My TrailLink

Everett-Seattle Interurban
New section of Seattle-to-Everett Interurban Trail opened

I have not ridden this section yet, but here is what MyEdmondsNews.com reported about the opening ceremony:
Go to
http://myedmondsnews.com/2012/06/edmonds-link-to-interurban-trail-officially-opened-through-lake-ballinger-neighborhood/
to view the writeup and see some pictures:
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Edmonds link to Interurban trail officially opened through Lake Ballinger neighborhood
Edmonds Bicycle Advocacy Group members Warren Bare, Peter Block and Peter Hallson wait for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to start.
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Carrie Hite presents a bicycle sculpture to Mayor Dave Earling at the Interurban Trail event.
It took 12 years, but the $1.8 million Edmonds link for the Seattle-to-Everett Interurban bicycle and pedestrian trail was officially opened Tuesday afternoon, marked by speeches and ribbon cutting at Ballinger Station, a landscaped rest area at 76th Avenue West and McAleer Way.
Past and present City of Edmonds, Snohomish County and Washington state elected officials, along with employees, contractors and members of the Lake Ballinger neighborhood gathered for the festivities celebrating the 1.3-mile section of trail connecting Shoreline to Mountlake Terrace.
Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling noted that the trail follows the route of the Interurban trolley line, which started in 1907 and ran from Seattle to Everett until 1939. “I always found it fascinating that the car put that rail system out of business. And we now have rail beginning to replace cars,” Earling said.
Earling also recognized the Ballinger family, who originally settled in the neighborhood in 1888 and generously gave property to the city that was necessary to complete the trail’s development. “They’ve only asked for one acknowledgement, and that is when we cut the ribbon today,” Earling said.
(According to an article in the August 2010 Edmonds Historical Museum newsletter, R.A. Ballinger, a judge and one-time Seattle mayor, purchased the island in the middle of what was then known as Lake McAlear for a $20 gold piece in 1901. He named the island for his father, and the lake eventually became known as Lake Ballinger.)
Dignitaries make it official as the ribbon is cut.
Edmonds City Council President Strom Peterson gave a shout-out to the Edmonds Bicycle Advocacy Group, which was represented by several members who bicycled to the ribbon cutting. Pointing to the group’s bicycle safety education efforts for Edmonds School District elementary and middle school students, Peterson called it “a tremendous program,” noting that “those kids will be able to take advantage of something like this (the trail).”
Numerous recognitions were also made by Edmonds Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Carrie Hite. In addition to thanking the many contractors and city employees who worked on the project, she recognized the project’s Lake Ballinger-area neighbors who “put up with us through all of the design and the purchase of the easements and the right of way access and the construction of the project. It’s been a long process and we really appreciate your patience.”
Then Hite presented a small wire bicycle figure to Jaime Hawkins, the City of Edmonds Capital Projects Manager who “has worked with finesse to get this project done on time, on scope and on budget.” She also gave a similar sculpture to Earling, adding with a smile that “I hope it can live in the mayor’s office, on your desk, because as we get to budget cuts, I want you to remember how important bikes and parks and everything that brings out healthy lifestyles and quality of living will be for you.”
The completed trail link heads north on 76th Avenue West from the section in Shoreline at State Route 104, continues to McAleer Way and follows the corridor to 228th Street Southwest, where it connects with the new southern terminus of the Mountlake Terrace trail. The trail also includes a spur that connects to Mathay Ballinger Park in Edmonds.
The trail includes a .47 mile 12-foot wide paved path, landscaping, a bench, signage, a bicycle rack, a drinking fountain, a shelter and an information kiosk. Bike lanes have also been added to 76th Avenue West and bike arrows to 74th Avenue West to complete the 1.37-mile section.
The trail extension was funded through $1.3 million in state and federal grants, with the remainder from the City’s Real Estate Excise Tax and utility funding.

Olympic Discovery Trail West Central - Lake and Foothills Section
Olympic Discovery Trail between Elwha River and suburbs of the town of Port Angeles

An important message to TrailLink Webmaster (please remove this before posting this trip report):
Please do not intersperse my photos among the existing ones. Post them together and in the correct sequence in which they are numbered.

Although the web site at http://www.olympicdiscoverytrail.com/trail_maps/pt_angeles_w.html already contains a detailed description of this trail (including a nice elevation profile software), I wanted to add a few observations and images to the TrailLink web site. Miles are in (parentheses), GPS coordinates are in {braces} and numbers in [brackets] refer to the numbered images posted herewith.
This is a description of Olympic Discovery Trail starting from the new Elwha River bridge and ending in suburbia of Port Angeles. The lower Elwha River bridge is hard to find. Traveling from Port Angeles on Highway 101 going west, just before the junction with Highway 112, take Laird Rd. to the right and Elwha River Rd. to the left, winding its way down past steep bluffs and a slide area. Before actually crossing the river, take a narrow, single lane road marked CrownZ Water Rd. with only one turnout to the left down to the parking area below the bridge(s). This road is NOT suitable for trailers or RVs. You should keep your window open and keep honking your horn as you slowly drive down to anticipate and alert oncoming traffic. Now we have this beautiful bridge, but the trail does not yet continue on the west side [1] {+48.11406; -123.55494} of the bridge. Downriver from the parking area is a waste water treatment plant and a fish hatchery, but it is not clear if visitors are welcome at the fish rearing ponds or not. Several months ago two dams upstream from here were removed and the river is now cutting into and eroding all the silt and sediment that had settled at the bottom of Lake Mills and Lake Aldwell during the decades of their existence and carrying it downstream. As a result, the otherwise crystal-clear water of the Elwha River is currently murky with silt and this problem will continue for several years [2]. After admiring the bridge construction with its dedicated pedestrian/bicycle deck suspended from the main bridge deck [3], I set my odometer at zero (0.0) and started the pleasant ride along the currently westernmost developed (paved) section of the Olympic Discovery Trail into town. The paved trail gains 200 ft. as it works its way up out of the Elwha River valley. There is a bench at a view point where one has a view across the valley (but the river is not visible at this time of the year with leaves on the trees). The paved surface trail ended at (1.93) Macee Way where there was active road construction with re-paving the main road and filling in a gravel bed for the foundation of the ODT trail that will run parallel to Macee Way {+48.12507; -123.53583} [4] until it crosses Lower Elwha Rd. On the other side of Lower Elwha Road, the Olympic Discovery continued and there was the familiar blue trail sign. At the moment, the trail continues on soft surface with freshly filled <1/8 in. crushed rock on a foundation of 1-inch crushed rock. A good combination for trail building, except the soil has settled unevenly and the ride is not very smooth. We hope they will smoothen it out before they apply a layer of asphalt. At (2.59) {+48.12367; -123.52352} is the new Dry Creek Bridge [5]. At (3.50) {+48.12761; -123.50489} the trail crosses W. 18th St. Here is a new trail head under construction with parking for 6 cars, a port-a-potty and signage and landscaping under construction [6]. At (4.27) {+48.13084; -123.48910} at W. 10th St. is another trail head [7] but without designated parking.
The trail now continued on W. Milwaukee Dr., and at (4.75) {+48.13167; -123.47930} reentered its own right-of-way, and then emerged in a residential area crossing N-street at its junction with W 6th St. Riding through the suburban residential area down to the waterfront did not seem very attractive and I turned around at this point. I'll have to explore the trail from the ferry dock out to the Ediz Hook light house on another occasion.
P.S.: For the more ambitious mountain biker, there is also the nearby Adventure Route at {+48.10697; -123.56316} [8] on the south side of Highway 112 just west of the middle Elwha River bridge, but that trail was not explored on this trip. This Adventure Route is a challenging mountain bike course with many improvements, but there does not yet seem to be a trail connection between the lower and the middle Elwha River bridges. The Adventure Route is being built by Clallam County volunteers as an adjunct to the Olympic Discovery Trail. There is roadside parking for a maximum of ten cars along Highway 112. The bulletin board [9] has a detailed map of the trail system. See http://www.olympicdiscoverytrail.com/side_trips/adventure_route.html

Olympic Discovery Trail East - Sound and Bay Section
Olympic Discovery Trail East - Sound and Bay Section (= Larry Scott Memorial Trail; Jefferson County)

An important message to TrailLink Webmaster (please remove this before posting this trip report):
Please post my photos together and in the correct sequence in which they are numbered.

