Duthie Hill Park celebrates one year

Mountain Bike enthusiasts came from around the region to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of Duthie Hill Park on June 11.

Mountain Bike enthusiasts came from around the region to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of Duthie Hill Park on June 11.

The county-funded park is a one-of-a-kind in Washington State, in that it’s completely dedicated to mountain biking.

“I can’t come to the park without being thanked for putting it in,” said Butch Lovelace, the park’s project manager. “It’s been wildly successful.”

The community converged on a space they call The Clearing, a small meadow in the middle of the park, accessible from a service road or several bike trails.

Vendors brought in mountain bikes to try for the day, and bicyclists enjoyed bratwurst and beer in the festival atmosphere.

Thematic games included the Huffy toss, where riders took turns seeing who could throw a cheap bike the furthest, and a mini bikes race, where grown adults raced bikes sized for 5-year-olds.

Most of the work on Duthie was done by partners and volunteers from the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, which helped organize Saturday’s event.

The completion of the first phase of the park was commemorated a year ago, and a second phase is already under construction.

In addition to lengthening the trails it has, the group plans to add new trails altogether. The county hopes to make The Clearing also more park like with plans to add a picnic shelter.