!!

 

yikes.... scratch that off my list of places to go in the next week or so

 

Let's not panick now! That's why I'm asking here. I was in a shop today and they talked about two of their customers having been hit for trespassing. I don't necessarily buy it. You could still hike in legally two ways if it is true.

 

Am I missing something? Meadowdale has a path that goes under the tracks. A person would not have to walk over tracks. Why would the railroad have any say? I hope it is not like Water St. in Edmonds, where the new homeowners feel like they have a right to call the cops because a car is parked on puplic property. We used to fish for salmon in our float tubes and share our stories with many of the homeowners, but they are all gone now!...

 

The trail from the Meadowdale Park parking lot does go under the tracks, but most beach anglers approach Meadowdale from the end of a road near the old Meadowdale boathouse which requires (when the tide is in) a lengthy hike north along the railroad tracks. Most would agree that this is much, much easier than hiking down (and especially back up) the trail from the lot.

 

My parents live near there and have a private trail down to the beach. The last two times I went down there this summer, the trail under the tracks was fenced off and locked.

There is an obvious path around the side that crosses the tracks and goes down to the water, but you have to walk right past "no trespassing" signs and I know it is illegal to walk on the tracks...

 

The park area around the beach has been closed for some time now (due to vandalism ).
I noticed this a few weeks back by the sign posted at the handicap entrance at the lower end of the park.
The trailhead at the upper end of the park is still open, and it's posted that you can only hike the first mile and then it's closed after that..:beathead:

As for walking along the railroad right of way (not including the tracks) you are taking a risk when doing this.
Not because of the trains taking you out, but because they have personnel ride on occasion (the electric carts, vehicles?) down the tracks before the freight passes through and they are always on the lookout for anyone who doesn't have permission to be on the right of way. In addition, the engineers are on the look, will call the local dispatch, who probably call the local authorities, and that's when you'll get nabbed.

Being a surveyor for the state I know this because we have to call the railroads and let them know that we will be working near the tracks, otherwise we get an earfull from them.

I guess they don't like to fill out accident reports and/or pick up the pieces of those who don't know how to read "danger - no tresspassing" signs....

I don't blame them....

Picnic point and Mukilteo parks are still open...

 

...I guess they don't like to fill out accident reports and/or pick up the pieces of those who don't know how to read "danger - no tresspassing" signs....

I don't blame them....

So Richard, I guess that stuff is pretty scary and will continue to keep you away from the beach then, eh?

 

The park wasn't closed because of vandalism. It was closed because the trail washed out in at least two places. Having hiked it this weekend I can assure everyone the park is officially open again, the trail is open, the tunnel to the beach is not locked. All this assumes park hours of course. While the park was closed being on the beach was technically illegal as there was no legal access. Now there is.

I also don't blame the railroad for being little bitches. Some people are so stupid you gotta be a little bitch to keep them alive. I do think $800 is a tad expensive if it's true. I remember seeing a T.V. commercial for some loser lawyer saying a drunk driving ticket was around $550. It's been awhile so I have no clue what it is, but if the railroad ticket is more, that's just lame...

But to restate my main point, the park and the trail ARE open. Enjoy yourselves.

 

Indeed. From the Snoho county parks page:

RE-OPENED!
Storm damaged trail & access road repairs completed


Meadowdale Beach Park suffered extensive damage during the December 3, 2007, storm and the park was closed. Landslides in two different places along the trail caused holes 20 feet deep or more.

Access to the beach is now restored. The repairs included construction of an elevated boardwalk around one of the holes, and the clearing of sediment deposits from the the meadow region and tunnel. Repairs to the disabled access road have also been completed and is now open.

 

Jim:

Yeah, I used to have nightmares about trains when I was a kid when a friend of my dads only son was struck and thrown over 50' from where he was hit.
Fortunately I wasnt there to witness the tragedy, but whenever I hear of people getting killed because they were on the tracks, I think back on that moment..

But to answer your question, sorry it doesn't keep me away from the beach, I just use the pedestrian overcrossing or tunnel....:thumb:

 

I hiked down the trail this afternoon, and it is closed at the 1/2 mile marker next to the biggest sink hole (fenced off with a no trespassing sign). Some heavy construction equipment is on the trail working on repairs. There is still an amazing amount of damage from last December's flooding. The tunnel under the train tracks was open, and it was nice to see that they dug out a big pool for the salmon/cutts just upstream. There seemed to be too much gravel under the boardwalk still, so I don't think a good sized salmon could make it through to spawn upstream (cutthroat probably could sqeeze through). Hopefully they lift the planks and clean it out a little. No sign of silvers or chum in the creek.

We really need to take care of these urban streams all around Puget Sound and Hood Canal or our saltwater cutthroat populations will crash.