runs parallel to the Wetlands trail; you'll find baldhip roses (and other species of the rose family not yet blooming), western trumpet honeysuckle (photo 2), and lots of pollinators (albeit a lot of them on the many old-growth scotch brooms). By trying to identify the flowers on the open areas of Tiger, I am learning a lot of non-natives.
I like the old road above Sunset Way that runs parallel to the Wetlands trail; you'll find baldhip roses (and other species of the rose family not yet blooming), western trumpet honeysuckle (photo 2), and lots of pollinators (albeit a lot of them on the many old-growth scotch brooms). By trying to identify the flowers on the open areas of Tiger, I am learning a lot of non-natives.
Seasonal progression on Tiger Mt
April 28-May 9 new blooms
Vanilla leaf
Plumed false Solomon’s seal
English plantain
Baldhip rose
Common chickweed
Foam flower
Creeping buttercup
Wild ginger
Trifolium subterranean
Small forget-me-not
Myosotis discolor, changing forget-me-not
Cornsalad, valeriana locusts
Bedstraw
Wood bittercress
Common Vetch
Western trumpet Honeysuckle
April 18-27
Pacific waterleaf
Stinky Bob
Mountain sweet cisely
Salal
Piggyback-plant
Arctic star
Maidenhair
large-leaf Avens
Ash
Bitter Cherry
Cultivated apple
Swamp currant
April 17
Hooker’s fairy bells
woodland strawberry
purple deadnettle
All started blooming between Mar 25 and April 13
Scotch broom
Western service berry
Pacific dogwood
Wild cherry
Big-leaf maple
Vine maple
Woodland forget-me-nots
Fragrant Fringe cup
Pacific Bleeding heart
Red flowering currant
Low Oregon grape
Red elderberry
Trillium
small-flowered nemophila
Siberian springbeauties
Common dandelion
annual water miner's-lettuce
Trailing blackberry
Shepherds cress
False Lily of the valley buds
Rhododendron
Bracken and sword ferns unfurling
Sitka willow, come and gone
3-15 evergreen violets in bloom (TMT and Hidden Forest intersection)
3-14 (60 and sunny) first butterfly (species unknown)
3-14 first pollinating moth (Puget power line)
3-14 willow on the Puget Power trail goes into bloom, working on the species
3-14 full flowers on mouse-ear cress or thalecress, gas line trail (Arabidopsis thaliana)
3-12 (upper 40's mostly sunny) first bee, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-12 first pollinating beetle, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-12 first bee, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-11 first skunk cabbage bloom (gas line road, culvert near the big tree trail)
3-5 (sunny in the 40's) first hoverfly, first significantly sized fly family (midge or gnat)
3-2 first shoots, great or northern giant horsetail, swamp trail, water-covered portion (Equisetum telmateia)
3-2 flower buds, mouse-ear cress or thalecress, gas line trail (Arabidopsis thaliana)
3-1 flower buds, currant (probably red flowering) just above East Sunset Way trailhead
2-27 red huckleberry in bloom, multiple trails, (Vaccinium parvifolium) parvifolium means small-leafed
2-27 Pacific waterleaf shoots (Park Pointe)
2-27 sitka willow flower buds (gas line trail, end of Big Tree trail)
2-25 cherry plum blooming (Tradition Lake loop)
2-24 first moths (American idia, small, tan-orange, same species that came out first last year)
2-24 colt's foot in bloom, poo poo point trail
2-22 salmonberry flowers (Swamp trail)
2-22 tall Oregon grape flowers open (Power Line above Sunset Way)
2-17 stinging nettle shoots
2-14 colt's foot flower buds (Poo Poo Point trail)
2-13 colt's foot (Petasites frigidus) shoots appear (section line, they must have been many days earlier on the Poo Poo point trail)
2-13 red elderberry leaves (Sambucas racemosa)
2-8 tall Oregon grape flower buds (Mahonia aquifolium)
2-2 oso-berry flower (Oemleria cerasiformis)
2-1 male Pacific Wrens singing for mates and territory
Swamp Trail, Bonneville Trail, Puget Power — Apr. 14, 2024
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
4 photos
4 people found this report helpful
It's one of my favorite times of the year on Tiger Mt, there's a massive explosion of plant growth. The tree blossoms are amazing, the wild cherries, big-leaf maples, and Pacific dogwood (photo 1) in particular. The reproductive shoots of the horsetails are producing spores (photo 2). They are yellow and tan in color, the non-reproductive are green. If you jostle them a bit, you'll see a cloud of spores. A new flower for me is the shepherd's cress (photo 3). You can find it in thick clumps in open areas on the plateau. The Pacific Bleeding heart is just coming out, the range of colors is beautiful (photo 4).
