The main artery of Seattle cycling, the Burke-Gilman Trail is arguably the most-used bike path in the United States. Stretching 30 miles from the Ballard Fred Meyer to Marymoor Park in Redmond, the BGT is home to rabbits, chickens, rats, possum, too-numerous-to-count Canada Geese, and, of course, Team O'Brien. Who rides the BGT? Everyone from professional road racers to commuters to septuagenarians to three-year-olds with training wheels. The following is commentary on things seen, witnessed and experienced on the trail . . .
The State of the Trail
The Burke-Gilman is no youngster, and this summer is witnessing a number of construction projects that will either improve or impact the lives of trail users significantly. Here's a rundown on what's happening, starting from Shilshole Bay:
The new section of trail from the defunct Azteca restaurant is nice, and gets you off the narrow and broken concrete through the twisting section of the Locks. Once past the Lockspot Tavern, though, you still must ride for several blocks on Market Street until the intersection with 24th NW. The section of unimproved road around Salmon Bay is as it ever was, the railroad tracks still a hazard, and the truck traffic still a pain.
Once you hit the Ballard Fred Meyer, though, you're pretty much in the clear until Fremont. All BGT traffic is currently being diverted onto 34th from Sound Mind and Body until Speedy Reedy near the Fremont Dump. Crossing at the Fremont Bridge is actually a little easier and safer for the time being, as half of the bridge is torn apart and awaiting re-construction - this work is scheduled to continue for at least another year, so don't hold your breath waiting for the nice detour around the Adobe building.
It's business as usual on the Burke all the way through the U District and Sand Point. Watch for cops with radar guns on nice days in Lake Forest Park, too many public servants with too little crime to fight. There is a major re-paving project going on between Red Hook and 60 Acres Park at the moment, two layers of nice asphalt and improvements along the side of the trail as well.
I'll include some notes about the new
section of the Lake Sammamish Parkway Trail, since it more or less
connects to the BGT once you get through Marymoor Park. Rumors of
blacktop going down over the gravel are unfounded as of July 25th, 2006
. . . the trail is pretty much deserted, and easily rideable on a road
bike with light wheels, but your hands and wrists may be a little tired
by the time you hit Krispy Kreme in Issaquah . . .
The Eagles Have Flown . . .
More Wildlife at the Marymoor Velodrome, 8/2004
As many of you already know, a family of bald eagles has made its home in the light pole at the northern end of the Marymoor Velodrome track (Group Health Velodrome, for those of you keeping tabs) for the past two years. It's pretty entertaining to track the birds' progress from the spring through the summer months, as the chicks are born and begin peeking over the edge of the nest.
Last Wednesday, August 8th, I witnessed a true-life comedy as the parent eagles attempted to teach the chicks, now with a full scruffy coat of plumage and at least the size of the adults, to fly. One parent flew to an adjacent pole and commenced a shrill and consistent "scree"ing, while the other flapped its wings in an attempt to demonstrate the proper technique to avoid plunging to one's death while airborne. The chicks perched on the edge of the nest, apparently scared out of their wits (it's 80 feet straight down, Mom!), emitting lame "eeep" noises, and never did make the plunge.
Yesterday (Tuesday, August 10th) though,
I pulled up to the stands and noticed that the nest was empty - the two
adult birds were flying from the nest to the nearby trees and back, and
while I couldn't see the chicks, I heard eagle noises from the direction
of the trees, a sure sign that they made it down from the nest somehow,
some way. Damn, I sure wish I could have seen that maiden voyage . . .
"X" Marks the Spot
On the Scene at the Star-Crossed Cyclo-Cross - 9/27/03
OK, it was actually half a mile past the end of the bike trail at the Marymoor Velodrome, but Jonny Sundt and Terry Buchanan threw the best "biker" party of the year on the night of September 27th when the K2/Widmer Star-Crossed 'Cross went down. A massive crowd, pretty much evenly divided between racers, families, and bike messenger types packed the infield and stands of the velodrome, and egged on their favorites (almost everyone seemed to know someone in each race). Perhaps a dozen bike and bike-related companies had booths to show their wares and hand out swag, and a great field of top-ranked US cyclocrossers, in search of precious UCI points, made the trip to Seattle for the event.
For those of you unfamiliar with cyclocross, it's a combination of road biking, mountain biking and running held on a mixed course of dirt, turf and pavement, with foot-high barriers thrown in for good measure. Contestants use modified road bikes with cantilever brakes and narrow knobby tires, and bike handling skills and the ability to transition between riding and running (and back) are at a premium.
In the women's Elite class, National Champion Ann Grande rode away from a strong Josie Beggs (even switching bikes a couple of times in the process), with Rhonda Mazza closing in fast to finish third. The men's Elite race featured such talent as Todd Wells, Mark Gullickson, Dale Knapp, Adam Craig, and Seattle's own Jonny Sundt. The pace was harsh from the start, with Gully and Craig pulling ahead of Sundt and Wells about 2/3 of the way through the race. Gullickson took advantage of a late fall on the part of Craig to surge ahead for the win, with Sundt taking the sprint for third by a bike length.
