Typist: Wilhelm We headed out on a beautiful, sunny and warm Seattle day for our Fit Dog/Park Day urban hike. It was even pretty warm for a warmth connoisseur like myself. I still couldn't have been happier to be out and about, feeling the breeze in my fur. I am always in charge of making sure everyone keeps up a good consistent pace on our hikes. (Wilhelm) I was not at all pleased when we made our first park stop at Lowman Beach Park so early in our hike. We had just gotten started! At least it was a short stop. I have to admit that sniffing the sea breeze is always pleasant. I take sniffing the breeze almost as seriously as being warm and as a consistent walking pace. Our hike continued into Lincoln Park and we stayed in the lovely sunshine. There were still more stops for pictures than I would have preferred but I like the warm gravel beach path a lot. | Typist: Brychwyn It was a warm sunny day but there was a nice breeze so I pulled my ears back and strutted out the door for our Fit Dog/Park Day urban hike. I only got about a block before I needed to cool off with a roll in the grass. I'm glad I did because the grass we rested in at Lowman Beach Park was warm and sunny. There was a great view, though! We also had a nice view all along the beach path in Lincoln Park too. There were lot's of people and dogs. I practiced not being reactive. | Typist: Huxley I knew when I saw my backpack come out that we were in for a pawsome fun adventure. There is nothing an old-fashioned farm collie like me enjoys more than being helpful and carrying my backpack made me the most helpful member of our Fit Dog/Park Day urban hike group. (Huxley) It was pretty hot out for a furry collie wearing a backpack! I was pleased to rest so early on in our hike when we stopped to enjoy the view at Lowman Beach Park. We stayed close to the water and in the sun as we hiked the beach path in Lincoln Park. I would have preferred one of the trails in the forest of the park but the beach is nice. |
(Wilhelm) While I do love being warm just as much as the next dachshund, I was ready to get out of the sun. We had one more quick stop at a pocket park called Captain's Park which is at the end of Fauntleroy Creek. No salmon are running but I enjoyed the sun from the viewing platform. (Wilhelm) It was just a few blocks up the hill into one of my very favorite parks, Fauntleroy Creek Park. This forested park smells so good! There are ferns | (Brychwyn) This hike has already been pretty long but I am always ready for more! The cool breeze near the beach is nice but the cooling shade of the woods will feel even better. We followed Fauntleroy Creek from the very start at Captain's Park. I wish the salmon statue had been real... and smoked. | (Huxley) I do so love the smell of Puget Sound but it was time for our urban hike to head into the woods along Fauntleroy Creek. We first stopped in Captain's Park at the bottom of the creek. I hope we will go back there when I can watch the salmon in the creek. On this visit, I just watched carved Haida salmon. (Huxley) At last, we headed to the cool and wonderful smelling woods of Fauntleroy Creek Park. I have not yet explored all |
(Wilhelm continued) and trillium larger than me. When the salmon berries are ripe, we munch on them as we explore all of the trails and sniff the old growth trees. | (Brychwyn) Ah, Fauntleroy Creek Park! What can I say? I love it. My brindle cardigan friend, Finnegan, once lived in this park for a week. We really missed him and were worried sick. He was pretty scared and hungry when he finally came out but there are definitely worse places he could have stayed. I bet if we had spent the week camped out together in the park and the humans knew where we were, and maybe brought us food, we would have had epic tail wagging corgi adventures! | (Huxley continued) of the trails in this paradisaical forested park but I sure like what I have seen so far. I hope to get back here more this spring and summer. |
(Wilhelm) We hiked up and up and up some more. I sniffed under tall ferns and next to large trees. It was wonderful and cool in the forest. I didn't mind stopping for a picture at the top of the hill but I was still anxious to get on with our hike. 4 parks down, 3 to go! (Wilhelm) Our next Fit Dog/Park Day Urban Hike stop was at our friend Rose's elementary school. We have picked Rose up many times and I have a spot I jump onto to wait. I get a great view from there and all of the kids who want to pet me can easily reach me. There is nothing better than a sunny day, a long hike and the admiration of children. Well, maybe if those children all gave me treats... We took Rose around the corner to her house so she could get ready to join us on the rest of the hike. She had a snack that she didn't share with me even though I tried many times to get some of it. | (Brychwyn) After the cool forest of Fauntleroy Creek Park, we were back onto streets and sidewalks to pick our friend Rose up from school. I usually like the kids and the petting but after all our hiking, I just wanted shade. | (Huxley) Instead of visiting more parks, we could have sent the rest of the day at Fauntleroy Creek. However, the last time 2 times we hiked through this park, we went to visit our friends in the neighborhood near-by. I continued hiking in hopes this was the case again. (Huxley) Woo-Woof-Hoo! We got to pick Rose up from school! This was by far my very favorite part of our entire Fit Dog/Park Day Urban hike. Can I type that? I know it is not a park but I just love Rose. I also love all of the kids at her school. They pet me and I try really hard not to jump on them. I just love them all so much. How do I show them that without jumping and licking? Before we continued on with our hike, we got to visit with more friends at Rose's house. Her dad and sister were there. This was also not a park but another one of my very favorite parts of our Park Day hike. |
Break Time!
