For more than a decade at the helm of Transit Riders’ Union, Katie has won campaign after campaign to secure more resources for transit, to raise minimum wage in western WA cities, helped get the much-needed Jumpstart tax passed in Seattle, and to get renter protections passed. She understands how the legislative systems at the city, county, and state levels work, and she’s led the hundreds of members of TRU to all those victories, organizing power from the ground up. As I noted on Bluesky*, her campaign’s “This is Our City” message centers the people of the city in a way that I don’t recall any campaign ever doing. That is underpinned with her “Let’s Get to Work” tagline — a call to action and engagement that asks us to do the ongoing work that really is required for a democracy to function and serve all its people well. Her platform addresses all the big issues that need tackling, and her record shows she’s capable of building coalitions to make those changes. I’ve canvassed for the campaign and run into Katie at those and community events, and found her to take the issues seriously without taking herself too seriously; she’s funny, smart, and approachable, too. Most importantly, as her record makes clear, she cares deeply for the present and future of the people of Seattle and she’s once again stepping up to help make change.
UPDATE: Wilson is up by 9.5 points as of August 12. Ballots for the November general election go out in October and are due in a drop box before 8 p.m. on November 4. Mark your calendar and make a plan to vote.
Put your primary ballot in a drop box before 8 p.m. August 5 or mail it at least a few days prior.
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These two seasonal shuttle services start May 24, 2025
The weekend of May 24 kicks off the annual start of at least two seasonal shuttles in the Salish Sea region designed with hikers in mind. Both run through September 1.
Trailhead Direct
Trailhead Direct wooshes citydwellers from a few key light rail stops including (NEW this year) S. Bellevue Station and Eastgate Park & Ride directly to at least seven trailheads in the Issaquah Alps, Cougar, Squak and Tiger Mountain area. If you’re willing to walk short distances, it’s also easy to discover several other trailheads that this weekend & holiday service will open up to car-free hikers. Right now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that earlier routes like Mailbox Peak will finally return after a pandemic-induced driver shortage, which would open up some pretty incredible car-free backpacking opportunities.
Cost
Standard Metro fare ($2.75 ish); use an ORCA card, exact change in cash, or whatever other fare payment options Metro currently offers (there are too many to keep track of these days).
Hurricane Ridge Shuttle
The Hurricane Ridge shuttle makes my heart sing because it offers daily service, not just weekend and holiday service, showing once again that smaller cities and less-resourced counties can and are lapping Seattle and King County — hey, I love them, I live in them, but I also love to see underdogs doing things better. The shuttle runs several times a day from Port Angeles up to Hurricane Ridge, has capacity for two or three bikes (call the agency to confirm), and puts some epic hiking in Olympic National Park (ONP) into reach for car-free folks.
Pro-tip for bikepackers from the Seattle area: Take the early run of the Clallam Transit Strait Shot from the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal to Gateway Transit Center Ferry Terminal in Port Angeles. From there, hop on the Hurricane Ridge Shuttle to deliver you to your chosen trailhead.
Cost
You must purchase an entrance pass to ONP before boarding, then pay up to $1 in Clallam Transit fare. The Clallam Transit link above helpfully provides more details and links on purchasing ONP passes.
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Header image My cat’s head obscures the Mt. Si Trailhead on my Rattlesnake Mountain region topographic map, next to which I’ve placed a Trailhead Direct pin featuring the Mt. Si route.
UPDATE: The free foot ferry pilot is now over, and the Salish Current reports on prospects for a possible future foot ferry at this link.
Through June 30, 2025 San Juan County is piloting free, twice-daily passenger ferry service from Anacortes to Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands. Here’s how to use this pilot service to enjoy the islands! Some essentials:
You will need to book ahead using their form, and to do it twice — once in each direction.
If you are bringing more luggage than one backpack, or bringing a dog or a bike, you need to let them know in the form.
It does look like you can reserve for multiple people using a single form, but remember to complete a form for each direction of travel.
Your trip is not confirmed until you get an e-mail saying so.
This post outlines a schedule for getting to Lopez, but can be used to get to Eastsound on Orcas or to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
Best for: Cyclists or for travelers who don’t mind doing a bit of walking once you arrive on Lopez Island. But check back — I’m working to confirm if there is currently taxi service available on the island (I’m not optimistic, so best to to assume there is not).
Using Amtrak offers the most direct route with the fewest transfers, but has the least flexibility because of the relative infrequency of the schedules involved. Make Mt. Vernon and Anacortes part of your trip, since you’ll have time to spare. The shortest trip you can do is probably a long weekend, starting on a Friday or Saturday and returning on a Monday.
To Mt. Vernon/Skagit Station
From south of Mt. Vernon take Amtrak Cascades to Mt. Vernon/Skagit Station, arriving at 10:04 a.m.
