With the holidays officially here, I can literally feel my blood pressure rising. Holiday stress seemingly knows no bounds – especially for those trying to minimize their carbon footprint while trying to maintain holiday traditions. Today, I decided the best way to reduce my this stress was to immerse myself in nature with a hike to Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain.
I’ve hiked to Poo Poo Point a few times before, usually from on the Chirico Trail which is incredibly short and steep – a 3.8 mile round trip with about 1000 feet of elevation gain/loss per mile. This time I started at Issaquah High School and took the Poo Poo Point Trail. This trail is longer (7.2 mile roundtrip) with 1845 feet of elevation gain all packed into a one section.
Both routes are butt-kickers, but that’s exactly what I needed to burn off the holiday stress. Poo Poo Point gets its name from the “Poo Poo” of steam whistles coming from Tiger Mountain when it was first logged. At the top there’s a half-acre of clearing that paragliders and hang-gliders use to launch off the mountain. On a clear day, it has a spectacular view of Issaquah and the I-90 corridor to Bellevue.
Today… well, you’ll see. Click through the photos to see me and Pippen’s journey up to Poo Poo Point. I’d recommend this excursion to novice hikers looking to test and push their boundaries. Please, keep dogs on leash and carry out your trash!
Looking for more Seattle area adventures? Check out our favorite local hikes, bikes and walks!
Not much of a view today, but a great hike nonetheless. Happy Holidays! Photos by Sam Wigness with no help from Pippen.
