AngieThis absolutely sucks! Nevermind the people that live in the area, but the snow park we go to is just beyond this point. So we can't get there until it is fixed.
DanM22Elk herd while out hiking - taken near Enumclaw, WA, Mt. Peak area. #enumclaw #washington #elk #nature #photography #photo #naturephotography #wildlife #critters
Tom FucoloroRead the full story on the Seattle Times.
Seattle Times photographer Kevin Clark captured some great images of people walking and biking across the Foothills Trail bridge of the White River, which is currently the only direct connection between King County’s Enumclaw (population 12,700) and Pierce County’s Buckley (population 5,300). With work to reopen the highway bridge nearby expected to continue until November, people are figuring out how to get themselves and their wares across the river without driving the 45–60 extra minutes the highway detour requires.
The photos show a stream of people crossing the bridge, most of whom are walking. But some are biking, some have scooters, some are pushing carts full of stuff, and at least one guy was pushing a motorcycle. One Enumclaw woman had a child and a dog in the front of her cargo bike. Many people are parking near the bridge and walking from there, though King County Metro has also rerouted the 915 bus to serve the north end of the bridge and Pierce Transit is running a special shuttle bus that serves the south end of the bridge. I suspect people will keep figuring out more ways to make things work without driving because people are creative when facing challenges like these, and they are going to get sick of the hour (each way) driving detour real fast. I’d expect to see more cargo bikes, bike trailers and kid seats on bikes in the coming weeks.
As we noted in an earlier story, the Foothills Trail now extends all the way from Enumclaw to the edge of Puyallup, passing through Buckley and Orting on the way. As frustrating as this highway bridge closure is, it is very lucky that King County and Pierce County Parks both completed major trail bridge projects in the area in the past year with the White River Bridge being the biggest. The trail bridge is even designed to carry one emergency vehicle at a time if necessary, though King County is imploring non-emergency drivers not to try driving over it. It’s a great example of walking and biking infrastructure providing redundancy and resiliency in times of emergency.
Folks on both sides of the county line are making it work and getting through a tough and unexpected roadway closure. It is definitely hitting some businesses hard, so I don’t want this post to come off as though this is some great thing. But in finding new ways to get across the river, many people are also finding new community connections, Nicholas Deshais reported:
It was just another typical day in the rural shadow of Mount Rainier nearly 50 miles southeast of Seattle. Except it wasn’t.
“It’s not normal for me to walk,” said Jamie Petersen, 46, who lives in Buckley, on the south side of the river, and visits her mother a few times a week in Enumclaw, to the north.
This day, she was strolling across the bridge pulling a roller bag, with a backpack and tote stacked on top of it. A small Amazon package was tucked under her arm.
“I’m just thankful that there’s still a way across,” she said.
[…]
Many walking across — less than a mile, car to car, only a brief section over water — said they’ve found the good in the situation. People are getting out and meeting each other. The communities are leaning on each other, and binding closer together.
I’m curious how many of these habits end up sticking even after the highway bridge reopens. Bicycling is one of those things that once you start you get hooked, and this cross-river trail connection is still very fresh. A lot of people have been using the trail for the first time, and they may be surprised to find that it is easier and more fun than they had expected.
(Note: If you do not subscribe to the Seattle Times, local public library card holders can access the paper free through their library’s excellent collection of online resources: Seattle Public Library, King County Library and Pierce County Library. The story appeared on the front page of the September 17 issue.)
#SEAbikes #Seattle
From Pierce County Parks.
It is incredibly lucky that King and Pierce Counties completed the Foothills Trail Bridge over the White River last year because it is now serving as a key lifeline connecting between Enumclaw and Buckley after someone driving an oversized truck crashed into the metal support beams on the nearby SR 410 bridge and forced WSDOT to close it until at least November. The road detour adds about 26 miles and 45–60 minutes to the drive between Buckley and Enumclaw, but it is a 12 minute bike ride. King County Metro rerouted the Route 915 to serve the north end of the walking and biking bridge, putting folks within walking distance of Buckley. King County also added some additional lighting to the bridge to make it more comfortable to cross during the night. The trail bridge is even designed to carry one emergency vehicle at a time, though King County is imploring people not to drive unauthorized vehicles across the bridge because it is not designed for it.
The trail will become even more useful when the Spiketon Ditch bridge reopens September 13, nearly two years after bridge inspectors found dangerous and irreparable deterioration to the old timber bridge and tore it down. Once open, the trail will finally connect continuously from Enumclaw to Puyallup, which has been a dream for a long time that keeps getting stymied by bridge closures. Work on yet another trail bridge, the smaller Ski Park Bridge, is set to happen in 2026, though planners are hopeful that an easy trail detour will be available.
