February is notorious for it's poor weather, long dark days, and I'm also wrapped up in producing a musical, so my adventures were pretty sparse for this month, and my interest in hiking was at an all time low. Fortunately, I had friends at Jet City Improv convince me to sign up for the Tunnel to Viaduct 8k, so I'm counting that as my "hike" for the month!
There's nothing that says hiking has to be in the deep woods, and this was definitely unexplored territory, as this event allowed the first citizens (not construction workers) to pass through the new HWY 99 tunnel, and on foot no less! I have very few pictures from this event, as I was actually running the entire time, and didn't want to break my stride. I had hoped I would be able to jog at least 5k, but felt very proud that I was able to complete the whole thing!
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| The Jet City crew! |
This was easily one of the most poorly organized races that I have ever been a part of. There was a severe lack of restroom facilities both at the start/finish line, and along the course. There was a shocking lack of medical professionals (although there were cops on bicycles spaced about every 200 yards inside the tunnel almost DARING people to try their hand at graffiti on the shiny tile walls). and there was no regulation in terms of group pacing. There will obviously be some people who are slower than others, but the number of people walking with toddlers and strollers in a group that was supposed to have an 11:00 minute mile pace was astounding and frustrating as we were all bottlenecking through a narrow passage underground. They scheduled less than 10 minutes between each corral's start time, and which quickly led to being almost an hour behind schedule. They didn't order enough medals for everyone who finished.
That being said, it was a fascinating way to experience something that Seattle has been talking about for what feels like decades. Everything inside the tunnel was shiny and clean, and had that new smell of fresh paint and chemicals. It was very interesting to compare it to the viaduct, which was crumbling in places and covered in moss. I felt like I was experiencing secondhand nostalgia, as there were so many people that talked about how this has been a part of their daily commute, or how they remembered when it was first opened. I'm not particularly emotional about this loss, as I've always been in the camp that it was terrifying and moved people inefficiently through the city, I will also miss seeing the ferries come in as the sun is setting on the Sound when I drive up to Seattle in the evenings. Guess I'll just have to make some time to spend on the waterfront when the construction is finished.
After the race, I also got to meet up with Cass and get another Junior Ranger Badge! Despite it being the National Park Service location closest to where I live, I'd never been to the Seattle branch of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park! Although it is small, it is well designed, interactive, and fascinating to think about how history has shaped the industry and landscape of Seattle today! Seeing the representation of women, people of color, and other marginalized communities was also fascinating, as I feel like much of my history education has left those people out! I'm glad we have the NPS to preserve these artifacts and stories, and help fill in some of the spaces.
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