The Real Story Behind the Bicycle in the Tree on Vashon Island

By now, the story of a bicycle left in a tree generations ago on Vashon should have been a Hollywood movie plot.

The romantic tale begins in 1914, about a local Vashon Island teenager who enlists to fight in World War I. He left his bike under a tree in the woods but never came back for it. The bike remains part of the growing tree. Years of growth have caused the tree to now be lifted seven feet above the ground, with the bike's wheel and frame twisting in and out of the trunk.

The Vashon Island Tale: Why did the boy never come back to retrieve his bike?

Did the trauma of trench warfare make him forget about his bicycle? Did the boy meet a terrible fate and die in battle? Never again to walk or bike the roads of misty Vashon Island. 

Here are some facts that discount the Vashon Bicycle tale

To begin with, the proposed date of the bike left by the tree doesn't make sense historically. Records show that World War I started in 1914, but the US didn’t join the war until April 1917. Recently, we’ve learned that the young man who once owned the now-famous bike has finally come forward and shared his account of the real story behind the Vashon Island bike.

For those who haven't seen the bike in a tree: Here is a link to a recent picture (Link is via TripAdvisor. We give you a link due to photo copyright issues)

Who is Don Puz? And Why Do I have a Similar Bicycle story?

Don Puz stepped forward and spoke to a couple of media outlets, claiming the iconic bike was his and was intentionally left there in the mid-1950s. Puz said someone gave him the bike after his family lost their home to a fire. Don Puz wasn’t happy with the gift and left the bike in the Vashon Island woods after hanging out with his friends.

How to find the bike

The bike tree is off of Vashon Highway (which runs between the Seattle and Tacoma ferry ports on either end of the island) on the northeast corner of the Vashon Highway and SW 204 St. intersection, about 50-60 ft (very rough guesstimate) into the woods to the south of a King County metro bus stop on the highway. - Atlas Obscura

I experienced a similar situation when I was a student at the University of Washington. My mom found a used “Pee-Wee Herman” beachcomber-style bike. I wasn’t happy about it, so I rode it off the UW Crew House center dock into Union Bay. For all I know, the bike is probably still at the bottom of the dock.

But back over to Vashon Island.

Don Puz saw pictures of his bike in a local newspaper and wanted everyone to know it was his. I’m still hopeful that a Hollywood writer will make a film about a World War I soldier who left his family, girlfriend, and bike behind, or a University of Washington rower who rode his bike off a dock to get a laugh.