The teal lines mark completed trail sections. The orange lines are potential future trails. Base map from the Leafline Trails Coalition. I marked the two bridges.What would likely have been a regular trail celebration will take on added meaning for folks in an area that has been severely hampered by the 410 bridge closure. I imagine a lot of folks in the area are either dusting off old bikes or buying new ones. Here’s to hoping that’s at least somewhat of a silver lining to what it surely a very frustrating time.
There’s no parking at the bridge area itself, but folks can join one of two group bike rides to the celebration: The Foothills Coalition will leave Buckley Trailhead at 10:30 a.m., and the Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club will leave East Puyallup Trailhead at 9 a.m. There is also a community walk from South Prairie Trailhead at 10:30 a.m. The celebration begins at 11 a.m.
Unfortunately, transit service to the Foothills Trail from the Seattle area isn’t great on a Saturday morning. However, one could work this opening into a lovely weekend bike adventure that includes camping at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park.
More details on the September 13 opening celebration from Pierce County Parks:
Please join Pierce County Parks and the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition on Saturday, September 13, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the the Spiketon Ditch Bridge to celebrate the opening of the new construction, which now connects the Foothills Trail into a continuous 24-mile stretch.
The program will include remarks from Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, Pierce County District 1 Councilmember Dave Morell, Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition Executive Director Breanna Fokes, and other community partners. Light refreshments will follow.
Getting to the Bridge
The Spiketon Ditch Bridge is located in a remote area without direct public access. Guests will need to walk, ride, or roll in from either the South Prairie or Buckley Trailheads. There is no parking at the event site. Please allow extra time for your journey and come prepared for the weather.
You can also join one of the group rides or walks leading to the event:
Foothills Coalition Group Bike Ride from Buckley Trailhead
- Leave at 10:30 a.m. from the Doc Tait Pavilion
- Distance: 4 miles to the bridge
- Optional: Wear a bowtie to honor the little “bowtie” trail loop near Spiketon
- Ample parking available at Buckley Trailhead
Pierce County Parks Walk from South Prairie Trailhead
- Leave at 10:30 a.m. from South Prairie Trailhead
- Distance: 1.5 miles to the bridge
- Parking is very limited at South Prairie Trailhead
Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club (TWBC) Ride from East Puyallup Trailhead
- Leave at 9:00 a.m. from East Puyallup Trailhead
- Distance: 17 miles one way. TWBC plans to do a 55-mile out-and-back ride, for details, click here.
- To join the TWBC ride, contact [email protected]
- Parking at the East Puyallup Trailhead may be limited due to the “Little Steps, Big Dreams Race”.
To learn more about this project, visit www.PierceCountyWA.gov/Spiketon.
For a map of the Foothills Trail, click here.
We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you on September 13!
#SEAbikes #Seattle
UGH! I use this bridge to take the dogs to Nolte State Park, but what a pain with school starting!
KEXP 🎶 #NowPlaying Bot🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on #KEXP's #AfternoonShow
Enumclaw:
🎵 Grocery Store
Grocery Store, by Enumclaw
from the album Home in Another Life
Julie WebgirlHey #Seattle!
Washinton Weather Chasers had put out a lengthy update on the chance of #tornado in #Washinton #Oregon
✅ "To give you an idea of how uncommon this is, in the last 10 years, there have been exactly 0️⃣ severe thunderstorm warnings west of the Cascades in the #PNW during the month of March."
✅ "Right now, it appears the most robust storms -- possibly even supercells -- will develop somewhere between #VancouverWA, & #Tacoma - #Enumclaw this afternoon into the evening."
1/6
knizerSaturday & Sunday, #indierock / #emo festival Something In the Way fest 2025 ft Saturday: #BalanceAndComposure #SoccerMommy #AmericanFootball #SweetPill #Anxious #Dazy #Enumclaw et al
Sunday: #Slowdive #Fiddlehead #MannequinPussy #militarieGun #Glare #miniTrees et al
Afternoon start in #boston at Roadrunner - resale single day passes start at 65+ fees
https://roadrunnerboston.com/events/detail/?event_id=674809
#BostonMusic #BostonWeekend 6/x
Angie BybeeNolte State Park in Enumclaw. Took the pups there this cold morning for a walk.
#pnw ##noltestatepark #Enumclaw
#pnw ##noltestatepark #Enumclaw
Took the pups to Nolte State Park in Enumclaw. Rained the entire time.
