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News: Japanese Gulch - $2.5m Grant from Snohomish County

2K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Eerie 
#1 ·
This is pretty cool. (Thanks to Maday for pointing it out to me)

County to buy land for trail south of Snohomish | HeraldNet.com - Local news

"With $2.5 million from the county grant program, Mukilteo and its partners have amassed $4.3 million to buy 98 acres in Japanese Gulch, said Paige DeChambeau, executive director of the nonprofit Japanese Gulch Group. The group expects the price to be $6 million or more, but is awaiting an updated appraisal before trying to negotiate a purchase."

The city is getting closer to being able to purchase all of the land on the west side of the tracks. I think this means you'd be able to ride (legal) trails from the parking lot down on 5th St. all the way up to the top.
 
#5 ·
I think the Mukilteo Parks Dept. will take it over. I believe it will be designated as "Urban Forest", which will leave it largely untouched. Some feel the term "park" means high maintenance cost and buildings.

There is an appraisal in works by the city, and the likely negotiations that will occur after. With that said, securing the west side of the Gulch is getting closer! Hopefully, it doesn't fall through.

Borneo,
I'm interested in learning more about the Paradise plan. I imagine the decision on who will oversee the "Urban Forest" will be made well above my level as Trails Committee Chair. I'll send a P.M.
 
#6 ·
Maday - The Paradise Plan was really all about Snohomish County Parks developing a trails plan that gave the competing groups (Hikers, Bikers, Horse) each something, but not satisfying everyone.

The hikers (really the Water Tenders) wanted everyone out. Bikers and Horse wanted access to all trails. What Parks did was a compromise...some trails are hike only, some are hike/horse only, some are bike only and some are multi-use. It wasn't a perfect plan but it's worked out OK over the years. If you look on the Snohomish County Parks website you'll see the original trail use plan as well as the trailmap that shows the designation of each trail.
 
#7 ·
.

You folks seem like the ones to ask this question, sorry for kind of going off-topic:

Google maps shows a trial between 5th Street/Mukilteo Boulevard and Mukliteo Lane to the northwest. My girlfriend and I are going on a short tour up to Whidbey later this week and I'm planning on taking the trail from Boeing along the railroad tracks and then through Japanese Gulch rather than noisy Highway 525.

Is this feasible for a couple of converted mountain bikes with fenders and racks? Or are there only off-road trails through here?

THANKS!
 
#8 ·
Woodway/ Borneo,

Thanks... I'll take a look at the Sno Parks website.

Medic Zero

You "can" take the tracks (gravel) from Mukilteo Lane and/or 5th Street up to the Boeing Perimeter road (BNSF Property, won't be part of the 98 acres). Fenders and racks should be okay. Slicks may not work well on the trails if it is wet.
 
#9 ·
Thanks!

I wouldn't want to try it uphill/Eastbound, but we did okay going from Boeing down to 5th/Mukilteo Lane. At times the gravel was big, fist sized rocks that seemed to be several layers deep, felt like I was hydroplaning over the surface of them, but we did okay. This was on 26 x 1.50 tires that have very little tread (Panaracer T-Serv Protex and Vittoria Randonneur Pro's).

I found most of the ride peaceful and fun, but my girlfriend finds riding on gravel supremely nerve-wracking, despite being a very experienced mountain biker. I think I came to the realization that despite the peaceful surroundings and mostly not-too-bad gravel, that she'd prefer a noisy highway where we have to take a lane to a gravel road in the future! o_O

We ended up walking our bikes on the main trail through Japanese Gulch. Loaded down with panniers and on slick tires we didn't have confidence in safely crossing/dismounting the little bridges and enjoyed the peaceful walk.

Mind the railroad crossing just to the south of Japanese Gulch though! The worst I've ever seen with WIDE gaps on either side of the rails in the wooden bed. Got us good! :eekster:

On our way back, it was night time and the prospect of taking either of those two in the dark, uphill, was basically a non-starter, so we went down (UP!) Mukilteo Speedway. The grade on that seemed to go on forever! Also experienced the only time someone shouted at us from their car in over 90 miles of riding from Seattle to all over southern Whidbey and back.

I'm interested in exploring the route up and over the hill through the neighborhood between Mukilteo Speedway and the railroad tracks sometime. It looks to be an even steeper climb than Highway 525 and entail a stupid number of turns to actually get through there, but has the benefit of not being on the highway, which lacks a bike lane for a good chunk of the climb.
 
#10 ·
Beautiful day out there today, if a little sketchy with all the damp leaves on the trail. Definitely not the place to be using slicks this time of year :) Almost put my summer tires back on this morning, glad I left the winter rubber on after all though.

Found some enormous piles of dirt shaped in tantelizing ways, a bit over my skill level still, but fun to see that going on out in the woods. Will be interesting to see what happens there if the county takes over the park.
 
#11 ·
They used to be a lot smaller. I poked over there earlier in the summer thinking I'd get some jump on... nope, out of my league too. The beginner line was gone then too. I agree it will be interesting what happens there if/when the city or county take over that parcel of land.
 
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