Take Action: Tell Congress Biking & Trails are Priorities in WA

By Blake Trask | Published November 3, 2015

Today the U.S. House of Representatives officially kicks off debate on the chamber’s long-term highway and transit bill today. Key amendments threaten Washington State’s priorities for biking and trails. Take Action today!

Last night the rules of debate were sent and the House of Representatives has begun debate on over one hundred amendments to the proposed surface transportation bill. With hopes to wrap up the debate and votes by Thursday, time is of the essence for you to let your U.S. Representative know that biking and trails matter!

Just last week the Transportation Committee, led by Chairman Shuster (R-PA) and Ranking Member DeFazio (D-OR), passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act (STRRA). This bill includes a carefully constructed agreement on bicycling and walking funding that we support.  It maintains funding streams for biking infrastructure projects, and it maintains the local control aspects and competitive processes that have made the transportation alternatives program effective.

Rep. Carter (R-Georgia) and Yoho (R-Florida) have introduced amendments that undermine that agreement. Rep Carter now has one amendment. It opens up the transportation alternatives funding to road and bridge projects.

Representative Yoho’s amendment would make the Recreational Trails Program ineligible for non-motorized transportation funding. This means money for ATVs but not for hiking and mountain bikes.

Go to the League of American Bicyclists action center today to take action!

Posted in Advocacy, Alert | Comments Off on Take Action: Tell Congress Biking & Trails are Priorities in WA

It’s up to you (Seattle voters)

By Blake Trask | Published October 30, 2015

The fate of the Let’s Move Seattle Levy (Proposition 1), which replaces the expiring Bridging the Gap Levy, is up to you.PROS Banner - Don Willott

This election will be decided by caring neighbors like you who want to make Seattle safer and a national leader for better biking and safer streets. Your yes vote on Proposition 1 – Let’s Move Seattle – will:

Take a look and see the great projects slated to be built in your neighborhood. Drop what you’re doing and vote. And then tell a friend to vote yes on Seattle’s Proposition 1. You can find local drop off locations here.

For a better tomorrow, join Washington Bikes and caring neighbors across Seattle to make safer streets and better bike connections a reality. Vote yes on Seattle’s Proposition 1!

 

Posted in Advocacy, News, Transportation | Comments Off on It’s up to you (Seattle voters)

Bring Bike Safety Education to Your Schools!

By Louise McGrody | Published October 30, 2015

Kids on bikes learning safety skills.It’s time to train the next generation of bike riders!

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is accepting grant applications from eligible school districts for its Safe Routes to School Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education Program. Up to 20 qualifying school districts will receive grants that deliver teacher training, curriculum, bikes and educational materials, and technical assistance.

These grants equip school districts with the tools they need to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety education to students in middle school grades. Washington Bikes provides the teacher training and technical assistance under the grant.

Over 40 Washington school districts have participated in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education Program to date, teaching safe biking and walking skills to 15,000+ middle school students annually. La Center is training the next generation of cyclists thanks to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education Program. So are Tumwater and Reardan schools.

Would you like to bring this program to your community? Now is the time to apply! Applications must be submitted by the school district via iGrants Form Package 552 by December 3, 2015. Application period has been extended to January 21, 2016. Questions about the grant and grant process can be directed to Sarah Sullivan at sarah.sullivan@k12.wa.us or 360-725-6050.

To ensure eligibility, districts must have developed walk route plans and offer physical education classes at least once per week at the middle school level. Support is available to create walk route maps. Contact Sarah if you would like more information about this.

Funding for this project is provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation. It is managed by OSPI, and made possible through partnerships with Washington Bikes, Feet First, participating school districts and their community partners.

Posted in Education, Kids, Safe Routes to School | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Bring Bike Safety Education to Your Schools!

What’s That Aroma? #bikesmells

By Barb Chamberlain | Published October 24, 2015

Riding your bike puts you in touch with all your senses. While we often talk about the beautiful or interesting sights along the ride, inspired by a tweet from Tara Goddard we started asking people their favorite scents along their usual bike routes. From bacon to breweries to blossoms to bakeries we got an interesting, um, bouquet in the responses.

We’ll keep updating this round-up of tweets on the topic if you tag us on Twitter @WAbikes.

You can join the smelly talk on Facebook, where we got into a discussion of the “Mystery Molasses” scent near the West Seattle Bridge, among other things.

