Poo Poo Point

Sunday, July 26th
Elevation gain 1700 ft
Trail length: 4.5 miles one way

Time taken: 1 hr 35 minutes s on way up and 1 hr 10 on way down.

Level of difficulty: Medium

Poo Poo Point is perched atop the west precipice of the Tiger Mountain near Issaquah. It is a very popular launching point for para gliders and advanced (level 3) hang-gliders. On a sunny dry day traveling on I-90 East and before reaching the Issaquah exits, you will see them flying in the sky against the greenary of the forested Tiger mountain. The bald little patch you see in the mountain is the Poo Poo Point. Today I've o seen them in the act of launching into the air and rise further into the sky, climbing the thermals in a spiral movement. The 'thermals' are upward surge of warm air created by development activities- concrete surfaces and such. The gliders get a ride on a large truck that drives on a forest road onto the Poo Poo Point. There were a few non-gliders as well who hitched that ride and will likely walk down a hiking trail later.

The hiking trail was pretty quiet. I encountered only two groups of people while climbing up, and none on the return trip. The weather forecast for the day may have a part to play - it is supposed to be close to 90 degree Fahrenheit today. Even otherwise, I think very few perhaps venture out on this trail off the Issaquah High School campus. The trail is pretty much off the beaten path. It is a good mixture of steadily rising long segments, short switch-backs and intermittent level stretches, with a downward slope thrown is as well. Unlike other trails on the Tiger Mountain, it is away from the noise from the interstate highway and therefore provides a nice solitude, until you get to your destination of course, where you will expect to find some people hanging around.


More popular trails on the Tiger Mountains are the ones from High Point trail head. Most head from there to the West Tiger Mountain peaks.

There were quite a few people at the final destination when I arrived there. Most were the gliders - taking off one after the other. In a short time, all of them gliders were gone flying. Rest were occasional hikers - mostly young adults. As I started the return trip, another van load of gliders arrived.


More Pictures

McClellan Butte

Saturday, July 18th

Elevation gain 3800 ft

Trail length: 4.4 miles one way

Time taken: 2 hrs 40 mins on way up and 1 hr 45 on way down.
Level of difficulty: Hard

Another excellent Summer day in the Pacific Northwest, and what a better way to soak it up than being at the summit of the shear cliff of the McClellan Butte at an elevation of 5,160 ft?

Unlike other hikes I have undertaken so far, I started out late on the day: 4:25 PM at the trail head to be precise. I figured, with a long summer day and no inclement weather in the forecast, I would have enough time to complete the hike. But to tell you the truth, I ended up spending more time at the summit, being lost in the excellent views all around, oblivious to passing time. As a result, I barely made it back to the trail head just before it got really dark at 9:10 pm.

By getting to the summit late in the day, I also expected to have some nicer picture moments in the afternoon sun. Boy, was I disappointed at all! The sun played light and shades with the clouds and painted all sort of collages on the greenery below. You have to be there to enjoy the 360 degrees of unobstructed views of the peaks and the precipitous hillsides of the Cascade Mountains.

I encountered fewer people en-route compared to any other trails in the area. Everyone I met were returning. At the time of passing the last person, I was hardly a third of the way up. Obviously, I was all alone at the summit. It is nice for a change to not find a crowd on one of the popular hiking destinations. But a companion while hiking would sure have lessened the feelings of physical hardship associated with such an arduous effort as this hike.

The trail has changed slightly from the description in the book in terms of location of crossing the Iron Horse Trail. The book also did not indicate a loss of elevation at the beginning of the final stretch of the climb. Even on this bright July day, there were still patches of snow on some sections of the trail. At one point, the trail disappears under a large chunk of ice, which entailed special efforts to cross it.

The final 100 feet of climbing the rock scramble is not for the faint hearted. It can be dangerous for the average person on a good weather day, and even for the brave on a wet day. You could stop right there and not climb the scramble. Then you would perhaps always be mulling on what it would have been like at the summit. But once you make it, you are rewarded with feelings of satisfaction and pleasure that makes the whole exercise well worth it.

See more pictures here.

Goat Peak

Sunday, June 22nd
Elevation gain: 1500 ft
Length: 5 miles round trip
Time taken: 90 minutes one way
Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Link to pictures

Finally I have sit down to write about this trip done four weeks ago. Goat peak trail is located several miles off the scenic North Cascade Highway. The trail head is accessible through partly surfaced and partly gravelly forest roads off of the main highway. The driving directions to the trail head proved to be misleading. You will end up driving more than what is described.

I and my wife Minakshi climbed precariously over the big snow patch on the main trail on the peak you would encounter preceding the climb to final destination. There was an inconspicuous way around to avoid climbing on the snow. We used that on our way back.

The weather started out overcast and took an ominous turn for thick flurries as the destination neared. However, it was nice to be hosted by 'Lightning' Bill in the Fire Lookout at the top. It was warm and cozy inside the Lookout. It is built with glass windows all around. The temperature was freezing outside. 'Lightning' Bill works for the Forest Service and keeps an eye on forest firesThe area is the rain shadow zone of the cascade mountains and notoriously dry and thus prone to forest fires. He notifies authorities when he spots any, in addition to playing a very good host to all the hikers who show up in large numbers all through the summer. Learn more about Lightning Bill and Goat Peak at his website.

The weather deprived us of supposedly stunning views all around. Besides, as Lightning Bill said, it was still early in the season to see the gorgeous colorfulness that envelops the mountains in late summer/early fall, even though we did have a few glimpses in the form of the few flowers we saw on the way. We came back with the resolve to return next year during the later part of the summer season.