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Saturday, February 8, 2014
10am-12pm
On Saturday, February 8, from 10am to 12pm, urban explorers are invited to join Feet First on one of eighteen guided neighborhood walks on Stairway Walks Day, ranging in location from Bellevue to Burien and everywhere in between.
This event, held on Seattle's Neighborhood Appreciation Day, features 18 exclusive walks from Cathy & Jake Jaramillo's book, Seattle Stairway Walks: An Up-and-Down Guide to City Neighborhoods. With a mix of urban history and lore, Seattle Stairway Walks uncovers the blooms and birds of Seattle's greenspaces, the legacy of the city's neighborhood activism, its turn-of-the-century logging roots, quirky art scenes, architectural icons, and cosmopolitan neighborhoods of today. See Seattle Stairway Walks for more information.
Stairway Walks Day is made possible by Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors, board, committee members, volunteers, staff, and partner organizations including: WABI Burien and the Thornton Creek Alliance. Since 2001, Feet First has been working to ensure all communities in Washington are walkable. Learn more at Feet First.
Stairway Walks Descriptions
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Ravenna
Starting off at a P Patch, we'll visit Ravenna's quiet residential streets before heading into picturesque Ravenna Park. The walk will offer many scenic viewpoints of the spectacular Ravenna Park ravine, which was carved by continental glaciers from the last ice age. We'll also have the opportunity to walk on an elegant timber stairway and be surrounded by a vista of trees and natural beauty.
Walk Leader: Feet First Board Member, Jim Davis
Numbers: 1.6 miles: 118 steps down, 264 steps up
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Fremont
We'll start this Fremont survey with a stroll along the Burke-Gilman trail, before heading up residential streets and stairways to a hidden gem of the neighborhood, Fremont Peak Park. Then we'll turn back down, threading our way through the eastern side of the neighborhood. This walk will show us out-of-the-way nooks and crannies, as well as more touristy sights of an old neighborhood with a resilient history.
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, Naomi Botkin
Numbers: 3.2 miles: 224 steps down, 302 steps up.
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Maple Leaf and Thornton Creek
With a fascinating mix of nature, public art, and architecture - this tour of Seattle stairways has it all! We'll visit Thornton Creek, the largest year-round stream in Seattle, which provides a central theme. We'll cross and re-cross it; view it bank-side and from tree-canopy height. And we'll see how it's been re-engineered by both humans and animals.
Walk Leader: President of the Thornton Creek Alliance, Ruth Williams
Numbers: 4.7 miles: 326 steps down, 136 steps up.
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University of Washington
On this walk, we'll visit hidden gems on the University of Washington campus, along with better-known sites like Red Square, Suzzallo Library, and Drumheller Fountain. The route crisscrosses UW's beautiful, historic campus, taking on us on several impressive stairways and a footbridge. We'll also take a short stroll along "The Ave" before finishing our tour of this 150 year-old institution, a Seattle neighborhood in its own right.
Walking Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, Adam Slivers
Numbers: 2.6 miles; 273 steps down, 325 steps up
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Madrona and Leschi
In the late 1800s, electric trolleys first reached this bluff high above Lake Washington. New development quickly followed, leaving a legacy of stairways. We'll explore some of the neighborhood's discreet stairs and passageways, with their lake-spanning vistas, gorgeous old homes and beautiful volunteer-supported greenspaces.
Walk Leaders: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, Suzanne Youles
Numbers: 3.2 miles; 371 steps down, 299 steps up.
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Eastlake, North Capitol Hill and Portage Bay
This stairway walk carries us from the top of Capitol Hill down to the edge of Eastlake, with views all along the way, before it heads back up the hill to Portage Bay. As Seattle stairway walks go, this route has one of the most. In fact, we'll visit the longest stairway in Seattle, the Howe street stairs, with more than 300 steps in total. Don't worry, we won't take it all at once, and indeed, we'll even reveal the shortcut!
Walk Leaders: Feet First Board Member, John Stewart, and Seattle historian and Landmarks Preservation Board Member, Rob Ketcherside
Numbers: 2.3 miles: 349 steps down, 337 steps up.
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Southwest Queen Anne
Queen Anne Hill can be roughly divided into four distinct quadrants, each with its own look and feel. Southwest Queen Anne is distinctly the most elegant one. On this route we'll visit the stately, neo-Gothic Wilcox Wall, climb secluded stairways and cobblestone lanes beneath opulent homes, and take in famous, breathtaking views of the city.
Walk Leader: Feet First Board President, Dave Ramsay
Numbers: 2.6 miles: 588 steps down, 477 steps up.
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South Magnolia
Casual visitors to this neighborhood might stroll Magnolia Boulevard to admire the big, immaculate homes sitting atop the bluff, and take in views of Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. This stairway walk, however, shows a lot more of the neighborhood, traversing the entire peninsula. Taking a route well off the beaten path, we'll go up and down Magnolia's hills and valleys to discover a surprising variety of architecture, contours, and views.
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, John Reardon
Numbers: 4.5 miles: 327 steps down, 405 steps up
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The Olmstead Vision: The Arboretum, Interlaken Park, and Volunteer Park
In the early 20th century, Seattle commissioned the Olmstead Brothers firm to design a park system for the city. This trio of splendid parks: Washington Park Arboretum, Interlaken Park, and Volunteer Park are a formative part of the legacy they left behind. We'll also see vibrant residential architecture that was built for a newly prospering middle class of this era.
Walking Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, Shawn Alirez
Numbers: 4.2 miles: 243 steps down, 359 steps up.
