Soapstone Valley, Nov. 6, 2013 (Photo by Michael E. Grass)
» MY FULL SOAPSTONE VALLEY TRAIL GUIDE
Soapstone Valley is an arm of Rock Creek Park in the District of Columbia, connecting Connecticut Avenue with Broad Branch Road near Beach Drive. Since Soapstone is near my apartment, it’s a place I hike in fairly frequently. The ravine Soapstone’s creek is quite picturesque, with tall trees and numerous small rocky cascades and rapids on the trip downstream toward Broad Branch, a major tributary to Rock Creek.
I’ve seen Soapstone in all seasons. I’ve even seen its creek bright green, as I documented in The Huffington Post in April 2012.
But parts of Soapstone are likely to dramatically change in the coming years. A major storm sewer draining a major section of Upper Northwest D.C. travels adjacent to and crosses Soapstone’s creekbed. The sewer is about 100 years old and is rapidly deteriorating.
D.C. Water is planning to rehabilitate 7,200 linear feet of sewer, but that will necessitate the destruction of hundreds of trees and require excavation through parts of the valley. There’s no set timeline for construction and it’s unclear the scope of the project, but survey crews have been busy in recent months.
Additionally, I’ve seen on long-range bicycle infrastructure plans, to create a path connecting Linnean Avenue with Broad Branch via Soapstone.
Change, of course, is unavoidable. The valley has been reshaped through natural and manmade processes before.
I’m using this page to document Soapstone before it inevitably changes.
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Dec. 31, 2011
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Feb. 16, 2012
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April 9, 2012
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April 10, 2012
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April 20, 2012
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April 20, 2012
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July 22, 2012
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July 29, 2012
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Aug. 1, 2012
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Aug. 1, 2012
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Oct. 30, 2012 (at the tail end of Superstorm Sandy)
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Oct. 30, 2012 (at the tail end of Superstorm Sandy)
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Oct. 30, 2012 (at the tail end of Superstorm Sandy)
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Nov. 10, 2012
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Nov. 10, 2012
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Nov. 10, 2012
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Nov. 11, 2012
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Nov. 11, 2012
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Nov. 11, 2012
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Jan. 24, 2013
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Jan. 24. 2013
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Jan. 24, 2013
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Jan. 24, 2013
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A frozen critter on a rock, Feb. 11. 2013
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Feb. 2, 2013
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May 3, 2013
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May 9, 2013
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Aug. 5, 2013
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Nov. 1, 2013
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Nov. 6, 2013
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Nov. 6, 2013
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Nov. 9, 2013
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Nov. 9, 2013
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Nov. 12, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 16, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 17, 2013
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Nov. 18, 2013
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The Van Ness Square building, on the edge of Soapstone Valley, undergoes demolition on Dec. 21, 2013.
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The Van Ness Square building at the edge of Soapstone Valley undergoes demolition on Dec. 21, 2013.
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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Dec. 21, 2013
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The slow demolition of the Van Ness Square on the edge of Soapstone Valley on Dec. 26, 2013.
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Frozen earth in Soapstone Valley on Dec. 26, 2013.
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A discarded pumpkin in Soapstone Valley on Dec. 26, 2013.
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A house on Audubon Terrace adjacent to Soapstone Valley, Dec. 26, 2013
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A stairway from Soapstone Valley to Audubon Terrace on Dec. 27, 2013.
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A house on Audubon Terrace adjacent to Soapstone Valley on Dec. 27, 2013
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Dec. 27, 2013
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Dec. 27, 2013
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Spray-painted pavement markings on Audubon Terrace adjacent to Soapstone Valley, Dec. 27, 2013
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Part of the Van Ness Center, as seen from Soapstone Valley, Dec. 28, 2013.
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Part of the Van Ness Center as seen from Soapstone Valley, Dec. 28, 2013.
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Van Ness Square, partially demolished, on Dec. 28, 2013.
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The southern end of Van Ness Square awaits demolition on Dec. 28, 2013.