Spring Sports Guide

“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.” – Henry David Thoreau

Spring is here, so get ready to breathe her air, drink her drink and, if you haven’t already, taste her mighty fine fruit. Grab your Gore-Tex, dust off those hiking boots and head outside to partake in the abundant bounty of our dynamic backyard. If it be mountain air you crave, fill those lungs with the wonderful blend of coniferous-fused H20 found exclusively on the slopes of some of the Northwest greats—Rainier, Helens, Olympus, Baker, etc…

Easy flowin’ liquid love more your style? Grab a paddle or a sail and quench your thirst with a tall glass of Seattle’s specialty: the Placid Puget. That’s not all folks; you’ve only heard a nibble. This tasty menu of Northwest novelties extends far and wide, over hills and dales, Cascades and San Juans.

Take a look over our Spring Sports Guide, discover the adventure awaiting you, and as Lumiere so eloquently put it, “be our guest!”

Sailing: Pushed by the Wind
“Sheet in the main, prepare to go close reach.” What? It’s a language learned while gathering the basics of sailing; a thousand expressions that don’t mean anything unless you’re talking to a fellow sailor; a collection of words like jib, jibe, keel, leeward and lanyard. Hop on a sailboat and find out what I’m carrying on about.

Kayaking, Canoeing, Whitewater: Paddle Sports
Whether you’re exploring the Ballard Locks, the Skykomish River Valley, Green Lake or Puget Sound Beaches, a man-powered boat is the best way to do it. Giving you a different perspective and a great upper body workout, paddle sports have long been a favorite pastime of folks in the Pacific Northwest.

Cycling: Pedal Power
If it’s the satisfaction of pedaling past cars stuck in the monotonous morning commute, stopping to enjoy the view from the summit after an arduous climb, or the thrill of surviving a technical descent down a log strewn trail, Seattle has what you need to make bicycling an exciting and practical way to enjoy the city.

Climbing: Getting Vertical
Some do it for the exercise and the adrenaline boost, others for an excuse to be in the mountains. Physical strength is not a major requirement when you’re first learning, but rather balance and precision of movement, strong quads and fingers and a mind for problem solving. If this sounds daunting, it’s not. When asked what the minimum physical requirement was for a first-time climber, Adam Pessl, manager at Vertical World’s Seattle gym, answered, “You need to be able to walk up a flight of stairs. If you can get through our front door, there are at least a few climbs you can do.”