Seattle Swift: Triathlon Weekend

Similar to a triathlon, which consists of cycling, swimming, and running for specified distances, I spent a good portion of my weekend cycling, swimming, and hiking, though certainly not in any competitive manner.

After work on Friday, I packed my bike into a friend's truck and set off on the Burke Gilman trail, starting from Matthews Beach along Sand Point Way on Lake Washington. Matthew's Beach is a great starting point for cycling on the Burke Gilman trail - it has a large parking lot and requires no street riding to reach the trail. We biked at a leisurely pace all the way to Fremont, where we stopped for a short rest under the Fremont Bridge. After some shopping a few weeks ago, I was equipped with a bike bell, cycling gloves, and a front bike pouch for necessities on this ride. The temperature was in the mid- to upper-70s, so the air streaming gently past felt wonderful and the ride was great.

Saturday was even better. I spent the afternoon out on a friend's boat. It was perfect Seattle weather - bright blue cloudless skies and about 80 degrees. We motored from Ballard to south of I-90 where we turned off the boat and went for a swim, or a float, rather. I strapped on my life jacket for easy flotation and plunged into the surprisingly warm waters of Lake Washington. Though I know the lake water is not terribly clean, the water was delightfully warm and refreshing on the hot day. We finished up the day with a barbecue and even toasted marshmallows for s'mores while listening to neighbors light off M-80s (a little late for the Fourth, but whatever floats their boat). I am pretty sure I saw a shooting star, which reminds to me look up the dates for the Perseid meteor shower in August.

Late Sunday morning we set out for the short hike up to Rattlesnake Ledge, just outside of North Bend. The trailhead starts at Rattlesnake Lake, which we discovered is a very popular summer destination spot on a sunny day. With the car thermometer reading in the 80s, we knew it would be hot for those two miles in which we had to gain 1,100 feet elevation to reach the Ledge. We spent most of the trail in the trees, passing a few random large boulders and getting quick glimpses of Rattlesnake Lake as we climbed further above it. Huffing and puffing and feeling rather out of shape, I could feel my calf muscles stretching to push me up the steep incline. Getting a little discouraged by the steepness and lack of views, we hoped the hike would be worth it. As we emerged from the trees at Rattlesnake Ledge, the view was breathtaking.

Still a little shaky and exhausted from the steep switchbacks, we carefully peered 1,100 feet down to Rattlesnake Lake and out across Issaquah Valley, North Bend, and the Central Cascades towards Mount Washington and south to Chester Morse Lake, a prime source of Seattle water supply. Rattlesnake Lake looked turquoise from the distance and we could see tiny specks of people floating on the serene water. We could even spot the car in the parking lot thanks to the silver sun shades.

The hike was fun (minus one blister) and great exercise. But next time I think I will opt for a little longer hike with more gradual elevation gain and more views along the way. And maybe an alpine lake - those are my favorite.

To top off the weekend, we went to Chiso Sushi in Fremont for dinner on Sunday. The atmosphere in Chiso is very relaxed and the service quick. When we went there a few weeks ago, we sat at the sushi bar and watched the chef create many delectable-looking rolls. My personal favorite is their "crunchito roll" with tempura vegetables dipped in spicy red pepper, rolled in rice, and topped with crumbled tempura. Even my non-sushi-loving parents would like this roll. Délicieux!

It was a wonderful Northwest weekend. And thanks to my friends for being so much fun and ready for lots of activity!

We made it to the top - and the view was amazing!