Hydrogel Cooling Vests

one type of hydrogel vest

compiled from several sources

High-tech gear to help hikers stay cool in too-hot environments is here. Vests, towels, neck wraps and more are available.

These go beyond soaking your shirt or draping a wet towel around your shoulders, although some do work on the same evaporative principle. Others have pockets where you insert ice packs. Some of the products use batteries to actively circulate cool air, liquid or gel.

Medical uses of vests and pads have been known for a number of years. Multiple sclerosis sufferers often qualify for cooling vests to be provided to them. Pads for reducing fever, easing pain, cooling wounds or blisters are readily available.

Hydrogel evaporative vests often use Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) technology, provide hours of relief by soaking them in water which then slowly evaporates to cool the body. These vests are lightweight and re-soakable on the trail. They can be washed numerous times and the cooling effect may last up to 72 hours. Some vests are helpful in temperatures as high as 104° F and 90% humidity, but they do work best in lower humidity since they cool by evaporation.

Athletes such as the Australian cycling team already make use of these garments. They are considered good safety equipment for construction crews in hot climates.

The vests are available in a variety of designs, and generally get good reviews from users.

On a personal note, with one of these, I might have been able to complete the Indiana hike I tried several years ago when I tried to take my early-spring-season-adjusted body to the 90+ degrees of southern Indiana without any acclimation. On the other hand, it seems a bit too artificial to really appeal to me.

for options just search for hydrogel cooling vests for athletes.


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North Ottawa Dunes to Add 50 Acres

sandhill crane at North Ottawa Dunes (photo by jhy)

from the Ottawa News Network

In Ottawa County a land settlement is close to resolution that would add 50 acres to the Ottawa County, Michigan, park system. The property in question is 119 acres located at 18361 180th Ave.

The property will be divided between three owners. The largest parcel will go to Ottawa County, 30 acres will be developed, and the remaining 39 acres will be purchased by an adjoining landowner, and will legally be preserved as open land.

The Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Plan has identified the creation of more nature trails as the number one priority of the public. And preservation of the Lake Michigan dunes is a top priority of the connected governmental systems.

A township official cautioned that this is not a completed deal yet, but everything looks good. The 50 acres will become part of North Ottawa Dunes.

See the North Ottawa Parks and Recreation Plan


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Thornapple River May be Designated as Water Trail

Thornapple River (photo by jhy)

from a news article by Fox 17

A multi-community project is underway to designate the Thornapple River in Barry County as a water trail. This would lead to development of maps and a focused approach to supporting paddling activities.

The designation would make the river more user-friendly for families and visitors who don't live directly on the water system. It could help coordinate sharing of information such as water quality between communities along the waterway.

No major changes to existing facilities are planned, but there would be better information available to the public. This could include better signage at existing access points.

The communities are currently working on a memorandum of understanding. Once this is done, grants might be applied for. Maps of the river resources would be of great help to people trying to locate access, camping, parks, and facilities such as restrooms.

Cascade and Ada are two of the towns along the stretch of river being discussed.

Read more at Fox 17


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Blandford Nature Center is Free in April

Blandford Nature Center sign (photo from Blandford Nature Center)

from Blandford Nature Center Facebook

Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, says that April is an amazing time to watch spring unfold around you, and this month, admission to BNC is completely FREE! Thanks to our sponsor Lake Michigan Credit Union, you can come look for frogs, listen for birds, and watch the leaves emerge! What's something you're going to do during your Blandford visit this month?

Blandford Nature Center is a community-owned non-profit nature center. Our mission is to engage & empower our community through enriching experiences in nature.

1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI

See more at Blandford Nature Center


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Ottawa County Offers "Step It Up"

Step It Up (photo from Ottawa County Parkd)

from Ottawa County Parks

The Ottawa County, Michigan, Parks and Recreation Commission is offering a free 8-week program designed to help you stay active and explore new parks. Hikes are held each week from April 28-June 20, 2026. Dogs are welcome on leash.

Eight guided hikes/activities will be held. Locations are:
• Hemlock Crossings
• Grand Ravines
• Upper Macatawa Natural area OR Preview the Grand Explorers Trail Race at Grand River Park
• Connor Bayou- hike and paddle
• Ottawa Sands
• Paw Paw Park OR hike and kayak at Ottawa Sands
• Ottawa Sands
• Pigeon Creek
• Grand River Park

See more detail at Ottawa County Parks


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Boyne Forest Bicycle Trails to Expand

TOMMBA biker (photo from TOMMBA)

from an article on MLive

The popular Boyne Forest mountain biking trails will soon be expanding onto an additional 36 acres of adjoining land.

