Des Moines Creek Trail

Some months ago my friend Aurilee needed to go to Des Moines, just south of Seattle, for an appointment. When we were discussing route choices we noticed an interesting bike trail on the map. She didn't wind up using the trail that evening, but we've both been wondering about that trail ever since, and this afternoon seemed like a great time to explore it. It's a short ride and we didn't have the whole day.

We started out on a sunny afternoon on Capitol Hill with a stop at Rancho Bravo and then a Molly Moon's milkshake. Milkshakes are the ideal cycling fuel!

(photo by Aurilee Gamboa)

We rode through the Seattle University Campus and down to SODO station where we hopped on LINK light rail for a quick ride to Sea Tac airport. This got us close to the trail, gave me a chance to explore some areas new to me and offered a relaxed opportunity to figure out the southbound bicycle departure route from the airport that i'd always wondered about. Yet another goal of this ride was for Aurilee to enjoy learning about her brand new camera.

When we got off the train, we were face to face with an beautiful piece of artwork called Flying Sails. Aurilee immediately pulled out the new camera.

I managed to get a photo of both of us reflected in the artwork.

I have friends who live outside of Karlsruhe, Germany, so i lined up this photo of my bicycle, which i think turned out quite well.

We left the light rail station and found our way to the bus stop next to the baggage claim. We recognized our friend Joe's bike. He's in Cleveland for the weekend.

It was the only bike in the rack that was locked up securely! The rest all had very thin cables and the wheels were not locked!

We easily found the (unmarked) bicycle route out of the airport on 28th Ave S, avoiding the major, heavy traffic streets. Once out of the airport we decided to take a loop around the Angle Lake neighborhood, just to see it. I had never been there before.

It was an interesting suburban neighborhood with a very nice park on the lake. Lots of folks were out in the park on this spring Saturday. As we rode into the park we almost got hit by flying water bottles. I couldn't really figure out what was going on. At first i thought they were water balloons (a couple exploded on the sidewalk) but they were in fact sealed bottles of water. There was a large group throwing them. But after watching for a moment it became clear that they were not throwing them at each other, or at us, but up in a tree.

There was a volleyball stuck about 35 feet up in the tree!!! We watched for a few minutes and at one point they hit the volleyball, and it jumped a foot or so up, but settled back down in the same branch. It looked kind of hopeless, and when they actually got a water bottle stuck in the tree next to it, we rolled on out of the park, never knowing the resolution to that story.

A few blocks later we stopped to check the map, to make sure we were on route to the Des Moines Creek trail.

A short ride, down a VERY steep hill brought us to the trailhead, and off we headed on a very nice trail.

This was not a flat trail!  Unlike most trails made from rail grades, this was a steady, significant downhill. I really loved the beautiful little trail cutting through the heavy forest next to the lovely stream.

It was very peaceful and pretty, but every few minutes you were reminded that a major international airport was just a couple of miles away.

There were lots of opportunities for photography.

I noticed a nice design feature on this winding, downhill trail.

When we would come to a tight curve, the center line was wide to prevent conflicts. I thought it was a neat idea.

Near the downhill end of the 4 or 5 mile trail, there was an underpass that was decorated in a fun way.

First there was the fake fern fossil!

And this salmon seems to be jumping out of the wall, while Aurilee looks like she's lost in a cartoon!

The trail which started so high up on the hill ended at sea level. We had found the Puget Sound.

The historical marker sign told us that this park on the water was the site of an old original homestead from the 1880s, and that the long beautiful downhill bike trail we had just ridden was the road to burgeoning settlement of Duwamps (Seattle)!

We spent a half an hour or so sitting on the beach, watching the kids play in the cold, cold tide and taking photos, looking out at Puget Sound and Maury Island in the distance.

It was a very high tide, and the seaweed was washing up.

There was a long public fishing pier and we walked out to the end. The clouds were starting to gather and the wind was brisk out there. I liked the fish cleaning station.

Obviously it is often windy here, because this small beautiful tree has been fighting the wind, and apparently, kids, for many years.

Aurilee taking a photo at Des Moines Marina.

As we cycled along the marina the clouds started to look darker and darker.

