With temps in the mid-30s, the Hot Chocolate Run was definitely one of the more challenging events…read morethat I've participated in so far. Be prepared for cold weather - just because it's March, it doesn't mean that it'll be dry or warm during the event. I'd recommend going to the event at least 30 mins before your start time (7AM for the 5K and 8AM for the 15K) so you'll have plenty of time for gear check, the porta potties, etc. The route starts and ends at the Seattle Center, taking 15K participants downtown and then up Hwy 99. I never realized Hwy 99's slight incline until I had to run up it.. (haha!) But you can taste sweet victory at the end with the Finisher's Mug that comes with hot cocoa, melted chocolate and mixed goodies (banana, Rice Krispy, pretzels, etc.). I think the biggest draw though is the snazzy participant jacket thats given to both 5K and 15K participants. I feel like sizes run a bit larger, so order accordingly - but worst case scenario, head to the expo early to switch out for a different size. :) I'd say that the Hot Chocolate Run is great way to beat the mid-winter blues and get outside! :)

This run was my first ever 15K! It was more of a power walk/jog but I felt so happy I accomplished…read moreover 9miles. It was pretty chilly being in the 30's and next year I will definitely wear gloves and a buff! I loved the jacket! It was really cute! I do wish it was a little thicker and better quality however because there were tons of threads hanging off and parts coming unraveled when I picked it up (none left to exchange). The plastic drawstring bag was cute but I didn't run with it. The marshmallow, noon and water stations were awesome. We were bummed that there weren't any m&m's left at the station but that's what happens when you're in corral L. Overall it was a great run and you get to see lots of the city! The space needle, pikes, Fremont.. It was lots of fun and I could do it again. The hot cocoa and super cute medal were both great ways to end the race.

Nice park, small-ish, a circle gravel path, small pond, gazebo-type building in the front, some…read moreinteresting rock formations, and as it says, lots of native plants. Looks like there is a small trickly water feature going into the pond (wasn't very high on this day so it was hard to get an idea of the full effect). Well maintained, somewhat busy when we were there on a weekend but not so much that you couldn't take your time and enjoy a short walk around the park.

Great little garden off the drive through Point Defiance Park. Has all Northwest plants, flowers,…read moreand trees. The waterfall and pond are a nice feature. Does have hills, so be careful as that may not be super handicap friendly.

These are free monthly walks led by experts who lead you on walks/little hikes around the Sammamish…read morearea! Great Saturday morning activity!

I was drawn to the Tehaleh Evergreen Trail Runs due to the fact that I wanted to do a double half…read moremarathon weekend, which meant one half marathon on Saturday and one half marathon on Sunday. *Crazy ain't it? But that's me and my life for a good portion of my life. The Tehaleh Evergreen Trail Runs running event is a small event that showcases and draws many seasoned trail runners, as well as experienced marathoners, to the Pacific Northwest during the last weekend in September. Typically, the weather during that time is generally cooler and makes for a great race atmosphere. To most, this race is not known to the masses, as trail races cater to the chosen few who want a cheap race but not be bothered down with big crowds, heavy logistics, and high entry fees. For those of you who love a good time and want to run a technical trail (at some spots), this may be the one for you, although there were some parts of the course that were paved, but 75% of the course is all trail. I was here for the 2015 installment of this trail race and ran the half marathon. The Tehaleh Evergreen Trail Runs offers the full marathon and a half marathon, as well as a 10K, 5K, and the kids run. I was privileged to see the kids race while waiting for the half marathon to start. Since this one is a very low key affair, they only offer race day packet pick up. They don't have any race t-shirts and don't give out finisher medals at all. I should have known that before signing up, but then again, I don't read through the fine print at times and assume that all races have finisher medals. The race starts and finishes at the Donald Eismann Elementary School in Bonney Lake. Parking here is quite plentiful, as long as you get here early enough to covet a great parking spot near the start / finish line. The race registration is as cheap as you can get and I paid $41 for the half marathon, whereas the marathon is priced at $48. Pretty darn cheap for a race, but bummed that there was no race t shirts nor finisher medals. For me, it was just 13.1 miles and on a trail no less. On some spots along the course, it felt like I was lost and in the middle of nowhere. The course was basically a loop course, where the half marathon did it once, but the marathon does it twice. The course had some hills and some uphill climbs. There was a grossly narly downhill section on the course, which was basically a 45 degree section of trail that was a challenge to get down without breaking anything. That took me a while, but at least I didn't break anything or fall down. Bonney Lake was about 30 - 45 minutes from downtown Seattle, so best believe that it takes a while to drive down to get into the trails out here. In the end, the volunteers were great and the trail was marked with orange ribbons that was tied to tree branches and signposts, so it was marked pretty well. Thank goodness I didn't get lost and the weather was comfortable and didn't get too warm. This trail race is what it is. If you love trail distance racing, this one may be the right one for you. If you like bling with your racing, it may not be the one for you. But it's just running and be glad you are out here and competing. It's a fun way to see the country and the travel is quite nice too. While I am not keen on trail racing myself, it's a nice race with fantastic organization, so I'd recommend this one, if you are chasing states and don't like the urban vibe of the Rock n Roll Seattle marathon (June) or the Seattle marathon (November). Run more! Support local! B+

