A Tour of the Burke-Gilman Bike Trail

I was downtown today (Sept. 6, 2002) with my bike and needed to get a photo reprint redone at the shop in University Village. I decided to go out of my way and visit Myrtle Edwards Park, which is just a narrow strip of Port of Seattle land with a bike path and a sweeping view of our part of Puget Sound. Though it was yet another warm yet crisp sunny day, you could see fall gathering its forces offshore:

It's great that the Port has built this bike path and other small amenities for public use. There's a fishing pier, public art and small flower gardens, fitness circuit equipment, and an explanatory sign all about the giant grain loader that towers over the bike path. Grain comes there from all over the west and is loaded onto ships from countries all over the world. The bike path winds through staging areas for imported cars, railroad tracks and switching yards, and other industrial fenced-off places with various metal tanks and junk stored everywhere. I'm glad city planners have learned that people want to walk, bike, fish, and swim, and it doesn't have to be fancy. A bike path is a beautiful thing no matter how gritty the scenery. I managed to zigzag between Magnolia and find the Ballard Bridge, which I'd have to cross to get on the path that would lead to University Village. That path is called the Burke-Gilman trail. It runs across the waistline of Seattle along north side of the ship canal, turns north, loops over the top of Lake Washington, and ends, after about 25 miles, at a huge park in the suburbs on the east side of the lake. The path used to be a railroad track, back when, I imagine, the ship canal was a strictly industrial artery. Now it's lined with grass and tall poplars that are loaded with cormorants in winter. But before you get to the really pretty parts of the path, you pass through the Ballard section, still full of intriguing maritime industry. You have lots of unidentifiable items that are fenced off so you aren't tempted to haul them off:

…plenty of natural resources:

…modern art:

…and sculpture:

…helpful instructions for all trail users:

…mighty structures built by geniuses:

…and alternative modes of transportation:

But many parts of the path and the ship canal make a gorgeous urban setting, with boats passing by the floating ducks, people jogging and bicycling under the poplars, and employees of the low-slung corporate buildings that face the path sunning themselves in expensively landscaped courtyards. You get great views of houseboats and bridges, the grass is green:

…and there are plenty of flowering shrubs and other pleasant things to see.