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Earlier Alki Beach closing time – and fire-ring season – to return starting Friday
May 20, 2024 3:26 pm
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(WSB file photo)

Once again calling it “a pilot,” Seattle Parks has just confirmed it’ll close Alki Beach (and Golden Gardens) nightly at 10:30 pm starting Friday (as the Alki Community Council had been told) and this year continuing for a few weeks beyond Labor Day. Beach-fire season will start Friday, too, with a later nightly end time. Here’s the announcement just sent by Parks (with a link you can use for feedback):

Seattle Parks and Recreation will enact a pilot shortening the hours at Golden Gardens and Alki Beach during the 2024 summer months from 4 A.M.-10:30 P.M. from May 24-September 22. And a return to 4 A.M. – 11:30 P.M after September 22.

The shortened hours will assist in addressing dangerous and/or illegal behavior typical of summer evening uses at these two parks in response to public input and nearby community complaints.

This program is a pilot and will be reviewed at a Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners meeting after the summer to help determine the best operating hours for the public. This review will be informed by public comments from the questionnaire below, public comment given at the Board meeting, and data collected throughout the pilot period.

During the Summer 2024 Season, Seattle Parks and Recreation staff, assisted by Seattle Police Department staff, will begin closing down these two beach locations starting at 10:00 P.M.

Public input can be provided here.

Additionally, designated fire pits will be available for beach fires this summer beginning Friday, May 24, 2024.

Beach Fire and Park Rules

Starting Friday, May 24, 2024, designated fire pits will be available for beach fires at Alki Beach and Golden Gardens seven days a week on a first come, first served basis. Bringing your own fire pit is not allowed, and no propane fire pits/rings are allowed.

-Fires must be extinguished by 10 p.m.
-Fires allowed 7 days a week starting Friday, May 24 through Sunday, September 22.
-Staff will be on-site to manage and assist with putting out fires at 10 p.m.
-Parking lot gates will be locked and the park will close at 10:30 p.m. for summer hours.
-Please only burn clean (natural, bare, dry cord-wood) wood and douse your fire completely before leaving.
-Light a fire ONLY in one of the installed fire containers
-Use only clean, dry firewood
-Please douse your fire with water, not sand
-Fires are not allowed during air pollution alerts; we will post sign
-Please don’t remove any materials from the park, beach or dunes
-Please dispose of trash and ashes in the containers provided for each. (SMC 18.12.260)
=Be considerate of others–please, no loud or amplified music! (SMC 18.12.170)

Remember, no alcohol or smoking are allowed, and parks are drug-free zones. Beach fire rules are outlined in detail in the Seattle Municipal Code section 18.12.270 and in our Beach Fires Policy.

If you see an illegal fire, call 911. For current burn ban and air quality questions, contact Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

Fire pits at Golden Gardens and Alki are unlocked between 4-5 p.m. starting May 24. Please extinguish all beach fires (using water, not sand) by 10 p.m. in order to ensure that all fires are completely extinguished in ample time before the park’s closure.

The fires-out time is half an hour later than last year, and the end dates are later too; last year, the early closing time and beach fires all ended right after Labor Day.

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New summer celebration, beach concerns, CARE’s chief @ Alki Community Council
May 17, 2024 11:53 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Even with one marquee guest (City Attorney Ann Davison) canceling, last night’s Alki Community Council meeting was information-laden.

One headline: The ACC is organizing its first community celebration, with the help of a city grant. Set your calendar for 5-8 pm Thursday, June 20, when music, food, and fun will fill Alki Playfield. ACC vice president Lindsay Pearsall is organizing the event: “The idea is to bring the whole community together … to find opportunities to connect and celebrate.” It’ll also synergize with the quest for public feedback on plans for the playground between the past-and-future Alki Elementary site and the playfield. This will replace the ACC’s usual third-Thursday meeting.

Another headline: Parks still hasn’t formally announced the closing times for Alki beach-fire rings and the rest of the beach park, though ACC president Charlotte Starck received an email from Parks official Markeith Blackshire a week ago saying the superintendent had decided to keep the closure at 10:30 pm, same as the past few years, and same as what Parks said during last November’s meeting covering a variety of West Seattle topics. But this was all before the early-Wednesday gunfire on both ends of the greater Alki area – Beach Drive and Harbor Avenue – so things could change.

With summer-like weather bringing crowds last weekend, the beach park was a major topic. Pearsall said she had seen two newly graduated Park Rangers at the beach over the weekend; Starck said she had noticed more police presence.

