OCT 2011 Lower Cherry Creek Trail by day

Ok, so I decided to check out Piney Creek. It is 9.3 miles long and empties into Cherry Creek. I googled it up and found out where the trail started, in Smokey Hill. Then I did my research on http://www.rtd-denver.com/ and took the RTD light rail to Nine Mile, the station nearest to Cherry Creek State Park. Then I was to go to the B Stop and catch the RTD 135. I was supposed to have 6 minutes to transfer but the bus left before I got there. The time was 2:35 PM, the next RTD 135 wasn't until 3:25 PM, Too late in the afternoon to travel a trail for the first time. My next attempt will be closer to noon.

So I decided to ride (lower) Cherry Creek North to the Platte River, then up the Platte to Alameda. In my last post I rode the light rail to Cherry Creek State Park for a moonlight ride. Today I complete the trip with a few construction updates.
The Nine Mile Stop

You can see part of the Nine Mile station on the right.

On a recent ride down Clear Creek I noticed a lot of uneven edges. Looks like Denver County is still smoothing rough edges. Good news for roller bladers.

Downhill, under highway 225 and along the Cherry Creek.

I stopped to see my tree friends near Kennedy Ball Park.

Here's a birds eye view of those trees.

View Larger Map

After the ball fields you drop down next to JFK golf course. At the bottom of the hill there is a short detour at Havana.

Here is the construction zone. Eventually the trail will be rebuilt.

Even the golf carts have to detour.

After Havana the trail flattens out for a while.

The trail rolls along.

 Lots of color out there.

 

Cherry Creek crosses the Highline Canal.

This is where Cherry Creek intersects with the Highline Canal.

Another park.

Here's something new. You used to take the bridge (on the right) over Cherry Creek then ride through the parking lot of a school, then cross S. Monaco at street level. Now a new path continues along this side of the creek and you cross below S. Monaco. I took the old route because I didn't know the new path was there. I thought the path pictured here would run out eventually. It re-joins the original path just after Holly St. I doubled back to check it out.

Here's a shot of the newest addition to the Cherry Creek Bike Path.

Now you pass *under* Monaco. Sweet.

Here's a tee pee at Four Mile Park. It used to be a Stagecoach Stop. I took this pic from the old path. I'm riding the new path from now on.

You ride past the Cherry Creek Mall. I once read that 25% of the sales tax the City of Denver collects came from Cherry Creek Mall. Of course that was before the great recession and before Denver started collecting sales tax from the 700 medical marijuana dispensaries located here.

After you ride by Cherry Creek Mall you go under University Avenue.

Here's a shot looking back from the other side of University.

Rolling through the concrete canyons in downtown Denver. last Summer a gully washer rainstorm raised Cherry Creek so high the bike path was four feet under water. 

Passing under Broadway. Now there's a quality bridge my friends.

Cofferdams along Cherry Creek.

Trendy lofts selling for much less than five years ago. 

Some sections have one trail for foot traffic and one for wheels.

There's the Recreational Equipment Incorporated building. Before that it was the Forney Transportation Museum, before that it was a trolley barn.

 Confluence Park, where the Cherry Creek meets the Platte River. Pictured below is the kayak course.

Fabulous Elitch Gardens across the river.

It says trail closed. Not really.

Barrier down.

Twister II roller coaster.

Mile High Stadium, home of the Denver Broncos. 

 

To me it looks like the trail will re open much sooner. It's almost done.

This is where the Platte River Trail meets Lakewood Gulch.

This is where the old Burlington Northern right of way ends. The trolley still uses this line but not past here.

Lakewood Gulch Trail. Gosh it's going to be beautiful.

The Platte River Trail going past the light rail bridge.

Looking at the new underpass at W 13th.

New stretch of trail. Big cofferdam on the left. The cones in the distance mark the turnoff for Weir Gulch.

 Weir Gulch Turnoff. The trail is over 90% complete.

 Just a few small patches to go!

 And there is where the trail resumes. I'm not sure what's going on with those cofferdams but if I see any workers around I'll ask next time.

Here's good ol' Frog Hollow Park.

This is Phil Millstein Park. They've removed a fence and cleared out a place where homeless people had been camping.

Now they live on the Burlington Northern right of way.

This looks like bicycle related art.

 Bridge over the Platte near Alameda.

 Looking down the Platte River.

I sure do love Denver. Best place I've ever lived and I've been around.

When completed the Platte River Trail is going to be more awesome than ever!