The Little Traverse Conservancy and Top of Michigan Mountain Bike Association (TOMMBA) are partnering to raise $300,000 to purchace land adjecent to the Boyne School Forest and a trail excavator for use by TOMMBA.

Conservancy staff will conduct a thorough inventory of the land’s natural features and ecological characteristics before any trail construction begins. The Conservancy's interest is in preservation of the land, and the trails will be designed to minimize environmental impacts.

Nearby communities were recently surveyed and TOMMBA reports that the overwhelming response was to build more trails. There are currently three loops and about 15 miles of trails in the Forest.

See more about the Boyne Forest Trail


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Hardy Dam Fate May Rest on Repairs to Spillway

Hardy Dam Spillway (photo by jhy)

from Croton Crawlers

The Hardy Dam on the Muskegon River (Michigan) creates the 4000-acre Hardy Dam Pond, the centerpiece of the recently completed 40-mile Dragon Trail. The identity of the trail is linked to the dragon-shaped impoundment, and Newaygo and Mecosta Counties have worked for 15 years and invested millions of dollars on this recreational destination.

But the fates of the 13 dams that Consumers Energy may sell to Confluence Hydro are all linked to the Hardy spillway. Consumers Energy has asked to delay repairs to the Hardy Dam spillway until 2028. Construction was supposed to begin in May 2026, but regulations allow for a time lapse for review and approval of the sale.

Regulators have still not decided if they will approve the plan to sell the dams to Confluence Hydro LLC, a subsidiary of a private equity firm, Hull Street Energy. Consumers will buy back all energy generated for at least 30 years.

However, the needed repairs to the 95-year-old Hardy Dam have raised concerns. Consumers Energy would continue to benefit from the power generation without having to do the necessary repairs.

Consumers says if the sale is denied their plan is to remove the dams. “If the sale is rejected, Consumers Energy likely will not proceed with the spillway project,” said Brian Wheeler the spokesperson for Consumers Energy. At utility hearings, CE testified, "We would then start decommissioning Hardy Dam and all of our dams.”

The spillway project is the largest single liability affecting the sale of the dams. According to federal standards, the dam is in satisfactory condition, but carries a "high hazard." This means that there would be probable loss of life in event of failure. Current regulations require dams to pass a safety test of the "probable maximum flood," and Hardy dam does not meet that standard. A new auxillary spillway for emergency overflow must be constructed.

Hardy Dam accounts for about one-third of all the hydro-energy generated by all 13 dams, but the income can not cover the cost of the spillway upgrade. In fact, this requirement was part of what initiated the plan to sell the dams.

Confluence Hydro has agreed to do the work, but the sale will not be approved until the responsible party is clearly identified and a timeline is laid out.

The Dragon Trail has received national recognition as a recreation success, and it is indeed a beautiful trail. It is open to non-motorized uses, and although the trail is completely open, supporting facilities such as campgrounds and additional access points are still in the works. Losing the reservoir would not destroy the trail, but much of the scenic beauty would be lost and water-based recreation would be drastically changed.

See Dam Removal Debates Continue


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Purple Blazes- What Do they Mean?

purple blaze (photo by jhy)

by jhy

More than a few times in my hiking the North Country Trail in various states I've come across purple blazes along the trail, most often adjacent to a road. I was informed that these marked private property.

In truth, 20 states have "purple paint laws." The blazes mean a variety of nuances of "No Trespassing."

The following states recognize purple painted stripes (blazes) on trees: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia (uses purple or aluminum), West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Several states designate orange with a similar meaning including Arizona, Idaho, and Montana. Utah property owners can use orange or yellow.

In Maryland bright blue is used, and Nebraska recognizes blue or red.
Missouri has the strictest laws, considering the purple blazes the equivalent of "No Trespassing" signs with full legal penalties for those who cross. Sometimes, the purple only means 'No Hunting, Fishing, or Trapping." This varies by state.

My experience in general has been that this may be a sensible idea, but the execution by landowners is usually poor. The blazes are supposed to be a full 8" long and between 3-5 feet off the ground, a little lower than trail blazes. Illinois suggests a maximum distance between blazes of 36 feet. I've seen edges of land along roads (presumably where owners were not happy to have a national trail passing by their property) that were marked with huge sloppy blobs of purple paint on every tree.

That said, if this were done with discretion and moderately neatly, it's very helpful to hikers to know when they are close to private property when passing through public land. It's usually not possible to know intuitively where property lines are, and if dispersed camping is allowed in an area, your tent site is supposed to be 200 feet off the trail. But will that 200 feet take you out of a state forest and into someone's woodlot? Information is good. I prefer a few purple blazes to plastic signs nailed up every 20 feet.

It would be good if a single color were universally adopted. Trails are seldom blazed with purple, but red, blue, yellow, and orange are all commonly used on trails of various lengths.

