Seattle Solstice

Today was the solstice here in Seattle – the longest day of the year. This is a symbolic end to my paddling season, although of course I’ll be going all summer. This weekend will be the first time I haven’t paddled in several months. Instead I’ll be on a team running the Mountain to Sound race. I’ll still be on the water – my leg of the race involves paddling a canoe 12 miles down the Sammamish River with my buddy Colin Prior. Ok, so technically I will still be paddling this weekend!

We did a practice run this evening. We paddled 3 miles from Lake Washington up the Sammamish River, had some dinner and beers at a pub in Bothel and then went back the way we came. It was weird being in a canoe – ungainly vessels. Good fun though. We headed back around 9:00 with the sun just setting. It had been a sunny day and dusk was beautiful. If you’ve ever experienced a perfect summer evening in Seattle you know what I mean. There was plenty of wildlife too - waterfowl, herrons, a beaver and even a swimming rat just to keep with the urban theme.

Seattle is a great place for urban kayaking. Besides Puget Sound, there is Lake Washington, Lake Union and several different waterways like the Sammamish River. I don't get out on the lakes a lot, but when I do I really enjoy it. It's a great thing to do with visiting guests and allows them to see the city from different perspective.

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