We just had to close out with an assortment of songs about smells. First up, this Lynyrd Skynyrd song which, appropriately enough, was recorded on their Vicious Cycle tour. Given that they’re singing about the smell of death it’s a bit grim, but what other song has such a perfect refrain for this post?

 

 

Some of the lyrics from “Smell the Rain” by Genevieve Chadwick capture the spirit of bicycling perfectly (as does the album title, “Riding the Wind Forgetting Time”:

I ride on the sunshine try and catch me if you can
I feel like I’m a God, tell me can you smell the rain?

and these:

I got what you want
I got what you need
You can’t pin me down cause I’m too free

 

 

From that Washington original, Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (which actually doesn’t refer once to any smells):

 

 

So tell us, what’s YOUR favorite smell along the ride?

 

Posted in Attitudes, Bike Culture, News | Comments Off on What’s That Aroma? #bikesmells

So does $100 million make Colorado the best state for biking?

By Blake Trask | Published October 16, 2015

Last month, Governor Hickenlooper promised a $100 million investment to make Colorado the best state for biking. Does that really make Colorado the best, or is Washington state still tops?

At last month’s national bike trade show, Interbike, Colorado’s Governor did this:

Governor Hickenlooper said, “I think being the best biking state is going to fuel economic growth and tourism. It’s going to lead us toward a cleaner environment, and it’s going to help us be the healthiest state in America.”

Washington Bikes couldn’t agree more. The data is overwhelming and shows the clear economic, safety, and health benefits to more and better biking and walking. Annually $3.1 billion is spent by bicycle riders in Washington state. More physical activity makes us healthier and is a no-brainer. It’s why organizations like American Heart Association and Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition partner with Washington Bikes to get more children biking and walking to their schools.

So will $100 million over four years for biking and walking investments, or $25 million per year, sweep Colorado past a state like Washington and its number one Bicycle Friendly State ranking, according to the League of American Bicyclists?

It’s a great start, but no, Colorado has some more work to catch up to the new investments Washington state is making in safety, health, and economic development.

That’s because the 2015 State Legislative Session took Washington state to new highs and added to existing investment programs for safer streets and healthier children. Consider the following:

  • Over the next four years Washington state will invest $90 million from its transportation budget in biking, walking and school safety – very close to the $100 million promised by Colorado’s chief executive.
  • Also, the Washington State Capital Budget invested $15.6 million for trails statewide over the next two years.
  • Finally, Washington state investments in safer, healthier, and more economically prosperous streets will be bolstered as the legislature’s transportation spending package instructed the Transportation Improvement Board to administer $106 million over 16-years (almost $18 million in the coming four years) for the finally funded Complete Streets Grant Program.
Trails funded in the 2015-17 Capital Budget

Trails funded in the 2015-17 Capital Budget

All told, over the next four years Washington state leaders have committed approximately $123 million to school safety, trails, and complete streets. This represents forward progress to provide taxpayers more economic return from their transportation investments than ever before.

Washington’s $123 million for school safety, trails, and complete streets makes the state one of the clear leaders (still behind Massachusetts’s 5-year $425 million investment for biking, walking, and complete streets) in smart investments that provide more Washingtonians more freedom to get where they want to go safely and easily.

Join Washington Bikes to carry the momentum forward for better transportation investments that grow local economies and make children and neighbors safer every day.

 

 

Posted in Advocacy, Complete Streets, Economic Impact, Funding/Policy, Infrastructure, Issues & Advocacy, Legal, Legislature, News, Politics, Safe Routes to School, Transportation | Comments Off on So does $100 million make Colorado the best state for biking?

Time for Your Thoughts on Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program — Critical Trail Funding

By Barb Chamberlain | Published October 12, 2015

State officials and legislators are looking for your thoughts about if and how to revise the 25-year-old Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP), which is the state’s grant program for wildlife conservation lands, state and local parks, trails, natural areas, and working farms and ranches.Two Wheels After Turkey Mariah McKay and Katherine Widing

Please take a short survey by Oct. 18 to share your insights about the WWRP.

The Legislature created the WWRP in 1990 to give the state a way to invest in valuable outdoor recreation areas and wildlife habitat conservation lands. They wanted to protect critical habitat and make sure our kids, grandkids, and future generations had places to recreate, and they wanted to do it before the land was developed. In its 25-year history, the grant program has funded projects in nearly every county of the state.

