--- In BentPacNW@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Van Houten" <bill.vanhouten@...> wrote:
>
> Fellow Riders: The good riding season is finally here, sorta. Did my first
ride with no over-layers two weeks ago, followed by an 80mi in heavy rain and
headwinds. Sunday was again a great day on the Bent.
>
> I do the Maymoor / Redmond to Golden Gardens / Ballard ride using the
Sammamish River and Burke Gillman Trails 1-2 times a week, usually late
afternoon and evening. 70-80 mi RT depending on how I connect a few of the
links.
> So what follows is an update on trail conditions:
> There has been an increase in Bents / Trikes on the Trails in the last 6 weeks
or so. A lot of Visions (seems like more than last year), old and newer
Bachettas, Rans w & w/o fairings, a Cruzbike, an Optima (very cool), a few Cats,
several WizWs, and several different configs of hand trikes.
>
> All the bathrooms enroute are open except the set at the Burke Gillman
Playground behind Metropolitan Market / Ronald McDonald House. I don't know
what the story is on that one. The new bathrooms at Log Boom / Kenmore finally
opened 4 weeks ago. Like the old bathrooms, they usually lock up around 9PM
(or never, not predictable). The bathrooms at 64 Acre Park in Redmond finally
re-opened 3 weeks ago. The bathrooms at Woodinville stay open all year round,
but have a floating close schedule that is usually around sunset.
>
> There is a new short extension from the south end of the Sammamish River Trail
connecting to the E. Lake Sammamish Trail. The connector is only 3/4mi but
quite a show with baseball, soccer, lacrosse, cricket, and the R/C model
airplane airport. I usually do a quick RT on this one before heading north on
the Samm Trail to Golden Gardens.
>
> The Alligator Pit of root break asphalt behind the Redmond Civic / Seniors
Center has been repaired. At last! No more fighting for room on the west-most
2" of the Trail.
>
> The Rapids of root break in Fremont in front of Canal Coffee has also been
repaired. No more bouncing off the rocks on my night time returns.
>
> For those of you who take the upper route (Riverside Dr) at the top of the
Samm Trail (bypassing the lookie-loos, ducks, chickens, Bothell Landing, etc.),
some of the major potholes have been filled in. It's still some pretty crappy
roadway, especially at night. I've popped a few tubes there coming home late,
although they did fill in the holes that gave me the flats. Thanks!
>
> The Bone Rattler of root break between Metropolitan Market and the wood bridge
on the Burke Gillman (between NE 50th & NE 48th, I think) is still … well … The
Rattler. It's also in the downhill south bound. Darn. Would make a nice
downhill to U Village if it weren't for that.
>
> Happy Trails
>
> Bill
>
> PS: I ride an old model yellow / black Bachetta Corsa with a large yellow
tail box and double yellow / black panniers. My rig is pretty dirty since I
ride all winter long. If you see me coming and feel like it, wave or flag me
down and say howdy.
>

Bill, thank you much for this update of conditions on the entire trail! It will
serve to be of great benefit to me. I don't do the entire trail in one ride as
you do, and I don't do it every week let alone a couple of times a week. But
every couple of weeks I will most likely be trading directions from Logboom to
ride with a few friends at their separate and different times and this report is
quite helpful. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

I am new to triking, but also ride my two wheel road bike, and will keep my eye
out for the yellow tail boxed 'bent.

Nancy