Seattle Neighborhoods: Capitol Hill & Madison Park & Madrona & the Valley of the Gnomes (Steady)

Let's meet at the east end of the Gas Works Park parking lot. Be there, ready to go at the time listed above. We will start with a required safety briefing, and roll out when that's done.  All riders must attend the safety briefing to participate.

I originally scheduled this ride for January 26th but had to cancel due to icy roads. The ride explores the east side of Seattle and goes through the Capitol Hill, Madison Park, and Madrona neighborhoods as well as part of the UW Arboretum. On our route, we will also walk down and through the mysterious Valley of the Gnomes. We'll climb & descend some steep hills so if you're looking for a flat route this ride is not for you. The significant majority of the ride is on paved streets/trails though there is a bit of unpaved terrain (tightly packed gravel) on it. The Gas Works Park parking lot limits your time to four hours so you'll want to consider the ample street parking across from it on North Northlake Way or one of the side streets.

We will climb and descend hills at our own pace, and we will stay together. We'll also limit our speed on any multi-use paths to the legal maximum (usually 15 MPH, 10 MPH in the Arboretum).

Restrooms are available at the start. We will stop along the way for restrooms/water at miles 16 & 32. We’ll also stop for coffee/snacks at Starbucks at mile 16. Feel free to bring a snack or two to eat during one of our short breaks.

Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case. Other things to bring: phone; ID; cash and/or credit card; ORCA card; water and a small snack. Please have full fenders if the roads are wet, or you may be asked to ride at the rear of the group.

Note: If weather conditions meet the weather cancellation criterion listed in the Weather Status or if there are unforeseen hazardous riding conditions or other unexpected events, the Ride Leader will cancel the ride and all registered riders will be sent a notification email. If the ride is cancelled at least two hours before the start, Ride Leader(s) will not be at the start location. Please check before leaving for the ride.

We hope you can join us!