[tigermn]

Ok West Tiger 3 what else is new. Just kind of a status report on the trail. Summary of trail conditions:[/ No snow/ice below 2100 feet You can avoid a lot as often the trail edges are worn bare. Where they aren't though it can be a skating rink. Trail in good shape. No creeks etc running down the trail. No blowdowns that cause problems. Not much snow on summit and I didn't see any heading over towards 2 but I suspect in the trees/on down I would have found some. Cable grade is very muddy/sloppy in places. One blowdown I don't remember from last time near the first left turn after starting up.

Blowdown shortly up trail just before first left bend.

No snow until the RR grade junction.

First sight of snow. RR junction is just past here.

RR grade/West Tiger 3 trail junction. We have snow.

RR grade/West Tiger 3 trail junction. We have snow.

What was there for a while anyway you could kind of avoid if you wanted by going to one side. However in places if you didn't it was literally a skating rink. My Kahtoola microspikes ate it up though.

In places above RR grade junction the West Tiger 3 trails was a sheet of ice.

Steep switchback right before crossing cable grade. A sheet of ice.

It was actually less icy nearer to the summit. The snow had some give.

West Tiger 3 trail crosses the cable grade.

Approaching the open area/stairs just below West Tiger 3 summit.

The views were non existant. The temps warm for this time of year though even with an occasional breeze.

Traditional viewpoint near stairs west Tiger 3.

West Tiger 3 summit.

West Tiger 3 summit.

For some strange reason I decided to walk down the cable grade. I had never been either up or down the whole thing. The snow stopped about 2000 feet on the way down the cable grade. I left the spikes on. They really seem to help in the mud/slop too. I didn't so much as one time start slipping and sections of the trail were pretty sloppy. There was one good blowdown lower down. The spikes made it pretty easy pickins. They also helped stepping on/crawling over the slippery blowdown. I'm almost sure I would have had at least one butt plant had I not had on the spikes, or at least a near miss.

Coming down the cable grade trail.

Blowdown on cable grade trail.

Stairs on cable grade trail. What's the challenge in that eh?

Mud on lower parts of cable line trail.

First time I had ever descended the entire cable line route. I still have never gone up it from bottom to top, just done pieces. I don't really recommend it in it's current state due to all the mud on some sections right now.

[whitebark]

Philistine. You obviously don't appreciate Tiger Mountains subtle charms. Approach Tiger like William Blake suggests in his poem: "To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. "

[EastKing]

Good update and thanks for sharing! On bad rainy days when the pass is closed and you are pressed for a summit, Tiger Mountain does enough of the trick. I think if I need to go to anymore dives I will head to the Black Hills southwest of Olympia. I still haven't been up Capital Peak or Rock Candy Mountain. Strange enough I haven't even seen any trip reports for them????? BJ, are you up for Teanaway and Tarzan Butte this weekend?????

[tigermn]

[the Zachster]

I was up there yesterday, too...Cedar's first summit! I was relieved to find that traction devices weren't needed going up. Unfortunately I got a little careless going down and, geez, if you even get near that ice you go down! Fortunately only sustained a bruised ego and sore butt.

[Trail Angel]

How did Cedar do?

[gone]

Looks like the trails are getting back to normal. All that snow sure made it a more interesting hike there for a while. Thanks for the conditions update!

[the Zachster]

Trail Angel..he did great! (see this in the Saloon...) https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7972511&start=15 When we got home he was tired for at least, ummmm, 5 minutes!