Beaver Hill on Tiger Mountain perches above Tiger Summit, the mountain pass. It sits in one of Seattle’s well-known biking areas by Highway 18. Meanwhile, miles of biking trails wind through the leafy old growth.
See more trip photos here.
For Beaver Hill near Leavenworth, check out this post.
Beaver Hill on Tiger Mountain at a Glance
Access: Tiger Summit Trail
Round Trip: 5.8 miles
Elevation Range: 1340′-2786′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface
The forecast looked pretty gloomy, with a 60% chance of precipitation. The snow was dumping over the passes in the early hours, so I scratched the idea of going east. But that meant a higher chance of walking in the rain.
I looked through the nearby “named” high points we hadn’t visited. Then I stumbled across Beaver Hill on Tiger Mountain and Sally’s Summit above Highway 18. It also looked feasible to make a short loop trip of the two hills.
See more trip photos here.
Access Road to Master Link Trail to Crosshaul
I went past the gate and soon turned left onto the access road. Then at the trail crossing, I went onto Master Link Trail to the next fork. The switchbacks ensured an enjoyable 700′ gain over 1.3 miles to the Inside Passage junction.
I didn’t look closely, but I think a drinking fountain was here. Then in a dusting of snow, I went onto Crosshaul and left it midway for Beaver Hill. I reached the top shortly after bypassing most brush and down trees from the west.
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Summit of Beaver Hill on Tiger Mountain
The summit wasn’t much to look at, just several deadfalls surrounded by tall vegetation. But I couldn’t see where I was going without stepping onto a log first. The only clearing was above the forest, looking to the sky.
Minutes later, I returned to the trail and soon walked to the road. The open roadway curved east as I savored 10 minutes of sunshine with a blue sky. Then I hopped onto Predator in three more forks at the four-way and went south.
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Sally’s Summit and Out
It only took minutes to reach the ridgetop, where I continued through the open forest. The high point was by a sign on the south end before the trail dipped. The flat top was more of a “pass-through” area for the bikers, not much else.
This bike trail looked technical, dropping steeply, 1000′ over a mile. Sprinkles soon turned into flurries with no more blue sky. After photos by the stream, I walked the road under one mile back to the half-full parking lot.
See more trip photos here.