As state officials review the program, they are looking to see if the program is accomplishing what it set out to and what might need to change going forward. Now is the time to share your thoughts.

Trails Funded by WWRP as of 2015

Olympic Disco Trail PA

Anacortes: Thompson Trail

Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park and Recreation District: Forest to Sky Trail Corridor

Bellingham: Railroad Trail and Alabama Street Overpass, South Bay Trail, South Boulevard Park, Squalicum Creek Trail, Whatcom Creek Trail

Bothell: Blyth Park Trail Connection

Buckley: Buckley Foothills Trail Extension

Camas: Washougal River Trail

Castle Rock: Riverfront Trail

Clallam County: Olympic Discovery Trail, Spruce Railroad Trail

Clark County: Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Trail, Frenchman’s Bar Trail, Lacamas Heritage Trail, Lewis River Trail, Salmon Creek Trail

Des Moines: Des Moines Creek Trail

Douglas County: Columbia River Trail

Eatonville: Bud Blancher Trail

Edgewood: Interurban Trail

Edmonds: Interurban Trail

Entiat: Entiat Waterfront Trail

Enumclaw: Enumclaw Trail

Ferry County: Ferry County Rail

Island County: English Boom Waterfront Trail

Issaquah: Issaquah-High Point Regional Trail

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe: Dungeness River Railroad Bridge, Olympic Discovery Trail

Jefferson County: Larry Scott Memorial Park and Trail, Olympic Discovery

Kent: Three Friends Fishing Hole

King County: Cedar River Trail, East Lake Sammamish Trail, Horseshoe Bend Trail, Green River Trail, Soos Creek Regional Trail

Kirkland: Cross Kirkland Corridor

Kitsap County: Hansville Greenway, Clear Creek Trail

Lacey: Lacey Burlington Northern Trail, Woodland Trail

Lynnwood: Interurban Trail

Milton: Interurban Trail

Mount Vernon: Mount Vernon Riverfront North Trail, Skagit Riverwalk Trail

Mountlake Terrace: Interurban Trail

Mukilteo: Big Gulch Trail

Newcastle: May Creek Trail

Okanogan County: Methow Valley Community Trail, Similkameen Connector Trail

Olympia: Woodland Trail

Peninsula Metropolitan Park District: Cushman-Scott Pierson Trails

Pierce County: Foothills National Recreation Trail

Port Angeles: Olympic Discovery Trail

Port Angeles: Centennial Trail, Waterfront Trail

Port Orchard: Bay Street Pedestrian Path on Mosquito Fleet Trail

Pullman: Downtown Pullman Riverwalk, Palouse Path

Redmond: Bear Creek Trail, Redmond Central Connector, Evans Creek Trail

Renton: Cedar River Trail

Richland: Columbia Point Riverfront Trailway

Seattle: South Ship Canal Trail

Sequim: Olympic Discovery Trail

Shoreline: Interurban Trail

Skagit County: Centennial Trail

Snohomish: Snohomish Riverfront Trail

Snohomish County: Centennial Trail, Whitehorse Trail

Spokane: Centennial Trail, Fish Lake Trail, Historic Iron Bridge, Trolley TrailSpokane-Centennial-Trail_Behind-Red-Lion-Inn-at-Park_Bicycle-Rider-Runner_forweb

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife: Dungeness Railroad Bridge, Hood Canal Wetlands Trail

Washington State Department of Natural Resources: Cypress Island Interpretive Trails, Mount Si Interpretative Trail, Mount Tahoma Ski Trail System, Tiger Mountain High Point Trail, Woodard Bay Access Trail

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission: Centennial Trail, Iron Horse Trail, Klickitat Trail, Willapa Hills Trail

Sumner: Sumner Urban to Mountain Trail

Tacoma: Water Flume Line Trail

Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma: Point Defiance

Thurston County: Chehalis Western Railroad Trail

Tukwila: Duwamish/Green River Trail

Twisp: Twisp Community Trail

University Place: Chambers-Leach Creek Trail

Vancouver: Burnt Bridge Creek Trail

Walla Walla: Walla Walla TrailRocky-Reach-Trail-Phase-I-Ribbon-Cutting-south-from-Lincoln-Rock-State-Park-Wenatchee-pic-by-Complete-the-Loop-Coalition

Wenatchee: Wenatchee Foothills Trails

Wilkeson: Foothills Trail

Winthrop: Susie Stephens Trail

Yakima: William O. Douglas Trail

Yakima County: Naches Rail to Trail, Greenway Pathway South

Posted in Advocacy, Alert, News, Trails | Tagged | Comments Off on Time for Your Thoughts on Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program — Critical Trail Funding

Briefing: John Wayne Pioneer Trail

By Blake Trask | Published October 7, 2015

A vigorous conversation over the eastern stretch of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail sparks new opportunities to address local land owner interests and improvements to the trail for the long run.

