Commute Snoqualmie Ridge to Issaquah

I resolved this year to examine alternative commute options so as to be more friendly to the environment, and to get in better shape by changing habits. This blog posting will be updated and re-posted as I find and retune some of the commute options. Some of the options are obviously problematic, but posting them all so that I can compare. To make this generic to people on Snoqualmie Ridge, I am using the Starbucks as a relative starting point.

All directions are sketchy, be advised, because this page is currently in draft form.

Ideally, this should be a static page, but I don't know how to do that in a blog, suggestions welcome.

Bus and Shuttle
Call the SVT shuttle bus, 425-888-7001, and arrange for a pickup anytime after 6AM. This should take me to a bus stop for which my end goal is routes 200, 216, or 217.


Car - standard commute
Drive down the parkway, take I-90 East to Exit 17, go to Microsoft by Lake Sammamish.
Time: 18 minutes.
Cost: 22 miles round trip, roughly 1 gallon gas, $3/day
Alternatives: carpool with coworkers (names not given as this is public post).

Hike and Bus via Fall City
Follow Douglas, go left onto Carmichael Street by Azalea Park, go right onto Sorenson street. Go thru barricade (cars blocked), go down Lk Alice Road. At bottom of road, there is a bus stop for buses #209, 214 at the intersection of Lk Alice Road and Preston-Fall City Road. Take bus which will get you all the way to Microsoft.
Time: 1 hour hike to bus, 1 hr and 15 minutes hike from bus to home.
Departure Leave at 7:15 AM from home in order to catch the 8:33 AM 209 bus with 15 minutes to spare, which should dump me in Issaquah around 9 AM. Plan on possible walking time, extra half hour, from there to work. First time, leave at 5:45 AM to catch the 7:04 AM 214 bus.
Reference: Route 209. Route 214. The bus stop I mentioned is "SE 42nd Pl & 334th Pl SE" in the timetables.
Cost: Bus fare, which is free for me
Alternatives: Bike and lock up bike at trailhead of Preston-Snoqualmie Trail, then walk remaining 15 minutes from that trailhead to bus stop. Another alternative is to bike down Deep Creek, which is accessible just off of Azalea Park. Advantage of Deep Creek trail is that you skip Lk Alice Road which is dangerous due to winding road, traffic, and no shoulder. Disadvantage of Deep Creek is that it is muddy and possible cougars to make you feel unsafe especially if alone and/or dark.
Notes: Carry dry work clothes, but since it is mostly downhill to work, hiking clothes should be dry enough to use for the return. However, return may be a bit colder, so bring a little extra for the return. Bring LED light and blinky light because Lk Alice is scary to hike on, especially at night.

Bike via Preston
Follow Douglas to Azalea Park. Ride down Deep Creek. At Preston-Snoqualmie trail, go left towards Preston. Follow to High Point Way, which is just off of exit#20 on the North side. Take dirt road / trail towards Grand Ridge. Fun way is to go up the Grand Ridge trail, easy way is to keep following flat trail till Sunset way, take a right, and then follow E. Lk Sammamish Way to Microsoft
Time: 1 hr 15 minutes (estimate)
Cost: $0.
Alternatives: Skip Deep Creek and go down Lk Alice road to save time and if muddy or night time (not that busy road is any safer at night than a cougar infested trail). For great hill climbing and singletrack, head up Grand Ridge trail and down Issaquah Highlands. For extra distance yet fairly flat, follow powerline trail from Tiger trailhead to the high school soccer fields in Issaquah, then take Front Street thru town and go to Microsoft.
Notes: This is challenging at first, but should get easier if it becomes routine. Is very fun. Plan on lots of wet clothes for both directions, may need oversized pack or panniers to carry 1 extra set of work clothes and 1 extra set of bike clothes so as to be dry on the return. Required bike light on helmet and blinky light for traffic.

Bike via Fall City
Bike to the bus stop as described earlier. Head briefly towards Fall City, then navigate back roads to a road that takes you up to Issaquah Highlands. Better directions to be posted later.
Time: 1.5 hours each way, estimated 20 miles each way. Better estimates to be provided if I do this route.
Notes: This takes more effort than the earlier posted bike ride, and has a big hill and road riding with a lot of traffic on the Plateau. I may wait until May or so before I attempt this route.

Bike via Duthie Hill & Grand Ridge
Not sure about this, but have been hearing rumors there may be a connector. This will be a hard route to be used in May or later.

Bike via West Tiger Mountain
Um, am I insane? Ask yourself that before attempting, because it adds a lot of extra mileage and hazardous Highway 18. Only do this when in great shape and warm weather, and only for return trip so that highway 18 is downhill.
From Microsoft, head towards Sunset way, but continue South on Front street. In a few miles, take a left to go steeply up a hill for (?)4 miles. Around 258th (?), take an unmarked trail on the left to connect to PooPoo Point road. Follow this back to West Tiger Trailhead. Take highway 18 down the hill, and up Snoqualmie Parkway. This route is really just tacking on unnnecessary miles for an adventure that you likely will do once a summer, if that.