Although the web site at http://www.olympicdiscoverytrail.com/trail_maps/pt_townsend.html already contains a detailed description of this trail, I wanted to add a few observations and images to the TrailLink web site. Miles are in (parentheses), GPS coordinates are in {braces} and numbers in [brackets] refer to the numbered images posted herewith.
This is a description of Olympic Discovery Trail East - Sound and Bay Section (= Larry Scott Memorial Trail) between the Port Townsend Marina and S. Discovery Rd.
I accessed the trail at Fredericks Rd. close to where it crosses under Highway 20 and then traveled in both directions to the end of trail. Starting at the bus stop at Fredericks Rd. (0.0) {+48.08955; -122.81612} [1] is not a good idea because there is barely enough parking space for one car and the bus stop is a NO PARKING zone. I should have started at the Cape George Rd. trail head, which has ample parking. I biked the trail from Fredericks St. in both directions.
Going towards Port Townsend first, at (0.23) {+48.09162; -122.81581} [2] I came to the underpass under Highway 20 where four paved trail stubs go in four different directions, but only the one going to Port Townsend was marked by a directional sign. The trail is otherwise well marked with trail signs, but destination of the other three trails branching off at this crossing should be marked as well. This is the only short section where the Larry Scott Memorial Trail is paved. The rest of the trail in both directions has a soft surface covered with a very small (<1/8 inch) grade of well-packed packed crushed rock, smaller than crushed rock used at many other rails-to-trails conversions. This is a nice, smooth surface that can be traveled even with a street bike (but not with in-line skates as suggested on the R-t-T-C web site!). At (0.96) {+48.09886; -122.81143} [3] the trail crosses Mill Rd. and at (1.59) {+48.09688; -122.79904} the trail crosses Thomas St. next to the Port Townsend paper mill [4] with its rising steam plumes that are visible from far away. All these crossings are well marked. The next section of the trail offers scenic views out over Port Townsend Bay as the trail travels below a flower-covered bluff [5] and past a rusted iron sculpture "Leafwing" [6]. It ends (begins, depending on which direction you are traveling) at (2.8) next to a shipyard and marina where there is a parking area, mile marker 0.0 [7] {+48.10587; -122.77901} and permanent toilet facilities. I happened to be there on the weekend when the Jefferson County Trails Coalition [8] and the Back Country Horsemen of Washington had set up tents along the trail to celebrate "Longest Day of Trails" and to inform the trail users about their activities. This is where the Jefferson County Trails Coalition people had their tent and accepted donations for further improvement and expansion of the trail.
Traveling from Fredericks Rd. in the other direction, going south, I reset my odometer for a another set of distance measurements. One can cross Highway 20 (a very dangerous undertaking) and pick up the trail [9] opposite from the bus stop, or follow the paved section of trail to the underpass and then make two left turns (a safer route). The southbound trail travels through mostly flat farm land with many horse barns. At (1.13) {+48.09133; -122.83817} [10] is the Cape George Rd. trail head with ample parking, a port-a-potty, a water faucet and a bulletin board with a trail map. Just short of Douglas Way, the old, now overgrown RR grade is blocked by a gate and PRIVATE PROPERTY signs [11] and the trail veers to the left to detour around the parcel that the county was not able to acquire for trail construction. The trail entered Douglas Way where there were no signs indicating in which direction it continues {+48.06778; -122.83944}. Following Douglas Way to the right is the right choice. At the corner of Douglas Way and S. Discovery Rd. the trail became a narrow mountain bike trail as it paralleled S. Discovery Rd. before eventually crossing it at (3.55) {+48.06437; -122.83732}. The trail crossed S. Discovery Rd., but on the other side the trail was blocked by a TRAIL CLOSED sign [12]. There was survey tape strung all over the trees to mark the area to be cleared for future trail construction. We'll have to come back in a year from now and explore the new trail section going south toward the golf course and eventually all the way to Milo Curry Rd. and Four Corners.
If you time it right, you may see native rhododendron blooming along the trail [13].
Nearby overnight camping opportunities are at Fort Townsend State Park and Fort Worden State Park.

East Lake Sammamish Trail
Section of East Lake Sammamish Trail closed again for up to one year for additional paving work

I like East Lake Sammamish Trail the way it is, but some people want to spend a lot of money to pave it with asphalt. The paved 12-foot-wide asphalt trail is much wider than it has to be. This is a waste of resources. Here is the latest announcement:
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http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/dnrp/newsroom/newsreleases/2012/may/0509ELST.aspx

May 9, 2012
Pavement, other improvements coming to East Lake Sammamish Trail in Issaquah
Year-long closure in Issaquah allows King County to replace soft-surface trail with blacktop, soft-surface shoulders, better street crossings, drainage and more

Upgrades are coming to King County’s East Lake Sammamish Trail (ELST) through Issaquah, including removing the existing gravel trail and constructing a 12-foot-wide asphalt trail with gravel shoulders, installing concrete sidewalk connections, retaining walls, fencing and signage, plus wetland mitigation planting and landscaping.
A 2.2-mile-long stretch of the trail from Northwest Gilman Boulevard to Southeast 43rd Way will be closed to all users during construction, which could take up to one year. The closure is expected to begin May 14.
The extensive scope of work in the trail’s narrow corridor requires complete closure of the trail. Trail users are advised to find alternate routes around the closed portion.
Nearby East Lake Sammamish Parkway features both bike lanes and sidewalks for ELST users who want to travel along the eastern shoreline of the lake and around the closed stretch of trail. Those who simply want to get out on a trail are encouraged to visit other portions of King County’s 175-mile regional trails system during construction.
The upgrades will make the trail accessible to a wider range of users, including bicyclists with narrow tires, inline skaters and others. Upgraded intersection and street crossing treatments will also be installed.
The estimated cost of completing the Issaquah segment is $2.74 million, with funding provided by the 2008-2013 voter-approved King County Open Space and Trails Levy, the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program.
This project is the second segment of the ELST to be converted from the interim soft-surface trail to the finished master-planned trail. The Redmond segment was completed November 2011, while design of the North Sammamish Segment began December 2011 and construction is expected to begin in 2013.
King County purchased the 11-mile-long East Lake Sammamish rail banked corridor in 1998. An interim soft-surface trail was completed in 2006.
The ELST follows an historic railroad route along the eastern shore of Lake Sammamish within the cities of Redmond, Sammamish and Issaquah. Part of the “Locks to Lakes Corridor,” the trail follows an off-road corridor along the lake and through lakeside communities.
Once the ELST is fully developed, it will be part of a 44-mile-long regional urban trail corridor from Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood to Issaquah. More information is available at www.kingcounty.gov/eastlakesammamishtrail.

Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Snoqualmie Valley Trail, Southeast Segment

Read this:
TrailLink Webmaster:
Please do not intersperse my photos among the existing ones. Post them together and in the correct sequence in which they are numbered!!!
Please remove this instruction before posting the trip report.

