Family Outing: Tiger Mountain

Hello and welcome to my blog, where I plan to post information about family outings around Washington, either short day- or weekend-trips. Since we're all busy, with plenty of competition for our free time, I hope this space can provide ideas and comments about things to do with your family. My three kids are in elementary school (, if I'm using the hyperlink function correctly), and once a weekend I aim to drag them somewhere outside, somewhere potentially educational, or both. We don't always succeed, but that might give you an idea of what to expect to see in this blog. 

As you read, feel free to chime in with comments about the article, the destination, or ideas you and your family have about destination around the region.  

And so, on to the content. Thanks again for checking out the blog. 

Tiger Mountain (May 1, 2011)

Last Saturday I hauled the kids out for an inaugural springtime day hike. The protests were relatively muted compared to previous years; with a bit of effort one might have imagined a hint of actual enthusiasm.  

For the first outing of the season, I wanted to keep things uncomplicated. So we headed for Tiger Mountain near Issaquah, mainly because it

• is nearby (a 15-minute drive from I-90's Exit 7);
• has a wide range of trails with varying difficulties; and 
• is not still packed with snow.

One downside about being so close to Seattle and the Eastside: Tiger Mountain gets busy.  It wasn't too bad last weekend; when we arrived around 11 a.m. Saturday the main parking lot was just about full. During the hike we passed someone going up or coming down every few minutes: trail runners; other parents with little ones; dog-walkers; and mountaineers in training. Footwear of the day ranged from flip-flops to expedition-grade mountaineering boots ("Why is he wearing ski boots?" my youngest asked as one practicing climber chugged past us.).

The park entrance is just off of I-90 at Exit 20. From there, a spider-web-like network of trails reaches throughout Tiger Mountain Park. In past years we've stuck to the flats, circling Tradition Lake on the aptly-named Around the Lake Trail. It's a wide, easy path with some interpretive signs, and was fun with the littlest ones.  

We left Tradition Lake behind this year and I coaxed the kids up West Tiger Vista 3 ("Around the Lake", "Vista #3": very no-nonsense names on Tiger Mountain. Except Poo Poo Point.  The kids enjoyed that one). Our main reference for family day hikes, Best Hikes with Kids, ranks West Tiger Vista #3 as 'difficult' for kids; the trail is two-and-a-half to three miles long (sources--including some of the trail signs--vary on the specifics), with 1800 feet of elevation gain. Going out was steadily uphill, with few relieving level spots or downhills, prompting a pretty steady three-voiced chorus of  "How much longer?" But the complaints never reached hysterics, the incline never became killer steep, and reaching the top quieted all protests.  

The summit had a few lingering patches of snow, and was chilly enough for jackets once we stopped walking. Over lunch we enjoyed a view of green lowlands, distant water, and a soaring paraglider. Guidebooks and online reports tantalize you with descriptions of panoramic view of the Olympics, Seattle, Mount Rainier, and Mt. St. Helens on good days, but the trees may have grown since any of that was written. Even through we didn't get that wide a perspective, the view of verdant landscape and distant blue water satisfied this crew.

Basically, Tiger Mountain proved itself a logistically easy way to get a trio of grade-school kids into the woods for a fun afternoon. The well-developed trails offer a wide variety of choices and challenges. Getting out there was straightforward and quick, while the round trip from the parking lot to top of Vista 3 took four hours: two hours on the way up with three short breaks; a lunch on top; and a downhill cruise that took just over an hour.   

Here are some references and resources about Tiger Mountain, including directions and maps:  Best Hikes with Kids (available through amazon.com, Island Books, and elsewhere); Green Trails Map 2045; and summitpost.org.