For many Seattleites, escaping the city for an afternoon or weekend hike is a must. From the North Cascades to the Olympics, and of course to our slumbering giant, Mount Rainier, national park proximity is just one of the many benefits of living in the Emerald City.
But getting there is only quick for those with access to a car. This excludes many people, and and sometimes I wonder if everyone should even be allowed to drive their car into pristine areas (but maybe I've just read too much Edward Abbey).
But alternatives are getting easier. I recently read an article stating that the public bus system is starting to become a more realistic option for urbanites seeking the great outdoors. Sites like Dave McBee’s “Backpacking by Bus” and “Hike Metro” are helping Seattleites figure out the swirl of time-table and route information available to transit users to help them pack their bags, find their route, and get to the trail…and back home.
Your best bet for getting quickly to an outdoor destination by bus is to take advantage of “in-city” walks and hikes. You can easily get to larger parks such as Discovery and Magnuson; where picturesque views of Puget Sound and Lake Washington, respectively, let you almost forget the proximity of traffic and skyscrapers.
You can also go on an urban hike, here in town or in a nearby city. For example, you can take the train up to Bellingham to walk the Interurban Loop. This “trail” leaves from the train station and carries you along the bay to downtown, up through the Western Washington University campus, down through some wooded areas and back to the station. You could think of it as a tour of the city by foot, with sprinkles of lightly forested areas along the way. I’ve done this walk before and would highly recommend it. Just be sure to get back to the station on time, as trains back to Seattle are infrequent.
For a more adventuresome hike, take the bus to nearby, popular hiking trails such as Mount Si and Squawk Mountain. If you time it right, according to Hike Metro, the bus system can take you there in the morning and have you back by night fall.
On the more daring side of things are multi-day excursions and backpacking trips. Suggested hiking destinations include Stevens Pass, Alpine Lakes and the Olympic Peninsula. The sites typically recommend combining metro, county and Greyhound transit. If you chose this option, though, I recommend doing your research first.
Visit Hike Metro or Backpacking by Bus to peruse the full list of easy, moderate and difficult hikes. Both sites offer plans of which buses to take there and back, a short description of each hike's length and difficulty, and some insider advice.
Backpacking by bus might not be for everyone, yet (some of the plans rely on hitchhiking, which I consider a deal-breaker). But continuing to make it easier to access the trails by bus will help more people experience the breathtaking natural wonders surrounding the city; and in so doing, hopefully, cultivate a greater a sense of appreciation and respect for our environment.
One solution would be to create a transit system that would carry people from downtown to the mountains multiple times a day, making the trip from concrete jungle to trailhead quick, easy and efficient. Already, bus shuttles during ski season show that consumer demand makes these systems worth considering.
We could still limit the number of people that enter protected areas and enforce strict "leave no trace" rules. But protecting nature from visitors is not as much of an issue as protecting it from people who may never get to experience its inherent value will be. Looking at it this way makes it apparent that giving all people the ability to experience nature is not just a good idea, it's a matter of environmental justice.
Photo credits: Sarah Kuck
Photo credit for Tiger Mountain: Hike Metro
