I did make it out for that hike on Saturday after all. Despite the fact that Saturday morning was heavily overcast and dreary, I pushed myself out of bed and into several layers of clothes and my new hiking boots. My old boots were waterproof and insulated when brand new, but after 7-8 years of constant wearing the soles had begun to separate from the upper, making waterproofing irrelevant. I stumbled upon a new pair that just happened to be in my size and budget the other day and they were just begging to be broken in.
I feel a word about Seattle “rain” is necessary here, for my friends who have yet to experience this particular version of the wet stuff. The Seattle area is famously known for it being rainy all the time. In reality, I moved here in the summer months so I have yet to experience more than a few days of actual rain. It’s blissfully sunny here in summer – which I think is why most folks can stand the rainy winters. I grew up in the south and transplanted to the not-so-different midwest. Rain there is heavy, pounding, often thunderous, sometimes violent, and thankfully short. Just wait about thirty minutes and it’ll be over, then everyone can continue with their barbecue and baseball. Not so in Seattle. I describe what I have experienced so far as a “light mist,” with occasional “heavy mist” events, and even more rare “actual rain.” During the “light mist” variety you’d be hard pressed to tell it’s even raining, except that your hair, clothes, and driveway are a tad damp. “Heavy mist” is more visible, but hardly more noticeable. “Rain” is what the southerners and midwesterners would refer to as a spring shower.
Saturday was a “heavy mist” kind of day. I was going to get wet after being in it for a few hours straight. Ordinary folks would decide to hang out on the couch instead, but I’m told by everyone I’ve met so far that if I hope to survive the winter here without getting hopelessly depressed I need to get used to doing my outside activities in the rain too. I’m also told that the rainy seasons start in about a week or two. So I dressed appropriately and headed out.
My chosen destination was Saint Edward State Park, just north of my little city on the east side of Lake Washington. My hiking guide book promised serene woods, challenging topography, and a beach on Lake Washington. The park lived up to my every expectation. The trail began right at the edge of the woods and didn’t emerge again until I reached the end. I was ecstatic! To my eyes this forest is way more beautiful and varied than the one at Discovery Park. Unfortunately my photos are woefully inadequate for showing this distinction – I may be able to survive in the rain, but my electronics won’t be as happy to be so exposed.
The loop I had chosen to hike was off-limits to bikes, and too uneven for runners, so the only people I met were other hikers and their dogs. The lakefront beach was right in the middle of the hike, so the first half was all downhill and the second half was all uphill. But the beach makes a perfect spot to sit and catch a breath or two.
My only complaint is that the trails are scarcely marked. Meaning that it might be marked at the actual trailhead, but that could be on the opposite end of the trail from where you are meeting it. There are barely any markers where the trails intersect each other and a person could transition from an “easy” trail to a “very difficult” trail without knowing it. I had known there were park maps available and sought one out prior to beginning my hike, so I knew which trails were which and at what difficulty level.
The park also has playing fields, several mountain biking trails, a very large playground, and lots and lots and lots of picnic tables (honestly, I’ve never seen so many in one park). I will definitely be bringing Fiancé to hike here with me. I also want to try out some of the other loop options available. This loop was 2.5 miles and some of the others look to be about the same length and difficulty.
I’m very glad I hauled myself out of bed to go hiking in the rain. It turns out that most of it fell in the tree tops and never made it to me at the forest floor, so I managed not to get too wet. I returned home in high spirits and very refreshed – in addition to the usual hungry and tired. And…I think my new boots are broken in now.