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Downtown: City Hall to Pike Place
This stairway walk makes a terrific day in the city, revealing architectural and historic details of Downtown that are easy to miss from a car or bus. Among the many architectural treats, we'll visit buildings from Seattle's brief but spectacular Art Deco period, peer up the bulging side of a nationally acclaimed Postmodern-style tower, and get a close-up view of one of the few remaining architectural details predating the Great Fire of 1889. We'll also examine allusions to early commerce in the Pacific Northwest, and see creative sidewalk hatch-cover art.
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, Jack Bennetto
Numbers: 2.5 miles: 385 steps down, 455 steps up.
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Fauntleroy and Morgan Junction
This is a wide-ranging stairway walk in the northern part of the Fauntleroy neighborhood in West Seattle, On this route we'll step down the second-longest stairs in Seattle, take winding timber stairs to a cobblestone beach below, and discover a well-hidden stairway near Morgan Junction. There's also a stop at little-known Solstice Park, home of a giant astrolabe. The conclusion of the walk will take us nearby several fine establishments for food and drink just in time for lunch.
Walk Leader: Feet First Advisory Board Member, Chas Redmond
Numbers: 3.5 miles: 495 steps down, 69 steps up.
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Alki from Above
Is there a route from the top of the Duwamish Head bluff to Alki Beach below--maybe with a stairway or two that has a view? We'll find out on this walk, which starts at the topic of the West Seattle peninsula in North Admiral, advances to the bluff's edge, and then down scenic byways to the beach. We'll finish by ascending up through Schmitz Preserve Park, one of just two places in Seattle where you can walk among old-growth trees.
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, Timothy Lowry
Numbers: 3.4 miles: 374 steps down, 73 steps up.
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Longfellow Creek and Pigeon Point
On this walk, we'll explore the Pigeon Point neighborhood, which forms the northern point of the Puget Ridge in West Seattle. The route starts out on the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail, featuring one of the most pleasant and scenic sections of this restored year-round creek. The trail also features vivid public sculptures, one of which we'll have the chance to walk through. We'll also climb the west flank of Puget Ridge via the Genesee stairs to explore Pigeon Point from above, with breathtaking views of the Cascades and Olympics.
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador, Bryan Fiedorczyk
Numbers: 1.8 miles: 274 steps down, 314 steps up.
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Mount Baker
A stairway walk in Mount Baker leaves lasting impressions. This route, in particular, features several cool stairways and scenic highlights at every turn. We'll explore Colman Park, descending the elegant Dose Terrace Stairs before making our way up to Bradner Gardens Park and visiting the northern part of the Mount Baker neighborhood. After traversing a few beautiful staircases, we'll arrive at the magnificent East Portal Viewpoint. We'll finish by visiting the Mount Baker Ridge Viewpoint before descending back down into Colman Park.
Walk Leader: Feet First Executive Director Lisa Quinn
Numbers: 2.4 miles: 569 steps down, 372 steps up.
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Deadhorse Canyon and Rainier Beach
This stairway excursion starts by taking us up and down the length of Deadhorse Canyon in lush Lakeridge Park. We'll catch a glimpse of Taylor Creek, which runs through the canyon and is one of only three in the city that flow year-round. We'll eventually climb out of the canyon and down into the residential neighborhood of Rainier Beach, where a sampling of public stairways offers up marvelous views of Lake Washington.
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador and local artist, Mary Magenta
Numbers: 1.8 miles: 307 steps down, 120 steps up.
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Lakewood - Seward Park
Discover leafy, hidden stairways, and become immersed in this beautiful neighborhood alongside Lake Washington. This walk is a personal favorite of Cathy and Jake Jaramillo, who will lead us along the hillsides through the heart of the Lakewood-Seward Park neighborhood, cloaked among the Douglas Firs. The leafy, secretive stairs hidden at the Ferdinand street-end are not to miss!
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors and authors of Seattle Stairway Walks, Cathy and Jake Jaramillo
Numbers: 1.8 miles: 174 steps down, 207 steps up.
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Burien: Eagle Landing Stairs
The remarkable Eagle Landing Park sits right above the Puget Sound in a quiet, woody residential part of Burien. We'll start at Lake Burien Park and head down to Eagle Landing, coming across a viewing area to search for the bald eagles somewhere high among the trees. We'll quickly reach the featured stairway, which is the fourth-longest in the region. After heading down all 289 steps, we'll be treated to views of Vashon and Maury Islands across the Sound, and Three Tree Point southward down the beach.
Walk Leader: President of WABI Burien, Maureen Hoffman
Numbers: 1.4 miles: 289 steps down and 289 steps up.
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Bellevue: Kelsey Creek Farm
Kelsey Creek Farm Park in Bellevue is an overlooked gem. Kelsey Creek is the area's largest watershed, providing habitat for spawning salmon and an abundant population of migratory and resident birds. We'll cross through the Kelsey Creek wetlands before heading up a wooded hillside along a bark-surfaced trail. Several stairways will take us up and down the north and south ends of the slope, crossing several brooks along the way.
Walk Leader: Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador and Walk On In Bellevue organizer, Connie DeLaVergne
Numbers: 1.2 miles: 50 steps down, 163 steps up.
For more information about Stairway Walks Day, please contact Drew DeVitis by emailing Drew DeVitis or calling 206-652-2310, ext. 5. To ensure the best experience for participants, space on each walk is limited to 25 participants. Advance registration is required to participate in the walks.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Quinn, Feet First Executive Director by emailing Lisa Quinn or calling 206-652-2310, ext. 6.
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LocationVaried Locations around Seattle, Bellevue, and Burien (View)
Specific start location will be given one week before the walk.
Puget Sound Region, WA 98104
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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Contact
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