As has been widely reported, in September local officials in Tekoa learned of a legislative effort to close down a roughly 120-mile portion of Washington state’s largest rail trail, the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. The Trail, which follows the old Milwaukee Road railroad right of way, runs from just outside North Bend to the Idaho border. Much of this corridor (over 200 miles) is part of Washington State Parks’ Iron Horse Trail State Park.

Following the initial news, many local residents and jurisdictions have voiced concern over the potential for permanent closure of this long-distance trail. The trail is significant as the longest rail trail in the nation. When developed, it has the potential to tie into numerous regional trail systems across the state, and to other states by connecting into Idaho’s 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s and the 15-mile Route of the Hiawatha, which continues into Montana.

John Wayne Pioneer Trail

The John Wayne Pioneer Trail stretches across the state in purple. The orange trail that crosses it is the Columbia Plateau Trail.

The stated reasons for closure have included concerns over a lack of use of the trail, worries about trespassing, and liability. Since early September, meetings, including a September 30 community meeting in Tekoa have been held to express concerns about the closure. The Spokesman Review published a thoughtful editorial against the trail’s closure, noting the Trail’s potential for expanding bicycle travel and tourism into many smaller communities in Eastern Washington.

Washington Bikes is engaging with the many organizations, agencies, individuals, and elected officials involved in this unfolding conversation. Many parties are working to create a stakeholder process that incorporates the varied viewpoints and plans for the future of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Already, it is encouraging to see the many solutions that stakeholders have brought forward to address a diverse array of local issues and to enhance this incredible cross-state trail. Washington Bikes look forward to further engagement with stakeholders to find mutually beneficial solutions and strategies that could include new partnerships, as well as new investments to develop and maintain the trail.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Economic Impact, Funding/Policy, Issues & Advocacy, Legislature, News, Politics, Rural, Tourism, Trails, Transportation, Travel | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Hey, Ho, It’s Coffeeneuring We Go

By Barb Chamberlain | Published September 29, 2015

Yes-Ive-Heard-of-Decaf-Whats-Your-Point-Coffee-Cup-Pic-by-Barb-Chamberlain-WA-BikesWe’re rolling again with the bike challenge tailor-made for all you bike-riding coffee lovers and coffee-drinking bike lovers in the #1 Bicycle Friendly State. It’s coffeeneuring time again!

And by “challenge” we mean “excuse to go for leisurely weekend bike rides.” Seven coffee shops in seven weekends — nothing to it, right? That’s why this is the challenge for everyone. Saturday October 3 through Sunday November 15, follow the rules below if you want to make it official and/or win things.

New for 2015: Theme within a Theme! A theme within a theme is any additional theme you use to go coffeeneuring. Maybe that theme is “If you own more than one bike, ride all the bikes you own” suggested by Mr. Urban Adventure League or the @AstridBear “Tour de Kiosk” coffeeneuring theme she carried out in Seattle in 2014. This is an option, not a rule. Have fun. Maybe you want to go crazy with our Everyday Superhero auction theme and ride in costume.

[Tweet “I’m going #coffeeneuring by bike & you should too.”]

Coffeeneuring Rules

Latte art: bicycleWe’ll give you something to get started: Sign up for our e-news below and we’ll send you 7 “I arrived by bike” business cards you can leave at those coffee shops or anywhere else. (Supply limited so sign up now.)