We decided to loop down 3 or 4 more miles before turning back. It was a fascinating area. In 20 years in Seattle i had never been there, and it was quite different from anywhere else i had seen. I enjoyed it a lot.

The magnificent old Masonic Retirement Center, now an event center, sits like a massive castle on the hill overlooking the water. I've seen it from a distance before, when riding on Vashon & Maury Islands and even, i think, from Tacoma. It was fun to ride directly in front of it.

We rode to Salt Water State Park, descending fast down to the beach. Aurilee took this amazing photo of the magnificent clouds.

photo copyright Aurilee Gamoba

The weather had changed considerably from the warm lunchtime sun. Now we knew we were in for a bit of rain soon. We were prepared.

But first we had to climb up out of Salt Water State Park. The thing about living on a fjord, every time you go down to the water, it's a big, big hill back up!

Once back up a the height of the cliffs, we discussed different routes, but decided the Des Moines Creek Trail was so beautiful that riding it again was essential, and besides, all the other choices involved riding busy streets, probably in the rain. We rode back through Des Moines as it got darker and darker. The rain started just a few minutes after we started back up the trail. We stopped and donned our rain gear. The rain wasn't a soft, typical, Puget sound rain, it was raining HARD. Riding the trail was the right decision. I can't possibly express how beautiful the trail, the stream and the forest were in the rain. I almost had tears in my eyes. The sound of the heavy rain on the canopy of the trees above our heads was amazing. I felt lucky. It was a joy to be there in the rain.

The ride up the trail through the forest in the rain was lovely, but once out, we had to climb a big hill on S 200th St.

and then it was just 5 or 10 minutes back to the airport where we got back on light rail.

We stopped for excellent, warming, Cambodian food on the way home and thrilled at how hard the rain was thundering down. There was thunder too, as we pulled up to the Cambodian restaurant in Chinatown. It wasn't from the clouds though: The Seattle Sounders FC were playing a MLS soccer game against Portland, 38,000 fans in the pouring rain were having a great time. Someone must have scored because right as we were pulling up to the restaurant, they set of some extremely loud fireworks!

A short afternoon ride turned into a fantastic, diverse exploration. What fun!

Maltby Cafe

Last week when we were scarfing down a huge meal at the Black Diamond Bakery, we were discussing food and riding and got on to the topic of the Maltby Cafe, another longtime favorite of cyclists. We decided that would be a good candidate for another ride. Today was the day.

I started from home by flying down down the screaming steep hill on Denny to downtown. It's a short, very quick run down to the bus stop on 4th & Lenora. I took the bus out to Issaquah and met the group at the park and ride. We met on the fifth floor of the parking garage, got our bikes read, tires aired up and pedaled away.

We stopped at Starbucks for a quick bite on the way out of town, and then headed up the East Lake Sammamish Trail. Emily had not ridden on gravel before and was very nervous about setting out on this lovely trail, but she quickly was enjoying it with the rest of us.

Karen Linda & Emily on the East Lake Sammamish Trail

Linda on The East Lake Sammamish Trail

It's a fun trail, but riding on this trail has an additional fun aspect for me. The trail has been open for about 6 years, and it was a huge focus of the efforts at the advocacy agency where worked from 2001 to 2009. So cruising up this lovely trail is more than just fun, it's real word evidence of the hard work we put in!

The East Lake Sammamish Trail is 10 miles from Issaquah to Marymoor Park, there's a connecting trail through the park, and then we were on Sammamish River Trail, a popular, paved trail which starts in Redmond.

Karen & Linda on The Sammamish River Trail

Emily

Ten more miles later, we turned off the trail at Woodinville. Instead of taking the big, busy main drag through Woodinville, we took a different route to try to get around it. It started out nice, but soon became clear that it was not going to go where we wanted. So we had to explore a little, climb a hill, but we got back on route. Unfortunately in the process i witnessed a car crash caused by some nut case speeding and running a red light, so it took about 45 minutes to give a statement to the police before we were underway again. But then it was a lovely rural rolling ride to Maltby.

Along the way trees were flowering!

We had a massive meal, and Linda got one of the cinnamon rolls that are as big as a pannier!

appropriate espresso stand in Maltby

Once back in Woodinville, i split from the group. They headed back to Issaquah, while i turned right and took the trail back to Seattle, and home.

