Foothills Trail

Abraham Lincoln's 1864 space program is now a racecourse. The abandoned Northern Pacific Railroad line from Mt. Rainier to Commencement Bay now hosts the annual Rainier to Ruston Rail-Trail Relay and Ultra, challenging teams of runners, walkers, and ultras to descend the historic railroad grade in a 50-mile race to the sea.

While the route is relatively new as a trail relay, it has seen its share of history. The Northern Pacific Railroad emerged from Abraham Lincoln's 1864 passage of the Northern Railroad Charter, part of his aggressive wartime campaign to "conquer space" in the Western frontier.

As they follow the same route that once shuttled passengers between the Great Lakes and Tacoma, the Rainier to Ruston runners will pass through towns that grew up alongside the railroad. Carbonado's public school dates back to 1878, a year after rails went down. Wilkeson's Old Washington Hotel began serving railroad workers in the 1880's. As part of the Buckley line, Orting hosted trainloads of timber on a daily basis.

The conversion from railroad to public trail has been a long time coming. In 1984 the railroad, by then the Burlington Northern, attracted the attention of Buckley's Dr. Douglas Tait. Tait envisioned a Rails-to-Trails project that would convert the old grade into a non-motorized thoroughfare. In 1985 the Burlington Northern took up the tracks, clearing the way for a trail.

Tait rallied the Buckley community in support of a trail. Part of a Rails-to-Trails microcosm that now boasts a network of over 15,000 miles, Tait offered his Buckley office as a headquarters and served as spokesperson for trail business. He even used his own tractor to mow and maintain the fledgling trail.

Under the stewardship of the Foothills Trail Coalition, Dr. Tait's vision has grown into a more elaborate trail system that touches numerous communities across Pierce County. As part of its charter, the Rainier to Ruston Rail-Trail Relay and Ultra strives to make good on the Coalition's vision.