Snoqualmie Valley Trail, Southeast Segment
It is unfortunate that the Snoqualmie Valley Trail between Duvall and Cedar Falls is not contiguous, but a section is missing between Tokul Creek Road and the bridge at Reinig Road. It is also deplorable that it does not connect to the Preston-Snoqualmie trail along the old RR right-of-way past Snoqualmie Falls. The Rails to Trails website contains numerous photos taken on the southeast segment of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail between Reinig Road bridge and Cedar Falls. The TrailLink website displays them in a disordered, random sequence, and we do not have a mile-by-mile detailed account of this scenic section of trail. Here we describe a nice afternoon ride along that section of the trail and a bit beyond to where it connects with the Iron Horse Trail. Miles are in (parentheses), GPS coordinates latitude;longitude are in {braces} and numbers in [brackets] refer to the images posted herewith. The first section of the trail is level and in the plains surrounding North Bend, WA, and then it gains only 450 ft. elevation between I-90 and Cedar Falls. Trail surface is packed gravel and very easy to ride on, even with a street bike.
Starting at Reinig Road bridge, which Harvey Manning once referred to as 1910 bridge (after the black iron sign marking its year of construction), this is mile (0.0) {47.52979;-121.80661} [1]. At (0.79) {47.51904;-121.79904} is Meadowbrook Slough, a good place to observe water fowl (and, not far from here, at Mt. Si Golf Course, golfers. Beware of low flying golf balls!). In the winter, the surrounding meadows provide forage for a herd of 40+ elk which can sometimes (dawn or dusk) be seen from the Snoqualmie Valley trail (there are several elk tracks crossings) or from a new paved trail going through Meadowbrook Farm Park paralleling Boalch Ave. A welded steel arch "Water Echo" [2] is an art object created by students of a local school. At (2.14) {47.50222;-121.78648} the trail crosses the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River [3] on a steel pony truss bridge [4] for the first time. At (2.58) {47.49676;-121.78173} is a convenient access point at Ballarat Ave. in North Bend adjacent to a school with a large parking lot and a trail bulletin board/pavilion [5]. This point is not far away from Route 209 Metro bus stops on Bendigo. If there is a need to use a restroom, it may be possible to visit the nearby North Bend Library at 115 E. 4 th Street. At (4.82) {47.47587;-121.74702} the trail crosses North Bend Way [6] at the location of the former Tanner lumber saw mill, a trail access point with plenty of parking. The trail crosses under I-90 and at (5.30) {47.47019;-121.74186} comes to the second crossing of the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River [7][8]. At (6.52) is a picnic table, but it is in the woods and not placed at any of the more scenic spots of this trail. One of the more scenic spots is where the trail crosses under the powerline, with views of the Zorro cut and Mailbox peak [9]. At (7.36) is a trestle over a gully bridging an unnamed creek, close to a sign marking Boxley Creek Natural Area [10] where trampled trails are branching of on both sides, waiting to be explored on foot. At (9.73) {47.43537;-121.76851} is the trailhead for the Rattlesnake Ledge trail, a very popular trail where one would have difficulty finding a parking spot on a weekend. If it was not for the popularity of this place on a weekend, this would be a convenient access point to both Rail-to-Trail conversion trails. The elevation gain to this point is 570 ft. Here one can interrupt the bike ride and enjoy a swim in Rattlesnake Lake or sit and rest on the lake shore and enjoy the scenery, looking up to Rattlesnake Ledge [11]. For the more energetic biker, a short excursion up the lower section of the Iron Horse Trail is a potential add-on extension of this afternoon outing. Here (9.8) {47.43309;-121.76619} is the connection between the end of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail and the start of the Iron Horse Trail [12]. In the summer months at this Iron Horse State Park parking lot at Cedar Falls one can board a shuttle bus (http://www.busup90.com/) to hitch a ride up to Hyak and then ride through the 2.3-mile long Snoqualmie tunnel back down to Cedar Falls. (One can also ride the bus down from Hyak to Cedar Falls, but that is less fun.) Cedar Falls [13] was once a major support station for the Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad where additional locomotives were hitched to the trains to help them ascend the steep grade to Snoqualmie Pass. A trail sign [14] gives distances from Cedar Falls to other destinations along the Iron Horse Trail which would require a separate day trip. At (10.49) {47.43284;-121.75248} the Iron Horse trail crosses Boxley Creek [15]. At (12.65) the trail crosses Boetzke Creek [16] with a view of Boetzke Falls somewhat obstructed by trees and in the shade, a nice waterfall when it is flowing full throttle during the snowmelt. At (12.86) {47.44002;-121.70991} we ended our excursion at the location of a former railroad camp and quarry, RAGNAR [17], a convenient turnaround point for an afternoon outing. The elevation gain to this point was 830 ft. On the return trip, time permitting, one should visit the City of Seattle Public Utilities Watershed Education Center [18], fill up all water bottles with the best water in the world, learn about the importance of protecting the water shed and creatures living therein, and listen to the rythmic polyphony of water droplets hitting the drums in the water garden [19].

Cascade Trail
Cascade Trail, one-way westbound

To: TrailLink Webmaster
Please do not intersperse my photos among the existing ones. Post them together and in the correct sequence in which they are numbered.

This is a detailed exploration of the entire length of the Cascade Trail from Concrete to Sedro-Woolley. Miles are in (parentheses), GPS coordinates are in {braces} and numbers in [brackets] refer to the images posted herewith. Although a trip report by toolbear posted on August 27, 2009 already contained some nice pictures, I have added another 22 more up to date and geo-coded pictures with this report covering the entire length of the trail. This is a trip report on taking the public transportation bus from Sedro-Woolley to Concrete and a one-way bicycle ride from Concrete to Sedro-Woolley (downhill but into a head wind). The frustrating part of the start of my bicycling adventure was trying to find the bus stop where SKAT Route 8/Route 117 stops eastbound, since this bus route does not follow SR20 while in town, but zig-zags through the neighborhood and the map at http://www.skagittransit.org/page-1412.html and in the printed timetable is too coarse to be useful. Coming on SR20 eastbound, I was led to believe that this bus stop is close to the Fruitdale/SR20 trailhead, when the actual start of the trail is further west on Polte Rd., separated from SR20 by an industrial/commercial complex and not visible from SR20. There is a parking place for 5 vehicles, a picnic table and a trail map at this mile post zero {N48.50914;W122.22413}. The bus stop I was looking for is about two blocks south of there at the corner of Township St. and Wicker Rd. [1] where it goes south on Township and and then turns east onto Wicker. As of May 2012, the SKAT Route 8/Route 117 runs five times on weekdays and twice on Saturdays. All busses have bike racks. I got off the Route 8 bus at the entrance to the town of Concrete where the bus route crosses the Cascade Trail just off SR20 and right next to the old cement silos. The bus continues, but I did not know where the next bus stop would be in the upper part of the historic town. From the silos you can ride the trail 0.6 miles to the actual eastern end of the trail at the Concrete Center, a senior center, and turn around {N48.53851;W121.75162} [2][3]. The railroad once continued further east to Rockport, but the condition of that RR grade is unkown. For those who are arriving in their own cars (and take the bus at the end of the day coming back up), there is plenty of parking at the Senior Center, but no facilities. There is a public toilet on Main Street across from Upper Skagit Library or you can visit the library facilities if you are there while the UpperSkagit Library is open.
Our mileage count for this trip report starts from the Senior Center (0.00). For railroad history buffs: at (0.19) next to the Post Office sits an old passenger railroad wagon {N48.53851;W121.75162} [4] which has seen better days, but now the windows are boarded up and the car is left to rot, sitting on a short section of track. This would make a perfect location for a snack bar and espresso stand. At (0.63) [5] you come past the old cement silos and begin the real trail adventure. A sign points to the Concrete Historic Byway and explains the history of the town and the silos [6]. There are no facilities at Silo Park (north of the silos) which is now a town park (not a county park). For the tired hiker and biker in need of a rest stop, there are at least 14 sitting benches every few miles along the entire length of this trail to sit down and rest and enjoy the view (only one of those benches had been vandalized). For the next 3 miles the trail is high above Highway 20 in the woods. At (3.05) {N48.54236;W121.80791} is a picnic table [7] above a vinyard. At (6.73) {N48.53327;W121.88358}, the bridge over Grandy Creek is gone, so one has to detour [8] for a few hundred yard and cross the creek on the busy highway bridge which does have a pedestrian sidewalk. At (6.92) {N48.53249;W121.88671} the trail crosses Baker Lake Road [9]. Baker Lake Road is the point of access to a very scenic recreational area including lakes for boating, fishing, swimming, camping, climbing, hiking, biking and a hot spring. Take a week off and explore it if you have the time. There are two types of mileage markers along the south side of the Cascade trail: the old square RR signs, black numbers on white background, and modern signs on plastic poles placed by Skagit County Parks, some even with GPS coordinates and elevation written in felt marker (but slowly fading in the weather). You cannot see these modern markers when you come from the east since they carry the mileage number only on the west side of the pole. The first one I noticed at (7.43) was mileage marker 16 {N48.53028;W121.89767} [10], which happened to be next to a narrow trail where one can scramble down the steep bank and cross the highway to go to Baker Lake Grocery for refreshments. As far as the old B&W RR mileage signs, I remember seing a 42 at Concrete and a 23 near Fruitdale. The two types of mileage markers are not co-located, but off-set. At (9.92) {N48.52406;W121.95027} [11] is a bridge over Alder Creek.
Approaching the SR20 crossing, a herd of about 20 beefalos [12] on a pasture to the north was stampeding when they saw me coming and they were racing me along the fence all the way to the west end of the pasture (they won). That was an exciting experience.
The crossing of SR 20 is at (10.67) {N48.52453;W121.96620} [13] and from now on the trail runs south of SR20, between the highway and the Skagit River. At (11.56) a section of trestle across a lilypad pond (an old riverbed oxbow) is missing and a barricade {N48.52515;W121.98528} [14] prevents us from going straight into the pond, requiring us to make a short <100 yards detour out onto Lyman-Hamilton Road. Somewhere between the lilypad lake and mile marker 11 we are crossing the 122nd Meridian as we travel west. For the next 3 miles one is tempted to trade the gravel trail for smooth asphalt pavement and use Lyman-Hamilton Road which parallels the trail to the "city" of Lyman. Supposedly, as described in Trail Bears earlier trip report, there is a city park in Lyman with facilities, but it is not evident from the trail where one has to leave the trail to visit this park (there are no signs along the trail). At 15.8, just past the RR 29 mile marker, starts a scenic stretch of trail with a nice view of the mighty Skagit River [15] [16] (Skagit River is the third largest River on the west coast of the U.S.). This area attracts hundreds of bald eagles in the winter that feast on spawned out salmon carcasses on the river banks. At (16.12) {N48.52373;W122.08213} is the most scenic bench [17] of the entire trail with a nice view of the river. The trail then leaves the river front view and enters a wetland section. At (18.17) {N48.52242;W122.12596} [18] a section of the trail that once was a puncheon boardwalk is flooded by 1-2 inches of water because a creek (Powell or Wiseman Creek?) has shifted its creekbed which was once further west and is now dry. After a washed out section and the dry creek crossing, for the next 2 miles the trail goes through open farmland and a wetland restoration project and at (22.23) {N48.51581;W122.21028} arrives at the Fruitdale Road trailhead [19] [20] which has lots of parking and a portable toilet. It seems most people parking here on weekdays are doing it for ride-share and are not trail users. At (23.03) {N48.50914;W122.22413} is the western terminus of the trail end with a picnic table [21] and a trail map [22] and enough parking for 5 cars. There is an undeveloped section of the old RR grade continuing west into town, but it is not yet rideable. Between Concrete and Sedro-Woolley, on this mid-week day I saw 3-4 parties walking on the trail and only one eastbound through-biker with four heavy panniers on his bike. If you do this ride as a one-way ride, you need to decide if you want to ride eastbound (uphill, elevation gain 160 ft.) or westbound (downhill). I thought riding downhill would be easier, but that was a big mistake. All day I had to struggle against a stiff west wind, which was worse than riding uphill. The prevailing wind direction in this area during fair weather is a west wind.

