Overview: I've never been in this area of the forest, nor have I hiked up Middle Tiger, so I did not know what to expect. I was in for quite a surprise. Nothing but slushy snow, a river of mud on the trail, and horse crap every now and then. Middle Tiger has no views at all, and South Tiger area is all logged. Very bad trip overall. Details: I hiked along TMT for 1.1 miles. Lots of mud and horses really tear up trail in many spots (plus they crap occasionally, as well). Then there was a junction and a horse trail went right around a small hill and TMT hiker trail went left. So I got a little break from the horse highway. Trail passed by Carkins Cliff and there some flowers (a memorial? did someone die here?). After another .3 miles the trail came to an intersection with a road. Stay off road and look for the TMT (look for sign) and continue along TMT (back to the horses) for .8 miles to the powerlines. Go right along road under powerlines and soon spot signs for TMT on the left. Now start getting into the sloppy wet snow. It was really muddy and annoying in many places. After 1.1 miles come to a junction with the South Tiger Traverse (more like a road) that comes down off a hill on the left. Keep going straight to a junction with the West Side Road (Road 1000). Look for trail on other side of the road to the left a bit. Now I went back into the woods and hiked through a really bad mix of wet snow, mud, and water on the trail. It got a little better closer to the junction with Middle Tiger Trail. Affter 1.2 miles, come to that juction and go up to the right. Follw trail in snow up to summit at 2607 feet. Small summit with nothing but trees and not a single view. Verrrry borrring!!!!! Now hike back out to road. Then go to junction with that South Tiger Traverse. Here I went up to the right (more uphill in wet slushy snow). Soon come to the looging area and a junction that isn't on any maps. Take the right fork and look for the trail signs. Look for the sign that directs you left. Now hike to a clearcut. Looks like a huge tornado ripped through the area. Very ugly crap! Then hike back into the woods and then the trail gets real bad! The mud and water on the trail is worse than ever. I stayed off to the side of the trail for quite a while. It is soooooo bad! But soon it gets a little better and I ended up under the powerlines again. Pretty nice view to your right. Here you do not want to follow the powerlines at all. Look for a trail sign straight ahead and follow the trail/road back down to a familiar junction and hike out the way you came in. Sloppy wet snow. Tons of mud and water. Logging and clearcuts. Horse crap on the trail. No really exciting views. I am never going back. Stick to the good trails on the other side of the forest. Poo Poo Point, West Tigers, and East Tiger are all great. But leave Middle and South Tigers alone. Not worth your time!