The rules, repeated here from coffeeneuring creator Chasing Mailboxes for your convenience and with a couple of notes for our Washington twist:

  1. Ride your bike to 7 different local coffee shops from Saturday October 3 through Sunday, November 15. Any place that sells coffee (or your preferred coffeeneuring-ish beverage) qualifies as a coffee shop.
  2. You may also coffeeneur to a Coffee Shop Without Walls. A Coffee Shop Without Walls is a place you ride to where you then proceed to make and/or drink coffee. The Coffee Shop Without Walls is geared toward the bike overnight or bike camping participant. It also captures farmers’ markets, festivals, and the like.
  3. Only Saturday and Sunday rides qualify. Weekday rides are ineligible, unless one of the following applies to you:  a. You have a job that does not have a Monday through Friday tour of duty. In that case, your days off are considered your weekend; or b. You are retired, in which case you may choose any two days to complete your coffeeneuring outings. No other exceptions, unless you can make a convincing case for one to Mary.
  4. Only 1 coffee shop per day counts and a maximum of two rides per weekend. If you visit 7 coffee shops in one day, you may choose only one as a qualifying ride. And you may want to consider decaf.
  5. Jot down a summary of your experience that includes: 1. where you went (address and website, if possible), 2. the date you went there, 3.  what you drank 4. a detail or two about your coffeeneuring ride, including your assessment of the “bike friendliness” of the locale (bike parking notes always welcome); and 5. total mileage. Also, if you find any “must visit” coffee shops or tea places please share that as well.
  6. Take a photo during your outing or some other evidence that you rode your bike for coffee, and submit it as verification.
    • WA Bikes note: Don’t wait until the end to share pictures with us — tag with #WAbikes #coffeeneuring on Instagram.
  7. Hot chocolate qualifies, as do tea beverages. Apple cider is also a coffeeneuring-approved beverage. Note: Drinks do not have to be hot! They just have to be coffeeneuring-ish type drinks.
  8. You may not combine your coffeeneuring ride with any other ride such as an organized century, populaire, or brevet. You may, however, combine your coffeeneuring ride with a grocery run, ride to the gym, an informal ride with your friends, or other transportation/utility-oriented ride. (If you do an organized ride, you may do another, separate coffeeneuring ride on the same day, e.g., a pre- or post-event ride to get a latte either before or after your organized ride.)
  9. Your ride must be at least two miles total, but there is no maximum so yes, you could ride 100 miles (or more!) for a cup of coffee.
    • WA Bikes note: Setting off on a fall bike tour inspired by Cycling Sojourner Washington? Remember to check out the Coupon Companion for coffee shop deals, including stops like Cinnamon Twisp Bakery or Caffe La Boheme on Lopez Island. And if the coffee is worth riding 100 miles for, we really want to know about it.
  10. There are no geographic limitations to the Coffeeneuring Challenge, except that your coffeeneuring must occur on planet Earth.
  11. You have to go to 7 different locales, although you may ride to multiple locations of a chain, if necessary. For the Coffee Shop Without Walls, you must prepare and/or drink your coffee in different places. That means seven different campsites/locales.
  12. Theme within a Theme! New for 2015. A theme within a theme is any additional theme you use to go coffeeneuring. Maybe that theme is “If you own more than one bike, ride all the bikes you own” suggested by Mr. Urban Adventure League or the @AstridBear “Tour de Kiosk” coffeeneuring theme she carried out in Seattle in 2014. This is an option, but not a fast rule so have fun with it as you see fit.
    • WA Bikes note: If your theme involves exploring your town by bike, we’d love to get a route map and photos to run as a guest blog post. Coffee shops near art galleries? Coffee shops serving locally roasted coffee? Vegan organic gluten-free coffee shops? Show others your favorite places.
  13. Deadline for submitting Coffeeneuring Challenge entries is whenever the clock strikes midnight in your area on November 25, 2014.
  14. To become part of the worldwide coffeeneuring results: Send submissions to Mary: gersemalina-at-gmail.com. They may be in the form of links to blog writeups, screenshots of or links to your coffeeneuring Tweets, on-line photo galleries with accompanying narrative, Word documents with attached or embedded photos, or e-mail writeups and submissions with photos attached. NEW: If you complete the challenge as a group, you may provide one submission for all of you, provided you completed all rides together. 
  15. Provide all qualifying rides at the same time. That is, send all 7 together, NOT ride 1, ride 2, etc.
  16. Prizes! You are eligible for a small prize from Chasing Mailboxes for finishing the challenge. Because of the increased interest in coffeeneuring, the premium will cost an amount TBD, which covers Mary’s costs. To purchase your prize, you may PayPal her at the gmail address above, or send your money by snail mail like Grandma used to do. Email Mary for her address.
    • WA Bikes note: Everyone who submits a blog post or Instagram picture to us will be entered into our prize drawing to win one of several oh-so-appropriate WA Bikes coffee mugs.
  17. Tara Rule and Canadian Thanksgiving: During Columbus Day weekend (October 10-12), you have three days to accomplish two qualifying coffeeneuring rides. (This is the Tara Rule.) Residents of Canada may use Canadian Thanksgiving in place of Columbus Day.
  18. Vacation Rule: If you are on vacation during the coffeeneuring challenge, you may coffeeneur any two days of the week for the weeks you are on vacation.
  19. Veterans Day Rule: You may coffeeneur on November 11, Veterans Day, INSTEAD of the previous Saturday or Sunday. Veterans are permitted to coffeeneur on November 11 in ADDITION to the weekend days, in recognition of their service.
  20. Buying Beans Rule: You may use ONE of your seven coffeeneuring trips to purchase beans (or tea) from your local roaster or tea emporium for future consumption.

