The Seattle Summits project is an idea I’ve been kicking around for a couple years. The goal is to (re)visit the most popular walk-up peaks in the Seattle area, traveling from my doorstep to the peak and back under my own power. I hope to show that it’s possible – and enjoyable! – to get to popular local summits using only human-power, and describe exactly how I did it so others can follow suit. I also want to prove to myself that even if I’ve done a trail, and even if it’s a busy trail, it still has something to offer.
Generating the list of peaks was more difficult than I anticipated, mainly because it isn’t my goal to do ALL the peaks that might qualify… just the top 10 or 20. So how do I decide what is at the top of the list?
Ultimately I decided to just pick my favorite top 10 or 20 that meet the criteria (popular and close to Seattle) and go with that. This is mainly for fun, to assuage my guilt/reduce my own impact, and to establish bike-friendly routes to popular hiking areas. 🙂 And it gives me a project I’m excited about when many trails are under heavy snow and will be for some time.
“Sometimes, by placing a constraint on adventure, we can deepen our relationships with the places we consider most familiar.” – Becca Cahall, Dirtbag Diaries.
See below for a rough draft list of summits. The last few on the list would still be car-free, but not 100% human-powered.
Mt Si
Mailbox
West Tiger 3
West Tiger 4-summit loop
Teneriffe
Dickerman
Baring
Granite
Beckler Peak
Pilchuck
Wilderness Peak on Cougar
Stillaguamish/Forgotten
Mt Ellinor (ferry)
Mt Jupiter (ferry)
Mt Storm King (ferry)
Mt Townsend (ferry)
Oyster Dome (from B-ham, public transport to B-ham)
Dog Mtn (from Portland, public transport to Portland)
Mt Dickerman views
Evergreen Endurance Coaching 