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Trail Description:
Seattle's incredible Bike Park. According to the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, who've been instrumental in this project (thanks guys!):
I-5 Colonnade is the first ever urban mountain bike skills park. It's part of a City of Seattle park, but was funded and constructed by the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (formerly Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club). The park features a novice area - the Tqalu Trail; an intermediate and advanced area - Limestone Loop; a dirt jumping section; pump track; trials area and more.
The Tqalu Trail features:
* Ladder bridge
* Teeter totters
* Rock chute
* Log rolls and skinnies
The Tqalu TTFs are in the range of 1 to 2 stars for technical difficulty.
Limestone Loop offers a 1/2-mile tight'n'twisty Cross Country loop with several intermediate to advanced options. It's a great place to work on key skills by sessioning:
* Tight switchbacks
* Ladder bridges, log rides and skinnies
* Steep rock chutes and technical rock rolls
* Narrow teeter totters
* Suspension bridge
* Rock step-ups
* A long ladder bridge roller coaster ride (be careful to keep your speed waaaay down... she bucks!)
The Limestone Loop TTFs are in the range of 2 to 4 stars for technical difficulty.
The Advanced area provides:
* More flowy advanced trails
* Jumps, berms and wall rides
* Long, narrow, elevated skinnies
* Progressive and elevated drops
* Steep rock chutes
* Pump track
* Trials area
The TTFs in the advanced area are just that - advanced. Prepare accordingly!
How to get there:
Colonnade is located between the Capitol Hill and Eastlake neighborhoods, under the I-5 freeway, more or less below St Mark's Cathedral. It's where Lakeview Blvd turns underneath the freeway and turns into Boylston Ave. There are multiple entrances, but the best for parking is on the east side of the park off of Lakeview Blvd E.
East-side / Lakeview-side Entrance: 1800 Lakeview Blvd E, Seattle, WA 98102 (Google/Yahoo maps will get you there). Parking is available on Lakeview Blvd.
West-side / Eastlake-side Entrance: 1800 Franklin Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102 -- at the intersection of Franklin Ave E & E Blaine St. (Google/Yahoo maps will get you there). Limited parking is available on Franklin Ave and on some of the side-streets.
If you're headed north on I-5, take exit 168A for Lakeview Blvd. Take a left onto Lakeview and immediately park on your left. The bike trails are on the west side of Lakeview.
If you're headed south on I-5, take exit 168A for Boylston Ave / Roanoke St. Merge onto Boylston and go straight at the light. Follow Boylston south, paralelling I-5, veer left under the freeway, and then park on your right.
Additional Notes:
Because Colonnade is primarily under the elevated spans of I-5, the surface of the main riding areas
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