Aug 11-12 Fun in Seattle

I took the looooong train ride from San Jose to Seattle (Amtrak’s Coast Starlight).

It was a 26 hour ride, but the bright side was that I did not have to disassemble my bike and the extra cargo fee was only $20.

I did upgrade myself to Business Class, which with the vacant adjacent seat and levitating leg rests, provided me a maybe 5’x4′ platform to sleep on. I successfully accomplished a decent 6+ hours sleep curled up, so I’m guessing I’m ready for the nighttime part of big wall climbing.

When I awoke early Friday morning, we were stopping at the train station in Dunsmuir, CA, where I had been a few months earlier while hiking the PCT. Thee air was very smoky from the Carr fire I think. The smoke remained a hug issue as we continued through Southern Oregon. This is the sunrise I captured

I arrived a few hours late, but was still able to score a few northwest microbrewed IPAs and a yummy burger before I crashed at my long time friend Mike Hobbs’ SO/girlfriend place in West Seattle.

On Saturday, we drove out to Elki Beach, not only because it is a beautiful place on the Puget Sound,

but because they were having a massive music festival: 4 stages plying about 5 bands each. We enjoyed the band “LVL Up”, but also learned they are breaking up. Good, but unpolished music, on the beach, and just to make sure you knew you were in Seattle, it rained on us.

We walked around a bit an wore out Cathy and Mike’s Greyhound,although she did enjoy trying to figure out what beach sand is.

Sunday we returned to the other end of Elki Beach for brunch and to watch the Scuba classes, and imitate art

We then visited the Locks at Ballard which, like the Panama Canal, elevate/lower boats entering and leaving lakes to the Sound. The Locks also have a fish ladder to help the ocean Salmon and Trout return to their freshwater breeding places. We saw a lot of big Salmon and trout but I failed to get good pictures. I did get a picture of Mike brushing his dogs teeth, which I did not know was a “thing”

So, thanks Mike and Cathy for letting me crash’s at your place, for feeding and entertaining me and for just being great people! Cathy, somehow I let you take all the pictures, so I have none with you!