Skagit County has done a great job converting this RR grade to a multi-user trail. They chose the right size of gravel that packs well (and is easy to ride on with 1.95 inch mountain bike tires) and they converted a very large number (at least 20) trestles to well-designed, sturdy trail bridges. All blackberries along the trail were destroyed by spraying with herbicide in 2011 and only a few thimble berries got spared. All the washouts shown in previous pictures have been repaired and it is not necessary to walk any overgrown bypass trails. I did not see any portable toilets at the Baker Lake Road or Challenger Road access points.

For a description of the trail, illustrated with 12 photos, see
http://www.skagitcounty.net/Common/asp/default.asp?d=ParksAndRecreation&c=General&p=parks/cascadetrail.htm
and download the map at
ftp://ftp.skagitcounty.net/GIS/Documents/Parks/cas-trail.pdf
If I had looked at the lower left hand corner of the trail map beforehand, I would have seen that the bus stop of Route 117 is at Wicker and Township, and that would have saved me some frustration in planning for this bike ride. That map fails to show Rasar State Park.

The town of Concrete is well-named. Well, it was. Because of limestone minerals mined in nearby quarries, this small community in the Skagit Valley became a regional center of cement production. Beginning in 1905, portland cement was manufactured in the town from limestone and used to build the several dams that now generate hydroelectric power in the upper reaches of the Baker River and Skagit River. For the rock hounds and geology enthusiasts among us, see
http://nwgeology.wordpress.com/the-fieldtrips/baker-river-limestone-and-the-town-of-concrete-washington/ and for the history, see
http://concrete-wa.com/about-concrete/

If you want to make a loop trip instead of doing the back-and-forth or hitching a ride on the bus for one way, there is a potential of making a 60-mile loop by taking the South Skagit Highway, crossing the river on bridges in Concrete and on SR 9 in Sedro-Woolley. Another loop or Figure 8 trip is possible along SR20 but I would not want to ride on SR20 under any circumstances as suggested by other trip reports.

While I was in the area, my base camp was at the new Rasar State Park (which is not yet shown on older maps), which you can connect to by taking N. Russel Rd. off SR20 a bit east of the junction of Baker Lake Rd. and then on Capehorn Rd. going west. This is a beautiful park with an extensive trail system along the river and modern facilities, including rental cabins. The other connection from Rasar State Park back to the Cascade Trail is via Lusk Rd. or Pinelli Rd.

For up-to-date SKAT information, please note that the URL once listed on the RTC web site was incorrect. The correct URL is http://www.skagittransit.org/page-1412.html.

Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Snoqualmie Valley Trail crossing of Tolt River Bridge re-opens

Bridge construction at the Tolt River Bridge is complete, save a few cleanup jobs and re-greening of the banks, and the SV trail has re-opened. The photos submitted here show the construction work as it was nearing its completion in October 2011. Several vital utilities including a sewer line are crossing on this bridge.
See
http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/trails/regionaltrailssystem/svt.aspx
Quoting from:
http://kingcountyparks.wordpress.com/alerts/
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November 23, 2011
Snoqualmie Valley Trail: Tolt bridge improvement project nearly done – trail is open to the public
The Snoqualmie Valley Trail is now re-open to the public, as the Tolt Bridge approach improvement project is being completed on time and on budget. Remaining tasks include landscaping and site restoration and finishing up the guard rails, but these activities can be completed with the bridge in use by the public. The bridge improvements were necessary for safety reasons and now allow for unrestricted access by pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians, and emergency and utility vehicles.
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East Lake Sammamish Trail
East Lake Sammamish Trail reopened

A short section at the north end of the trail has been paved and re-opened as of November 2011. You can now ride all the way from Issaquah to Redmond and beyond on this trail without having to use busy streets with narrow shoulders. I was surprised to see how wide the paved path is now. The paving is much wider than necessary, IMHO if the paving was 60% as wide as it is now, it would have been perfectly sufficient for busy weekend traffic in both directions with wheelchairs and baby strollers and bicycles in between.
The other good news is that the City of Sammamish has also almost finished construction of the new Sammamish Landing Park between the East Lake Sammamish Trail (ELST) and Lake Sammamish. There are two picnic shelters with four picnic tables, two BBQ grills, a space for a portable toilet and a short section of walking trail along a meadow. This is a beautiful new addition to the trail and the City of Sammamish should be congratulated to this achievement. That new park is worthwhile to make it a destination when you ride the ELST. See attached photos.
See
http://www.ci.sammamish.wa.us/departments/parksandrec/projects/SammamishLanding.aspx
There is no parking anywhere nearby, so the only access is by the ELST.

Iron Horse State Park
Iron Horse Trail from South Cle Elum Depot to Tunnel 47

This section of the Iron Horse Trail from South Cle Elum Depot to Tunnel 47, one of the two closed Thorp tunnels, does not see much bicycle or hiking traffic while the tunnel closure continues. Tunnel 50 (Snoqualmie Pass) fortunately has been reopened in July 2011 but is usually closed for several months every winter, starting in November. It is not known if and when Tunnels 46 and 47 will be repaired and re-opened so that we can travel all the way to Ellensburg without having to use a detour.

