Hike of the Week
The heavy snowpack means a late-starting hiking season in many places, so familiar trails on Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah Alps likely will get more use than usual this spring. However, hikers still can find delicious pockets of solitude on Tiger Mountain, and trails accessing the West Tiger 1 summit are usually lonesome.
By Karen Sykes | April 6, 2006
Seattle Style File
Thinking about cheating on your stylist? Or breaking up altogether? Here are a few new spots for guys and girls to try a new hairstyle, color and change of pace.
By Kathy Schultz | February 6, 2006
Seattle Style File
Nestled in between Starbucks and the Moon Lodge Spa in Klahanie Center in Issaquah, Naoko Vaughn's hip and cozy boutique comes as a pleasant surprise to Eastside residents with a downtown sense of style.
By Gina K. Briles | November 16, 2005
Location: Issaquah.
Length: Three miles round-trip; connects to other trails.
Level of difficulty: Level-to-moderately steep dirt/gravel trail (some parts muddy after rains).
By Cathy McDonald | March 17, 2005
We need to hike on Cougar Mountain more often. It's always more scenic than we anticipate and there are many historical artifacts to discover.
Cougar Mountain is one of the peaks -- along with Tiger and Squak -- that make up the Issaquah Alps. Climbers called them the Issaquah Blobs.
In winter, hikers may choose lowland destinations because they can't get anywhere else, but you don't need to lower your expectations when hiking these trails. Cougar Mountain is much more than a place to go when the snow line drops.
By Karen Sykes | January 3, 2002
Sue Olson, Kathy Kelleher and I have developed a strategy for hiking in the winter. We meet at Kathy's house on Saturday mornings no matter what the weather. We usually have some idea of where we want to go and if the weather is bad we have an array of Plan B's to choose from.
Last weekend was typical. It was raining and though we wanted to snowshoe, the snow level was so high we'd be in rain no matter where we went. That morning, as I drank my coffee and listened to the latest depressing weather report, I hoped somebody would chicken out.
By Karen Sykes | December 23, 1999
When it's snowing at sea level and you can't even get to North Bend but are desperate to be outdoors, there are hikes close to civilization that will satisfy body and soul.
You might not get grand vistas and probably won't have solitude, but such "desperation" hikes usually are a bargain -- you end up getting much more than anticipated.
Our planned Mountaineers hike to Wallace Falls was nixed by a storm. Black ice and falling snow necessitated turning around before Monroe, and more snow was predicted.
By Karen Sykes | January 7, 1999