If you only see one bike race next year,
and you can't to make it to Alpe d'Huez in July, this is probably the
one to see - you can see almost all of the race, from start to finish,
from a seat in the bleachers, the refreshments and infectious enthusiasm
are hard to beat, and admission is only $3. You can even ride your bike
to the event (but bring your lights)!
Watch that Speedo!!!
Police in Lake Forest Park to Enforce BGT Speed and Safety Regulations - 6/6/03
Police in Lake Forest Park have begun to
strictly enforce the speed limit on the Burke Gilman trail through the
Lake Forest Park and Sheridan Beach neighborhoods, paying special
attention to the 15 mph speed limit, helmet use, and stopping at
controlled intersections. Rumor has it that bicycle and car mounted
officers are actively checking cyclists' speed with radar guns in the
vicinity of the Lake Forest Park Towne Centre (across from Starbucks and
the Great Harvest Bakery). The fine for infractions is $67. For more
information on the King County Municipal Code, please go to this PDF
link:
http://www.metrokc.gov/mkcc/Code/10-Title%207.pdf
(the section on trail use begins on page
15). Further questions can be directed to Dennis Peterson of the LFP
Police Department, 206.364.8216.
Attenzione!!!
Danger Spots on the BGT
We're out there every day, and I bet you are too. Here are my top 10 danger spots on the Burke Gilman Trail, places where I or others I know have nearly been taken out numerous times . . . this in no particular order of magnitude, but starting from the Ballard Fred Meyer and going toward Marymoor State Park -
1. The 3-way intersection at Hale's Brewpub/Fred Meyer - confused motorists are trying to keep their rigs on the road coming out of Freddie's, there's a brutal set of railroad tracks (been down there and have the broken little finger to prove it), and no one seems to realize that the bike trail goes up on the sidewalk here.
2. The intersection of the BGT with "Adobe Canyon" - the new road that bisects the Adobe complex in Fremont is uncontrolled for car traffic going east, and it's common for hotshot young software dudes in M3's, S4's and IS 300's to blow through here at 25 to 30 mph. Take a good look toward Adobe and the other direction toward the rowing club before venturing across. This should be a 3-way stop.
3. The corner at the Urban Surf store, kitty corner from Gasworks Park. Extremely bumpy asphalt and wild merging from above, especially on sunny or concert days.
4. BGT at Brooklyn Ave - beware of people turning north onto Brooklyn from Pacific Ave, they usually won't stop for you even when you have the right of way.
5. BGT at 15th Avenue NE - Same as above, only more so. Be especially alert when traveling westbound (look over your left shoulder for people turning onto 15th from Pacific, often at high speeds) with a walk signal, as the right turn signal for cars can also be green. I've seen a couple of nasty accidents here. The right turn light for cars coming off Pacific and the walk sign should not be green at the same time.
La Forêt de Fenouil, on the Burke-Gilman Trail just east of 15th Avenue NE
6. The Hec Ed Bridge - pedestrians and other bikes often merge without looking here; when you're going north you are moving pretty rapidly here and it's hard to stop. Don't forget to look UP the hill toward the UW, too.
7. BGT at Montlake - Sure, you have a crosswalk, but many of the drivers don't seem to care.
8. BGT at NE 112th (where it T's into Avalon) - blind driveway access from 2 directions, team member Luhn was hit here last year to the extreme detriment of his femur.
9. Under the bridge just past Bothell Landing (where the chickens live) - it's a blind corner with walkers and bikes often in the wrong lane coming the other direction. I yell as I approach this one, but I wish King County would install one of those convex driveway mirrors on the outside of the corner.
10. Redmond Towne Centre bridge - Another long, blind corner with walkers and bikers consistently in the wrong lane. Another obvious candidate for a convex driveway mirror.
These aren't the only ones, of course, but in my view they offer the highest carnage potential. If you feel strongly about any of this stuff, you may want to e-mail the County and make a suggestion or two at http://www.metrokc.gov/comments/comment.cfm - typically, you will get a response saying that whoever received the message is not responsible for that facet of trail maintenance, but more squeaky wheels can't hurt. South of NE 145th St. the BGT is maintained by the City of Seattle Parks & Recreation/Transportation, contact http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/contact/ .
10/21/02
Salmon Running
A midweek cruise on the Burke-Gilman Trail in late September is perhaps the epitome of "fun" cycling - you're already in shape from a summer of hard miles, the weather is perfect, the casual riders have already quit for the year and there's no cars. What more could you ask?
Actually, there IS more - wildlife has returned to the Sammamish Slough. In addition to the usual grebes, herons, muskrats, weasels and Canada Geese, there's the autumn salmon run. This week (the week of September 23rd) one can witness huge groups of beet-red Coho salmon clogging the slough and fighting their way up several small tributaries in the Redmond area - I especially recommend the stream just downstream from the railroad trestle near the Armadillo Barbecue in Woodinville, where we witnessed a number of huge and battered fish struggling up the small waterway to spawn. It was an amazing site, we stood feet away and cheered their efforts as they took turns running the rocky stream bed.
Check it out, it's a wildlife preserve in your own backyard - you won't be disappointed!
9/23/02