All trail sections west of Cle Elum have received multiple descriptions posted by other trail users on this TrailLink website, but the section east of Cle Elum has not received much attention. Actually, the section along the Yakima River is so scenic, that it was even included as a hike in "100 Hikes in the Alpine Lakes", 1st Ed. (1985), page 184. I have supplemented this trail report with GPS coordinates and photos in the hope that RTC staff can use them later to add geocoded info to the trail description. The photo number in upper left hand corner is keyed to numbers in [brackets] in this report. I hope that my photos will display in the numbered sequence and not randomly interspersed with the other photos already posted.

A Discover Pass is required to park at the South Cle Elum Depot. Sightseeing at the Depot is worthwhile and has already been described in detail in a posting on this web site by ToolBear on September, 3, 2010.

Going east, the first four miles of trail surface are quite loose gravel, a little more strenuous to ride on than the remaining 8 miles where maintenance trucks have packed the gravel for easier riding. Several culverts under the trail have recently been replaced and those heavy construction trucks helped to pack the trail bed. Actually, for the last part of the 4-mile loose gravel stretch, a road (Lower Peoh Point Rd.) parallels the trail with several driveway connections crossing the trail, and one is tempted to leave the trail and opt for smooth asphalt pavement (as long as you find a connection to lead you back to the trail where the trail and paved road diverge). Starting at the Depot (mile 0, N47.18387, W120.95373, elev. 1932), the trail crosses two streets (6th Street and South Cle Elum Way, but no white stripes on the street mark the trail crossings) and several driveways and at 2.9 mi. comes to a crossing with River Ranch Lane road and the start of detour instructions** [1] [2] (N47.17656, W120.89542, elev. 1900) before the (now dead-ended) trail continues under the freeway I-90. There is a yellow sign with a bicycle and an arrow pointing right and 14.5 MILES (presumably the length of the detour). From here Lower Peoh Point Rd. on the south continues to parallel the trail until you come to a gate [3] at 4.3 mi., N47.16742, W120.86567, el. 1900. (Someone suggested to cheating and parking at this gate and riding from there - there is no designated parking and don't block the gate! There is no designated parking at this location). While up to here the scenery left and right of the trail was not too enticing (pastures and isolated ranch houses), the scenery becomes more dramatic at mile point 5 where the Yakima River and its confluence with the Teanaway River come into view. At 5.3 mi. is the first of three picnic areas with a picnic table [4] N47.16735, W120.84793, el.1860.43. From here on the trail stays mostly within view of the river and sometimes old Highway 10 on the other side of the river. At 6.25 mi. is the second picnic area, Turkey Gulch [5] N47.16489, W120.82948, el.1866. At 7.3 mi. is the third picnic area, Ponderosa [6] N47.15821, W120.81028, el. 1844. At 8.1 mi. the overflow water from an irrigation ditch comes cascading down a steep hillside [7] and spills into the river N47.14769, W120.80868, el. 1813. It looks like a waterslide in an amusement park but it is a bit too steep for my taste and instead of landing in a pool it funnels through a narrow pipe, deadly for sure. Along the trail is an old dilapidated shack [8] and two cattle gates. At 12.5 mi. the trail ends (for now) at Tunnel 47 [9] N47.12250, W120.73223, el.1759. Even at low water, there are no easy bypasses past Tunnel 47 on the river side since the river has carved out a steep cliff [10] and going steeply overland crosses private property. The cement lining on the walls and ceiling of the tunnel is crumbling [11]. There is not much elevation loss between the Depot and here (-180 ft.) and riding back up is easy. It is unfortunate that at no point the trail provides an easy access to the river, presumably because Washington State Parks owns only a narrow strip of land and all land left and right of the old RR grade is still private land. In the future, Washington State Parks should look into acquiring some of the chord-shaped pieces of land between the trail and the river that otherwise have no established access road.

---------------
** Just for those who did not read the detour instructions at
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Iron%20Horse
here is a repeat of what is posted on that web site and at the trailside where the detour starts:

Tunnel 46 and 47 detour directions are as follows:

Eastbound travelers will find a map and detour signs three miles east of Cle Elum.
Follow the yellow bicycle signs with orange flags south off the JWPT.
Westbound travelers from Thorp will find the same detour signs east of Taneum Road; this route is south of the JWPT.
From the west, the detour starts at River Ranch Lane. Travel south to Lower Peoh Point Rd.
Travel east approximately 150 feet to Watson Cutoff Rd.
Turn south on Watson Cutoff Rd to Upper Peoh Point Rd.
Travel east four miles on Upper Peoh Point.
When the road turns to Thorp Prairie Rd., travel east on Thorp Prairie Rd 13 miles to E Taneum Rd.
Then travel northeast on E Taneum Rd. for two miles to the trail crossing.

Iron Horse State Park
Iron Horse Trail from Hyak to Cedar Falls

We were two of the first bicycle riders since the re-opening of the tunnel to ride the shuttle bus up and ride through the tunnel and back down on the Iron Horse Trail. The tunnel has undergone major improvements with the drain ditches on both sides now covered by boards and fiber cloth to keep the silt out of the water. The washout on the east portal has been repaired and the road rebuilt. The road surface in the tunnel has received a new layer of crushed rock and is graded completely smooth. If you ride through the tunnel, dress warmly and waterproof since it always drips from the ceiling. Entering the tunnel is like entering a refrigerator. Temperature in the tunnel is 38-40 F. After exiting the tunnel and starting to ride downhill, we saw five bear scats on the trail but only within 3-4 miles of the tunnel exit and none of the animals was to be seen. This is a scenic ride and there are lots of flowers blooming on the rocks at the trailside at this time of the year. There are several picnic tables, two campgrounds, three outhouses and two portable toilets between Hyak and Cedar Falls. This will soon be as popular as the Hiawatha tunnels in Idaho-Montana, except the Iron Horse trail surface is in better condition.

Iron Horse State Park
Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel reopening and Shuttle Bus service resuming

Dear bicycling friends: GOOD NEWS!
I just received note that the shuttle between Rattlesnake Lake (=Cedar Falls) and Hyak will resume on July 1, 2011.
Go and look at the web site
http://www.busup90.com
Welcome to Bus-Up 90 !
Snoqualmie Shuttle Service to Resume in July 2011
GOOD NEWS!!!
The John Wayne Pioneer Trail and Snoqualmie Tunnel will officially reopen July 5, 2011,with a big celebration and trail ride. It's all part of the 40th Anniversary of the Mountain to Sound Greenway, and Bus-Up 90 is very proud to be an official part of it. We're now accepting reservations for shuttle service between Cedar Falls and Hyak Trailheads.
2011 Inaugural Shuttle Schedule: (Starting July 1)
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays:
Upbound, Leave Cedar Falls Trailhead at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM.
Downbound, Leave Hyak Trailhead at 10:00 AM, 12:00 NN, 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.
Fares will be $22 per person each way, with discounts for military, children under 12, and family groups of 4 or more. Pre-paid reservations are highly recommended, but walk ups will be accommodated on a space-available basis.
Our online reservation system is not yet operational, however you can make pre-paid reservations by phone, between 9 AM and 5 PM, using your Visa or Mastercard, by calling 1-877-BUS UP 90. (That's 1-877-287-8790.) Each trip can accommodate 21 passengers and bicycles. Additional shuttle services for hikers may also be available.

Whitehorse Trail
Whitehorse Trail from Swede Heaven to Darrington

Went back to re-inspect the eastern end of the Whitehorse Trail. It was a little more overgrown than I remember it from last year. The trail surface is quite rideable with a mountain bike or a sturdy street bike. At one place the Stillaguamish North Fork River is nibbling into the steep bank and we are going to lose part of the trail there within a few years. There is some illegal quad ORV activity on the east end of the trail, but actually that moderate motorized vehicle use improves the trail surface somewhat by packing down the gravel and makes it easier to ride.

Centennial Trail (WA)
Centennial Trail Extension North

We went back to explore the status of future trail extension north of Bryant to the county line. Construction has not yet resumed. Apparently the contractor is waiting for the area to dry out before they can move in with heavy equipment. The conditions are unchanged compared to what is described in my previous trail report. But the short 3-mile ride north of Haller Park and across the bridge is always fun.