[Tweet “#Coffeeneuring=great excuse for a bike ride. Join us.”]

Coffeeneuring on Social Media

  • Twitter hashtag: #coffeeneuring
  • Flickr Coffeeneuring group
  • Coffeeneurs group on Facebook
  • Blogging: Mary will do periodic roundups of blog posts about coffeeneuring at Chasing Mailboxes. We’ll do that for Washington bike blogs here so send us your link via email, Twitter, or a comment here.
  • Instagram: Tag your photos #WAbikes #coffeeneuring and they’ll show up on our Instagram page.
  • YouTube: If you really get into this and make a video of your expeditions, let us know and we’ll favorite it on our YouTube channel
BikesMeanBusiness_backlogo7

The other side of the card features a short message about the economic benefits of biking customers. For example, “10 bicycling customers can fit into 1 car parking spot.”

Coffee Shops, Get Involved!

If you want to invite biking customers to your front door, sign up on the form below and tell us why you’re a great bike destination, along with any special offer you want us to highlight. We’ll include you in our social media so coffeeneurers can hunt down your two-wheel deal.

The Origins of Coffeeneuring

A randonneuring bike blogger from the other Washington, Mary Gersemalina at Chasing Mailboxes, put together the rules and launched coffeeneuring in 2011. Now in its fifth year, it’s perfect for our Washington.

Bikes Mean Business Cards

The cards, developed by Cascade Bicycle Club and sporting our logo and theirs, provide a brief message illustrating why bikes mean business and help inspire business owners to be bike-friendly. If you don’t want to wait for the mail and you’re in the Seattle area, stop by our Pioneer Square bike gift shop/offices at 314 1st Ave. South, sign up for our e-news, and we’ll give them to you on the spot.

Sign Up to Get Awesome “Bikes Mean Business” Cards

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Posted in Encouragement, Events, News | Comments Off on Hey, Ho, It’s Coffeeneuring We Go

Green River Gorge Ride

By Guest Blogger | Published September 24, 2015

A long ride through south King County — with treats. Another in our series by Nancy Yu.

We’ve made our way south to the city of Auburn for a ride through Green River Valley. This route tours the towns of Covington, Ravensdale, Kanaskat, and Cumberland to the Green River Gorge with a stop at the Black Diamond Bakery.

We exit the Auburn Game Farm Park for the short climb up Riverwalk Dr SE to Auburn Way S; the main thoroughfare of town. The turn on M St SE takes us over to the other side of town on SE Auburn Black Diamond Rd.

SE Green Valley Rd follows along the Green River for 7.3 flat miles through the Muckleshoot Prairie. This area is home to rich open agricultural farmlands, horse farms/ranches, tree farms and goat farms.

yu-aubrun-green-river-ride-cornfields

The short steep climb up 218th Ave SE takes us to SE Auburn Black Diamond Rd. The next 6+ miles on SE Auburn Black Diamond Rd and Kent Black Diamond Rd SE takes us through the wooded residential ranch and tract style neighborhoods towards Lake Meridian.

We cross under WA-18 to Covington Way SE; this is the business/shopping district of Covington with the usual big box stores; Costco, Fred Meyer and the smaller chain stores/restaurants-Safeway, Subway and of course Starbucks. SE Covington Sawyer Rd leads us through more wooded neighborhoods and small businesses.

