While the weather is still beautiful here in Seattle, I am on a mission to try to get as many hikes in as possible. My target today was Mt. Si (sigh) in North Bend, about a 45 minute drive from Seattle
Mount Si
The Climb: 4,167 feet (1,270 meters)
Distance: 4 miles from the parking lot to the summit plateau.
Vertical elevation change is about 3700 feet and starts at about 700 feet.
I had received warning from locals that the Mount Si trail gets extremely crowded as it is one of the best hikes close to Seattle and not to expect the place to myself. Luckily the locals were wrong and Mount Si was not empty, but the track was not packed and everyone moved off the trail to let my pass as I half sprinted up.
The dash to the top was great as the trail is somewhat narrow, but steep with a lot of switchbacks. As I got to the top I was a little worried about the clouds, but as you can see from the pics below, the clouds threatened but then cleared as I got to the top of Mount Si.
Overall this is a great hike and a little challenging up and down. 4 miles up is not too bad , but the 4 miles down are harder than you think and legs got a little soft for the last 1/2 mile.
Today I finally had my chance to get out into the Cascade Mountains and hike in a beautiful location and only a 35 minute drive from Seattle.
My trip was to the scary sounding Rattlesnake Ridge , where I did not see any snakes but did see some beautiful scenery.
Hiking Time to Rattlesnake Ridge: 1 hour
Miles: 4 Round trip
Elevation gain: 1,175 feet
It has been a tough couple of weeks settling into the new city but I have still managed to get a few runs in every week. The good news about running in Seattle is that the weather has been ideal for running. Every morning has been overcast and mid-50’s with no humidity. As far as running conditions go it does not get any better. The bad news is also the weather, I would like some sunshine when I run. The people here tell me it will be beautiful every day starting July 4th, but I am still a little skeptical.
Ok , on to the fun stuff. Hills!!! Seattle is extremely hilly and will whip your ass if you are not ready. Some of the hills are so steep that it is not really safe to run down them, because there is a good chance you will launch off. These are the small lessons I am picking up the hard way and keep thinking to myself that if I ever qualify for the Boston Marathon I will be ready for Heartbreak Hill.
As for were to run in Seattle, I have not done a lot of exploring yet but my two favorite places are Volunteer Park and Interlaken Park. These are just minutes from my apartment but once you enter you feel like you are far away from the city. Found some pics online that will have to do until I bring out the old Sure Shot.
DOFB