From north of Mt. Vernon take the train arriving at Skagit Station at 9:43 a.m.
To Anacortes
Transfer to Skagit Transit Route 40X at 10:15 a.m. and take it to the end of the line at March’s Point. Optional: enjoy some time in Mt. Vernon by enjoying the Skagit Riverwalk and hop on a later run of the 40X, which leaves every hour at :15 after. The latest 40X you’ll want to catch is probably the 3:15 p.m. departure.
At March Point, transfer to Skagit Transit Route 410, departing hourly at 40 minutes after the hour.
You’ll notice the 40x is scheduled to arrive at 40 after the hour, which is when the 410 is scheduled to depart. Don’t worry about it. The 40X usually arrives a few minutes early, making the transfer pretty easy. If you’re concerned, let the driver know you need to transfer to the 410 as if they are running late because of traffic, they may be able to get the 410 to wait.
If you do miss your transfer, you can:
Grab refreshments at nearby Moka Joe until the next 410 departs.
Make the lovely 4.5 miles from March Point transit station into part of your excursion by hiking or biking to Cap Sante, mostly via the Tommy Thompson trail. Goggle directions here. There are no shoulders on March Point Rd from the transit station to the Tommy Thompson trailhead at Fidalgo Bay, so take care along this stretch; or
See if ride-hail is available. The web tells me Uber does operate in Anacortes but wait times may be longer than in larger cities.
My partner with his bike on the Tommy Thompson Trail, en route to San Juan and Lopez Islands a few years ago.
In Anacortes
The route 410 bus stop closest to the ferry is Q Ave. and 13th across from Safeway, near the western end of the Tommy Thompson trail. You could enjoy the marina area along the Fidalgo Bay and hike up to Cap Sante park and back before catching the ferry.
Or, get off the 410 a bit later and walk over to catch the Guemes Island ferry to explore this small island. In particular, bike friendly, but if you are up for walking a couple of miles to and from the ferry terminal, you can enjoy some shoreline hiking and the Guemes Mountain Trailhead. Return to Anacortes and catch the 410 back to the Cap Sante Marina (10th & Q St is probably your best best for getting off).
If you have more time in Anacortes, Pelican Bay Books & Coffeehouse is a personal favorite and the 410 stops nearby at City Hall.
This is not an exhaustive list!
To Lopez
Whatever you enjoy in Anacortes, leave plenty of time to make your way to the Cap Sante Marina, Slip B-40. The ferry departs from here.
On Lopez the ferry stops at Odlin County Park‘s pier, so if you are on foot, planning to camp here is a great plan. See the Fees link on the park’s website for information about the human-powered arrival campsites. If you’ve brought a bike, Spencer Spit State Park is a short ride away, and, of course, there is Lopez Village and many rental options around the island.
There is currently no transit service on Lopez so if you aren’t coming by bike, stock up on supplies in Mt. Vernon (the Skagit Coop is great and not far from the transit station) or Anacortes. For those who enjoy long walks, it’s three miles to Lopez Village.
The WSDOT Option
Yes, you could also stay on the 410 bus and get the WSDOT Anacortes ferry. However, for Lopez, you would then have a hike or bike from the WSDOT terminal to Odlin County Park, Spencer Spit State Park, or into town. The foot ferry plops you right at Odlin.
Return Options
Depart Odlin/Lopez at 8:35 a.m or 3:20 p.m., arriving at Cap Sante at 9:55 a.m. or 4:55 p.m.
Catch Skagit Transit 410 at 10th & Q to March’s Point at 10:20 a.m. or 5:20 p.m. (last run of the day on Saturdays)
Transfer to Skagit Transit 40X at 10:40 a.m. or 5:40 p.m. (last run of the day on Saturdays), arriving at Mt. Vernon/Skagit Station at 11 a.m. or 6 p.m.
Catch Amtrak Cascades southbound at 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., or 7:13 p.m.. or northbound at 12:30p.m., 4:30 p.m. or 7:34 p.m.
Other Options
It is also possible to piece together a trip to Mt. Vernon by taking the Sound Transit light rail 1 Line + bus route 512 to Everett Station and catching the Skagit-Snohomish Connector 90X to Mt. Vernon Skagit Station, then connecting to the 40X, etc. as noted above. From Bellingham, use the 80X.
These are not the only options but are among the easier ones.
Sundays are for Cycling
The 40X and 410 do not run on Sundays. Sundays, though, cyclists could take Amtrak and ride from Mt. Vernon to the ferry. I haven’t done so, but seems like you could avoid SR-20 by plotting a route through tulip country in the Skagit Valley and connecting to the Tommy Thompson trail.
Thanks to my Bluesky mutual Tarnado for the heads up on the passenger ferry pilot!
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