Centennial Trail Aug 2 2008

While we were momentarily flummoxed that the 17.5 mile trail we had planned on riding this morning ended after just a couple blocks into a non-descript service station parking lot, we soon enough realized the error of our way and were on the trail proper, heading out of Snohomish town to points north, and perhaps somewhat west.

Truly, the trail proper starts at a signed trailhead just outside of downtown Snohomish, goes for a couple blocks and abruptly ends. Thank goodness my sister Sue had the audacity to ask a postal employee where we could again pick up the trail and after a short detour we were there. One would think that this 6-block missing link might have been better described and/or signed, but such is the life of the intrepid bike trail explorer.

Northbound out of Snohomish, the trail is the typical rail conversion following valley bottoms, easy slopes and longish straightaways. We rolled along at an easy rate for the first ten miles or so, stopping for short photo opps next to slow moving streams, scenic overpasses and finally beside a quiet lake at about the 11 mile mark of the ride. At that point, the subdivisions gave way to more grazing and farming land, the sky was lowering with the threat of sprinkles and Sue had had enough riding for the day. Brother-in-law Greg and I seized the opportunity for a high speed run to the end of the trail and made the 14 mile round trip in about an hour.

Sitting on a bench overlooking the lake, the three of us snacked and rested for a few more minutes and soon on our way back to Snohomish, arriving a couple hours later. Wandering around the quaint riverside town we soon found a nice brew pub where we had a couple well-deserved beers and a nice lunch. An hour later we were back home, with plenty of the afternoon left to relax.