The weather seemed uncertain, and the forecasters favored tomorrow. But my hiking buddy Blue Towel was sure today would be the better day (and it was) for our South Tiger circumambulation. We drove south on the Issaquah-Hobart Rd and, just short of Highway 18, we turned left on Tiger Mountain Rd SE. In a quarter of a mile or so, a wide shoulder along the west side of the road offered parking, and ours was the second car there today. The trail begins opposite. There's not much signed fanfare, but this is the southern end of the main Tiger Mountain Trail, the "TMT." The trail was quite moist, occasionally borderline muddy, but still easy walking. Ferns and moss were all around, and we noted a lot of trilliums, drooping a bit from the impact of recent heavy rains. This section of the TMT is open to equestrians, although we saw none today, and in about a mile a horse trail diverts them to the east. The hikers' section of the TMT continues, traversing the steep hillside of "Carkins Cliff," identified by a small sign decorated with orange plastic flowers. At Hobart Gap, the hikers' and horse trails reconnect. The TMT soon passes under a major power line, then continues on around the east side of South Tiger Mountain with a steady, gently-uphill grade. Along this section, traces of snow began to appear off the trail, and we felt an occasional rain drop, although not enough to require a parka, and blue patches remained visible in the sky. Eventually, the TMT became less like a trail and more like a gravel road. We noted the sharp left turn onto the S. Tiger Traverse, our planned return route. But first we had in mind a short side trip to tiny Otter Lake. As we continued north on the TMT about 0.1 mile, we began to hear the chorus of frogs from the lake. The unsigned, rudimentary trail to the lake begins just a few feet south of the TMT's intersection with the West Side Road. It's only a five minute walk (or less) west to reach the lake. As we approached, the frog chorus became increasingly louder, then fell silent as we came within sight of the frogs. We saw no otters, and doubt those creatures ever dwelled there. Perhaps, once, there might have been muskrats. As we left the lake, a raven began to call out nearby. We returned to the TMT, and back to the junction with the S. Tiger Traverse. The maps show this as a trail, but the first part has been a gravel road for the past few years. As we proceeded uphill on the road, a soft hail began to fall, with each BB-sized pellet bouncing once on the ground before melting. The hail continued for only a few minutes. At the crest of the hill, we took the signed trail right to the top of a small knoll, and the Carole Hapke Memorial lunch area. There, a scramble up a large stump offered views north to Middle Tiger, and northeast to East Tiger with its single transmission tower. We descended from the knoll and found the S. Tiger Traverse across the road, continuing now as a trail. The next quarter mile passed through a logged over section, with only occasional trees left standing, and logging slash piled high in immense beehive-shaped heaps. We were glad to get past this area, and back into the forest. A short distance further along, a familiar large stump on the left displays a rudimentary face, and marks the start of the unofficial quarter-mile side trail up South Tiger Mountain. The summit, marked by an official brass survey marker, is forested so there is no view. The former hikers' register was missing, although the empty plastic container and jar still were there. Back on the S. Tiger Traverse, we continued south to the power line. From there, the trail proceeds south as a gravel road, rejoining the TMT at Hobart Gap, thus completing our circuit of South Tiger. We returned to the trailhead, as we had come, via the TMT. This was a good hiking day, with varied and interesting weather and, despite the other car at the trailhead, we had the trails all to ourselves.

Six of us went up the TMT Saturday from SE Tiger Mt Rd and then up to the Hapke memorial lunch area on South Tiger, and then to the South Tiger summit, descending down the South Tiger Connector Trail. Since the last trip report, South Tiger has been logged, with a new logging road replacing the old trail in one area. The loop is easily followed (with a map) but the entire route was very muddy, mucky, slick, and snowy; no need for Yaktrax but rubber boots might've helped. March is not a good month for this hike! Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nordique/sets/72157615761345130/

This was a short loop on Sunday with the Issaquah Alps trails club. We started on the TMT South End and hiked throught mud, dry trail and creeks (water flow was the most I have ever seen on this section of the trail). About 1.2 miles up the TMT we took the horse alternate and then back to the TMT. The horse trail was dry (relatively so) to the Iverson RR section of the TMT. The section of TMT from the Iverson to the road junction was relaively dry and in good shape. After a short side trip to a lake (pond), we headed up to a lunch spot with great view of the East Tiger, Middle Tiger, West Tiger 3 and the Olympics. We then headed back down the South Tiger Traverse and by passed a chance to summit South Tiger due to high winds. Some branches fell on our group but no damage and we likely missed the worst of the Sunday Storm.

Early morning rain did not dampen my spirits as I hiked the South Tiger Traverse to the TMT and back to the Trail Head on Tiger Mt. Road. The first mile and half of trail is somewhat muddy and getting close to ""normal"" for this time of year. Hiked to about 0.2 mile from the old logging road where a side trail leads to the top of South Tiger. As noted in previous reports there is no view but there is a beautiful second growth forest on top. The TMT looks like it will be closed soon in this section as the proposed logging in the area covers several sections near the power lines. While on the traverse I met a person hanging bird houes. I wonder in reflection if this is being done to midigate against loss of habitat with the logging. :-) One last note, much of TMT lower section was recently brushed. This made the trail much easier to walk. Ohter trail work near power lines was also evident.