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FOLLOWUP: Almost a month later, SUV still on West Seattle beach
May 15, 2024 10:43 pm
|      60 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

It’s been almost a month since somebody drove that Jeep Compass onto the rocky beach between Seola and The Arroyos. (Here’s our original report; police later told us the vehicle’s owner belatedly reported it stolen.) While other vehicle-in-water cases have resulted in relatively rapid removal, this one is still there. Area resident Robin, awho sent the photos above and below, has been tracking the situation, and campaigning to get something done about it.

Most recently, Robin filed an illegal-dumping report via Find It Fix It. Seattle Public Utilities, which runs the illegal-dumping program, referred it to Seattle Parks. But Parks closed the ticket, telling Robin in a follow-up call that it’s not on Parks property. Meantime, it’s not just beached, it’s in and out of the water as the tide fluctuates:

That photo is from Tim, who was startled to see the semi-submerged SUV while out paddling last Saturday. The question remains, who’s ultimately accountable for getting it off the beach? In our most-recent round of inquiries more than a week ago, the state Ecology Department – which had responded to the scene early on, to remove fuel from the vehicle – said it was a “police matter” and that local law enforcement needed to work with the beach owners. After that, we asked SPD where it stood, and they repeated what had been mentioned before – tow trucks couldn’t get close enough to remove it: “There have been discussions with the Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard and others, but it remains in the water for now.”

That it does.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Daytime low-low tides arrive
May 8, 2024 12:30 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Daytime low-low tides arrive
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

One of the best places for a low-low tide view, if you’re not going down to walk on the beach, is Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook (4500 block of Beach Drive SW). Above, the view a short time ago, looking north, and below, what we saw looking south:

As noted in our daily preview list, the tide bottomed out at -2.8 feet at 11:43 am today; the next two days (here’s the chart), it’s even lower, -3.2 feet at 12:24 pm tomorrow (Thursday, May 9), -3.0 feet. These are the lowest low tides of the month, but there’ll be some decent ones Memorial Day weekend too – that’s also when the Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will make their seasonal debut, with two West Seattle locations (see the schedule and sites here).

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No, the orange-red water along Lincoln Park’s shore isn’t a spill. Looks like noctiluca’s back
April 30, 2024 5:27 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Thanks to Ellen P. for the photo from Lincoln Park’s north shore. If you’ve never seen, nor heard about, that before, it’s a startling sight – orange-red water along the beach. But it’s not a spill. Just about every year in mid-to-late spring, an algae bloom called noctiluca shows up. Pending official verification (we have a inquiry out), that’s almost certainly what this is. The state Ecology Department says it’s not toxic but it can be irritating, so don’t go wading in it! (This is a bit earlier than our first mentions in many previous years – last year, it was late May.)

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FOLLOWUP: Somebody drove it in. But nobody knows how to get it out.
April 23, 2024 1:33 pm
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(Friday photo, sent by Craig)

Back on Friday night, we reported on that Jeep Compass that turned up on a rocky stretch of shore in southwesternmost West Seattle, between the dead-ends of Seola Lane and Arroyo Beach Place [map]. Last night, via an update from tipster Craig, we learned it’s still there. We asked Seattle Police why. Thanks to Officer Brian Pritchard for giving us an update via reports that tell a tangled tale. In short, Seattle Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Ecology have all been to the site, and private salvagers have been consulted, but no one has been able to figure out how to get the vehicle out, via land or sea, either towing it out, pulling it out, or even floating it out. So far, the only major action taken is that Ecology removed the fuel that was in the SUV’s gas tank.

(Monday photo, sent by Craig)

So what about the person who owns it? Apparently that’s not the person who showed up on a nearby resident’s doorstep asking for a ride early Friday. Police say they’ve spoken to the resident and they weren’t aware the vehicle was on the beach at the time. The vehicle wasn’t reported stolen, Officer Pritchard just told us, until a short time ago, when its owner contacted police to tell them her vehicle had been taken while she was visiting friends last Thursday in North Seattle. So it might be her responsibility – or her insurer – to figure out how to get it off the beach. We’ll continue following up.

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What’s the beach plan for this summer? Alki Community Council convenes city reps to discuss what they’ll do
April 19, 2024 10:35 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(WSB photo: SPD mobile precinct at Alki Beach Friday afternoon)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

At Thursday night’s Alki Community Council meeting, focused on city agencies’ plans for safety and cleanliness at the beach this summer, one attendee observed that past “pilots” for early closing times followed shootings.

