Having had exactly zero free weekends in recent memory to get out on the trails, this past weekend was a welcome chance to get my fix. Although the weather around Seattle has been kind to us during the last few workweeks, Saturday was set to be a rainy day and I wanted to find a hike where a foggy view wouldn’t be a huge letdown. I don’t currently own a Discover or Northwest Forest Pass, so I figured Poo Poo Point would be the best bet (I was also looking for an easy-medium difficulty level, since it’s been so long and I had no idea if my cardio stamina would hold up). One thing I failed to research before going on this hike was whether there would be any water sources along the trail–there aren’t. I’m glad that the hike is relatively short and we brought enough for the two of us.
My father and I arrived at the parking lot a little before 10:00am, and there were still plenty of spaces left at the trailhead. It’s easy to tell where the trail starts from the parking lot, as you just cross the paraglider landing field up to the Chirico Trail entryway. The first section of the hike features well-placed stone stairs surrounded on either side by forest, and it was lovely, despite the light rain that morning.
On a side note, we passed dozens of very cute, very muddy doggos on both the way up and coming back down. While this is a huge plus for me, I would say around 3/4 of them were unleashed, which could make for an uncomfortable hike if you get nervous around strangers’ dogs.
By the time we arrived at the first “viewpoint,” the lower paraglider launching point about a mile and a half up the trail, the rain was steadily drenching us, so we ended up taking refuge under a mass of branches to cover up our packs. Luckily, the North Launch Viewpoint wasn’t much further and was surprisingly dry.
We stayed up at the top to check out the launch site and take a couple pictures for other hiking groups. There are picnic tables and bathrooms here, and I’m sure that in sunnier weather with clear views, Poo Poo Point would be a great place to spend the better part of a day. We spent some time checking out the old wooden hut and a nearby structure with thick metal chains (below)–I haven’t a clue what it might be used for. We were also curious about the solar panels, which hooked up to a sealed, metal, helmet-shaped earthquake monitoring station. I’ve never seen one before!
Has it really been half a year since I’ve been hiking? Time’s gotten away from me, and I’ve forgotten how revitalizing it is. All my upcoming weekends are booked, but I need to remind myself to make time for this, while I’m lucky enough to be here.
PNW Trail Junkie 