Forum Index > Trail Talk > Anyone do the stairs at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park?
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Slugman
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 5:31 pm 
I love that park, lots of stairs for training, lots of beach for walking or lounging. One set of stairs is 186 or 188 steps, I forget, the Health app on my IPhone says it is just under 120 vertical feet, or 12 flights of stairs. On Tuesday, my most recent day off, I did 61 flights, 610 vertical feet. I only had to go down then back up 4 times, I went all the way down to the water, which is 15 flights at least from the top by the park entrance. Interesting story about the park’s history, it was a sand quarry, all the park was dug out with water jets. It is all being replanted with native plants like snowberry. Anyway, for the first time ever I have decided to actually train for a hiking season. Just walking doesn’t seem enough, and hiking into shape is not practical for me, too much winter going on, too much driving involved just for exercise. So, stairs are my new toy. So easy to go down, nice regular steps to help avoid injury or joint stress. Luckily I work at the bottom of Queen Anne hill in Seattle, and right behind my office is a long staircase, 8 flights, I do it at least three times per day. 24 flights. I figure 100,000 vertical feet for 2020 is a realistic goal, if I stick to it on a daily basis. Canoeing once per week to rest the legs and work on arms and core. My motivation is the Winds! A major August expedition is in the works and I need to shed blubber and build strength and stamina. Funny how obvious health benefits won’t motivate me, but wilderness does. OK, y’all deserve a picture dump.

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Kim Brown
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 5:44 pm 
Nice pictures, and great idea for getting into shape. You know, I live not too ridiculously far from there (Lake Forest Park), but I hadn't thought of that plan of exercise. I like to choose a hilly 'hood nearby like Uplake or those others hills above Kenmore and walk around.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 5:45 pm 
up.gif I live nearby, I walk down there frequently. I've never done laps on the stairs, but I've been up and down them countless times over the years. Cool spot to get some beach time.

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Slugman
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 5:53 pm 
Lots of wind surfers go there. At the top of the best staircase there is a lap counter, sort of like an abacus, so several different people at the same time can go down and back up and keep track of “laps”. The stairs in my picture aren’t the ones I use, they are too spread out and have stretches of inclined walkways, which I find uncomfortable to go down, but not to go up. Toe jam. The ones made of railroad ties are the best, pure stairs, and they are flat, even and not at all slippery.

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Cyclopath
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 6:25 pm 
I've done stair laps for exercise when I've been time constrained. It's similar enough to hiking to be helpful, especially if you wear a pack for the stairs. Anything that works your heart and lungs for long periods will carry over to hiking. Riding a bike works well, and feels much less like the hamster wheel or dreadmill. In any case, it's a virtuous circle, the more time you spend exercising the fitter you get, and also the more calories you burn, making hiking easier and dinner yummier.

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Jake Robinson
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 6:42 pm 
I agree with Cyclopath that biking (especially hilly biking) is great training for hiking. I'm a fairweather cyclist though so I don't ride much this time of year. I like to do the Howe Street Stairs either before or after work...if anyone ever wants to meet up for some laps, let me know!

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Hiker Mama
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 7:17 pm 
Good for you!!

My hiking w/ kids site: www.thehikermama.com
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Slugman
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 7:39 pm 
Work is over, hurray double Friday (five days off)! But I see I’ve only done 12 flights today. Time to hit the 8 flights again before hitting the highway! hink.gif

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Damian
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PostFri Jan 10, 2020 10:07 pm 
Good stuff Sluggo.

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neek
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PostSat Jan 11, 2020 8:19 am 
Stairs are great. Used to live right by that park. Last time I was there a guy was playing barefoot volleyball. There was some commotion and I looked over to see a big rusty nail sticking out of his foot.

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joker
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PostSat Jan 11, 2020 10:07 am 
Good plan. I live right near where the Tolt Pipeline trail takes a 300-ish foot drop to the Sammamish River valley. I torture my dog with laps there quite often. In the past few years I've been starting to see more people doing laps there, though its rarely what I'd call "busy." If you are anywhere near there and want a local "Mount Si simulator" there's parking both at the bottom (just don't block the gates and you're good) and at the top. There are a couple of paved hills running semi-parallel just to the south which you can alternate in for a teeny bit of variation btw. I never see others lapping those but at least one of the neighbors now knows me and seems pleasantly amused by my routine.

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stever
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PostSat Jan 11, 2020 11:32 am 
Joker, the locals call that hill on the Tolt Pipeline "Heart Attack Hill" I've used it for training with a overnight pack and about the 2nd or 3rd time I can see why it got the name. SR

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MyFootHurts
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PostSat Jan 11, 2020 12:11 pm 
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joker
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PostSat Jan 11, 2020 12:21 pm 
stever wrote:
Joker, the locals call that hill on the Tolt Pipeline "Heart Attack Hill" I've used it for training with a overnight pack and about the 2nd or 3rd time I can see why it got the name. SR
Interesting. I've never heard any of my neighbors (we all of course live close to the hill) call it that, but I've heard semi-local bikers use that name for a nearby paved hill - the one that rises from the southern roundabout on 202 up toward the neighborhood called "The Farm." But yeah I can see why people would apply it to the hill I use as my hiking simulator. I sometimes do "high intensity intervals" on it and when I get to the end of the 10-second all out pushes I do I feel like my heart is going to pop out of my mouth.

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Slugman
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Slugman
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PostSat Jan 11, 2020 12:23 pm 
MFH: sweet. I like the metal with serrations. Slipperiness is the enemy on stairs, IMO. I’m at Richmond Beach park right now, uppermost parking lot, just waiting for breakfast to process a little before hitting the stairs. Doing 50 flights or so will lessen the guilt from watching football on the couch the rest of the day. Go Vikings!
Code:
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