“Maybe we can do this in advance of a shooting this year,” she said, with hope.

Maybe – but the closing-time decision has not yet been finalized, according to Katie Howard, one of the parks officials in attendance. Howard said the department is “still working out the details” and hopes they’ll have something to announce “within the next couple weeks … nothing is off the table right now.”

The meeting explored what’s planned for Alki Beach Park this spring/summer from several agencies’ perspective. One repeatedly mentioned theme: The city’s projected budget gap, and how that might affect staffing and services this summer; Howard said that will factor into the closing-time decision.

One new element: Seattle Park Rangers, with two representatives at the meeting.

Last year, the city had two rangers, and they were restricted to working at downtown parks. This year, they’ll have about 30 – though half of them are still at the academy until next month, at which time they’ll “go right into field training.”

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UPDATE: Police investigate another SUV abandoned on West Seattle beach
April 19, 2024 5:54 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

5:54 PM FRIDAY: Thanks to Craig for the photo. Police responded to West Seattle’s southwesternmost shore this afternoon – between Seola Beach and The Arroyos – to try to sort out how that Jeep Compass ended up in the water. First they had to be sure nobody was in the water. Dispatch checked the logs, and consulted the King County Sheriff’s Office, since this is close to the city-limit line, and found out a few things.

KCSO had a report of a hit-run around midnight involving a vehicle matching this description, near 30th/106th. And someone in the area reported giving the vehicle’s driver a ride to a bus stop around 1 am. What explanation they gave, we don’t know. Police who were back at the scene around 4 pm said they couldn’t access the vehicle because of the tide, which is going back out now.

P.S. Last reported case of SUV-on-the-beach was four weeks ago at Lincoln Park.

ADDED NOON SATURDAY: Thanks to the texter who sent this photo, saying it’s still there as of this morning:

It’s not visible from the public ends of either Arroyo Beach Drive or Seola Beach Drive – we tried looking Friday evening – so don’t bother trying to gawk.

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Park Rangers are coming to Alki Beach. Meet them and hear about other summer plans @ Alki Community Council on Thursday
April 16, 2024 11:56 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Summer is approaching and it’s time to find out what the plans are for keeping people safe at Alki Beach as the weather warms and crowds grow. The new leadership of the Alki Community Council is laser-focused on getting answers, and this Thursday is the night to join them – in person or online – to see what they’re finding out, and ask your own questions. For one – now that city Park Rangers are able to work outside downtown, they’ll be coming to Alki, and some will be at the ACC meeting to talk with community members. Another key guest, according to ACC president Charlotte Starck, will be Seattle Parks’ director of security Markeith Blackshire, with updates including beach hours this summer – will the earlier closings resume? Other beach-related issues the ACC is tackling include how city budget woes will (or won’t) affect park maintenance. Beyond the beach, plans for Whale Tail Park and the Alki Elementary play area are on the agenda too. And Southwest Precinct police will be there. All this in less than an hour and a half, if you can invest just a bit of time in your community. 7 pm is the start time at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) or online (here’s the link).

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WEST SEATTLE SCENES: In the sky, on the beach
April 11, 2024 8:37 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks for the photos!

Ann Adachi‘s image of the pre-sunset rainbow is the most vivid one we received. … Earlier in the day, before those glimpses of blue sky, clouds presided over a low-low tide:

Thanks to Lynn Hall for that view over Duwamish Head. Tomorrow’s low-low tide will be out to -2.0 feet, almost as low as today, at 2:19 pm. If you can’t get out to beachwalk until Saturday, it’ll be -1.4 feet at 3:07 pm. And all this is just a warmup for next month’s low-low tides – including -3.2 feet at 12:24 pm on May 9.

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WEST SEATTLE WILDLIFE: What you need to know about why dead sea lions aren’t quickly removed from beaches
April 6, 2024 11:29 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Even with a sign like that in view, people have asked about a dead sea lion that’s been in view on the beach at Constellation Park for a while. Though removal is not in the scope of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, we asked what they know about its status. That led to this explanation:

Many of you have seen Seal Sitters volunteers guarding vulnerable young harbor-seal pups resting onshore throughout the day. We also have the responsibility of responding to reports of deceased marine mammals that wash up on our local beaches.

