Michael's Ratings![]() Michael
B+ Difficulty
Change in elevation: moderate Ease of map: very easy Number of stairs: 326 (down) 136 (up) 462 (total) Educational: As always, the guidebook provides good, general information. Additional information, with topics ranging from the wildlife, flora/fauna, environments and the day-lighting of the creek, can be found along the hike. Sooo interesting! gastronomy: Food options are initially few, but improve significantly once you arrive at Thornton Place. With a quaint and cozy interior, comfy chairs and sofas or standard tables and booths, the Jewel Box Cafe lured us indoors. The food selection included, coffee/teas, smoothies, sandwiches, pastries and CREPES! Well worth a visit! Neighborhood: So much variety! The adventure started along a less than desirable stretch of Lake City Way, then moved into wooded stretches and residential areas I didn't know existed. There were beaver ponds, P-Patches, quiet streets, and urban sprawl. Natural vs Urban Animals: There were ducks, a beaver pond (check out the stripped bark, evidence of beaver activity), and I'm fairly confident there were spiders! Isolated spots: 3 Noise: From the roar of traffic on Lake City Way and near Northgate Mall, to the quiet calm of Thornton Creek. Expect a little of everything. Romance Kisses: 3 Tulips and grape hyacinth filled every flowerbed, while both the magnolia and dogwood trees were in bloom. The variety and color of rhodies... nothing short of spectacular. Hard not to be filled with a little romance. Safety Blnd-curves: 1 Condition of trails/stairs: The first trail, off of Lake City Way, was an overgrown mess. Avoid this part! Moving onward, the remaining hike was MUCH easier to navigate. Sidewalks: Like most Seattle neighborhoods, sidewalks are rare. Stay to the shoulder and you'll be fine. Traffic: Fellow Walkers: As has been our experience, there were relatively few people out-and-about. It was nice to see a group of P-Patch volunteers readying their clean-up plan! Vehicles: Lots of traffic along Lake City Way, 15th Ave NE, and 5th Ave NE. The residential areas are quiet/ In closing...I feel like I discovered another side of Northgate, one hidden behind the parking lots, shopping centers and restaurants. A quiet residential neighborhood, hidden parks, a lovely creek... all beckon.
Lake City Way was an unfortunate beginning and end to the walk. Starting it in Maple Leaf, maybe at the Kingfisher Natural Area, would have provided a spectacular start and a peaceful end to an otherwise perfect walk. |
Sam's Perspective![]() Sam
Thornton Creek & Maple Leaf
Or...We-May-Find-A-Dead-Prostitute-If-We're-Not-Careful This was, by far, the most educational of our walks. Michael picked me up from work...I'm a barista (very Seattle) and we headed on up to Lake City Way on a cloudy Saturday morning. The day was overcast which added to the wet, meridian feel of the walk and I think was perfect for finding the little exposed areas of Thornton Creek. On this walk there were little tangents that the book suggested the walker might take. The first one, almost right off the bat, in a more unsavory part of Lake City, made us wonder if we might come across a dead prostitute in the bushes. The sign for the trail was almost impossible to find, and Michael had a nagging fear there might be spiders. We survived...but suggest you avoid the first tangent. Once on the path we found ourselves walking through neighborhoods in the Northgate area that I had no idea existed. Mostly when I think of Northgate I think MALL! and not much else. Pleasantly, there were lots of cute brick homes that were very reminiscent of the 1950's. There were some fake flowers in one yard (a criminal offense if you are from the NW) but on the whole some very pretty landscaping. I keep forgetting two things: The topography of Seattle is varied no matter how flat you think the district might be. Always, always...and I repeat...ALWAYS do a #2 BEFORE you take the walk, especially one that is nearly 5 miles in length. Thornton Creek itself has a very interesting story behind it. Hit the link to learn about more. For us, we had a great time on the little tangent excursions traipsing through what felt like people's private property, finding beaver damns and walking through developments designed around Thornton Creek. Halfway through we stopped at one such development by Northgate Mall, nearly hidden from its bustle and had an amazing latte and crepe at a little cafe (which thankfully also let me use there bathroom). All in all, very educational and quirky. No dead hookers, not a lot of steps but quite a lot of education. |
Thornton Creek and Maple Leaf
Walk #5
April 27, 2013
9:45-12:00 PM
54° Overcast with Light Wind
- Welcome
- Comments
- Walk #1 - Ravenna
- Walk #2 - Fremont
- Walk #3 - Golden Gardens
- Walk #4 - Cedar Park and the Burke-Gilman Trail
- Walk #5 - Thornton Creek and Maple Leaf
- Walk #6 - Laurelhurst
- Walk #7 - University of Washington
- Walk #8 - Madrona
- Walk #9 - Eastlake, North Capitol Hill, and Portage Bay (Begun, not completed)