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My wife Cathy and our mustang Zeus on the Honey Creek trail in Renton Highlands
On our sunny spring days, like we enjoyed last weekend, the Northwest can seem like the Garden of Eden. I only have to walk a few blocks from my house to reach a well-maintained trail that meanders along Honey Creek, through a quiet, steep valley deeply shaded by fern-covered trees. Simple old wooden bridges enable the trail to criss-cross over the creek below, keeping hikers (and bikers and horse-back riders) feeling close to the flowing water.
I’ve been enjoying these trails with my family for 26 years, and they have changed very little over the years. The City of Renton does a great job of maintaining them (in part because of utilities buried in the trails). When guests visit from out of town, if the weather is at all permitting, I take them down the Honey Creek trail. Anyone who wants to experience it can find it by parking on the street near Kennydale Memorial Hall, where Edmonds Ave. NE meets NE 27th Street. Walk eastward down the hill and enjoy the paved trail that used to be “Devils Elbow Road”. As the road crosses May Creek, at the bottom of the Elbow, walkers and bikers can access the Honey Creek trail which is finished with compacted gravel.
A maple tree adorned by ferns leans over Honey Creek in Renton Highlands
Councilman Core-man,
While I appreciate your enthusiasm for the Honey Creek trail system, I’m afraid that you and the rest of the council are leaving out several voices in this debate:
1) There is no Honey in the Honey Creek – this is detrimental to diabetic sufferers who may be assuming that they could assuage a potential insulin overreaction by consuming some of the promised honey.
2) Minority involvement in the trail system is at an all time low, as you well know the outreach is minimal for this city amenity and if it exists at all, it’s only in English.
3) You mentioned “Zeus” – I hope you appreciate a strict separation between government and religions. I would suggest that you rename your horse to “Cesar Chavez.”
4) ADA accessibility is still lacking. I know the city budget is tight, but the wood bridge needs access ramps, and we should regrade the entire are so that it only has a 2% slope and is covered in 6″ of permeable asphalt.
5) Lyndon Larouche!!1!!! !
6) Also, expect to see a document request from my lawyer concerning all the work product you have made about this issue.
-Ben “Crackpot” Johnson
Okay…okay…I get it. Not enough controversy in my blog lately…
I’ll have to find some new topics worth arguing about. I suspect even “Crackpot” Johnson won’t be able to stir up a debate on this one. I’ll get to work on this.
By the way, it was the Federal Government that named my horse after a Greek god. The Bureau of Land Management caught him in Nevada, dubbed him Zeus, and put him up for auction.
Excellent Liberal impersonation, Ben.
We should also implement a reward / sticker system at the end of the trail, so *everyone* can feel a sense of accomplishment!
I am surprised that you find the trail shady and virtually unchanged, since the new development and destruction of trees and shade have destroyed a considerable amount of the fern population. The Ecology dept. had to require that the City correctly classify Honey Creek, as it had been underprotected for many years. Remember the beautiful little farm at Sunset and Union, with the creek meandering through it? All asphalt now , with a ditch around the edge to convey the water.
Sadly, the poor economy will make environmental protection even more of a “luxury” we cannot afford when it comes to restricting development in sensitive areas.
Randy– I love seeing you great wife, kids and friendly horse. Many of us go there almost daily with our doggies. It is one of the only dog friendly places nearby. As Devil’s elbow gets more press, I am counting on you to defend us dog lovers and horse lovers too! Our big fear is our best kept secret place to take our dogs will become ruined with rules. We also go to the dog park weekly so thanks for advocating for that. You do such a great job listening to the people! Marlene Winter
From a person without dogs standpoint – if dogs are leashed or under strict voice control nobody will care.
It’s once out-of-control dogs start face humping my children that I start getting the zip ties out. For the owner.
I remember this road now a pathway when I was child. This was the 1960’s and the 1970’s. It used to connect Kennydale to Coal Creek Parkway. A lot has changed the past forty years.
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