When our hotline receives a report of a marine-mammal carcass on a public beach, a Seal Sitter first responder goes to the location. They take measurements, photos, and perform an external examination. This information along with the species type, degree of decomposition, and GPS coordinates will be entered into NOAA’s online national database. It is very important for scientific purposes that these deceased animals be reported. In some instances, a necropsy (animal autopsy) can be performed, depending on its condition and available resources. Seattle Parks and Recreation is always notified of the carcass’s location.

It is important to understand that NOAA’s stranding network, of which Seal Sitters is a member, is not responsible for the removal of these carcasses. Please note that it is illegal for anyone to push a dead animal back into the water once it has landed onshore. Towing and releasing or sinking requires a valid permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. Private property owners have a couple options. They can bury the carcass above the high tide line. They also can arrange for removal of the carcass by a company such as QAR (Quiet Animal Removal) for a fee.

Almost all California Sea Lions in our area are males and can reach up to 7.5 feet in length and weigh up to 700 pounds. Heavy equipment is required to remove them from the beach. Seattle Parks has the equipment to do this, but the carcass needs to be in an accessible location. Two CSL carcasses are currently on West Seattle public beaches. They have been reported to Seal Sitters and we have passed their location along to Seattle Parks, but they remain on the beach because they cannot be reached with the appropriate equipment. Seal Sitters’ first responders marked each carcass with biodegradable paint and placed informational signs nearby. The paint is applied for ID purposes, so if it floats to a different location on a high tide, it does not get double-counted. The signs inform passersby that the network is monitoring these dead animals’ locations and cautions against touching them for health reasons.

Seal Sitters wants to thank the West Seattle community for their support, and please continue to report both dead and live cases to our hotline at 206-905-7325.

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SPORTS: Fans, top-ranked beach volleyball teams take to Alki Beach for rare weekend of college sports in West Seattle
April 5, 2024 5:33 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Story and photos by Sean Golonka
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

While Division I athletics are a rare sight in West Seattle, the University of Washington beach-volleyball team and other top-ranked squads from across the country have come together for back-to-back weekend tournaments at Alki Beach.

Despite the cool, overcast weather in the low-50s this afternoon, the signs of spring — and volleyballs — were in the air, as scores of fans rallied around the beach to watch the Huskies (the 13th-ranked team in the country) take on #12 Arizona State and #2 Stanford.

In the Huskies’ first game of the day, pairs of two players battled across three sand courts in sets played to 21 points, while UW fans and visiting families donned team gear, jackets, and sweaters and gathered in chairs and on the steps leading down to the beach.

“Let’s go!” players shouted as they rallied for points against Arizona State. (The Huskies won, 3-2.)

With UW a ~20-minute drive away from West Seattle, top-level college sports rarely make an appearance in this part of the city, but since the NCAA officially sanctioned beach volleyball as a championship sport in the 2015-16 season, Alki has become a perennial home for the Huskies’ beach volleyball team.

After a set of Pac-12 North games wraps up this weekend, with UW additionally slated to play #7 California and unranked Oregon on Saturday (here’s the schedule), the Huskies will be back again next weekend for the Alki Beach Invitational.

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UPDATE: Beached sailboat at Alki
March 23, 2024 7:33 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

7:33 PM: This day that began with a beached SUV at Lincoln Park is concluding with a beached sailboat at Alki. Thanks to the reader who sent the photos with a tip about the SFD/SPD response by land and sea. It’s toward the west end of Alki (off the 3000 block).

So far as we can tell from emergency-radio exchanges, the person who was aboard the boat is unhurt, just stuck. The tide is going out right now, with low tide just after 11 pm, and the next high tide isn’t until 5:42 am tomorrow.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The boat’s still there. This update was sent by Andrew:

Talked to the fellow inside the boat and he said it was getting dark, he was trying to lower his sails, he was too close to shore (duh), and the wind got him. Wonder when the tide will be high enough to get him floating again…

According to the chart, next high tide is just after 5:30 pm, though it won’t be as high as the one this morning just after 5:30 am.

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FOLLOWUP: Car removed from water off Duwamish Head, 34 hours after crash
March 17, 2024 10:33 am
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Thanks to Lynn Hall for the photos! The car that went into Elliott Bay off Duwamish Head very early Saturday morning has just been pulled out, after this tow crew showed up.

They had police assistance on the water side:

And the flatbed will take it away:

The car was fully visible on the beach at low tide Saturday evening, as shown in photos added to our original coverage. We’ll be following up with police tomorrow on the status of the driver, a man in his early 20s who was not seriously hurt, and with Seattle Parks on whether any seawall/beach damage will need repairs.