Great race organization. The first race I did with ETR was my second half ever. It was up Tiger…read moreMtn. I like to look back and laugh. The next with them was this last weekend (Lake Sammamish). The runs have grown in size drastically and so have the quality. There was a DJ and more sponsors and schwag. I like that at the end of a race they have food to accommodate any craving- sweet, salty, crunchy and reusable cups!! My only complaint came from the Tiger Mtn race. It was really hard to figure out on the course which way to go in the maze of trails based on the various lengths people were running. I'm sure that has been cleared up though. Also, maybe one more water station on the routes.. Great runs, though, with great organization. THANKS!! I'll keep truckin with them for sure!

This is one of my favourite races. It's so coloured because everybody has something green and with…read morethe best attitude :) you will receive your swag with a very funny irish-ish shirt. I wish they had continued the hamrovk snicker promotion this year. Let's hope Brooks has something next year. The race is on a flat surface downtown Seattle. Of course there are cutters. But what I don't like not a tiny bit is that even when there are various waves, people still register in the first ones for runners when they are walkers. This makes the competition super hard and slow for true racers :( There won't be any difference on the final board if starting on last wave... At the end there is a party at Seattle Center with music and beer. Wish at list 1 cup would be for free as in other races.

*Cue Bagpipes*…read more Green. Green wigs, green tights, green, green, green, green t-shirts reading "10% Irish, 90% Drunk." Young, old, freakishly fatless, chubby walkers, jogging strollers, entire families in green plastic derbies. Ms. McMexican and Ms. McKraut finish it up and head home to make soda bread - completely undoing any benefits reaped by their early morning dash. Slainte'! 34 minutes bitches.

Half #7 for me. I…read morepicked up my bib the day of the race. I don't live in WA (was visiting Seattle for Labor Day), Seattle and Redmond are about 30 minutes away from each other... I didn't have an hour or so to spare unfortunately to go to the Expo. BUT - there were so many vendors around the day of the race. I got an awesome free water bottle, bag, chap stick, hand sanitizer. Lol - I was really excited for the water bottle since it showed the ounces on the outside. If you're like me or just too lazy to go to Redmond before race day, be sure to get to the Bib Pick Up tent area early. Very happy I did. About 20 minutes before the race, a HUGE line formed. I think maybe we started a little late due to it. Got a thin material hoodie as a shirt. I like it. I'll definitely wear it one of my colder running days! I don't think there was other swag. Overall course: Pretty much flat. If you're from Atlanta, it'll remind you of the Belt Line, but with more scenery (no buildings, etc). The atmosphere/view of the entire race felt so nice. Literally it was just the trees, small creeks, great weather, etc. Hills were minimal. Beware: there are also non racers on the course as well. The miles were very well marked. Great water stations. Not a ton of crowd support but that's OK - I like chill races. And as always, thank you to all the Officers for helping and making sure no one got hurt!

I hiked Mt. Baker as a new mountaineer in August 2023 with Pro Guides Alex Halliday and Alexa…read moreCathcart. This was an amazing trip, not just for the landscape and successful summit, but also for the professional knowledge, kindness, and humor Alex and Alexa shared with us, a group of five new (self-identified) women climbers. They were both endlessly patient with questions, with us learning how to be roped together, finding rhythm, and with encouragement at a reasonable pace. This was a low stress, totally supported, highly successful trip, and I'll definitely climb with Pro Guide when I go for another major climb. One last note: the value of guides was clear from the start, but became even more clear the day after summiting, when we learned ropes and crevasse rescue. All the information the guides carried that we DIDN'T have to use...that is extremely valuable. If something were to go wrong, there was no doubt these guides would have solved it. As it was, they were even better guides than that, because they PREVENTED anything from happening. 10/10 11/10 Great business.

These guys really are Pro and not just calling themselves ones. Martin even wrote the book about…read moreback country skiing. We went bc skiing under Joe's guidance on Feb 5th 2019. A fun and safe day out in amazing terrain. Joe is a super relaxed and friendly guy. Top notch international quality guiding by a born local guy who knows the Pacific Nortwest mountains like his back yard. Thanks for a fantastic experience!

The Husky Ballpark is next to the UW football stadium and a 10 minute walk from the UW light rail…read morestation making it very convenient for game days. There are paid parking lots in the area and the nice thing is that parking is free after 12pm on Saturdays and all day Sundays. The stadium was nice and clean. It only holds about 2,000 people and because it's a smaller stadium you can get good views no matter where you sit. We sat two rows behind home plate which was amazing! The only complaint is that when it started raining during the game, the rows closer to the front didn't have any cover while the ones further back did. There are some concession stands for food and shops if you want to buy UW gear. It was fun to enjoy the game on a nice day and it was a relaxing time.

This is an awesome place to watch some competitive baseball. On a sunny day, it's gorgeous. Seats…read moreare cheap, and all of them are close to the field. Parking is plentiful and free on Saturday after 12, and all day Sunday.