Ship Canal and Burke Gilman Trails

Wednesday brought Seattle some sunshine, so a friend and I decided to take advantage of it on our longboards. I usually find that riding along the ship canal trail is a great spot to practice flat ground tricks and dancing because its not particularly crowded, but we opted to continue across the Fremont bridge and onto the Burke Gilman trail. This is usually packed with cyclists and joggers, but we left around 6pm, so we had the trail almost entirely to ourselves. A great thing about the Burke Gilman is that it runs from Golden Gardens all the way to the northern end of Lake Washington at Kenmore, providing seemingly endless pavement.

While the trail isn't completely flat, the downhills are fun to practice various dance steps down, and the uphills are never so extreme as to force you to walk. If you're more into the downhill style of longboarding and not so much cruising, there are numerous roads along the trail to pull off and get some real speed. One of my new favorites is the Rainier Vista at the University of Washington, which goes directly under the Burke Gilman near Husky Stadium. The road isn't as smooth as it could be, but both sides are lined with beautiful cherry trees that are currently in full blossom. If the sky is clear enough you can see Mt. Rainier as well, just as suggested by the street name. This road leads down into the parking garage where you can continue to ride, but exercise caution. Like the Burke Gilman, this road also tends to fill up with pedestrians, (it's closed to vehicles) so make sure you go between commuting hours, unless you're looking for a bit of extra excitement. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!
peace

Film Credit: JK

Surfs Up Brah: Westport, WA

On Saturday, my buddies and I loaded up our surfboards and drove out to the coast to Westport, WA for another fantastic surf session. When the ocean has 5 ft - 10 ft swells to offer and the wind is behaving, you can count on one of the three surf locations at Westport to provide decent waves to ride.

Half Moon Bay (or known as the Cove) is by far my favorite of the three spots. The bay is often sheltered from the howling winds, which will allow for clean breaking waves to roll in one after another for hours of shredding! I recommend this spot from my personal experience. However, if you enjoy surfing right towards danger, this next spot is for you!

The Groins is the next spot on the map, and is right next to the boat marina. You are probably hoping I am going to say the boat traffic is the issue at this spot, but it is the many jetties made out of massive boulders which create the danger here. You'll find yourself riding in on some nice waves, but don't let the temptation of riding them all the way until closeout consume you! If you ride too long you'll find yourself hitting some jagged boulders and well, that will put a ding in you and your board! I don't mean to instill too much fright into you, because in the end you will enjoy a few good rides!

Finally, the third spot is known as the Jetty. You are exposed to the mighty Pacific Ocean when you surf this area! A long jetty shoots out into the ocean, which allows surfers to walk out to the desired waves and hop right in! This is nice because paddling out through shore break can be quite the task! So ride the "perfect" wave in, jump out onto the sandy beach, and walk back out on the jetty while you scope out the next "perfect" set!

Overall, I enjoy every surf session here at Westport, and I hope you are able to enjoy your session! However, make sure to suit up in a cozy 4:3mm wetsuit with booties and gloves! The water is a brain freezing 51 degrees Fahrenheit, but the experience surpasses the discomfort of cold water! Enjoy.

"Pedal-Driven: A Bikeumentary"

"Pedal-Driven: A Bikeumentary" Trailer from Howell at the Moon Productions on Vimeo.

Colonnade Bike Park

Today was my first day riding the 2 acre Colonnade Mountain Bike Park this Spring. Located directly under I-5 between Seattle's Eastlake and Capitol Hill neighborhood, this park caters to riders of all abilities and skill levels. Riders can progressively build up from ground ladders and small drops to technical loose dirt sections followed by razor sharp switchbacks and steep single track trails.

Because of the apparent variety in terrain in Colonnade bike park, one would expect numerous riders at all times of the day. Think again. During my last 5 visits to the park, I have seen less than 10 riders total.

With such a fantastic resource at the fingertips of outdoor fanatics in the Seattle area, why is it being underutilized?

The street address is 1600 Lakeview Blvd. E, Seattle WA, 98102

The Main website is http://evergreenmtb.org/colonnade/