ADDED MONDAY: SPD confirmed today that the driver was arrested for investigation of DUI.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Food trucks, beer, costumes @ Special Olympics of Washington’s Polar Plunge fundraiser
February 24, 2024 11:55 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

11:55 AM: Alki’s biggest post-holidays winter event is happening now – the Special Olympics of Washington Polar Plunge. The “plunging” doesn’t actually start until 1 pm, but the accompanying food-trucks-and-beer festival is happening now:

We counted 11 trucks – from west to east, Off the Rez, Thai-U-Up, Tabassum, Kathmandu MoMoCha, Whateke, The Cheese Pit, Sam Choy’s Poké to the Max, SeoulBowl, Theo’s Gyros, Alaska Weathervane Scallops.

Sorry, no lineup for the beer garden, but you can buy tokens for tastings:

And heaters are set up!

This is all scheduled to continue until around 4 pm, near Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki), with a costume contest coming up pre-plunge, shortly after noon.

ADDED 7:06 PM: Thanks to Robert Spears for sending photos from the costume contest and plunging!

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BEACH ALERT: Cormorant Cove closed because of sewage leak next door
February 13, 2024 11:49 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Utilities | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

Just in from Seattle Public Utilities:

Beach closure signs (are) posted near Cormorant Cove.

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) responded to reports of a broken (private) side sewer at 3717 Beach Drive SW on Saturday.

The customer hired a contractor to repair a small leak at one of the units. The customer is working with a contractor to perform the repair during favorable tidal conditions this week.

On the recommendation of Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC), SPU has posted signs notifying the public the beach in that immediate area is currently closed to water activities. SPU is working with PHSKC to determine when the beach can be reopened.

The listed address is that of the over-water Harbor West Condos immediately south of Cormorant Cove Park. We’ve reported on several previous sewage-leak problems there.

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TUESDAY: Last 13-foot ‘king tide’ of winter
February 12, 2024 10:44 am
|    Comments Off on TUESDAY: Last 13-foot ‘king tide’ of winter
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

This will happen tomorrow before our daily reminder list is out, so we’re mentioning it today: This winter’s final 13-foot “king tide” is expected at 7:24 am Tuesday (February 13). The weather’s relatively calm – no atmospheric conditions present to intensify the tidal peak – so no trouble is expected, but early-morning beachwalkers might be interested.

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WEST SEATTLE WILDLIFE: Seen on nighttime low-tide walk
February 10, 2024 10:22 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to Brandy DeWeese for photos from one of our featured Friday events – the Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists’ nighttime low-tide walk at Constellation Park south of Alki Point.

No organized event tonight – but the -2.3-foot low tide at 11:19 pm is almost as low as last night’s.

The volunteer beach naturalists are usually out at Constellation Park and Lincoln Park multiple times during summer’s daytime low tides – watch this webpage (and our calendar) for the schedule.

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About the deer carcass on Alki (WEDNESDAY UPDATE)
January 30, 2024 3:07 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

3:07 PM TUESDAY: We’ve also received multiple messages today about a startling sight toward the east end of Alki Beach – an animal carcass. Some thought it might be a goat but the first person who messaged us, Karen, reported it to city authorities, who told her it’s a young deer and that they were aware of it and planning to remove it. We don’t know if that’s happened yet but are checking. Karen saw it near 54th/Alki.

ADDED 2:57 PM WEDNESDAY: Karen noticed it was still there this morning, so made more calls. Meantime, we checked with Seattle Animal Shelter spokesperson Melissa Mixon, both about the status and about what to do in case of a dead animal. Her reply:

I checked in with the team and it looks like the deceased deer was removed from Alki early this afternoon. With respect to when the public should report a dead animal to SAS, we encourage them to do so any time they encounter a large, deceased animal. The shelter’s animal control team responds to these calls as soon as possible, pending other high-priority or emergency calls.

Smaller dead wildlife, under 15 pounds, should be double-bagged and placed in the garbage. This includes rats, squirrels, birds and other small wildlife. Residents can also bring an animal to the shelter for disposal, but are encouraged to please contact us for an appointment first.

The Seattle Animal Shelter is reachable at 206-386-PETS; you also can file a report (including for a dead animal) here. If you see a dead marine mammal, though, call Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, 206-905-SEAL.