The turn on 216th Ave SE leads us through more austere neighborhoods near Lake Sawyer. The road goes thru three name changes as it exits the residential areas and enters the thick forests surrounding Lake Sawyer Regional Park.

The 1.3 miles on Roberts Dr takes us to the civic center area of Black Diamond out to the other end at the red Farmers Market. The turn on 3rd Ave/WA-169 continues through a short section of businesses, a mobile home park and an industrial area near the edge of town.

Maple Valley Black Diamond Rd SE leads us to the Four Corners in Maple Valley and Kengreen-river-trail-Yu-Bpt; it’s a very busy area with shopping centers and a business district. SE Kent Kangley Rd goes pass the green forests of Danville Goergetown Open Space and continues out through Ravensdale Retreat Nature Area.

We head south on Retreat-Kanaskat Rd; this road goes pass the lake front homes around Retreat Lake to the wooded areas out to the large energy substation. We cross the RR tracks on Cumberland Kanaskat Rd and ride along the Green River for a quick in and out through the towns of Kanaskat and Palmer. The road continues through the country with open meadows and acreage ranches and farmhouses to the next town — Cumberland.

yu-greenriver-auburn-horses

We exit Cumberland on Veaszie  Cumberland Rd SE; this road leads us out-of-town towards Deep Lake and to the rural countryside with open ranches, farm houses and agricultural fields.

The stretch of road leading up to the climb up Stanridge Hill on SE 392nd St has phenomenal views of the iconic Mount Rainier sitting high as the backdrop to this gorgeous country setting!

From WA-69 N/264th Ave SE, we take Enumclaw Franklin Rd SE for the next 3.9 miles up to SE Green River Gorge Rd. This is beautiful section of road with minimal to no traffic; it goes through the forests surrounding Black Diamond Bridge State Park,Green River Gorge State Park and the Green River Gorge Conservation Area. Take a moment to stop and view the deep Green River Gorge at the overpass area-it’s a pretty awesome sight!

yu-auburn-green-river-ride

SE Green River Gorge Rd/293rd Ave SE goes on for the next few miles and changes to SE Green River Gorge/Franklin Howard Rd and Lawson St for the last 1.2 miles into Black Diamond. A little jog around town will take you to the Historic Black Diamond Bakery on Railroad Ave.

Enumclaw Black Diamond Rd SE/WA-169 takes us to SE Green Valley Rd for the Green River crossing on 212th Way SE and to the short steep climb up Whitney Hill.

SE 384th St takes us through the rural ranchlands around Muckleshoot Prairie; this road jogs along the edge of the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation with multiple name changes.

For the return to the Game Farm Park, we take Auburn Way S to Riverwalk Dr SE and drop down to 29th St SE and R St SE.

For dinner, we stayed in Auburn and went to Pho Dinh Restaurantfor some Vietnamese beef and chicken noodle soup-it was all good!

This route has a little bit of city and lots of scenic roads with miles and miles of idyllic country landscapes. The majestic Mount Rainier is never too far away!

Garmin Stats:
78.73 Miles with 3717′ of elevation gain
Max elevation: 886′
Max grade: 13%
Terrain: Rolling with a few short steep climbs

Weather: WONDERFUL! Sunny and clear with tamps ranging from the low 60’s to the low 80’s. S winds with 82% humidity. Click here to view an interactive version of this map: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3340030.

 

yu-blog-post-map

Guest blogger Nancy Yu writes about her bike travels at Ride Chronicles. She says, “I loved cycling around Washington. It’s a beautiful state with a wonderful network of trails and bike-friendly people. I ride to explore and love sharing my findings! I hope the write-ups and pictures will inspire those who can to get out there and enjoy the natural beauty of all that is available to us.”

Posted in Adventure, Auburn, Enumclaw, Food, King County, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green River Gorge Ride

Vision, Collaboration Make Bike Skills 101 a Success

By Guest Blogger | Published September 23, 2015

Today’s story comes to us from our friends at Bike Clark County.

Vancouver Parks & Recreation, Bike Clark County, and National Park Service Partnership Result in Summer Bike Camps

Bike Camp.jpgDreaming big and a spirit of collaboration brought Vancouver Parks and Recreation, Bike Clark County, and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site together in a unique partnership that successfully paired bicycling and youth fitness. It all came together as Bike Skills 101, a series of four week-long day camps for kids ages 6 to 14 in July 2015.

