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JimK Member
Joined: 07 Feb 2002 Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 5:41 pm
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When the forecast is for a sunny and warm mid week day in February I just have to get out. I worked until 12:30 then hit the road. Wait a minute. Why do I need my wipers? Seems those clouds were a little slow to burn off. Well, it was just a little mist, right? I was still debating a destination as I zoomed across the I-90 floating bridge and settled on Poo Poo Point. At the high school trailhead I was in sunshine though there were still plenty of low clouds. The point was lost in dark clouds. The parking lot was full and I grabbed the last legal spot on street.
It was pretty warm. At least 50 degrees. After a mile I stopped to zip off my legs. Pants legs that is. Shorts and short sleeves and no visibility as I entered the clouds. This low elevation west facing trail has early violets and bleeding hearts. Soon after it's alive with trillium. This day I found absolutely no colors at all. The salmonberry are just beginning to sprout leaves.
The trail is in fine shape. A little mud but not much. Just before Poo Poo Point there is a tiny bit of snow in the bushes. It'll be gone in a few days. At the point I found a half dozen paragliders milling around. There was not a lot of wind and no visibility at all. All I could see was white. It slowly began to open up. Soon Squak Mountain peaked out of the white. A little sun shone down on us and it warmed up remarkably.
Cairn In A Nook
I sat down and waited for the clouds to burn off or blow away. Soon it was clear enough to see parts of Issaquah. The paragliders began to unpack their gear. A little puff of breeze and the first one was aloft. Unlike a warm summer day there were no thermals. The paragliders began a slow agonizing drop back to the field below. Soon they were out of sight and nearly done with their flights. A few managed to get airborne though it took a long while as they waited for enough wind.
Poo Poo Point Issaquah Through Clouds Cloudy Squak Lake Sammamish Bellevue In The Mist Wispy Clouds No Activity Yet Half And Half Sunshine! Squak Mt. Erupts! Lingering Clouds Activity At Last! Paraglider Aloft Taking Off
And one crappy video to show a paraglider in action.
I'm easily amused and managed to keep entertained for over an hour. Although the days are getting longer it is still dark by around 6:00 PM. A little before 4:00 I headed down. The trip down was fast. I popped out at the gas line corridor and headed over to Round Lake. The lake is mostly a grassy marsh from spring until fall. This time of year it actually looked like a lake. After admiring some nice reflections in the lake I started back on down.
Mossy Log Biplane Round Lake Reflection Close Up Squirrel
By now it was totally sunny. I could see the point above from near the bottom. Not a cloud in sight. No flowers this day but the clouds and the paragliders made for a nice close in trip to break up the work week. In a little over a week daylight saving time begins and it will not be dark until 7:15. After work hikes will become a whole lot easier.
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Hey, we went up there today also via the Chirco (sp) it was sunny no gliders then.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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JimK Member
Joined: 07 Feb 2002 Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 5:49 pm
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Mal, if you had sunshine you were probably after me. What time were you up there?
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Left home around 12:10 top 1pm 15 min on top home by 2.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Bryan K Shameless Peakbagger
Joined: 29 Sep 2005 Posts: 5129 | TRs | Pics Location: Alaska |
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Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:14 pm
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The only time I've been up there it was rather foggy and the views were non-existant. Glad you got some sun while you were up there
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JimK Member
Joined: 07 Feb 2002 Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:30 pm
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Looks like you were ahead of me. I was on top from 2:40 until about 4:00.
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GeoTom Member
Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 3215 | TRs | Pics Location: Earth |
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GeoTom
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:31 pm
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Dani and I used to head up Poo Poo all the time when we lived in Issaquah. Only been back a couple times since we moved north. Watching the hang gliders and paragliders take off was always fun.
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summithound Climbing Connoisseur
Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 1766 | TRs | Pics Location: Everett, WA |
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summithound
Climbing Connoisseur
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:15 pm
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Nice JimK! Poo Poo Point is a wonderful hike. Good to see you had fine weather to do it!
Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
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Quark Niece of Alvy Moore
Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:50 pm
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bellevue always looks better in the mist.
Nice cloud shots.
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Wopper Member
Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 190 | TRs | Pics
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Wopper
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Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:15 pm
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Where exactly is this? How long is the trail and what is the elevation gain? There are afternoons that I am in or near Issaquah for work and this sounds like a good one for after work.
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tigermn Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2007 Posts: 9242 | TRs | Pics Location: There... |
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tigermn
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Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:55 pm
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The para glider trail, correctly named the Chirico Trail (named after the guy that built it I believe). Depending on where you read, anywhere from 1.5 to 1.7 miles one way ~ 1650 feet of elevation gain. Trailhead on Issaquah/Hobart road about 2 1/2 (a rough guess) miles outside of downtown Issaquah on the left side of the highway. If you travel that road you have no doubt seen all the para glider guys staging/landing etc. in the small field.
Can be a pretty quick after work kinda hike (and you will get a workout) if you are in the area. If decent weather there will no doubt be guys hauling their gear up there to jump off. I often wondered how much that stuff weighs. Next time I'll ask someone.
You can also access Poo Poo Point from the High School or the usual Tradition Lake Parking lot, but it will be a longer (yet more gradual) kind of hike.
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EastKing Surfing and Hiking
Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics Location: 77 miles from Seattle! |
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EastKing
Surfing and Hiking
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Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:19 am
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I'd like to visit Poo Poo Point sometime. It looks like it has got decent views.
YouTube | SummitPost
Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
YouTube | SummitPost
Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
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Wopper Member
Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 190 | TRs | Pics
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Wopper
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Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:45 am
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Thanks Bikejr. I know exactly where you are talking about - have driven by it numerous times but never stopped. I will have to stop and hike it some afternoon.
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