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WEST SEATTLE WILDLIFE: A 2024 first for Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network
January 27, 2024 9:12 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

That photo by Antoine Smith – taken from a distance – shows a harbor seal that marked a milestone for Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network: The first live seal that SSMMSN volunteers have tended this year, according to David Hutchinson. The seal came ashore at Lincoln Park, where, David tells us, “The First Responder on duty reported that this seal looked healthy and returned to the water around 3 pm due to the rising tide.” If you see a marine mammal on shore – or one in distress offshore – in West Seattle, notify the SSMMSN hotline at 206-905-SEAL.

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VOLLEYBALL: UW hosting two tournaments on Alki Beach this spring
January 27, 2024 7:02 pm
|    Comments Off on VOLLEYBALL: UW hosting two tournaments on Alki Beach this spring
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

volley3(WSB photo, April 2016)

The first time the University of Washington beach-volleyball team came to Alki for a home match, in April 2016, the sun shone as if it were summer. Subsequent years have brought some sun, some rain. Whatever the weather brings, this year the UW will play at Alki on four days in April, according to the schedule announcement this week:

… The Huskies will host two consecutive home tournaments on Alki Beach. The first tournament is the “Pac-12 North Tournament” which takes place on [Friday-Saturday] April 5th and 6th and pits the Huskies against Stanford, Cal Oregon, and Arizona State. UW then welcomes Oregon again, Boise State, and Georgia State the following [Friday-Saturday] for the “Alki Beach Invitational.” …

The announcement notes that the Huskies are at the top of their game, so to speak, as they prepare to start the 2024 schedule on the road in Texas on February 23, “coming off their best season in program history, with a record number of wins, and finished ranked 15th, the first year-end ranking in school history.”

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Your next chance to run into the water at Alki with a crowd
January 3, 2024 9:22 am
|    Comments Off on Your next chance to run into the water at Alki with a crowd
 |   How to help | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, 2020 Polar Plunge)

Loved the New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim? Do it again as part of a fundraiser for Special Olympics Washington! The Polar Plunge is returning to Alki Beach next month. It’s a “winter beach party,” highlighted by the “plunge,” with food, drinks, and music, starting at 10 am Saturday, February 24th. Costume contest too! Registration is open now for individuals and teams – you can go here to sign up. This is one of four Polar Plunges that Special Olympics Washington is presenting this winter – the others are January 13th in the Tri-Cities, March 1st in Wenatchee, and Marh 9th in Anacortes.

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‘Be brave!’ You’re invited to the 2024 West Seattle New Year’s Polar Bear Plunge at Alki Beach
December 19, 2023 4:36 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(2022 photo by Robert Spears)

It’s back for 2024 – the New Year’s Day tradition that lines Alki Beach with hundreds of people ready to at least briefly submerge themselves in the chilly water of Puget Sound! We just received the announcement from organizer Mark Ufkes:

Optimists unite! Make no mistake about it; Life continues to get better! Our nation continues to get better! Remember, the glass is always way more than half full.

Alki Beach, West Seattle, again this year. We go into the water at 10:00 am sharp on January 1, 2024. Don’t be late. Over 1,000 participated last year, so plan for a crowd. We line up and down the quarter-mile beach, hold hands, and we start counting down from 10, 9, 8 . . . We yell “Happy New Year” and, together, rush wildly into the 47-degree water, screaming with joy! Holding hands and wearing bright colors seems to help. And we are only in the water for a short time. Yes, it’s a form of mild insanity, but a lot of fun too. And the hundreds of smiles before and after is the best part.

In our home, we have a candle service every Winter solstice (December 21), generally considered the end of the year by many ancient cultures. We blow out a candle to leave behind the complexities from last year, and then light the candle again, asking the Universe, in all her infinite wisdom (because God must be a woman after all) for more opportunities to be a better person.

Since our White Center home is too small for 1,000 of you, this year, we encourage all Polar Bear participants and guests to try this;

On a small piece of paper, write down what you want to leave behind from 2023 and what you want from the New Year for you, your family, and for our great nation. There will be a giant jar on a table at Alki beach, with a sign, and lots of pens and pads of paper, so that you can write and then insert your unsigned dreams and wishes list into the jar. We will save the contents for next year’s 2025 announcement.

Life is a clean slate on January 1. Be Brave. Take a deep breath of fresh mountain air. Inhale! Exhale!! Come share the joy of being alive here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Bring your friends and family. This is your year!

Requirements; be an Optimist, be in good health, bring a towel, good water shoes, a change of warm clothes and your hopes and dreams for 2024. 10:00 am sharp. And remember, how can we believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself?

While the crowd stretches quite a ways along the beach, Mark usually shouts the countdown from the vicinity of 57th/Alki.

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