2024 events on Tiger Mt
All started blooming between Mar 25 and April 13
Scotch broom
Western service berry
Pacific dogwood
Wild cherry
Big-leaf maple
Vine maple
Woodland forget-me-nots
Fragrant Fringe cup
Pacific Bleeding heart
Red flowering currant
Low Oregon grape
Red elderberry
Trillium
small-flowered nemophila
Siberian springbeauties
Common dandelion
annual water miner's-lettuce
Trailing blackberry
Shepherds cress
False Lily of the valley buds
Rhododendron
Bracken and sword ferns unfurling
Sitka willow, come and gone
3-15 evergreen violets in bloom (TMT and Hidden Forest intersection)
3-14 (60 and sunny) first butterfly (species unknown)
3-14 first pollinating moth (Puget power line)
3-14 willow on the Puget Power trail goes into bloom, working on the species
3-14 full flowers on mouse-ear cress or thalecress, gas line trail (Arabidopsis thaliana)
3-12 (upper 40's mostly sunny) first bee, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-12 first pollinating beetle, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-12 first bee, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-11 first skunk cabbage bloom (gas line road, culvert near the big tree trail)
3-5 (sunny in the 40's) first hoverfly, first significantly sized fly family (midge or gnat)
3-2 first shoots, great or northern giant horsetail, swamp trail, water-covered portion (Equisetum telmateia)
3-2 flower buds, mouse-ear cress or thalecress, gas line trail (Arabidopsis thaliana)
3-1 flower buds, currant (probably red flowering) just above East Sunset Way trailhead
2-27 red huckleberry in bloom, multiple trails, (Vaccinium parvifolium) parvifolium means small-leafed
2-27 Pacific waterleaf shoots (Park Pointe)
2-27 sitka willow flower buds (gas line trail, end of Big Tree trail)
2-25 cherry plum blooming (Tradition Lake loop)
2-24 first moths (American idia, small, tan-orange, same species that came out first last year)
2-24 colt's foot in bloom, poo poo point trail
2-22 salmonberry flowers (Swamp trail)
2-22 tall Oregon grape flowers open (Power Line above Sunset Way)
2-17 stinging nettle shoots
2-14 colt's foot flower buds (Poo Poo Point trail)
2-13 colt's foot (Petasites frigidus) shoots appear (section line, they must have been many days earlier on the Poo Poo point trail)
2-13 red elderberry leaves (Sambucas racemosa)
2-8 tall Oregon grape flower buds (Mahonia aquifolium)
2-2 oso-berry flower (Oemleria cerasiformis)
2-1 male Pacific Wrens singing for mates and territory
Puget Power — Apr. 12, 2024
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
4 photos
1 person found this report helpful
There are many trees blooming on Tradition Plateau: a wild cherry tree (photo 1), service berry (western I think, mixed with Oregon grape in photo 2), vine maples (photo 3), and big leaf maples (photo 4). These can all be seen above the Sunset Way trailhead.
This is my first year looking for tree blossoms, it's a new and beautiful world!
West Tiger 3, Section Line Trail, High School Trail, Puget Power — Mar. 16, 2024
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
1 photo
Beware of:
trail conditions
1 person found this report helpful
First of all, if you bring Fido, keep him or her leashed. There are other dogs, and much scarier creatures like bears and cougars who may see a dog away from their owner as prey. On tiger mountain, yes. way too many unleashed dogs. also, if listening to music use headphones.
that out of the way, it was a beautiful day for a hike. No obstacles presenting any serious issues, snow free up to west tiger three. I took sound transit 554 to sunset and rainier, and took the high school trail up to the plateau, and then section line up to west tiger three. This trail is especially steep after the talus rocks trail split, so be wary.
there’s limited seating at the summit. But with the clear cut in the area there’s a great view of Bellevue Seattle and mount rainier. This is a bona fide hike. If you’re nervous about doing mount si (minus the snow), this is also something to be nervous about.
once again no significant blowdowns anywhere on any of the mentioned trails. Some step overs of small ish trees. Also bring an up to date map. While the trails I took are mainly unchanged trails nearby, including west tiger 2, west tiger 1 and poo top trails have changed. Also, one view trail and poo poo point trails have changed in the last few years (the poo poo point trail was enhanced and now splits at about 1650 feet, the one view trail takes over the abandoned poo poo point trail segment to the west tiger RR grade).
Poo Poo Point, One-View Trail, Poo Top, Puget Power — Mar. 15, 2024
Issaquah Alps > Tiger Mountain
4 photos
+ video
11 people found this report helpful
There is one easy, step-over blowdown on the Poo Poo Point trail. There is a group of blowdowns on the One View trail, it takes a little work to get over 2 of them. It will probably take a chainsaw to clear these. Thanks to whoever sawed off some of the branches! There were a few patches of snow on the Poo Top trail; these were easy without traction going uphill, but might be a challenge going down. The connector trail to the hiker's hut was mostly snow covered, but on this warm day, it was easy with hiking boots or trail runners. There are short patches of snow traversing from Tiger 1 to Tiger 3, all of them easy without traction and melting quickly. :-) Everywhere above 1000 feet there is some mud in low spots, but nothing too bad.
I saw the first evergreen violets blooming at the intersection of the TMT and the Hidden Forest trails.