(Wilhelm) Despite the lack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dachshunds, we had a nice break and I was ready for more hiking and more parks. Our next stop was Roxhill Park. It is the Southern end of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail. This 4.2 mile trail was our goal in today's hike. I have hiked parts of the trail over the years but I've never hiked the whole thing. I'd also never been to Roxhill Park. It was a very busy park! Lot's of kids and people out enjoying the beautiful sunny day. But we didn't stay long. I wanted to get on the trail! | (Brychwyn) That was a nice break. So much cool grass, plentiful water and good friends! I was ready to roll. It was a nice surprise to have Rose join us for the next part of our hike. We had to trudge through more neighborhoods to get to our next park, Roxhill Park. I always prefer trails and parks over sidewalks and streets but I know part of an urban hike is hiking on concrete. I was definitely a lot happier on this part of our hike since we were now in a much more shady neighborhood and the day was also just starting to get cooler. Roxhill Park was very busy and I was surprised that no one asked to pet me. | (Huxley) Rose joined us and held my leash after our break was over. This was now my favorite part of our hike! Still not a park but Rose! I love Rose!! Roxhill Park was a nice park. I wanted to stay there longer because there were so many kids and people and I could have gotten petted a lot. The playground was really loud and busy, exactly how I like them! There were big trees for shade and paths for walking. We started down one of the paths. |
(Wilhelm) We followed the trail briefly through Roxhill Park next to Longfellow Creek. The next part was odd though since the creek goes underground. So we walked it's path through a strip mall and next to a high school field and stadium. Just past the high school, the trail went back to being next to the creek. It was lovely! | (Brychwyn) I guess I am glad we didn't get slowed down by corgi admirers at Roxhill Park because this was the starting point of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail. I like the parts of this soft gravel and dirt trail that I have been on before. I was ready to go! Unfortunately, that nice gravel path didn't last long but we turned back onto a gravel path shortly after some more concrete. | (Huxley) The path we followed, the start of theLongfellow Creek Legacy Trail, was next to Longfellow Creek and was kind of marshy. There were red-winged black birds singing and flitting about. I just love to watch birds but we didn't stop. Roxhill Park ended and so did the creek. We followed it's underground path and met it again near some cool art. |
(Wilhelm) We all agree that the very best place on the trail is the pond. There are always ducks and I once saw a kingfisher there. The pond along the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail is one of those amazing places in Seattle where you don't even know you are in the middle of a huge metropolitan area. This pond is such a nice place to sniff and relax under the willow trees! |
(Wilhelm) Towards the end of the trail we come back out of the woods into Greg Davis Park. This is our 6th park today. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures at Greg Davis Park because as soon as we came out of the woods into the park someone saw a squirrel. Between Greg Davis Park and our 7th Park, Delridge Park, we hiked through a quiet neighborhood. I liked this part of the hike. There were a lot of people out in their gardens and I just enjoyed keeping everyone walking at a nice steady pace. The 7th park, Delridge Park, was busy! There is a lot going on there- a community center, a skate park, a playground, basketball courts and play fields. We only stopped to enjoy the lush grass for a moment. The last part of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail was just ahead of us! | (Brychwyn) Watching ducks at the pond, hiking through a shady forest on dirt and gravel trails... I have loved this hike. Our 6th park was Greg Davis Park. It is grassy and nice but we didn't stay because someone saw a squirrel. I didn't mind being out of the woods between Greg Davis Park and our 7th, and final park, Delridge Park. It was much cooler out now, we hiked through a nice neighborhood and a lot of people admired me. Speaking of people admiring me, I really wish we had spent more time at Delridge Park. All of those people there, so busy skating and playing and picnicking really could have used a corgi break. I did get to roll in the grass so I was okay with getting back to the trail. | (Huxley) This hike has been so great! Duck watching is always one of my favorite parts of any adventure. And, guess what? When we came out of the woods to our 6th park, Greg Davis Park, there was a squirrel! It ran right in front of me! I can't believe that was the only squirrel we saw on this whole long hike. Since all of my other favorite parts of the hike so far had not been in parks, I think that means that Greg Davis Park is my favorite. Maybe next time we're there the squirrel and I can play. When we got to Delridge Park I was really ready to play. Wilhelm and Brychwyn rolled in the grass and I did play bows to try to get them to notice me. There is something about long grass that just makes me want to play in it! But we had to get back to the trail... |
(Wilhelm) There wasn't much trail left to hike. We stopped one more time to look at Longfellow Creek then admired two amazing pieces of art at the trails end. I was happy to rest in the cool, tall grass at the end of the trail and I also got lot's of petting from my friends. Rose's family came to pick her up- she hiked over 5 miles with us and she is only 9 years old! | (Brychwyn) Ah, back to the trail. I have been on this last Northern most part of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail before. It is shady and pleasant. We spent time at an art bridge and in an art field at the trails end. I had never done that before. It was nice to run in the tall grass and I finally got a fix of corgi admiration when Rose's family arrived to take her back home. | (Huxley) The rest of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail was forested and next to the creek. At the end was another field with tall grass that I got to run and play in! Best of all my friends were there to pet me and play too. I really loved this last part of our hike up until it was time for Rose to go home with her family. I watched them walk away for a long time... |
(Wilhelm) The sun was getting low and it was getting cold. We still had a few miles left in our urban hike to get back to our neighborhood. Even though I was getting tired, I kept a steady pace. And once we got home, I had a lot of really comfortable sleeping to do! | (Brychwyn) I probably could have just napped in the tall grass at the end of the trail but we still had a few more miles to hike. The evening air was pleasantly crisp so even though we were back to concrete, I didn't mind. I had my ears back and a smile on! | (Huxley) ... I really missed having Rose along for the end of the hike. But there was a nice evening breeze to sniff, my backpack was light since we drank all the water and I was looking forward to resting on my bed. I sleeping was the most helpful thing I did that night! |
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Thank you Gizmo & Finn for hosting this great Park Day Blog Hop. Please click here or on the badge to visit more of our pawsome furfriends participating in this event! |
Thank you to SlimDoggy, Peggy's Pet Place & To Dog With Love for one month of FitDog Friday Blog Hops. Please check out all of the great participants. Warning: you will learn a lot! |