Alpine Art went on hike with the Issaquah Alps Trails club to POO POO point on Memorial Day to test his legs out a bit on steep trail and to enjoy the views from Poo Poo Point. Monday Morning was cool and cloudy with some scattered and small showers on the drive to Issaquah from Seattle with some fog on Queen Anne Hill. Once at the trail head, we could see fog covering the launch areas for hang gliders. Our fearless leader, Mary, took names and marched ahead at what I call my wife's walking pace (faster than most trail runners). The Chirico trail is in good shape with the exception of mud puddles near the South Launch point. The forest and cloud cover kept our group cool during the assent but prevented any views from the launch points. The group made the trip including lunch break in about 3 hours. Parking at the base of Yah-er wall is usually tight so park with consideration to the many who use the area.

There are so many trails to explore on this mountain! Today we started up the Chirico trail. The weather was clear so the views from the launch points were amazing. We then found our way to the One View Trail, then found the Hidden Forest trail. From there we went up the Poo Poo Top trail -- really steep. Because it has been so cold, there was no mud anywhere and we only saw one person all day!

Started at Chirico Trailhead (Poo Poo point paragliding landing zone) at about 9:00 AM. Passed Poo Poo point and on to One View Trail. Was pleased to see that major storm damage (and I mean major) was cleaned up. Amazing work. At least 50

Trail starts from the hang glider landing field. Trail muddy for only about 100 feet after entering the woods. Some trail deteriation at the first switchback will require some cribbing. Also some support logs have fallen away. After a mile blowdowns on trail appear in earnest. Fourteen to be exact. Distribution of diameters ranges from a foot and half down to four inches. Will require some chainsaw effort. However tree removal does not appear to be tricky. Two spots have suffered significant trail damage from tree uprooting. Trail is hikable with short detours and some crawling.

This is an excellent trail that leads to great views at Poo Poo Point. This fine piece of work was built by the Paragliding community about 3 or 4 years ago. The trail is in excellent condition. It starts at the east edge of the Paraglider landing area on Issaquah-Hobart Rd. The first mile traverse lovely virgin forest. Near the top of the virgin area is an impressive 7 ft diameter Douglas Fir that appears to be the sole survivor of past fires. The second mile of trail goes through dense 20-30 year old second growth forest. The trail then emerges into the Poo Poo Point South Launch area with great views to Mt Rainier. Less than 1/4 mi further is the North Launch area with birds eye views of Squak, Cougar, Issaquah and Lake Sammamish. Round trip is less than 4 miles with 1600 ft elevation gain. A 2 mile car shuttle or road walk allows for a loop using the Poo Poo Point and Highschool trails. If you want cool solitude go in the early am. If you want to check out the paragliders then afternoon is best.