These observations and the photos are from a nature ramble on the Puget Power Line trail. The willow on the Puget power trail went into bloom (photo 1 with a hover fly, I'm working on the willow species). I saw my first butterfly (from too far to see the species) and my first pollinating moth (photo 2, Xanthorhoini family, Xanthorhoini is a tribe of geometer moths under subfamily Larentiinae). I used the iNaturalist app to get this information and I've added observations on iNaturalist with the hope of finding out more. I saw my first Thalecress in full bloom on the gas line trail (photo 4).
2024 events on Tiger Mt
I saw the first evergreen violets blooming at the intersection of the TMT and the Hidden Forest trails.
These observations and the photos are from a nature ramble on the Puget Power Line trail. The willow on the Puget power trail went into bloom (photo 1 with a hover fly, I'm working on the willow species). I saw my first butterfly (from too far to see the species) and my first pollinating moth (photo 2, Xanthorhoini family, Xanthorhoini is a tribe of geometer moths under subfamily Larentiinae). I used the iNaturalist app to get this information and I've added observations on iNaturalist with the hope of finding out more. I saw my first Thalecress in full bloom on the gas line trail (photo 4).
2024 events on Tiger Mt
at the bottom of this are all of the species in bloom, each with a link to their Burke Herbarium web page (the best source I have found for flower info)
3-15 evergreen violets in bloom (TMT and Hidden Forest intersection)
3-14 (60 and sunny) first butterfly (species unknown)
3-14 (60 and sunny) first butterfly (species unknown)
3-14 first pollinating moth (Puget power line)
3-14 willow on the Puget Power trail goes into bloom, working on the species
3-14 full flowers on mouse-ear cress or thalecress, gas line trail (Arabidopsis thaliana)
3-12 (upper 40's mostly sunny) first bee, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-12 first pollinating beetle, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-12 first bee, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-11 first skunk cabbage bloom (gas line road, culvert near the big tree trail)
3-5 (sunny in the 40's) first hoverfly, first significantly sized fly family (midge or gnat)
3-2 first shoots, great or northern giant horsetail, swamp trail, water-covered portion (Equisetum telmateia)
3-2 flower buds, mouse-ear cress or thalecress, gas line trail (Arabidopsis thaliana)
3-1 flower buds, currant (probably red flowering) just above East Sunset Way trailhead
2-27 red huckleberry in bloom, multiple trails, (Vaccinium parvifolium) parvifolium means small-leafed
2-27 Pacific waterleaf shoots (Park Pointe)
2-27 sitka willow flower buds (gas line trail, end of Big Tree trail)
2-25 cherry plum blooming (Tradition Lake loop)
2-24 first moths (American idia, small, tan-orange, same species that came out first last year)
2-24 colt's foot in bloom, poo poo point trail
2-22 salmonberry flowers (Swamp trail)
2-22 tall Oregon grape flowers open (Power Line above Sunset Way)
2-17 stinging nettle shoots
2-14 colt's foot flower buds (Poo Poo Point trail)
2-13 colt's foot (Petasites frigidus) shoots appear (section line, they must have been many days earlier on the Poo Poo point trail)
2-13 red elderberry leaves (Sambucas racemosa)
2-8 tall Oregon grape flower buds (Mahonia aquifolium)
2-2 oso-berry flower (Oemleria cerasiformis)
2-1 male Pacific Wrens singing for mates and territory
3-12 first pollinating beetle, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-12 first bee, tall Oregon grape above East Sunset
3-11 first skunk cabbage bloom (gas line road, culvert near the big tree trail)
3-5 (sunny in the 40's) first hoverfly, first significantly sized fly family (midge or gnat)
3-2 first shoots, great or northern giant horsetail, swamp trail, water-covered portion (Equisetum telmateia)
3-2 flower buds, mouse-ear cress or thalecress, gas line trail (Arabidopsis thaliana)
3-1 flower buds, currant (probably red flowering) just above East Sunset Way trailhead
2-27 red huckleberry in bloom, multiple trails, (Vaccinium parvifolium) parvifolium means small-leafed
2-27 Pacific waterleaf shoots (Park Pointe)
2-27 sitka willow flower buds (gas line trail, end of Big Tree trail)
2-25 cherry plum blooming (Tradition Lake loop)
2-24 first moths (American idia, small, tan-orange, same species that came out first last year)
2-24 colt's foot in bloom, poo poo point trail
2-22 salmonberry flowers (Swamp trail)
2-22 tall Oregon grape flowers open (Power Line above Sunset Way)
2-17 stinging nettle shoots
2-14 colt's foot flower buds (Poo Poo Point trail)
2-13 colt's foot (Petasites frigidus) shoots appear (section line, they must have been many days earlier on the Poo Poo point trail)
2-13 red elderberry leaves (Sambucas racemosa)
2-8 tall Oregon grape flower buds (Mahonia aquifolium)
2-2 oso-berry flower (Oemleria cerasiformis)
2-1 male Pacific Wrens singing for mates and territory
mouse ear cress, thalecress
evergreen violet, redwood violet
colt's foot
https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Petasites%20frigidusoso-berry
red huckleberry
skunk cabbage
cherry plum
tall Oregon grape
salmonberry