Day 23: Completed Centennial Trail from Arlington to North Marysville

Highlights:

On the real Camino, I would have walked 16.8 miles from Foncebadon to Ponferrada where I would have placed a stone at Cruz Ferro, had coffee with modern-day Knights Templar at Manjarin, and visited a Templar castle in Ponferrada.

Day 23 I went back to the northernmost trailhead of the Centennial Trail to complete it, walking 13.2 miles from Arlington to North Marysville, where my lovely husband once again picked me up and returned me to my car.

While the drive to my starting point took almost an hour, the highways were empty and the last 20 minutes through winding back roads in the early morning sun was splendid.  This relatively new section of the trail started at the Nakashima Heritage Barn Trailhead located on the former Nakashima Farm. The farm was first a logging camp before being converted to a dairy farm in the early 1900s. The Nakashima family, one of a few Japanese families living in Snohomish County, ran the farm until 1942 when they were forced to sell the farm and sent to internment camps. The Nakashima Barn is the first to be designated “Washington Heritage Barn” status by the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation in 2006. The Trust for Public Lands purchased the farm in 1997 and shortly after transferred control to Snohomish County. (Source: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/snohomish-centennial)

The first 8 miles of the trail was more beautiful than expected – the smoke was much lighter than yesterday, the air was cool and the tree-lined trail, farmlands, babbling brooks, and decorative sculptures and fences asked to be photographed.  To my mild discomfort, the first part of my trek did not yield any potties, so (we know each other well enough after 23 days, right?), I peed in private under a bridge, checking for trolls, just in case.  As I approached Marysville, the scannable factoids that I found in my first days on the trail reappeared.  I have included one about the town of Pilchuk in the pictures below.

Towards the end of my journey, the trail was more urban and exposed, with the sun getting hotter and the smoke more evident. I did however spot a farm where Halloween seemed to come early -- with life sized scarecrows riding tractors and other farm equipment near the street. Throughout my walk, I encountered friendly (mostly older, male) cyclists but did not see one mask.

Today's journey was relatively short, where I once again pulled from my banked hours.  Tomorrow, I plan to do half of the Cedar River Trail starting in Renton and might end the walk with a dip in Lake Washington.  Take care till then and ¡Buen Camino!












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