Klickitat Trail
Klickitat Trail

This is a detailed but incomplete trip report about a mountain bike outing on the Klickitat Trail through the lower part of the Swale Canyon and from Klickitat to Lyle along the scenic Klickitat River. Numbers in [brackets] refer to the 20 photos submitted with this report. This trail had not received a trip report since 2004, yet many positive changes have taken place since. Due to logistic limitations, I could not ride the entire 31-mile length of the trail one-way from Warwick or Harms Road to Lyle (or do the 45-mile loop), so this report covers only two segments, adding up to only little more than half of the total length. The trail is described here in the easier direction, going downhill, although the grade is modest and the elevation difference is only 770 ft. The upper segment is in Swale Canyon, starting the description at an arbitrary point where I turned around at a trestle across Swale Creek [1] about 4 mi. upcreek from the trail head at Wahkiacus/Horseshoe Bend. The remaining 8 miles along Swale Creek from here will have to be explored on a later trip. For this time, for this description, let's assume that this trestle is mile zero, N45.78428, W121.07109 on my GPS. On the USGS map this place is marked as 768T but the GPS gave the elevation as 874 ft. The trestle 21 where I turned around does not have any decking, but the ties are spaced close enough together that it is easy to walk across. At 0.5 mi., N45.78890, W121.06304, a short section of trestle has been inundated by a washout with rocks but it is easy to walk around. There are several back country residences with lots of trash strewn around on either side of the trail and residents use the old RR grade as access road. That vehicle traffic actually helps a bit in compacting the trail surface for the first 3.5 mi. east of the Wahkiacus trail head, which otherwise (upcreek of the residences) is very rough with occasional rockslides requiring one to dismount and walk. At 1.5 mi. (N45.80073, W121.05900) is a trestle crossing a tributary [2]. At 3.4 mi. is a wooden bridge over a tributary that has been placed a few years ago. At 4.1 mi. (N45.82327, W121.09856, 338 ft. elev.) is the Horseshoe Bend/Wahkiacus trail head [3] with parking, a bulletin board [4] and a portable toilet [5]. The trail between here and the missing bridge at the community of Klickitat is rarely used and was not explored on this trip. It seems to be quite overgrown. A sign reads "DEAD END Suburbia Bridge out. Bypass this section if continuing through to Klickitat". Actually, it would have been interesting to explore the remains of the mineral springs and a former dry ice factory. (For more information about Klickitat Mineral Springs history, see http://www.walkaboutmag.com/19footpaths.html.)
Instead, we drove on SR 142 the three miles to the town of Klickitat and resumed the bike ride downstream from here. We looked at the pillars of the lost bridge [6] where hopefully in the not too distant future a new trail bridge will connect the segments of the trail. At the former "downtown" train station is now a bulletin board (N45.81766, W121.15180, elev. 459 ft.) and plenty of parking and that is where we continued riding the trail by mountain bike all the way to Lyle, 13.3 scenic but very rocky and humpe-di-bump miles that shake you up (in particular if you don't have a shock absorber on your fork). This is slow riding. Occasional rock slides or wet sections had to be walked through, pushing the bike. The first section of trail through "town" has nice crushed rock (but also some broken glass), but that quickly changes back to ballast and grass as soon as the trail crosses SR 142 at the entrance of town [7] (0.2 mi., N45.81375, W121.16189). At 1.2 mi, shortly before Skookum Flat Rd., for ~0.1 mi., the trail is next to road and nonexistent. It is better to use the road until Skookum Flat (1.4 mi., N45.80700, W121.17560) and then continue on the trail. At 2.2 mi. (N45.80107, W121.18861) is a nice waterfall and from here on the trail runs next to the river for most of the stretch to Lyle. Before reaching a trail access point and parking at Pitt, the trail passes through a brushy area where it is best to walk instead of ride. At 3 mi. (N45.79488, W121.19892, 438 ft. elev. is a parking area and a portable toilet opposite a few houses at a place marked Pitt on the map where you can make a "Pit stop" at the Pitt Portapotty. The trail crosses SR 142 (next to a highway bridge over the river) and continues on the other side as Fishon Rd. for a few yards past two gates [8]. Once the rider or hiker has committed to this section of trail, there is no exit until one reaches Fisher Hill bridge, 10 miles downstream. A small creek is crossed on a new board bridge with a hand rail [9] (N45.79517, W121.20352). A little bit further a farmer is starting an orchard and gates and fences are supposed to keep the deer out. Just beyond the orchard at 4.2 mi. (N45.78274, W121.21012) a new concrete bridge [10] crosses the creek pouring out of Logging Camp Canyon that otherwise would be difficult to cross. At 5 mi. (N45.77293, W121.21478, 264 ft. elev.) the river has taken a bite out of the RR bed [12]. A sign SAFETY BYPASS [11] points to a detour around the missing section of trail. At 6 mi. the USGS topo map shows a former foot bridge across the river, but only a steel cable remains of it. The next five miles are the most scenic part of the trail [13], where the valley narrows and in a few places there is just enough space for the road, the river and the railroad. In the fall, indian fishermen spear or net salmon out of the river [15]. At 10 mi. we encounter the only 3-mile marker. Shortly beyond is a construction project (Lyle Falls Fish Passage). At 12 mi. is the newly decked Fisher Hill trestle [17] above a road bridge [16] with spectacular views into the canyon where Klickitat River is churning its way through the basalt cliffs (N45.70341, W121.27833). The next 1.6 mi. is pure luxury. The Forest Service/Washington State Parks has widened the RR grade to a freeway [18] with smooth crushed rock surface where it goes through Klickitat County Park. The trail width is three times wider than it has to be and all that extra beautiful crushed rock would have been much better used to improve the trail upstream of Fisher Hill Bridge! At 13.3 mi. (N45.70341, W121.27833, 140 ft. elev.) the trail ends at the new and improved trail head next to Highway 14/142 junction, with a permanent toilet (or seasonal portable toilet) [19], parking lot and view point [20] looking out over the Klickitat River. A new bulletin board is there but nothing was posted on it yet as of April 2011. The sign at the entrance is waiting to be installed, the mounting bracket is already there.
I have looked for mountain bike rentals but there don't seem to be any along the trail (yet). The nearest bicycle dealer is in White Salmon and another one on the Oregon side of the Columbia.
We owe this trail to the dedicated effort of a group of volunteers in the Klickitat Trail Conservancy. Thank you! For further information (seasonal closures, photos and maps), see: www.klickitat-trail.org. The lower 16 miles of trail are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and the upper 15 miles are managed by Washington State Parks.

