Results tagged “tigermountain”

Unfortunate Washington Names, Part II: A sad chapter in unfortunate Washington names was written this weekend, when a paraglider died on Tiger Mountain after launching off Poo Poo Point. Eric Jansen, a veteran paraglider was killed at 4:20 p.m. on Friday after suffering heart problems mid-air and crashing into a tree. While Jansen died doing what he loved most, we would hate to have the words "launched from Poo Poo Point" forever associated with our death.

This past Saturday marked the opening of Tiger Mountain to biking for the spring, an event that typically draws an unusually large crowd to the east side of this favorite local spot. We skip it every year. Seattlest prefers our local mountain biking a bit less crowded, though the social aspect is enjoyable. Reports came in that the parking lot was a zoo, but mostly due to people showing up, assessing the dumping rain, and turning around to leave.

Seattlest loves it when winter arrives with a flourish. Just mere weeks ago we were riding our bike either up at the Whistler bike park, or at favorite local spots like Tiger Mountain or numerous trails out off Hwy 410. In fact, barely over one month after a fantastic ride out at the Palisades trail not far from Crystal Mountain, those trails are already covered in snow. This morning while driving to work, we revelled in the sensation of being down here while we know it is dumping up there--a phenomenon that occupied our daily thoughts growing up and during most winters since moving to Seattle, but was suspiciously absent last season.

Seattlest is grumpy. We'd planned to ramble on at length about all kinds of fun and exciting things to do outside this spring, and then, like an unwanted distant relative, our heretofore non-existent winter decided to pay us a surprise visit and make up for some lost time and precipitation. We know, we know, yesterday we were much cheerier about it and suggested you buck up like little campers and ride it out. This morning finds our tune a wee bit more gloomy.