As of this writing, the sign for Broadway Avenue had not been installed at the newly expanded intersection.

It is the first intersection after passing the Snohomish Airport on the left and a field of corn on the right. If you continue uphill on Highway 9, you have gone too far.

The parking lot is tiny, with space for about 10 cars. During fishing season (currently under way), this lot is a favorite with plunkers who line the banks of the Snohomish River at Thomas’ Eddy in search of salmon and steelhead. So plan accordingly.

Dave Beck Jr., a former Teamsters Union president, operated a gravel mining operation at this spot along the river.

After the mining, the site was purchased by the Palzer family and used for agriculture and raising livestock.

The 340 acres were then to be subdivided and sold for housing.

The Snohomish Sportsman Association, led by Bob Heirman, campaigned to preserve public access to the land, which is one of the most popular steelhead fishing spots on the river. The parks department and association eventually acquired the property.

The route is rather straightforward. However, there are a lot of fishermen’s trails crisscrossing the area.

Location: Snohomish

Distance: 3.5 miles

Destination: Banks of the Snohomish River

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: 80 feet

Getting there: From Snohomish, go south on Highway 9 for three miles. Turn east on Broadway Avenue. In 0.8 of a mile, turn left on Connelly Road. Continue for another 0.8 of a mile to the parking lot and trailhead.

The Trek: After parking in the lot, locate the information kiosk and get your bearings. Then set out on an old gravel road now closed to traffic. The road is short but steep.

At the base of the bluff, trails head to the left and right.

The trails to the left lead to Shadow Lake, while the trails to the right lead to Robins Pond.

Both bodies of water boast an abundance of waterfowl during the winter.

Robins Pond is nothing to scream about and, honestly, neither is Shadow Lake unless birds are your thing.

The treks to both are short.

Shadow Lake is the larger of the two and the route is well trodden. To get there, head to the left off the main trail and wind your way through the grass.

Pass a massive stump as the lake’s shore comes into view. Venture on a muddy section of trail while hopping over several large cottonwood limbs.

Cottonwoods tower high above the lake’s murky waters.

The key word is murky. There are signs that fishermen frequent the lake for warm-water species.

Returning to the main trail, continue left and proceed straight through a large field/wetland. Head-high grass borders the path.

It’s not long before scents associated with slow-moving rivers invade the nostrils. This time of the year, one can add the scent of decaying salmon to the olfactory overload.

Once across the grassland, reach a “T.” Proceed to the left on the well-trodden path atop a dike.

Trails head to the right at regular intervals. They all lead to the rocky shoreline of the Snohomish River and the waters of Thomas’ Eddy.

Many of these trails provide excellent views up and down the river. Shadows float just below the surface as salmon near the end of their journey.

Watch for fishing line being heaved into the river and listen for the splash of a hooked fish.

The trail continues through a gap that has been cut in a large, fallen tree. Pass through the sawed section of another tree as the eddy comes into view. Shorebirds squawk loudly as they fight for salmon carcasses.

The sandy path bends left before descending through a thicket of blackberries and a jumble of trees.

Use a saw-cut step to venture up and over a massive tree.

Reach a logjam, a remnant from a recent flood. Make your way up, over and through the twisted mass, picking up the trail on the other side.

At the next “Y” intersection, proceed right. To the left is an impenetrable wall of blackberries and brush.

Proceed right and enter the forest as the trail narrows.

At the next “Y,” stay to the left. Reaching a major intersection and a sand dune, take the well-trekked trail to the left and follow it through thick, dew-laden brush.

Hop over a log and make your way out onto an enormous gravel bar. Wander to the left or to the right as far as possible. Venture to the water’s edge. Here, the Snohomish River narrows and splits.

After taking it all in, relocate the trail and head back to the rig.