There is an old proverb that says, “Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan”.  Apparently no one associated with Bike Skills 101 got the memo, because each partner was quick to point out how crucial the other partners were to making it all work. Or maybe this is just what a great partnership looks like:  each partner recognizing how working together can optimize the strengths, abilities, and outcomes of the whole. This partnership had federal, municipal, non-profit organizations, and volunteers seamlessly integrated in pursuit of a common goal to help kids have fun and be safe while riding their bicycles.

The idea originated sometime in 2013 with City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department employee Jen Thomas and Bike Clark County President Eric Giacchino.

“We talked about how cool it would be for the youth in the area to have a camp in the summer where they could learn bike safety,” Thomas said but the idea didn’t progress beyond that until a year later when Eric suggested they present the idea to the Vancouver Parks Director. The proposal was approved, “Then the work began,” said Thomas. She indicated that a key to launching the program was when Fort Vancouver National Historic Site offered space at the Historic Reserve to house the camps. The space was Building 410, a bare bones facility that is situated along a multiple use pedestrian and bicycle path that provides an ideal location for riders to try out their new skills.

Bike Clark County provided use of their fleet of bicycles from the Safe Routes to School programs for participants that did not have their own bicycle, as well as a team of well trained volunteer mechanics to ensure that all bicycles used were safe and functional. Registration and instruction was handled by Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department.

The camps were run by Heidi Marshall, the Fitness Coordinator at both the Firstenburg and Marshall Community Centers.  Despite her busy work schedule, Marshall was excited to step up to run Bike Skills 101, “I thought it was a perfect fit. Bikes go hand in hand with recreation, fitness, and exercise.”

The camp had 80 kids in its first season with a goal of introducing “kids to fun outdoor exercise, maintenance, and road skills on a bike,” according to Marshall. They used a combination of the League of American Bicyclists Traffic Skills 101 and Safe Routes to School national curriculums to teach kids basic rules of the road, bicycle safety checks, and riding skills. The morning sessions were spent with classroom time and the afternoons focused on practical skills and eventually longer rides.

After finding the location, the most daunting challenge in kicking off the camps was, “Finding the perfect team to run it, which we did. They did a wonderful job and I hope that we will see them running the camp again next year,” said Marshall.

Bike Skills 101 Instructor Hannah Gunter agrees, “A pilot program always has challenges, but we had a great staff and support to overcome them.”

Giacchino recognizes how critical the partnership was, “The relationships with The Fort and Parks and Rec was the key.  Bike Clark County had all the equipment and technical expertise but we needed these other organizations to bring it all together”.

He also recognized the critical role that Bike Clark County volunteer mechanics played in making the Camps run smoothly, “The shop guys were key to making this thing work. Without them keeping the bikes rolling we wouldn’t have been able to have a bike safety camp.”

Aaron Gibson has been volunteering for Bike Clark County as a mechanic and bike maintenance shop manager for the last three years. He sees his donated time as well worth it, “Once you do what we do and truly see the joy on these kids’ faces, you know you’re truly making a difference.” He feels that the program would be even more successful if Bike Clark County could grow into having paid staff and a brick and mortar shop space, “If I could ask for anything it would be a legitimate bike shop, open seven days a week, in the heart of Clark County….we could send hundreds of kids through camps each year.”

Looking To the Future

All of the partners are looking forward to building on the success of this year and growing the program. “I have a vision for it. I’d love to see it grow and see it become an even stronger and more wonderful program serving our community,” saidTracy Fortmann, Superintendent of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

Giacchino shares this vision, “I’d love to see year round, expanded programs for kids and adults also.  Tracy envisioned even higher levels of camps like bike touring.  The Fort is the perfect place to do all this.  My dream would be to find someone to help us make improvements on Building 410 at the Fort to really take things to the next level.  We could have a regional bike destination there with a small bike shop, bike rentals, and even a hostel upstairs for bike tourists!”

“I am excited to see the growth and changes for next year,” said Marshall, noting the need for some structural changes like expanding the camp for four to six weeks and separating into two separate camps based on participant age with half-day camps for kids ages 6-10 and full day camps for those 11-14.

She also notes some practical needs. This year’s camps overlapped with extremely hot weather with many days in the 90s and even several 100 degree days with no air conditioning or other amenities  She would like to see volunteers to support the staff, a building makeover, and a full size refrigerator with a freezer.

 

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