Today I rode a short section of the Milwaukee Road, between Malden and Rock Lake (Washington). It was the first real ride I've done in 2 years, and I really enjoyed getting out there. There's a lot of railroad history in the town of Malden, which you can read about here. Tragically, Malden experienced an extreme wildfire in September, 2020, which destroyed 80% of their buildings, as well as 3 of the railroad trestles west of the town. But they are determined to rebuild.
The Rock Lake area is a very scenic stretch of the railroad, typical of the so-called Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington. This portion of the route includes 2 major trestles and 2 tunnels. An excellent history of the route, including it's construction, can be found here. Due to property rights, the trail ends toward the northeast end of the lake, and you have to turn around. Likewise from the southwest. But as this trail is part of the Great American Rail Trail, it will be interesting to see how the closure is resolved.
Summary
- This particular ride was just over 11 miles each way. And there is a tunnel, so a headlamp is required.
- Here is a GPS of the 22+ mile round trip from Malden to Rock Lake, and back again. Although I was aware of the detours (due to the burnt out bridges) I still took the trail on the way out, only to have to backtrack. On the way back, I stuck to the designated detour.
Photos
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| Trail leading southwest out of Malden, WA. |
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| This was typical of the 3 trestles that were burnt out by the wildfire. |
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| A beautiful ride - much of the trail follows Pine Creek. |
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| Another view of Pine Creek from one of the (intact) trestles. |
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| Remnants of a derailment just prior to the closure of the Milwaukee Road (c. 1980). |
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| Evidence of the channeling (rock walls) as you approach Rock Lake. |
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| The first of two tunnels, this one being around 750 feet long. |
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| First view of Rock Lake. |
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| The trail follows the eastern edge of the lake. |
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| The second trestle, leading to the second tunnel (just beyond the trees). |
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| Another angle, with a better view of the lake. |
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| Tunnel 44, which was closed. The inscription, "C. M. & P. S.", stands for Chicago, Milwaukee, & Puget Sound, rather than the typical Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul. |
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| Looking back (north) across the trestle. |
