More Rail Trail pictures

One post about rail trails was not enough so here are some new pictures of rail trails I've been on since that last post. Expect to see more in the future! 

This stretch of the Centennial Trail on the west side of Spokane runs on top of the former Great Northern route built in 1902 and used until 1973. Where I am standing is just west of of Kendall Yards, also known as the Nettleton Addition. The railroad was dropping down here toward a crossing of the Spokane River. You can see the trail in the distance on the left edge of the photo. 

This section of trail includes some old stacked basalt retaining walls. I doubt these are as old as the railroad. My guess is they were more likely added sometime later by the city when improving the city street on the slope above (Summit Boulevard). I may use this as a model for some basalt retaining walls on the PE&A.

As the trail descends toward the river it makes a sharp right turn at this point, but the railroad would have continued straight over a 1,474 feet long bridge over the Spokane River, known as the GN High Bridge. It was built in 1902 and torn down in 1974. There is a small viewing platform which includes informational signage which mentions the former bridge. 

From the viewing platform you can still see some of the concrete pier foundations for the former bridge marching in pairs downhill toward the river.

Here is a closer view of one pair of pier foundations.

About three weeks ago I walked on the Colfax Trail for the first time, just west of Colfax. This trail is a little under three miles long and is built on a section of roadbed of the Spokane & Inland Empire electric railroad, the same railroad that ran across Moran Prairie. The trailhead is less than two miles from downtown Colfax where the railroad terminated. The trail runs right along the Palouse River so it is a very gentle and even slope.

While the valley is rather broad where the trail starts, after about a mile the valley narrows and the trail makes a sharp turn through a road cut blasted out of the basalt.

The second mile of the trail includes some great canyon views. Totally worth the rather ordinary first mile.

The trail runs right along the bottom of some dramatic cliffs as it follows the sharp meanders of the river. 

Another view of the Colfax Trail, this one looking upstream on the way back to the trailhead.

It seems like there are more wildflowers out every time I take a walk. More protected and shaded areas are still dominated by grass widows, sagebrush buttercups and glacier lilies. But arrowleaf balsamroot is now turning exposed, southern facing slopes a bright yellow. This view is along Centennial Trail at the trail's (and the Spokane River's) southernmost point, just before the river take a sharp turn to the northwest. Picture was taken this past Wednesday.

Grass widows (Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum). This and the next three pictures were taken Sunday morning at the Slavin Conservation Area southwest of Spokane.

Glacier lilies (Erythronium grandiflorum)

Yellow bell (Fritillaria pudica)

Lots of bees are now out to take advantage of all the recently opened flowers. This one is enjoying large-fruited biscuitroot (Lomatium macrocarpum)

Site prep work for PE&A

Work on the new PE&A site has been underway, although a bit more slowly than planned due to some weather delays. Some very nice weather in March led us to believe spring had made an early arrival, but then April turned unseasonably cold including snow on multiple days. Here are a few pictures of what I've been doing the past few weeks around the site.

I wanted to remove the dead branches around the base of the spruce so they don't fall down unexpectedly on top of the railroad. I was able to get most of them with the help of a ladder.

The resulting brush pile from the spruce cleanup.

It turns out that the mystery shrub that is in the way of the railroad development is a forsythia.

I really enjoy forsythia in the spring, so instead of getting rid of it I dug it up and transplanted it to a new home in the front yard. It's now visible from the street and will get much more sun here.

Within just a day of transplanting that forsythia we woke up to almost four inches of new snow. Winter again!

Today I started modifying the area that will be the primary focus for the railroad. The retaining wall boards are rotted and needed replaced here, but rather than replacing them I decided to remove two sections (about 24 feet total) to allow the ground to slope down to the grass.

Work in progress. The wood was rotten and the screws were almost rusted away, so removal of the boards was pretty quick.

Removal of the posts, on the other hand, required much more effort. They weren't set in concrete but they were deep enough that it took a bit of work.

Mostly done.

Four of the five posts were manageable but the fifth one is particularly stubborn and does not want to come out. I'll try again tomorrow, and if it doesn't budge I may just saw this one off below ground level. I had to stop here today as a convective cell was quickly approaching from the northwest and it looked like it had the capability of producing lightning. Time to get inside!

Meanwhile, around the garden, all the native shrubs are now leafing out, like this golden current.

And this pacific ninebark

The forbs I planted last fall are also coming up quick and strong. I forget which this one is, as my puppy stole the plastic tag. I'll look it up in the plant guide and get it labeled again.