Good weekday training hikes/hills in Seattle

[jk82]

Hi everyone,

 

Recently moved here, and am trying to rack up a good amount of vertical during the week when I have at most a 4 hour block door to door from Ballard (sometimes 2 hours door to door). Are there any particularly good hikes close by, or nice big hills for doing laps to efficiently rack up lots of vertical during the week?

 

Thanks!

[genepires]

mt si? not sure of the driving time to n bend and back but definately the most vert within easy drive from seattle. maybe tiger mtn if you want to trail run for a workout.

 

maybe try a tall buildings stairwells? climb up, elevator down. 5 stories is plenty.

[matt_warfield]

mt si, mclellan butte, granite peak, and other close hikes are an acquired taste in winter (snow and ice).

 

One good idea is 145th off of Lake City Way. There are a bunch of stairs down toward the lake. Hunt and peck and you will find all kinds of good hiking.

 

Or Magnuson Park, pretty close to Ballard as well. Nice vertical down to Elliott Bay. Again, think laps. Also a nice round trip trail run along with the side trip. Very nice in winter because without the leaves you get great views.

 

And I agree with Gene that Tiger Mtn. is a relatively snow free hike close to town.

 

Or Columbia Tower downtown where they have an annual firefighters competition going up the stairs. Lots of stairs.

 

Seattle has lots of hills. As you get to know the town, you will figure out other options.

Edited December 18, 2012 by matt_warfield

[obwan]

The Queen Anne Counterbalance is a hill close to Ballard, also check out Golden Gardens. Also close to Ballard is Discovery Park in the Magnolia area.

The I-90 corridor from North Bend to the Pass has a ton of good elevation trails - but would be more like 6-7 hours door-to-door.

[kroc]

Uh, have you considered stairmaster? You can watch Jerry Springer while you get your burn.

[Riley81]

Discovery park. Has about 300-400 vertical feet down to the water and a good amount of trails. Usually a pain in the ass to get too unless you live in the ballard area.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Stretch it to 5 hours door to door and do Si (old trail)

[matt_warfield]

Discovery park. Has about 300-400 vertical feet down to the water and a good amount of trails. Usually a pain in the ass to get too unless you live in the ballard area.

 

Discovery is the park I was talking about not Magnuson. It is a treasure. But I also agree that a gym is a good option. Combine stairmaster, rowing, treadmill, elliptical, and weights and you will not do any vertical but be very fit.

Edited December 18, 2012 by matt_warfield

[matt_warfield]

Stretch it to 5 hours door to door and do Si (old trail)

 

Four hours should be enough if you are a good hiker and driver. My best was 59 minutes on the main trail TH to touch the Haystack. But I know it has been done in under 40 minutes. Driving time is a separate issue and if you're smart you don't try for time going downhill.

Edited December 18, 2012 by matt_warfield

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Stretch it to 5 hours door to door and do Si (old trail)

 

Four hours should be enough if you are a good hiker and driver. My best was 59 minutes on the main trail TH to touch the Haystack. But I know it has been done in under 40 minutes. Driving time is a separate issue and if you're smart you don't try for time going downhill.

 

3 hours car to car is pretty good time for most mere mortals (8 miles with 3300 foot gain)

 

 

[matt_warfield]

I agree and I wouldn't want to do the trip with Lior (off-the-hook)

 

I prefer to hike through women and children in sandals, huge sunglasses, walking sticks, carrying handbags, and preferably with a small dog on a leash. My favorite was a guy with a cooler in one hand and a shotgun in the other.

 

A day on Si is a "trip".

Edited December 18, 2012 by matt_warfield

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I agree and I wouldn't want to do the trip with Lior (to_the_top).

 

I prefer to hike through women and children in sandals, huge sunglasses, walking sticks, carrying handbags, and preferably with a small dog on a leash. My favorite was a guy with a cooler in one hand and a shotgun in the other.

 

A day on Si is a "trip".

 

That's part of why I recommend the old trail - it's at most 25% as crowded. It is also steeper with a bit more gain. Well worth finding.

[matt_warfield]

But it is a good chance to get exercise while experiencing reality TV in real life. However, the creative can combine a trip up the old trail with some rock climbing at Little Si and now that I think of it Little Si is a nice little hike and also E38 up to Bob's area and Mt. Washington (longer hike). Go until conditions slow you down.

[yikes]

Westlake and Galer to the top of Queen Anne hill is 400 ft of stairs in less than 0.5 miles. ~3 miles of flat from Ballard bridge and a little less on the return trip if you do it right.

[jk82]

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for the great range of suggestions here - definitely adds some excitement beyond the Dravus St. hill I've been doing in Magnolia, which was a decent low-effort find, but I knew there had to be more out there.

 

As a next Q - I'm definitely up for linking up with some regular training partners. I'm in fair, but not amazing shape - the goal is to log a bunch of milage thru these rainy months. PM me if interested, and we can discuss whether we'd be a good match.

 

Thanks!

[dfrost]

This is an interesting Googlemap site of all the stairs in Seattle, with suggested loops and hike connecting them. In case you can't get out of town...

 

http://seattlestairs.home.comcast.net/~seattlestairs/