Cedar River Trail (WA)
Cedar River Trail - Lake Washington to Landsburg

Most of the Cedar River Trail follows an old RR right-of-way, but the way we like to do it, we start at the mouth of the Cedar River where it empties into Lake Washington, and follow it all the way to the boundary of the City of Seattle watershed at Landsburg. Depending on the time of the year, there are many places along this trail where you can observe hundreds of sockeye salmon spawn in the fall. A truly spectacular sight; although the odor of spawned-out, dead fish decaying along the shore can be very strong. Seagulls and crows are feasting on the dead fish. The trail runs for 4.5 mi. within the Renton City limits and then continues out into King County.
There is ample parking at either end of the trail and many mid-way points in between. Parking along the fence of the Boeing airplane factory in Renton has lots of parking spaces, two toilet facilities, and a nice view of Lake Washington. There are two places along the trail where once in a while one has to stop on the trail for a brand new Boeing jet airplane crossing, so you better give them the right of way or you get blown away! Starting at the mouth of the Cedar River (N47.50101, W122.21414, elev. 20 ft.) also has the advantage that there is a boat rental place (with permanent facilities and a place where they sell refreshments) where you can rent a kayak or Canoe and venture out onto Lake Washington and get some exercise for your upper body muscles after (or before) pedaling the 17 miles to the end of the Cedar River Trail. There are two stretches along the lower Cedar River Trail where pedestrian and bicycle traffic are separated: from Lake Washington to N. 6th St. and again from the Logan Ave. bridge (0.96 mi., N47.48616, W122.20930) (and Senior Center) to the Renton Library (1.6 mi., N47.48176, W122.20137). Bicycles share the road with automobile traffic in those locations, but that is not a problem. Before getting to the library, it is difficult to cross Bronson Way (a major thoroughfare) above, so it is much safer to dismount and walk the bike for the short stretch through the underpass. Next to the library is a skate park (a former swimming pool) that is quite an attraction for the young folks. The park has facilities and a drinking fountain.
The next road crossing at a busy street has a button-activated crossing signal (1.7 mi., N47.48138, W122.19985). The trail then goes under a semi-active RR track, under the I-405 freeway and arrives at the City of Renton Cedar River Park, which includes the Carco Theater and Community Center, and is adjacent to a swimming pool and water slide fun park. The trail goes over the river and under the freeway at the same time, to the actual starting point of the RR conversion Cedar River Trail. At 2.9 mi. (N47.47663, W122.17998) is Riverview park with facilities (or a portapottie, depending on the time of the year). A pedestrian bridge offers a good view of the river, with interpretive signs about life forms in the river. Shortly beyond the park is an RR bridge over the river, the first of five of this kind along this trail. East of the bridge is a parking area and a trail access point.
The trail and the river are sharing an underpass under Highway 169, sometimes problematic if the river is at flood stage. On the other side one may have to duck for low-flying golf balls, a little bit further at Ron Regis Park (lots of parking) one has to duck for low-flying base balls. At this park are the last facilities for the next 10 miles.
A nice underpass was constructed recently to allow the trail to go under 154th Pl. S.E. (5.2 mi., N47.46618, W122.13753, elev. 160 ft.). From here on the trail parallels Hwy. 169, actually too close for comfort. This mid-section of the trail is the least enjoyable and no person in their right mind would want to walk here. It is OK as a bicycle trail, at least you get through the unpleasant part a lot faster than walking. There are several places where one has a good view of the river, and one place where the river has nibbled on the trail and taken a bite out of it. At one place one can walk on a dike along the river for a short stretch.
At 8.2 mi. (N47.45701, W122.07861, elev. 270 ft.) the trail goes under two overpasses, and next to the second overpass is a small, unpaved parking area, an access to the Cedar River Park Natural Area, but only a wet, trampled path leads from the trail to it. At 11.3 mi. (N47.41854, W122.04606, elev. 360 ft.) is the second RR bridge over the river. At 12.1 mi. in the town of Maple Valley is a large parking area (holding ~50 vehicles) and official trail access point. The trail goes under Hwy. 18 (12.1 mi., N47.40962, W122.03842) and another road and then comes to the third RR bridge over the river at 12.37 mi. (N47.40588, W122.03803, 390 ft. elev.). On the other (east) side of the RR bridge is another trail access point (also called Fred V. Habenicht Rotary Park) with parking for ~20 vehicles, adjacent to Whitte Road, but the parking area is down below and there is no easy way to get from the parking area up on the trail without scrambling up the steep bank next to Bridge No. 3.
The trail then goes over Whitte Road and soon the pavement ends at the junction with the Green Trail (12.9 mi., N47.39845, W122.04321) leading to Wilderness Lake and Four Corners (a very scenic side spur waiting to be connected to Black Diamond). From here on to Landsburg the trail surface is packed gravel and easy to ride on even with a street bike. At 13.7 mi. is RR bridge No. 4 over the river, and at 14.5 is the next bridge (No. 5, N47.38882, W122.01815) with a nice rock at the west end to sit on and eat a snack. At 15.1 mi. (N47.37987, W122.01720) is a crossing of Rock Creek, where salmon cutouts are decorating the bridge fence. At 15.3 mi., just east of the 15-mi. marker, a trail branches off to the south, connecting to the water pipeline trail and a vast network of about 20 miles of nice trails in the Danville-Georgetown area (http://www.frcv.org/) where you could spend an entire day with a map and might still get lost. At 15.6 mi. the trail crosses a road and there are a few parking spaces here. At 16.2 mi. is a nice picnic table with a view of the river. At 16.5 mi. (N47.38422, W121.99163, elev. 530 ft.) is the last of the six RR bridges (No. 6) over the river, with a nice view of the river upstream and downstream in its natural environment with no houses or farms cluttering its banks. At 16.9 mi. (N47.38183, W121.98487) is a gauging station. Between the gauging station and Bridge No. 6 a hiking trail skirts the river and leads to some of the wildest areas of the entire trail system, opposite an alluvial deposit wall where the river erodes the base of the wall and rocks can come tumbling down any moment. At 17.8 mi. (N47.37536, W121.97146, elev. 580 ft.) is the Landsburg parking area and end of the trail at Issaquah-Hobart-Landsburg road. On the other side of Landsburg Rd. S. E. is Landsburg Park with a salmon viewing platform at the rapids that were restored after a weir that impeded progress of the salmon was removed. This upper part of the Cedar River Trail from Maple Valley to Landsburg is the most scenic stretch of any RR conversion trails in the Seattle area anywhere within a 50-mile radius. This is a tru gem.

Centennial Trail (WA)
Centennial Tail extension north Arlington to Bryant

The southern section of the Centennial Tail between Snohomish and its current terminus at Armar Rd. south of the Arlington airport has received many compliments and detailed reviews.
The Snohomish County trail map shows the continuation planned north of the city of Arlington. A small segment of that Centennial Trail North continuation is now paved and rideable (completed in September 2010). This trip report supplements the excellent earlier reports by omnivorous in September, 2010 and toolbear in June, 2010 and in August, 2009. I have uploaded ten new photos of the trail area.
The best place to park and start the bike ride or walk is at Haller Park off Rt. 530 and next to the sewage treatment plant and the Stillaguamish river, just east of the Rt. 9 bridge, at N48.20268, W-122.12914, elev. 239 ft. Toilet facilities, picnic shelter and picnic tables here. From here you can do a 3.3 mi. segment to the north and a short 0.8 mi. ride through town going south. The trail north crosses the Stillaguamish River on the newly decked old RR bridge, from where you can see the confluence of the South Fork and the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River at Twin Rivers Park. Just beyond the bridge is Arlington Junction, where the Whitehorse trail branches off from the Centennial Trail. At the moment, that westernmost section of the WhiteHORSE trail is (as the name implies) designated for horses (of any color), so indicated by a symbolic sign at the trail junction. It is surfaced with an annoyingly loose, coarse layer of rocks that makes riding with a mountain bike very, very cumbersome and would even make it difficult for horses. I tried riding it with a mountain bike and gave up after 0.2 mi. The Centennial Trail, though, all paved for the next three miles, is pure fun riding. It goes past several gravel pits and some restored wetland sites. At 1.26 mi. is a new picnic table. Bryant Lake is a small cattail-lined pond, not accessible. The trail ends unceremoniously at a parking lot at the little hamlet of Bryant at 3.3 mi., N48.23965, W122.15876, 270 ft. elev. There is a construction camp and a sign for the Centennial Trail Phase 2 construction. A short distance on the highway further north is where the trail crosses the road and one can see construction in progress. For now the trail has been covered with straw to minimize erosion by rain and siltation of adjacent wetlands and is not rideable by any means. It will eventually continue to the county line where Skagit County will take over. The main description of the Centennial Trail on the TrailLink web site will have to be updated after that section is finished later in 2011.
Back at Haller Park, you can explore the short 0.8 mi. section of the Centennial Trail southbound through town, adorned by sculptures and murals, parallel to the main thoroughfare with many restaurants and stores on one side and the old RR switching yard (now being torn up) on the other side. The trail ends at N48.19073, W122.12836 under a Rt. 9 bridge. The connection between the two loose ends of the trail has been described previously by others and goes over public roads for several miles. I have not tried that yet by bike but have driven it by car.
Back at Haller Park, you can explore the Eagle Trail downriver on foot, a good place to see eagles feasting on dead salmon in the winter.

Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Snoqualmie Valley Trail /Tolt River Bridge long-term closure in Carnation starting February 2011

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/dnrp/newsroom/newsreleases/2011/february/0207SVT-closure.aspx

Feb. 7, 2011
Safety upgrades to Snoqualmie Valley Trail require long-term closure in Carnation
Tolt River bridge approaches to be replaced; Nine-month closure starts Feb. 21
Replacing the aging approaches to the Tolt River Bridge on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail will improve public safety by increasing the currently restricted pedestrian capacity on the bridge, and by allowing access to this stretch of trail by utility and emergency vehicles.
But the significant work involved to make these upgrades – including building a new, nearly 200-foot-long approach bridge from the south and a new 32-foot-long approach bridge from the north – requires an extended closure of the trail through the south portion of Carnation and the Remlinger Farm area.
Beginning Feb. 21 and running through mid-November, all public access will be closed along a half-mile-long section of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail between Loutsis Park at Entwistle Street and Northeast 32nd Street, also called Northeast Tolt Hill Road.
Trail users are advised to use alternate routes.
King County crews will have to do extensive groundwork leading up to the construction of the two approach bridges on either side of the Tolt River, including excavation and installation of rock armor around in-water piers, and replacing dilapidated timber approaches to the bridge over the Tolt River.
The new 198-foot-long approach bridge at the south side over the floodplain will consist of a concrete driven shaft foundation system with concrete bulb-tee girders. The new 32-foot-long north approach bridge replacement will consist of a new steel-framed pier at the bank with a precast concrete deck.
The historic steel box girder spans and piers over the Tolt River itself will remain.
The Snoqualmie Valley Trail is King County’s longest trail, running alongside the Snoqualmie River for more than 31 miles. The trail goes from Duvall southeast to Rattlesnake Lake and Seattle’s Cedar River Watershed above North Bend.
More information about this project is available by calling Chris Erickson, King County Parks project manager, 206-263-0445.
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Comment: But it is relatively easy to detour around the construction zone via Blanche St., Hwy. 203, NE 32nd, Tolt-Bunker Rd.

East Lake Sammamish Trail
East Lake Sammamish Trail to be closed for paving work starting in May 2011

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/dnrp/newsroom/newsreleases/2011/march/0303ELS-trail.aspx

March 3, 2011
East Lake Sammamish Trail paving work requires closure through Redmond stretch
Improvements require trail closure, but several alternatives available

A highly anticipated project to upgrade and pave King County’s East Lake Sammamish Trail (ELST) will require closure of a portion of the popular recreational and commuter corridor for up to nine months beginning this spring.
King County will begin to redevelop the ELST where it runs through Redmond, from Northeast 70th Street to the Redmond-Sammamish border at 187th Street Northeast.
Because of the narrow corridor, limited trail access, topographic constraints and the extensive scope of work, the two-mile-long trail segment will be closed to all trail users during construction.
The project includes replacing the interim soft-surface trail with a wider paved trail that makes it safer and more accessible to bicyclists, skaters and other trail users. Redevelopment includes constructing a 77-stall parking lot at Northeast 70th Street.
Bid opening for construction of the estimated $3 million project is expected later this month. Funding for the work is provided by the 2008-2013, voter-approved Proposition 2 Parks Expansion Levy.
Construction is scheduled to begin in May and last until November. During that time, ELST users will have to find an alternate route around the closed stretch of trail, such as bike lanes, sidewalks along Sammamish Parkway and Redmond Way, the Bear Creek Trail, the Washington State Department of Transportation Trail and Marymoor Park.
King County purchased the 11-mile-long East Lake Sammamish rail banked corridor in 1998 for $2.9 million from the Lands Conservancy of King County and Seattle (now Cascade Land Conservancy), which had preserved the option for public ownership of the trail when it stepped up to purchase the rail corridor from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
In 2000, the King County Council unanimously approved a plan for interim use of the trail, including fencing, controlling trail crossings and installing an interim surface. The trail was dedicated in March 2006.
The ELST follows an historic railroad route along the eastern shore of Lake Sammamish within the cities of Redmond, Sammamish and Issaquah.
Access to the northern end of the ELST is off Northeast 70th Street in Redmond, near the east side of King County’s Marymoor Park. The trail continues south through Sammamish to Issaquah where it can be accessed via Lake Sammamish State Park's boat launch or Northeast Gilman Boulevard.
The trail is also accessible at numerous locations along its route, although no formal parking areas are currently provided. The ELST intersects with the Issaquah-Preston Trail in Issaquah near I-90, which provides a paved connection east within the Mountains to Sound Greenway Corridor.
East Lake Sammamish Trail is part of King County’s nationally acclaimed regional trail system – a 175-mile-long network of trails for bicycling, hiking, walking and horseback riding. The regional trail system spans an area from Bothell to Auburn and Seattle to the Cascades. The system provides extensive opportunities for recreation and non-motorized mobility and commuting throughout King County. Once the ELST is fully developed, it will be part of a 44-mile-long regional urban trail corridor from Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood to Issaquah.
More information is available at www.kingcounty.gov/eastlakesammamishtrail.

Whitehorse Trail
Whitehorse Trail Explorations, May 2010, by EckartS

Currently only 6 miles on the eastern end between Swede Heaven Rd. and Darrington are open for public use.
There is not much parking space at the current western trail end at the Swede Heaven trail crossing at 48.27593 N, -121.70586 W. Two to four cars would fit on. A sign there reads "Darrington 6 miles". The trail bridge across Moose Cr. has a name sign, but that is currently the only one. The bridge across Squire Creek is much more impressive, but there is no sign to identify the creek. This bridge and another one of the bridges have a nice board along the railing, wide enough to sit on and relax, and would provide bench space for 200 people to sit on. The trail leads mostly through undeveloped second (third) growth forest and is in view of only a few houses, mostly in the proximity of where the trail crosses some residential access roads. The forest canopy is so dense that most of the trail is in the shade and you might even consider riding it on a hot summer day. There are two places where one can step off the trail and walk down to the shore of the river. The second one is after 3.2 miles where the trail crosses an unmarked gravel road that is inviting to ride north for several reasons: 1. immediately to the left is a wide gravel and sand bar along the river (easily seen from the trail) which would be a fun place to go sunbathing and splash in the river on a hot summer day. Judging by the amount of trash left behind, this place is also popular with locals. 2. Continue on the road north ~1/2 mi. to a concrete bridge with a very nice view of the river and another river access point. Also trashed. 3. For the more energetic mountain biker getting bored by riding only flatland trails along abandoned RR grades, the logging roads on the other side of the bridge (M1000) above open a vast network of riding opportunities, first past a (trashed) gravel pit (target shooting) and then further up toward U.S.F.S. Road 18 and Segelsen Ridge. The main roads are in good shape (surface OK for mountain bikes) and offer spectacular views of Whitehorse Mtn. across the valley and other peaks up the Sauk River valley. You should try at least for a 2.5 mi. (5 mi. R.T.) excursion, gaining 400 ft. elevation to a point where it reaches U.S.F.S. Road 18, with the coordinates N48.29307, W-121.68052 for the best views. The bridge and the road up to this point are not yet shown on USGS 1978 maps. This point can also be reached by a logging road from the Swede Heaven road, and, if the map is correct, theoretically one might be able to make a loop of it.
Back on the Whitehorse RR trail, the trail crosses a church camp, goes under the powerline, goes past a sawdust composting operation next to a log storage area, past the Darrington air field and ends unceremoniously next to the IGA grocery store in Darrington at 48.25534 N, -121.60285 W. There is ample parking here, but no trail directional signs or bulletin boards with trail maps.
After the return to the Swede Heaven trail head, one is tempted to explore the continuation of the trail to the west. A first sign states only that this is future trail, banked as part of Snohomish trail planning. Going west, you ride past a road crossing with a fish hatchery, a marshy pond, and the ruins of the Fortson saw mill with a mill pond. The mill pond appears to be popular for fishing. There is car parking at the turnaround of an access road (marked with "Wildlife Viewing Area" along Hwy. 530). Only after a little less than two miles the signs along westbound Whitehorse Trail state that this corridor is currently CLOSED to all public use. At the latest when you get to a crossing with residences guarded by free-running vicious dogs it is time to turn around and postpone further explorations. The map shows a picnic area past the fish hatchery which I should have explored. During a midweek exploration I did not see a single other person on the trail, only a few fishermen at Fortson Mill Pond and a dog walker on the logging road.

For additional information, see
http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Parks/Park_Information/WhitehorseTrail.htm