12 Summits Photo Map

This post is for all those runners out there dreaming of running 12 Summits. Here's a turn by turn. Shela , Shawn and I ran it on Saturday.

take a right on to the Bus trail.




Take a left onto the nook trail.










Take a right onto the Section Line.














Take a left to stay on the Section Line.














Go straight across west tiger RR grade.













Congrats! You've made it to your 1st summit, Tiger #3. Only 11 more to go. Go down the trail to Tiger #2 It's right behind the sign that says Tiger #2.













2 summits down. Go down the hill and through the gate and then back up to Tiger #1.














After the gate, stay left.













OK that was your 3rd summit, Tiger #1. No time time to stop and hangout in the Hikers Hut. Just go right on past it and into the darkness.














Continue straight at the next 2 trail intersections.



Go right at this trail branch. You'll see the "Christmas Tree" on your right after a little bit.














Take another right. Then a very quick left.













In about 10 steps take a left. If you miss this turn you'll end up at the bathrooms and a place to tie up your horse.













Crawl under this tree and watch out for Devils Club!

Go straight across the road and weave your way counter clockwise around and through the blow-downs.

And over these logs..Never mind...

















And around the uprooted tree. The trail isn't very pronounced here so be careful.

















And across the creek. Be sure not to slip on the wet roots.

















Cross the Preston trail. Be sure to look both ways for bikers. You're in their territory now!

This is the out and back to East Tiger. Go to the right.

You can drop your bottles or pack here by this lovely statue.














This is the top, East Tiger. You can turn around or pause and have a snack but don't eat off the picnic table.

You never know what people do up here in the middle of nowhere.

Don't forget your pack. Stay on the road and keep going down to the right.

And another right onto the cross over road?

And another right. It's starting to fell like I'm going in circles. How many right turns in a row was that?

Stay on this road until you get to the Metal gate not the wooden gate!

Then you finally go left through the metal gate.

At the dead-end go left up to Middle Tiger.














Summit #5, Middle Tiger, Good Job! You are rewarded with a nice long curvy downhill section. It always seems a little steeper on the way back up!

















This is the TMT. Take a left to avoid a long stretch of running on a boring dirt road.
















Go right here. If you go left you'll come across some cool rail road artifacts. If you have extra time I would recommend the side trip.














Go left onto the road for a good 15 paces then right through another metal gate that is usually open this time of year and closed in the winter.















Stay to the right and go up the hill. There is a sign that points you up but it can get over grown.















Take the trail down to the left.














This stump is hard to miss. Go left and drop your pack, if you like, for the dog leg to your 6th summit. South Tiger!














Pick up your pack and go left. It's a long way down to your water cache. I hope you still have some water left in your bottles.














Snake your way under the power lines. If you go to the right you'll fall into a ravine and if you go left you'll end up at Hwy 18th.













At the bottom of a steep rocky hill make a hairpin left.













Then a quick right.














Last turn before your water refill. So just keep going until you get to the end refill and have a snack. I would suggest finishing your lunch on the run because it's a long way back to your car.














Now just reverse all the turns you made to this point and you're home. Can't remember all of them. Niether could I the first 2 times I ran it. So...

Go left















Go left again














Hair pin right up that steep rocky road.















Snake across the grass.














Go right, up to South Tiger for your 7th summit. This is easy to miss because the smiley face is on the other side.














Pick up your pack if you left it and go to the right














Go right again. If you go left you'll end up at Carole's lunch area.














Stay to the left.














Go across the road to the left.















Go left, if you go straight you'll end up in that Rail Road bone yard again.













Take a right and start the climb up to Middle Tiger. This has been voted by the people I run with (well by thier complaints and light headedness) as the toughest part of 12 Summits. If you haven't been eating and drinking enough, this is where you'll find out.

Up and over Middle....Good job....Don't stop now, you can rest on the downhill!

Through the metal gate and up the road to the right.














Stay to the left onto the cross over road.













Drop your pack and go up to East Tiger, your 9th summit.















Strap on your pack for the last time and go left into the woods.














Zig Zag to the left across the Preston trail again.














Weave throught the blow-downs.













Across the road.













Take a right and then a very fast left.















Go left past the "christmas tree".













Go straight.













Stay to the left and then up to the Hikers Hut and Tiger #1.














By now any fog should have cleared and on a nice day you can see Mt. Rainier, Seattle, and Bellevue. 10 down, only 2 to go! It's pretty much all downhill from here.














Stay to the right and go around the metal gate. This one is always closed.














If you have anything left use it here. It's the last climb.















Tiger #2. One more summit and your done.














No it wasn't snowing but it looked like it. Summit #12 all done. Just a 2-3 mile downhill run back to the car.













To take the technical way down go back the way you came up.














Go straight on down the hill.














Take a hairpin right at the bench.













Duck!!!













Nevermind ;)

Hairpin left, yep more downhill.













Take a right and go over the new bridge (should be done by the time you read this).











Go left back to your car. If you started before dawn then you have another 1/2 mile to go.