West Tiger 3, Talus Rock Trail & Nook Trail — Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

Wanted a short hike before the rains returned, so West Tiger 3 was an easy choice in the area I live. Started at 2:30 pm on a Wednesday and there were a few empty spots in the High Point Way parking lot. All the way up the trail I never saw anyone going up, but there were quite a few people going down. Amazingly, all the dogs I saw were leashed! I spent just over half an hour at the summit and saw 6-7 sets of people come and go. On the way down I took the Talus Rocks trail and the Nook trail back to the trailhead. There were a few people going up even after 5 pm.

The trail is in good shape, although I could see some sections with signs of gradual washout occurring over the years. Nothing too bad though IMHO.  A puncheon on the Talus Rocks trail is missing a couple of boards. Hopefully the site of a future work party! I was disappointed to see that the pretty water slide on the Talus Rocks trail was dry this time.

I did not see any animals, but heard plenty of birds and squirrels. Also saw a few Stinky Bob flowers on the Talus Rocks trail.

The West Tiger 2 summit was tempting, but I didn't have time and was getting too hungry.

It is interesting to see how popular trails like this attract a different kind of hiker compared to the less used ones that more seasoned hikers are used to. Most people I saw on the trail did not smile, say hi or even acknowledge my presence in any way, choosing to just look down instead. Quite jarring when you are not used to that! Hopefully they eventually learn the value of greeting a fellow hiker and realizing for a moment the bond they share as part of a small community that cares about nature.