Hike 6: Chirico Trail "Poo Point"

February 22nd was the Murphy’s Law hiking day. On this day we learned patience, perseverance, and perspective. Our first mistake was saying “I know we just got over Influenza A, but we can totes do Rattlesnake Ridge.” We were feeling good. We weren’t wheezing that much, and also hadn’t had exploding diarrhea for a while. We were healthy!

Our first attempt at hiking was to go up to our scheduled hike to Rattlesnake ledge, where we were greeted by this:

The brand-new Rattlesnake River

After a January that rained 30 out of 31 days, the trail became a river. What you can’t see in this picture is the literal current of the 7-inch-deep water that was rushing crosswise over the trailhead. Well, best laid plans. So we elected to find something close by. Since we left our Discover Pass at home, we settled on a trail that did not require one, and was fairly close to our house.

This trail is called the Chirico Trail, or “Poo Poo Point,” named after the sound that the old steam engine whistles made as they trudged up the hill, hauling lumber.

Brook next to the trailhead, guarded by a bear-cat-bird-thing

The title of this blog is intentional: we only did half of “Poo Poo Point,” therefore this is “Poo Point” today. Why did we only do half, you ask? Ah, let’s circle back to the part where we were just getting over the flu. This trail starts off in a monstrous fashion, consisting of what resembles a staircase from an MC Escher painting. The stones are jagged, uneven, sloped, and slick. For 600 feet up. Eventually the trail gets to a point where it is a regular dirt trail that goes straight up, versus having to climb slick, rocky stairs of variable height. By the time we got to the part where the trail starts to look like a trail again, we were walking 20 feet, taking a long break, walking another 20 feet, and taking another long break.

One thing you have to understand about Brook and I, is that we are completionists. Turning back before getting to the final destination is…challenging for us. Eventually we made the call to turn back, and Brook was mightily disappointed, saying that she “failed at hiking,” and that this attempt should not be considered a hike for the challenge.

After a vigorous debate on the way back down the trail, I declared that safely getting off the mountain and avoiding fatigue-induced injuries or a relapse of the flu was a much bigger success than reaching a point on a map. I also declared that Brook was not a “failure at hiking,” for turning back; quite the opposite. It would have been stupid and very dangerous to continue. I also made an executive decision that this attempt would be counted as a hike for the challenge. I am reminded of the story about me and Dad’s first attempt at hiking in to Copper Lake. Sometimes you have to turn back; that’s okay, and they are extremely valuable experiences, because those are the experiences where we grow. I always chuckle when I remember the story about Copper Lake, and the ridiculousness that ensued. To read that story, complete with photos, click here!

As for us, we will be back to conquer these trails…