Nadine in Woodinville

map with profile

woodinville loop

Black Diamond Bakery

I really love Seattle's Light Rail system. It opened almost 2 years ago, after decades of attempts by the automobile lobby to stop it. It's easy and comfortable, and well, it's fun. It's well used by commuters and it's very convenient way to get into the city for a day shopping or to go to museums or a ballgame. It's quickly become the preferred way to get to the airport. But best of all, for me, it's really extended my cycling range. I frequently take the train south of the city to start (or return from) a ride.

Today I was planning to take the train to Tukwila. Fromt here i would ride down the big hill into Renton. Most of that is riding on very busy streets with narrow or non-existent bike lanes. I was daydreaming as the train pulled into Rainier Beach station but i suddenly i realized that Rainier Beach is about the same distance from our meeting point as Tukwila, so i abruptly hopped up and grabbed my bike.

I rode down Rainier Ave S, with wide shoulders and bike lanes, to the Boeing plant and airport in Renton. A pleasant ride around the airport and through the parks in Renton brought me to the start of the Cedar River Trail where Karen & Nadine were waiting.

The Cedar River Trail is is a strange trail, the first 4 miles or so are very popular and have experienced some conflicts between bicycles and pedestrians. The city of Renton has set a 10 mph speed limit, which many cyclists are angry about. It does mean some awfully casual riding that first part. The next section is alongside a major highway and isn't really that pleasant to ride, but then the trail turns off into the woods and becomes one of the most gorgeous rides i know of.

my Bianchi stops for a brief rest

This trail, like other trails made from old railroad right of ways, there are some beautiful old bridges. I really like them -- maybe it's because i like trains, but i do think they are beautiful.

I handed off the camera to Karen and she got a photo of me on the bridge. The beautiful river was very high.

I'm still riding with a backpack, i haven't mounted the rack and trunk bag on my bike since the rebuild. It gets a little annoying, but i have a great backpack, my old MEC convertible (i'll write a review of it sometime) has many many miles on it, mostly commuting.

Karen & Nadine

Eventually this trail gets to the point where the pavement ends. What follows is the best part!

Cedar River Trail w Karen

You can see how wonderful this trail is in this photo of Nadine, who was a little surprised that i snapped a quick picture.

Ostensibly the goal of this ride was the Black Diamond Bakery, for decades a favorite cycling destination. The gravel part of the trail ends at the Seattle City watershed at Landsburg. The rail grade actually continues up to Rattlesnake Lake, but you cannot ride through the watershed. I fully understand how important it is to keep the watershed pristine, but it would be so cool to ride all the way.

We stopped for a brief snack at the park there, and then turned right (south) towards Black Diamond. Quiet roads, rolling hills and old company towns (one timber, one railroad). Pretty foothill country. I've ridden this route before and i told Karen i thought it was about 12 miles. It was only 8 but it seemed much faster than that.

The camera malfunctioned when we arrived in Black Diamond so i can't show the photo of my bike in the pioneer jail. But the goal was the bakery! We had a good meal. The King County ordinance against trans-fats has vastly improved the food at the Black Diamond Bakery after a long decline. And then there was pie. HUGE slices of pie!

Slightly out of character, i had Apple Pie. It was really good! We had fun! We were REALLY full and all had lots of leftovers!

Continuing south after lunch we soon came screaming down off the plateau at the mouth of the Green River Gorge (leaving the Gorge bridge for another day). We also skipped Flaming Geyser state park because of time concerns. We then rode the stunningly beautiful Green River road, through the valley. Quiet roads, farmland, a gentle downhill, this was a really fun ride. However it ended, as it does, at Auburn-Black Diamond Road. This is a terrible road. Narrow, concrete, with parallel expansion joints, and very fast traffic. Back in 1994 on an epic ride, my friend riding in front of me crashed on this road because the pavement was so horrible. I'll write about that ride sometime.

We made it through that and through Auburn and then were on to the Interurban trail, a straight shot back to Renton. I chose to ride up the hill to Tukwilla, just for variety. I finally figured out the unsigned trail maze that helped me avoid some of the worst traffic on the way to the light rail station. And you still have to cross a 2 lane freeway ramp, but they've added a crosswalk.