See an article on the topic in USA Today


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Gordie Howe Bridge to Have Bike, Ped Lane

Gordie Howe International Bridge (photo from the Gordie Howe International Bridge)

from Bridge Michigan

While this new vehicular bridge is on the far east side of Michigan, this is significant news for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

The new Gordie Howe international bridge which goes from Detroit, Michigan to Ontario, Canada, will have a 12-foot wide, bi-directional lane for walkers and bicyclists. There will be no charge for these users to cross the bridge although they will need to have the usual documentation for the international border.

This is the only bridge from Michigan to Canada that allows non-vehicular crossings.

The multi-use trail entrance is separated from vehicular ramps for safety. The total crossing length is about 1.5 miles.

The path will connect to trails in Windsor, including the Trans Canada Trail, and to other paths on the Michigan side, including on West Jefferson Ave., Campbell Street and Fort Street in Detroit.

Other Canada/US bridges that allow pedestrians are the Peace Bridge (Buffalo), Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls) and Thousand Islands Bridge (Northern New York). All of these connect to New York state.

The six-lane Gordie Howe International Bridge is in final testing stages and will open soon.


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Laketown Beach to Get New Stairs to Lake

site of former Laketown Beach steps (photo from Laketown Township)

from M-Live

Laketown Township in Allegan County, Michigan, plans to build new stairs to the Lake Michigan Beach this summer.

Laketown Beach is located at 6710 142nd Ave., about five miles southwest of Holland. The previous wooden stairs were removed in 2025 due to safety concerns. The new stairway will be about 5 feet wide and may be adjustable aluminum with composite tread called EZ Beach Steps. EZ Beach Steps can be raised or lowered as the dune shifts.

The required public hearing has been held, and the township is discussing funding.

See more from Laketown Township


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Land Conservancy of W Michigan Celebrates 50 Years

Ottawa County Park (photo by jhy)

from Land Conservancy of West Michigan

The Land Conservancy of West Michigan has its 50th anniversary in 2026, and they invite you to join them in celebrating.

Throughout 2026, we’ll be unveiling events, sharing historic stories, and celebrating the community that’s made 50 years of conservation possible.

The Explorathon kicks off on April 18! Join the Land Conservancy of West Michigan and our conservation partners for a guided hike along the forested dunes of the Lake Michigan shoreline.

For this first of three outdoor events celebrating the impact of 50 years of keeping nature nearby, we will be hiking through 2500 acres of connected, protected lakeshore habitat. Hikers can choose their own adventure: Join us for a 7-mile hike through 5 connected parks and preserves or a 2-mile paved hike through Ottawa Sands. Both experiences are led by naturalists guides who will share about park history and the protected natural features found in the globally unique and rare ecosystems we'll be exploring.

Hike participants will travel along the forested dunes of the iconic shoreline, enjoying views of Lake Michigan to the west and the Grand River valley to the east, while learning more about the importance of landscape-level conservation work, hearing stories about how these lands came to be protected, and enjoying the fruits of decades of hard work to protect and restore natural land on the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Tickets are required to attend. On-site registration will be available, but space is limited. We recommend registering early to secure your spot!

There will also be a guided bicycle tour on June 6, and a guided paddling event on August 29.

Learn more and purchase your tickets at Nature Nearby


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Restoration to Create Wau-Ke-Na Preserve

Wau-Ke-Na preserve area to be restored (photo by Keto Gyekis)

a news release of Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy will continue a huge habitat restoration project at Fennville, Michigan. The Wau-Ke-Na, W.E. Smith Preserve South Tract will benefit endangered grassland birds and monarch butterflies – but like any home renovation project, it’s going to look terrible for a while. Long term, our hope is to create some of the best grassland in the area for seldom-seen birds such as bobolinks, Henslow’s sparrows, savannah sparrows, eastern meadowlarks, sedge wrens, American kestrels, and Northern harriers.

Beginning this spring, contractors will start clearing the former Christmas tree plantation near the front of the preserve. Non-native conifers like Colorado Blue Spruce will be removed and chipped, and the chips hauled away to be re-purposed in landscaping projects. Later, we will begin prepping other areas for seeding with native grassland plants.

We know the sight and sound of heavy machinery cutting trees, running chippers, and pushing debris into piles will be very alarming – and we apologize in advance for the mess and disturbance. But please know that with this project, we carry forward preserve donor William E. Smith’s grassland initiative at Wau-Ke-Na and his legacy to create a better world for the wildlife with whom we share these spaces.

Throughout the spring and summer, we will temporarily close the preserve from time to time to keep the public safe while we work and will post closure notices on our webpage and social media platforms. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

See more details and pictures at Wau-Ke-Na grasslands project


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