February 2008 Bike Path update

I'm starting a blog to deal with the Denver area bike path system. Here's my first post.

Winter 2008 is a time for construction and some path realignment. I've ridden the Platte River trail from the Sand Creek confluence to Mineral Avenue and have noticed there are several areas along the Platte River, Bear Creek & Sand Creek trails that are being reconstructed at this time. There are adequate detours for each so no worries, but it's always good to know what's up.

Starting upstream from Mineral Avenue in Littleton towards Denver the first detour is at the Bear Creek confluence. In the picture above you can see the bridge over Bear Creek in the distance.

For the time being the path to Bear Creek requires a short detour In the next picture you're looking upstream along the Platte and you can see the future Bear Creek trail being roughed out.

It turns out the construction is the construction of River Point At Sheridan, future home of Costco, Super Target and more big box stores. Here's an article in the Denver Post: www.denverpost.com/search/ci_8514395

There is a lot of constuction going on in this area on both sides of the Platte, it used to be a lot more natural but I guess these things happen. The river doesn't change.

Now the Platte River Trail features roundabouts. This is the intersection of the Platte River Trail and the Lee Gulch Trail. Nothing to do with construction but cool to report.
Just like those Euros, how Continental.

As for the Lee Gulch Trail, it was choked with snow and mud when I rode it (or tried to) in early February. I'm sure it's better now.

OK so flowing downstream past the Bear Creek realignment everything's cool until you get to West 13th, across from the old Gates rubber plant. There's a section of the path they're realigning. It used to be a wooden section out over the Platte, (you can still see the conctrete pylons that used to support the structure) that is being realigned to an Earthbound surface. It's a good idea, in cold weather that wooden part iced up.

pics looking East (downstream) :

Pics looking West (upstream):

Looks like something being constructed on the other side as well..

Continuing down the Platte Trail you pass the Cherry Creek confluence. Ahh Cherry Creek. Beware the detour where the Cherry Creek path passes below University, no pics available but there is a detour.

But I digress. We're headed downstream from Denver on the Platte River Trail.

There's a detour near the National Guard Armory along the Platte river. The path used to lead up to a road which crossed a bridge. The new path takes you under thye bridge and over the Canal on a dedicated bike path bridge . Here's a few pics:

Just after the Armory we come to the diversion canal to the solid waste treatment plant. It was dry. I've ridden this path for 6 years and have never seen it dry before.


I saw an empty waste unit too. They had others in use I'm sure. I didn't give it much thought. I figured at the far end of the plant, where the water usually gushed back into the depleted Platte, the discharge would be absent due to the non diversion of the Platte upriver which caused that stretch of the river to flow freely for the first time in decades. I was wrong.

Just past the treatment outflow we come to the Sand Creek confluence. There's a bridge over the Platte and you can see the roughed out route of the future bike path...

The Sand Creek Trail is going through more changes. I've been riding it since it first opened several years ago. There have been many improvements and upgrades along the trail. It is still dirt in some places but I don't mind. It keeps the spandex clad speed demons off this trail.

The Sand Creek Trail goes through old Stapleton Airport. It used to pass beneath a runway but now the runway has been removed.

The concrete walls on either side of Sand Creek used to support a runway at Stapleton Airport. It just got torn down in the last year or two, opening this section of the creek to the sun for the first time in decades.

There's a long dirt stretch past Quebec they may be ready to improve, I found a bunch of gravel in one spot. I hope they use it for something, deep gravel is hard to ride.

I just hope they don't improve it too much. It's a great ride and always uncrowded. I've encountered more horses than bikers on the Sand Creek Trail.

After passing the Runway the trail turns from concrete to dirt again and eventually comes out on Havana. The dirt path then follows Havana for a while then crosses a prarie dog field. It used to end at Peoria but now there's an underpass and concrete paths leading to Colfax near highway 225. At this point I usually catch a #15 RTD bus for $1.75 to get back downtown. I get a transfer so I can get home after that.

Near the end of the Sand Creek Trail.

Next I'm gonna ride the Platte Trail from Denver (Alameda) to Clear Creek and Clear Creek Trail to Golden.