Quiet day at work. Found myself staring off at the shiny snow on the Olympics. I know, could be worse, right?!

Turned my gaze to the Hike Finder and realized I could squeeze in a quick urban hike on my lunch break. The sidewalks downtown have mostly been cleared of ice and snow. There are still some slick icy patches. Glad I wore my boots to work today.
I prefer my hikes in the woods, but fresh air is fresh air. Happy trails!

Early Sunday walk along the Elliot Bay Trail and extended down along the “City Hall to Pike Place” route as well for a total mileage up to the big Experian campus and back down through downtown at a little over 6 miles.  Street parking is free downtown on Sundays and we easily got a spot along Alaskan Way just south of the SAM sculpture park.  The restroom just north of the grain elevator is open though has seen better days.  Surprisingly the restroom facilities at Pike Place were closed.  No “trail” closure or access issues.  One other comment about the current condition of downtown - honestly it is amazingly clean and surprisingly vibrant after going through some rough times last year - much better than I was expecting.  Lots of pedestrians out all over and Pike Place was packed even fairly early.

While the main draws are spectacular views and downtown activities, there was some wildlife out - sealions, harbor seals, lots of marine birds and one little bunny hiding in the sculpture park gardens.  On the north end, don’t miss the nice Expedia campus garden section and the short side trip to the super cool Amgen pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks.  A very nice walk on a beautiful Sunday morning. 

With nothing to do on a sunny winter day, I traveled to Seattle to visit the Pike Place Market- along with walking this route. Pretty uneventful- not much going on, and not much to report. 

Lots to discover on this urban hike: artwork, old stones, interesting history, and a lot of steps. One stairwell was blocked by construction, but with a double back it didn't thwart us.

Nine intrepid hikers set out on this urban adventure, determined to log at least two miles for "Hike-a-Thon" during the lunch hour. From WTA HQ we headed up the hill to visit the stone walruses of the Artic Building. We then turned north, then west towards the waterfront, first via the winding stairs of the Federal Building, then north on 1st, and finally down to Western via Spring Street. Heading north along Western, we noted that our chosen route seemed designed to take us up and down as many stairs as possible. Probably not surprising, given that it is found in the book "Seattle Stairway Walks" (see link at the bottom of this trip report). Never mind we pressed on, summiting the Harbor Steps with aplomb, then descending back down to the Elliott Bay Trail via a short detour up Post Alley and past the "gum wall." What's this? We discovered our route blocked by some "trail work" being undertaken by the City of Seattle. Fortunately we had the ten essentials, including a map and Expert Guide, which allowed us to alter our route without becoming hopelessly lost in the Wilds of Pike Place Market. We ascended some "urban switchbacks" back to the Market, pausing to take in the view, then later for a photo op with the Public Market sign, to prove we had summited. Then it was back south along First Avenue, up the hill past Benaroya Hall (oof) and south along fourth to City Hall. All returned safe and sound to our desks, two more Hike-a-Thon miles under our belts. Whew!