If you have been around for a little bit, you know one of my new favorite things to do is use public transit to get to a hike and/or ride locally.
I had been eyeing hikes along SR 20 and it looked like Concrete was as far as I would get by bus so I made a plan to ride to there and then make my way back on the Cascade Trail on my bike with a hike at the Northern State Ghost Town (Northern State Recreation Area). Being off for the summer meant I could go on a Thursday when the weather was perfect.
The 90X picks up about a mile from my home (but starts at the Everett Transit Station for those who want to bus to there to connect). The trip carries riders north up the I-5 corridor with scenic views of farmland and low level hills (like Little Mountain).
From there, the 70X from Mount Vernon would get me to Concrete but the first one of the weekday was not until 9:15am, I didn’t leave Everett until 7:50am on the 90X. The fee was $2.
For the transfer in Mount Vernon, I had about 45 minutes to bike over to the Skagit River Walkway for a 2 mile stretch out and back towards the Kulshan Trail.
The 70X would take me all the way to the small town of Concrete to start my adventure at one of my favorite gluten free bakeries, 5 B’s. The fee for the 70X was $1 and I used the UMO app to pay which is super convenient. It keeps track of your total for the day so you don’t pay more than you need to.
Arriving in Concrete at 10:30am, I enjoyed an iced decaf Americano (boring, I know) and a hearty breakfast.
And maybe a little knitting!
Then it was time to saddle up and make my way west on SR 20 along the Cascade Trail, a 22.5-mile rail trail that follows the abandoned Burlington Northern railroad grade and connects the towns of Sedro Woolley and Concrete.
I started the Cascade Trail on Douglas Vose III Way, passing the towering concrete silos and entering the forested tunnel that most of the trail consists of.
There were a few obstacles along the way but otherwise, it was smooth sailing.
It was fun to see where the Cascade Trail intersects with various roads I have driven past numerous times along SR 20. It would be easy to stop at places like Birdsview Brewery or make a ride up Bake Lake Road to Grandy Lake or further for overnight camping.
The Cascade Trail does cross SR 20 just east of Hamilton with no crossing safety measures, so be prepared for that. Luckily on this day, there was minimal traffic so I did not have to wait long to cross. Might be different during larch season when everyone is traveling to and fro for Rainy Pass.
If you need a pit stop, Hamilton does have a small grocery store.
The blackberries near Hamilton were ripe enough to nosh (plus take home in a spare container) and the views along the Skagit River near the town of Lyman were spectacular. Just know that some of the trail’s bridges are in a sorry state!
It is hard to tell from the picture but there was rather a big drop back down to the gravel.
At about 22 miles where a large gravel parking lot on Franks Road has been cleared east of the Fruitdale trailhead, I left the Cascade Trail through a small path in the vegetation and crossed SR 20 (again) to head up Helmick Road .3 miles to visit Northern State and the ghost town.
I was surprised to see such a nice trailhead and the Veterans Memorial!
Northern State is an abandoned mental health hospital that was so large it was like a town of its own. From WTA:
The hospital site included patient and staff housing, a water reservoir, sewage system, lumber mill, quarry, steam plant, greenhouse, canning facilities, gymnasium, library, laundry, dining room, bakery, dairy, and 700-acre farm for growing vegetables and raising livestock. A cemetery was also included in the site plan.
Now there are about 5 miles of trail throughout the grounds and even a disc golf course.
I hiked around the old farm buildings for about 30 minutes before making my way back to the Cascade Trail. If on 2 wheels or with small kids, know that the ghost town is littered with broken glass to watch out for.
On my way out, the veterans memorial offered an opportunity to learn a little about the locals who have served in various wars over the years.
I continued on west towards Sedro Woolley and the end of the Cascade Trail. It was a little confusing getting from the trail to the park and ride on the street but I soon made it for a total of 27 miles from Concrete. I thought I had been paying attention on the bus ride in but my mistake was thinking that the bus had come in on SR 20 when it had come in on Cook Road. Just remember the bus stop is by Walgreens and Food Pavilion on West Ferry!
Another tip. If you are like me and bring the wrong backup battery that won’t actually charge anything, the public library is about 5 minutes from the bus stop and makes a cool place (literally) to charge up.
My ride on the 70x back to Mount Vernon was free and the trip back to Everett on the 90x was another $2 making my total today $5. It was a long day, 7:30am to 7:30pm, but I didn’t have to drive, I got plenty of relaxing knitting done on the bus and I visited basically 3 trails with lots of time outdoors and ate at one of my favorite bakeries. This trip would be about 140 miles round trip in the car so I saved about $30 in gas.
A successful trip and one I plan to repeat in the future!
Links to know:
The WTA hike guide for the Cascade Trail mentions route #717, but that bus only runs around the town of Concrete itself with the exception of 2 runs from Mount Vernon on Saturdays (11 and 3 something). You want 70x to move along SR 20 the rest of the time, it makes quite a few stops along the way.
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You are a BEAST! WOW! What a great adventure and a ghost town bonus!
Thank you, Susie! I hope when my wrist can handle the vibration more to be able to ride both ways from Sedro Woolley to Concrete because it is such a nice trail. Flat trails are great for longer distances!