Landowners complain of misuse of a rail corridor in Darrington that's closed to the public

Noah Haglund

DARRINGTON — An old rail corridor that's supposedly closed to the public has brought motorcyclists and other off-roaders buzzing annoyingly close to Louis Sackett's normally tranquil property between Arlington and Darrington.

Snohomish County owns the path and plans to open it to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders someday as the 27-mile-long Whitehorse Trail.

Sackett said trouble for him and his neighbors started last fall after parks crews removed cement barriers at trail openings to trim grass and brush. Off-road vehicles were soon ripping through the county-owned path that skirts the property with a Mount Higgins view that Sackett has owned for 40 years.

“It's supposed to be an equestrian trail,” the 82-year-old said. “I've never seen a horse.”

The trail is off-limits except for six miles from Darrington to the Swede Haven area. The overall route roughly parallels Highway 530 and the North Fork Stillaguamish River, meeting the Centennial Trail near Arlington. Officials hope someday to cover the surface with hard-packed gravel or pavement, county parks director Tom Teigen said. Members of the Centennial Trail Coalition have been working to help that happen.

“We are starting to keep the corridor more clear, but it's not officially open,” Teigen said. “We really don't want the public out on it.”

Fifteen bridge decks in need of repair are part of the danger, he said. Workers left the trail barriers down to do work during the winter and put them back last week, Teigen said.

Even with access once again restricted, Sackett remains upset. He thinks that between Christmas and New Year's, burglars used the trail to sneak up close to his barn and steal thousands of dollars of equipment.

Sackett said the county just this week turned down his $7,263 damage claim related to the burglary. He has since fortified his barn with a metal door and deadbolt locks.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case but doesn't think the trail contributed to the burglary of Sackett's property or others', spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

“The vast majority of the complaints we get about Whitehorse Trail are related to speeding: motorcycles, ATVs and even cars,” Hover said.

The sheriff's office has issued some citations for infractions, she said, but it's hard for deputies to monitor the entire length of the trail.

--

Source: http://heraldnet.com/article/20100226/NEWS01/702269891

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites