Michael's Ratings![]() Michael
A Difficulty
Change in elevation: extreme Ease of map: very easy Number of stairs: 227 (down) 227 (up) 454 (total) Educational: The book is sufficient, as the area is more beach/park than neighborhood. Gastronomy: As the vast majority of the hike is along Golden Garders Park, food options are limited. If you fail to remember your coffee, fear not, there is a Caffe Fiori. This would have been a perfect hike for a picnic. Grab a picnic table or bring a blanket and find a section of beach. Neighborhood: Although the hike begins in Loyal Heights, the trail doesn't include any of the neighborhood. Golden Gardens is worth exploring, especially when the sun AND Olympics are out! Natural vs Urban Animals: So many turtles! There were turtles sunning themselves, turtles swimming, turtles climbing on other turtles. So there were also ducks and seagulls.... but really, I was all about the TURTLES!!! Isolated spots: There were quieter areas, but nothing truly isolated. Noise: What a change from our previous hikes. Instead of the sounds of traffic or the burble of water, this was a hike filled with the sounds of people laughing and playing and enjoying a perfect spring day. Romance Kisses: Hmmm... maybe. But I do know that there was a little hand holding. Safety Blind-curves: Zero Condition of trail/stairs: The stairs and trail were in great shape. I, on the other hand, need to go to the gym! Sidewalks: There is a little of everything: roadside, stairways, sidewalks, sandy beach, rocks... Enjoy the variety! Traffic Fellow Walkers: Walking, running, volleyball, windsurfing... you name it! People were out taking advantage of the beautiful day. Vehicles: A few here and there. |
Sam's Perspective![]() Sam
I don’t get out to Golden Gardens very much. It’s a great beach, but there is never any parking and it’s all the way out in Ballard. I live on Capital Hill, Madison Beach is nearby, so why bother unless invited.
And...this walk was misleading. We’d done Fremont and had been surprised at the length and varied topography which proved to be more taxing for several reasons, some not having anything to do with the walk itself, than we realized. So Michael and I were lured into a false sense of ease when we looked at the map. We both remarked on how “short” and “easy” it looked. We assumed it would just be a pleasant little stroll and we could check it off the list. Well, you know what they say about the word “assumption.” The walked started in the Northern Ballard neighborhood on 85th in a nice little neighborhood. And at the start there was a small little bench that seemed a bit out of place...at least that is what I recall thinking. First surprise: Plenty of parking. Second surprise: Right of the bat -- STAIRCASE FROM HELL!!! Yeah, we got it: Short walk, but we’d have to earn it from the stairs down which were, sadistically, the stairs BACK. And just to be shown up, there was a gentleman, old enough to be either of our fathers, using the stairs as an aerobic exercise. He passed us on the path 3 or 4 times, as if rubbing in the fact that we’re both a little out of shape... ...the bastard. Anyhow. First steps. Steep...daunting to consider coming back...but the view of the water was great and the day itself was gorgeous and sunny. Midway it eased across a street and meandered into stone steps that cut down to the beach. They were broad, and along the edge a creek had been incorporated. It was beautiful. The path took us along the beach itself where Seattle-ites were enjoying some of the first sun of the season. Lots of people, volleyball and shirtless-ness. Going along past where I thought the beach really ended, an area opened up I thought was where the parking lot ended. Really, it turned into a little inlet where people were surfing with sails and wet suits. I love a rocky beach. I love the smell of the water and the sound of the waves. It was fantastic. Looping around the path cut through to small ponds with a small bridge, ducks and TURTLES! I’d never seen wild turtles before, yet there they were. Apparently beavers had been busy that season and damned up another area, making a perfect turtle habitat...or so the lady with her kid on the bike told me. Michael says I’m too friendly. Lastly, the stairs back up. They weren’t THAT monstrous, but at the end, when we reached the top by the little bench I’d noted before, I realized why it had been put there. I thought it would be a great place to rest before continuing on. The walk alone would have been fine, but another adventure was to be had. Michael remembered something about Boeing (not the planes but the actual guy). He’d built four brick houses in that neighborhood. They were like castles and had (or so he’d heard) the best views in the area. So we went in search of them. We found several things, a car from WWII and a park in a ravine with a path. I made a note to check it out at a later date. Eventually, it seemed, they were closer than we expected, but our path to them had been a bit circuitous since we were kind of following our noses. Indeed, they did have the best views and we had a great time looking for them and doing some house shopping in a neighborhood we could never actually afford. Until I win the lottery that is. |
- Welcome
- Comments
- Walk #1 - Ravenna
- Walk #2 - Fremont
- Walk #3 - Golden Gardens
- Walk #4 - Cedar Park and the Burke-Gilman Trail
- Walk #5 - Thornton Creek and Maple Leaf
- Walk #6 - Laurelhurst
- Walk #7 - University of Washington
- Walk #8 - Madrona
- Walk #9 - Eastlake, North Capitol Hill, and Portage Bay (Begun, not completed)