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Sharon Wootton
Sharon Wootton writes about outdoor activities.
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WEEK IN REVIEW
Wednesday


81 veterans' names, 81 meaningful lives honored...
USO singer's voice still charms them in Edmonds
Monroe honking case makes it to state Supreme C...
Tuesday


Fire destroys Emory's restaurant
Peggy Pritchard Olson always put Edmonds first
Camano Island burglaries spike: Is Colton back?
Monday


Tree clearing, mud slide angers Everett neighbor
Later start for school day unlikely in Marysville
Hopes for Snohomish excursion train may hinge o...
Sunday


Glacier Peak freshman overcomes jitters to win ...
Gay marriage issue can wait, say Referendum 71 ...
Cities across south Snohomish County see tax re...
Saturday


Thousands honor slain Seattle police officer Ti...
Suspect identified in Seattle police killing
Mountlake Terrace thrilled by high school's fir...
Friday


Officer Timothy Brenton. Gone, but not forgotten
Person sought in officer's killing is shot in head
Thousands to pay respects to slain Seattle poli...
Thursday


Tale of 1916 Everett Massacre retold in style o...
Reservist survived Iraq but not his return to c...
Swine flu suspected in infant’s death
 

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CONTACT THE HERALD
Melanie Munk, Features Editor
munk@heraldnet.com
 
Published: Saturday, June 21, 2008

Cycling guide gives paved trails a spin

50 routes, 1,500 miles: At a recent reading, a fan approached the Seattle outdoors writer Bill Thorness and asked him to sign a trail guide.

Thorness was taken aback, not by the request, but by the state of the worn book. It looked inflated. Was it waterlogged? He asked what happened.

"She said, 'I've ridden every ride in the book,'" Thorness recalled. "I was just floored. She had torn it apart, like Rick Steves tells his guide book users. She just put it back together. Of course, I signed it."

On Wednesday, Thorness plans to appear at the Alderwood REI for another presentation from his book, "Biking Puget Sound." The guide provides input on trails from Olympia to the San Juan Islands that exclusively use paved trails and roadways.

To gather material for the book, Thorness drew on 20-plus years of experience biking in the Seattle area, requested biking clubs in other counties for input, and rode each trail, travelling more than 3,000 miles.

In the end, the book highlighted 50 routes, including several in Snohomish County, ranging from about 10 to 50 miles, for a total of about 1,500 miles of trails. Thorness ranked each in difficulty based on its length, the degree of elevation a cyclist climbs, and whether or not the route pits cyclists against motorists.

"A lot of people don't like riding in traffic, and that is a challenge, whether you're an expert or a weekend rider," Thorness, 48, said.

The book, which first saw print in spring 2007, went into its second printing from the Mountaineers Books in March -- not that Thorness has a big head about it.

"I'd like to think it was my storied prose, but people want rides like this," he said.



Reporter Andy Rathbun: arathbun@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3455.


1. Emory’s owner fears fire was arson
2. Monroe honking case makes it to state Supreme Court
3. Vatican ponders the souls in space
4. 81 veterans' names, 81 meaningful lives honored in Snohomish
5. Hope dims that Olympics will boost region
6. Student hit in crosswalk to return
7. Smokey Point to celebrate end of roadwork
8. Death on Edmonds waterfront ruled a suicide
9. Help for young moms may continue
10. Semifinal slate sealed on ‘Dancing With Stars’
Enterprise Newspaper Snohomish County Business Journal
Bazaar Fever
Hawks proud of historic season
Olson always put Edmonds first
Honoring student veterans
‘Wheedle' author comes to Lynnwood bookshop
Mavs build early lead en route to easy win
Prep football games of the week (state playoffs)
Tears of laughter, tears of grief
Death on Edmonds beach likely a suicide
The Enterprise Online Newspaper


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