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Alki Night Telescope 9Dec2024.HEIC

Trip Report    

Urban Walk - Seattle Olmsted Circuit: Alki Schmitz Preserve Park Constellation Park Loop

West Seattle Urban Night Walk featured a surprise astronomy pop-up by Dark Sky Committee Chair on clear, cold December outing.

Peter Hendrickson Peter Hendrickson
December 10, 2024
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • Route was in excellent condition with Schmitz trail a bit muddy but easily followed. Night was clear with temps in low 30's with only the slightest breeze.  Minimal vehicle traffic.

A dozen Seattle Urban Night Walkers gathered in Whale Tail Park (Alki) for a 6:10pm launch into Schmitz Preserve Park, another test walk of the Seattle Olmsted Circuit #9  loop variant. Around 4.5 miles and 450' elevation gain and loss. As ever the forest was magic at night and Schmitz Creek quiet at the stepping-stone crossing. Per walker request, we turned off all lights while circling a huge tree to soak in the forest.

We crested the ridge above the post-war neighborhood to views west across the Salish Sea and made the long descent to Beach Drive NW taking a stairways variant from SW Spokane Street. While the holiday lights were a treat, the view across the water is the jewel in the crown.  A quick stop at Me-Kwa-Mooks Park brought us to an all-at-once street crossing to follow the shoreline north. A low tide exposed the 28,000 year old peat beds now visible thanks to the uplift of the Seattle Fault (DWilliams, 2017, Seattle Walks, p229).

Just before striking Constellation Park,  Seattle Dark Sky Chair Alan Vogt set up one of his 25 telescopes for a surprise, pop-up night sky viewing.  Walkers voted in favor of the Saturn view over neighboring Jupiter after gazing at both. Trip leader Peter Hendrickson had telephoned the request to his friend earlier in the day when it appeared night sky conditions would be perfect. Answering many questions, Alan also put the Moon in close-up view. Co-Leaders were Bri Vanderlinden and Nancy Temkin.

Walk wrapped about 8:45 back at the park. Hendrickson led the same walk the day before (during daylight) and it appears 2 hours is a reasonable estimate (without the night sky telescope stop).