Bonnie and I have been friends since 2006. We met when she was an ER nurse and I was a medical student in Portland, Oregon. Highlights of our friendship include running around Mt St Helens, skiing off the summit of Mt Baker, surviving CRNA & orthopedic training, nearly running around Hood, processing today's politics, and countless runs around South Lake Union in the wee hours of the morning.
Fast forward to this year when we’ve both advanced our medical training and grown some gray hairs…
Bonnie is coming off an impressive fall of running around Mont Blanc and doing a single day run of Rim to Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon (48 miles with 20k elevation in 105 degree heat).
Given that the Issaquah Alps are in our back door, we were excited to link all three trail sections (Squak, Cougar and Tiger). Prior to our effort, neither of us had run a single foot of the trail system.
The forecast was for an inch of rain so we packed loads of layers and prepared to lean into a wet northwest day. We set our alarm early in Seattle, I chugged my usual 3 cups of coffee and a bagel, and we were moving by 4:40a out of Cole Creek. I love starting in the dark with headlamps because I can focus on the smells, a small spotlight of the woods in front of me, and being present. Of course we talked continuously through Squak and up Cougar. Route finding could have been tricky but we both had the gpx loaded on our watches (new Coras for the win!).
The gray northwest sunrise trickled in. We continued to take it easy on the descents because I’ve sprained my ankle 6-7 times this summer and seem to still have a squishmallow laterally.
We ran through Issaquah and gave a high five to the 4 meter tall “Jakob Two Trees” of the incredible Danish recycling artist (https://www.thomasdambo.com/about). We filled water from a public tap near the Issaquash community center.
We continued through to the three radio towers of West Tiger 3, 2 and 1. Then we moved onto the middle Tiger and then finally onto the east Tiger.
We walked out and got a ride back to the start from a dear friend and coworker (who also runs https://thelittlebluebarnsanctuary.com/).
Food highlights were Bonnie’s infamous PB and J and some chocolate filled oreos. I got my caffeine from a starbucks instant coffee packet shot and some clifshots.
Overall a super fun day.
We were not fast but we were steady… and we’re the only women who’ve documented completing it so we’re first in line for the unsupported female FKT of the issaquah alps :)