Our winter has continued to be unusually warm. Temperatures have been in the 50’s and even low 60’s some days, so it has been great hiking weather. Nick had the day off on Monday for Presidents’ Day, so we decided to tackle Poo Poo Point, our most difficult hike yet.

Poo Poo Point hike statistics* (via High School Trail):

• Roundtrip: 7.2 miles (7.45 to 7.68 miles)
• Elevation gain: 1858 feet (1886 to 1850 feet)
• Cumulative elevation gain: N/A (2221 to 2633 feet)
• Highest point: 2021 feet (1921 to 1985 feet)

*For each stat, the first number was taken from the WTA website. The numbers in parentheses were what was recorded using the My Tracks and RunKeeper apps, respectively.

Poo Poo Point is a popular hike on Tiger Mountain, just over half an hour away from our house. It is a summit on the west side of the mountain that paragliders and hang gliders use as a launching pad. Unfortunately, no one was gliding off the mountain while we were up there. I think that’s more of a summer thing. Poo Poo Point’s funny name comes from the sound steam whistles made back when it was a logging area.

There are two trails to Poo Poo Point. We took the longer, less busy route via High School Trail. The Chirico Trail route is only half the distance, but it is steeper and more crowded.

Parking

Parking area (from Google Maps)

The trailhead is unmarked and located at a small gravel parking area near Issaquah High School. The parking area can only fit 5-6 cars, but Nick and I got there early, so we were able to get a spot. There is also some street parking available.

The Hike

Navigating the trails was really easy. You start off on High School Trail and then turn onto Poo Poo Point Trail, taking it all the way to Poo Poo Point. Trail intersections were well marked with signs, so we had no problem finding the right way to go.

The trail started with a gradual upward climb right away that continued for 2 1/4 miles or so. Then there was a short flat stretch before the trail became noticeably steeper for about another mile. After that, it was an easy half mile hike to the end, mostly downhill.

Gap Creek

The view at the top was beautiful (see the photo at the beginning of this post), offering great views of Issaquah, Lake Sammamish, and the surrounding mountains. I took an interactive photo with my phone, so be sure to check it out! There was plenty of room at the top to sit in the sun and enjoy the view. Nick and I had lunch at one of the picnic tables before hiking back down.

The trails were well-maintained, although a little muddy in spots. The trail was fairly wide much of the time, with only some places narrow enough for only one person to walk. I think part of the trail used to be a logging road.

Nick did fine hiking up the mountain, but I needed to stop often for quick breaks. On the way down, Nick was the slow one, his knees killing him on the descent. We enjoyed the hike, but we’ll probably take it easy for a while until we can find a solution for Nick’s knee pain.