On Saturday, June 24, a group of nearly 100 journeyed from North Bend to Duvall, by train, foot, and bike. The event, called the Rails n’ Trails Pedaling Tour, was the first of its kind, and was organized by the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Savor Snoqualmie Valley.
The event traversed nearly the entire Snoqualmie Valley, beginning with a historic train ride from North Bend to Snoqualmie Falls. From there, participants headed to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail and biked north to Duvall, stopping for lunch in Carnation and for two farm tours along the way.
Representatives from five heritage organizations, including the Snoqualmie Valley Historic Museum, NW Railway Museum, Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Museum, Tolt Historical Society, and Duvall Historical Society, joined the trip to share local stories.
“We had a blast!” said participant Clancy Wolf. “Often when we go on organized rides, it is all about riding. We really enjoyed the opportunities provided to learn about the places we were traveling through, the people we were meeting and the history tying them together.”
Two local farms, Hearth Farm and K-T Cattle Company, gave tours for event participants. Hearth Farm, owned by Sarah Cassidy is part of Experience Farming Project, an incubator farm program in Stillwater and focuses on small scale production and summer camps for kids. K-T Cattle Company, located in Duvall, is a family farm run by Katie and Jim Haack. They raise 100 percent grass-fed and finished heritage miniature cattle, selling direct to consumers. They are one of only two farms in King County that are certified Animal Welfare Approved.