Yesterday was a beautiful October day here in the Pacific NorthWest, with pure blue skies and temps in the low 70s(F). A perfect day to ramble around the Sammamish Valley (east of Seattle) and make up for a couple of missed commuting days.

I head out of my apartment and within a mile climb up the valley wall. I stay along the top and eventually begin descending back down the same side. Unwilling to lose the altitude this early I turn onto the Tolt Pipeline trail.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide01.jpg

This gravel road is a service road for the Tolt Pipeline, which bring water from the Tolt River into Seattle. It is all parkland and is well used by cyclists, horse riders, walkers and dogs.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide02.jpg

The trail is very hilly, with about as steep of hills I can handle on a gravel surface. Farms and horse pasture line the edges and there is only the occasional road crossing.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide03.jpg

Coming to a bridge over a sweet little stream I stop to snap some photos and discover my front tire is quite low. OK for riding on this gravel now that I'm about to return to the road I pump it up and top off the rear while I'm at it.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide04.jpg

I have to say that it is mixed mode rides like this that really makes me appreciate my Novara Safari. A bike that served me well on a hilly tour carrying a very heavy load, and yet handles most off road with equal ease.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide05.jpg

At this point I exit the Tolt and turn on to the backroads a bit east of Redmond.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide06.jpg

I see this sign for Salmon Art on this little suburban trail. I turn on to it and coming to a bridge find several people watching spawning salmon! I spend a good half hour watching this mating pair and taking pictures.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide07.jpg

Back onto the backroads I head into Redmond and have a couple of beers and some pizza at the excellent Big Time Pizza (http://www.bigtimepizza.com/)

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide08.jpg

Leaving Redmond I take the 520 trail, which parallels the highway of the same name. Usually I rarely see others on this trail, but the fall sun brought out more people then normal.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide09.jpg

A little further along the trail.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide10.jpg

I turn off the trail and ride through a bit of Bellevue and Kirkland suburbia.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide11.jpg

Returning to the Sammamish River Valley as evening sets in, I spy the local balloonists out giving an aerial tour of the valley.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide12.jpg

A view up the valley with Mount Rainier in the far distance.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide13.jpg

I end the ride, following my commute route up the Sammamish River Trail. A nice easy wind down from a great days ride.

http://spiralcage.com/pics/Cycling/02Oct2004/FallRide14.jpg

So there it is, an afternoons ride in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I love the fall here it brings out the beauty and the slightly cooler weather keeps the crowds down. Returning home in the evening with darkness setting in and a chill in the air is just so rewarding. If there is a more beautiful place than the PNW in the fall, I want to see some photographic evidence ;)

What a beautiful ride! Ihaven't done the Tolt Pipe trailert but you just gave me motivation :D

Khuon and I did the Kitsap Color Classic yesterday after the fog lifted we had great scenery. To top it off onthe Ferry backto Edmonds the captian stopped the boatsowecould watch a pod of Orca's go by. What a day.

What a beautiful ride! Ihaven't done the Tolt Pipe trailert but you just gave me motivation :D

Khuon and I did the Kitsap Color Classic yesterday after the fog lifted we had great scenery. To top it off onthe Ferry backto Edmonds the captian stopped the boatsowecould watch a pod of Orca's go by. What a day.

It was a great weekend for the Color Classic, I hope a ride report and pics are coming soon :)

The Tolt is interesting riding, very hilly (up and down, up and down) and gravel so use a bike that can handle that. When you cycle by it on the Sammamish River trail you see this insane uphill that I doubt anyone could bike up. Stay on the SRT until you come to the Redhook brewery and after having a beer or two :D turn Left on that road (145th I believe) and take the road past the Hollywood Hills Community center. The Tolt goes over this road just a bit the way up the hill. This is the best place to start on the trail. On the other end, not too much past the Avondale Road crossing the trail gets thinner and thinner eventually becoming a steep single track into someone's driver way. From there it is a quick descent to the
Snoqualmie River Valley.

Great story and photos! Man, thanks for sharing that with us!

wow. you passed within 20 feet of my backyard!

wow. you passed within 20 feet of my backyard!

You live on the Tolt? Must be tough having to climb those valley walls everytime you go on a ride. OTOH it must be nice to have both the Sammamish and Snoqualimie valleys a downhill ride away.

You live on the Tolt? Must be tough having to climb those valley walls everytime you go on a ride. OTOH it must be nice to have both the Sammamish and Snoqualimie valleys a downhill ride away.


Tippity top of holywood hill. Stopping at the redhook brewery before the climb helps
out a bit for the home stretch :)

jeff