All in all, an extremely enjoyable 63 miles. Here's the map.

finishing up April

I didn't ride all 30 days in April. And i didn't write all 30 days. I did enjoy riding and i did enjoy writing. For completeness here are maps of the last five rides i did in April:

On the 24th i had breakfast with Joe & Amanda and afterwards we went for a ride down to Seward park. This was not like the laid back, casual rides i've been doing lately, we were flying! Joe & Amanda are very fast riders and i was just hanging onto Amanda's wheel for all i was worth! It was fun.

The next evening Auri & i rode to dinner, trying out a new Japanese restaurant on Pike. It wasn't anything to write home about. Nice ride though.

On the 26th i rode to Jeanette & Richard's house to play Settlers of Catan. The ride back at midnight was glorious, i had the city to myself as i rode up through the forest in Interlaken park! Didn't see a car the entire ride!

Thursday the 28th i rode to the Bike Works Vounteer Repair Party and we had a nice, small group ride home along the ridge together.

On the 29th Auri and i rode to have Sushi.

In April i rode 425 miles. I biked on 24 out of the 30 days, that's 80%. (I rode 59% of the days of the previous 3 months, including being sick for a couple of weeks and having my bike dissembled.)

This is a graph of the days i bicycled, and the distance, in each of the 4 months so far in 2011.

As promised, here's The full map of all of my rides in April.

...a close up of rides in Seattle in April

and a closer close up of rides on Capitol Hill in April.

FACES

Aurilee, a regular riding buddy, is involved with a group of Filipino City Employees called FACES. They decided that a bike ride would be a good idea, and i was lucky enough to be invited along.

The ride was planned to be an easy one, a little jaunt down the Interurban trail from Tukwila to Kent. Auri and i decided to add a few miles by riding to the start rather than taking light rail.

The weather forcast was for sun in the afternoon, but as we left home it was threatening rain. We rode down hill and down through the industrial district at about 10 miles an hour. The dark clouds were must have been going about 18 because they caught us. We stopped to put on rain gear and road along 4th Ave S in a pretty heavy rain. Auri was riding her new Terry bike, which she is not very familiar with and she took a small spill on 4th Ave.

We did manage to ride out from under the clouds and left the rain behind completely once we got on the Duwamish trail and cut through South Park. We met the group at the Tukwila community center.

Maria was riding a really cool Dahon folding bike. At 25 miles this was going to be her longest ride ever, by a large margin. She was very excited!

Maria, Aurilee, me, Ron, & Bill

Maria, Bill, Ron & Aurilee

Maria & Bill chatting on the Green River Trail in Tukwila

Auri

Bill & Ron

Maria & Bill at the junction of the Green River & Interurban trails

Bill, Auri & Maria on the Interurban Trail in Kent

Maria on the Interurban Trail in Kent

We stopped for lunch at a cafe in Kent that serves breakfast all day and almost all of us had HUGE plates of pancakes and eggs. Good bicycling fuel. Maria had just a side dish. None of us thought about that at the time, but on the ride back to Tukwila she bonked -- not enough fuel! It was our fault! We regular cyclists were derelict in our duty to our new bicycling friend: we didn't tell her to eat more.

Auri, still smarting a little from her spill stopped with Maria near Southcenter. Ron departed to ride up to his house while Bill and i rode back to the community center to get his van. He was certain that we couldn't get 4 bikes AND 4 people in his van, but i was confident... i'm pretty good at 3D tetris!

recent posts

I'm still learning about blogging -- getting used to it.

I'm hoping this blog can help me get a little discipline in writing. It has helped, but it's an ongoing issue. I frequently start posts, but finishing is another story.

When i do finish something i post it with the date i started it, or the date i wrote the bulk of it. I realize that doesn't work too terribly well with the structure of the blog -- it means that sometimes a new post will appear far down below older posts.

I have published several posts this week, but none with a current date.
More posts will be forthcoming, (and they will fill in around this post, which is all by itself right now!) but for the most recent, look back at these posts.

The Bike Works-Auction

Milkshakes are the Ultimate Cycling Food

Tidal Cycles Waves Around World

Testing The Weight of Powder Coat, is it heavier than paint?