1 October 2016, Saturday

After a relaxing morning we drive to the trail head for Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain near Issaquah. Yes, the name really is Poo Poo Point, apparently named for the whistles of the trains passing through Issaquah in years gone by. It is raining as we begin our hike, but the rain soon tapers off and we shed our rain jackets as we climb the 4.1 miles to the lookout. From the point we can see Issaquah directly below us, with Bellevue in the distance and Seattle’s Space Needle just peeking over the saddle in the hills across the valley from us. The point is a popular place for paragliders to take off, but none are launching in today’s questionable weather. After a cool snack up top we begin our downward hike.

The afternoon is passing swiftly. Rather than returning home to cook supper, we decide to visit the brew pub in Issaquah. It is difficult to navigate the local roads due to the town’s celebration of Salmon Days. Many streets are closed to traffic and lined with booths for townspeople and visitors to explore. It is after 6 pm and the booths are all closed for the evening so we manage to find a parking spot two blocks from the pub.

When we walk in, we are surprised to see so many Rogue beers  on tap. It turns out, Rogue is brewed in Issaquah, WA as well as in Oregon. O and S have “Menage a Frog,” a triple bock, and I have the pilsner, both quite good. Before we leave we purchase a bottle of RoeAle, specially brewed for Salmon Days 2016. It will be another of our Thanksgiving tasting beers. Back at home we do some food prep for tomorrow evening and, after relaxing a bit, turn in for the night.