Before the autumn monsoon hit, I had the opportunity last week to bicycle the Cedar River Trail that runs east from Renton, Washington.
It's a level, low-traffic trail that runs for 16 miles along an old railroad line that used to carry coal out of the Cascade Mountains to consumers in the Seattle area. I always try to incorporate parts of it on any bike rides I take in that area.
Over much of its length, the trail runs within sight of the Cedar River, which rushes out of springs and lakes in the Cascades. During the fall, the river is a highway for bright red sockeye salmon that are returning to hatcheries upstream after spending two or three years feeding in the Pacific Ocean.
Sights and sounds
There are sights, sounds and aromas peculiar to this area this time of year. I can enjoy all of them as I pedal along on my bike.
All along the trail, I see the bright fall colors of the leaves. Up ahead I see the outline of the Cascade foothills, and I catch glimpses of stretches of river. At the bridge crossings I stop to watch the water rushing over rocks. I can see a few sockeye down there; some are bright red and strugging upstream while others are belly up and bloated.
I look across Maple Valley Road, which parallels part of the trail and see the spot where I saw a coyote standing in a field one day. There are houses there now.
That road is noisy and a distraction as I ride along, although at Maple Valley the road veers away. The asphalt gives out and the trail becomes hard-packed crushed limestone. What I hear now are my tires grinding over this surface and the rushing stream through the trees.
Aromas
There's a chill in the air, and away from the cities I smell wood smoke. I also get an occasional whiff of decaying fish where dead salmon have piled up along certain stretches of shoreline. In places, especially where it slows downstream, there are places where a musty odor hangs over the river.
Besides fish, what wildlife have I seen from the trail? The occasional deer, the aforementioned coyote, a bald eagle or two perched in a tree. A sign at the Landsberg terminus warns of bears and cougars.
The possibilities
The Cedar River Trail has a great surface. Except for about five miles of crushed limestone (no problem for my 28cm tires, about 1.1 inches), the trail is paved. There's only one crossing at a busy intersection, the other has been replaced with a tunnel for trail users.
Although it's a nice bike ride itself, the trail leads to other cycling opportunities. At the western end in Renton it's close to the Lake Washington bike route and just across town from trailheads for the Green River Trail and Interurban Trail. In the east it connects to Landsburg Road and all the cycling possibilities around Black Diamond.
Check here for the Seattle Bicycle Touring Club's routes in South King County.
Recent Comments