Pippi's Pass Connects Offield to NCT

Peter Curran and granddaugher Pippi (photo from Little Traverse Conservancy)

compiled from several sources

Near Harbor Springs, Michigan, the North Country Trail is now connected to the mountain bike trails at Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve. The connector is under a mile in length, but this connecting trail will increase the options for hiking and cycling in the local area.

Although the NCT is primarily a hiking trail, it is open to bicycles in some land management areas.

The new connector is called Pippi's Pass. The trail was made possible by Peter Curran, and Pippi is his granddaughter.

The Offield Family Viewlands was formerly the Little Traverse Bay Golf Club. The land is now host to approximately 10 miles of mountain bike and hiking trails.

See Offield Family Viewlands


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Spotlight on Manistee Non-Motorized Trail

Manistee Non-Motorized Trail sign (photo by jhy)

by jhy

The Manistee Non-Motorized Trail is a series of loops located about three miles east of Manistee on M-55. You will find the entrance on the north side of the road.

There are about four miles of trail primarily for foot travel, and more than five additional miles designed for mountain bikes.

This land was purchased by the City of Manistee in 1943 as a possible location for an airport. Subsequently, Manistee Blacker Airport was built farther north. The 174 acres sat unused, although dedicated to public recreation use, until 2011 when a trail plan was put forth. Working with the Shoreline Cycling Club trails were built, and there is a maintenance agreement with that same group.

Intersections are mostly well marked. The Red, Yellow, White, and Purple Trails form three loops dedicated to hiking and running, and in the winter they are groomed for cross-country skiing. The one-mile Blue Loop is reserved for snowshoers and those wishing to walk leashed dogs in the winter.

Inside the Yellow Loop, and outside of the entire pedestrian trails are loops for mountain biking. These are groomed for fat tire bikes in the winter. Additionally, the blue loop has some structures for practice at technical biking skills.

There is virtually no topography on this acreage. The trails are wide, and are a great place for novice skiers.

In winter, please do not walk on trails groomed for a specific purpose.

Parking location at 44.233849, -86.260925, three miles east of the junction with US 31 in Manistee on M-55. No facilities.

These trails will be added to the Get Off the Couch website when the bike trails are mapped.


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SW MI Non-Motorized Plan Offers Free Bike Trail Maps

from SW Michigan Planning Commission

The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission is excited to announce the completion of the 9 county non-motorized transportation plan and maps. The region wide vision created in the planning document is a tool for local and state agencies regarding the investment in non-motorized transportation around the region.

The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission will update the 9-County Bike Map, and facilitate the development of a comprehensive, regional Non-Motorized Transportation Plan for MDOT's Southwest Region (Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren Counties).

The map includes the following non-motorized trails: Battle Creek Linear Trail, Holland-Zeeland Bike Path Network, Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, Kal-Haven Trail, Paul Henry Thornapple Trail, Portage Bicentennial Linear Park, and the Van Buren Trail.

Also on the map are mountain biking trails: Al Sabo Land Preserve, TK Lawless Park, Fort Custer Recreation Area, Kellogg Forest, Madeline Bertrand Park, Love Creek Park, Markin Glen Park, and Yankee Springs Rec Area.

A number of pdfs are available for planning an outing. Text descriptions of the trails give mileages, basic info, and contact. Maps are available in two resolutions for downloading. Note: the high resolution files are really large.

Non-motorized transportation plans seek to identify non-motorized routes for people to use as an alternative to traditional transportation methods such as driving a car. Non-motorized routes allow people to get out of their car and bike or walk to jobs, businesses, and community events.



See SW MI Non-Motorized Plan
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Grand Rapids Mountain Bike Park - Visit Jan 16

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
based on a news article at the Grand Rapids Press

Thanks to the recent MX races staged Van Andel Arena, construction will begin soon at the recently approved Plaster Creek mountain bike trail location. 500 yards of dirt from the motorized event has been purchased, and will be moved to the former Southwest Little League site at 580 Kirtland St. SW, on Monday January 11.

"That dirt will become the pump track," the president of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association, Nate Phelps, explained.

The International Mountain Bike Association is helping to plan the new tracks, through a grant worth $15,000 which brings a consultant to the Grand Rapids site for a week. The dirt will be used to build a pump track with sculpted mounds forming roller, moguls, and banked turns. Plans for the site also include a beginner trail, and an advanced trail.

On Jan 16, at 11 am, Phelps, Jason Wells of IMBA, and local riders will be at the site to welcome visitors to an open house. They will be glad to show off the construction progress and explain the plans.

Construction will be continued as weather permits, with most of the work being done this coming spring.

See Western MMBA
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Owasippe Trails Reopen to the Public

from MMBA

from theScarlett Sasafrass, originally from WZZM-TV, and the White Lake Beacon

The public trails at Camp Owasippe in Blue Lake Township, east of Muskegon, have been closed since last year. The Chicago Area Scouting Council closed the trails because of liability concerns. The property has been in the news a lot over the past few years as the Council has sought to sell, and the Scouters and the Township have fought to preserve the camp.

A Muskegon Man, Matt Vander Sys, has set up a non-profit organization and removed the liability issue from the council's list of problems. Users now must sign a liability waiver, and pay a $6 daily fee to use the trails. The fee also covers fishing in the camp lakes. A $60 yearly pass is also available but includes blackout dates for Scout camp season and hunting season.

"'It is a great piece of property,' says Matt Vander Sys of Endurance Adventure." There are over 30 miles of trails, and they are very popular with the mountain bikers. Recently the bicycling community came together and cleaned the trails at Owasippe. They are thrilled that these great trail miles will be open again.

"Michigan's Most Difficult Offroad Triathlon" was held August 23 on the trail system. The event included a 1000-meter swim on Big Blue Lake, a 14-mile run and 10-mile bike ride on Owasippe's trails. "Montague resident Stu Scholl has participated in triathlons around the country and said the late August event was outstanding. 'It truly was one of the best I’ve competed in,' he said. “Where can you get this kind of usable space in Michigan?'"

See Endurance Sports
See WZZM-TV
See MMBA Trail Guide
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Executive Order Could Open National Parks to Mountain Bikes

by Joan H. Young

President Bush is an avid mountain biker, preferring the sport to running, which is hard on his knees. His blue and white Trek is nicknamed Mountain Bike One.

In an effort to promote the sport, Bush announced last week that he plans to issue a rule that will give more control to managers of National Parks to open additional trails to mountain bikes.

Presently, for trails to be opened to bikes a public process is required, in the same way that ATVs and other motorized recreation is handled.

Jeff Ruch of PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) has called the idea a “lame-duck gift for the mountain biking lobby.” Ruch points out that bikes cause environmental damage, erosion, disturbance to wildlife, and annoy hikers.

The International Mountain Biking Association has countered by saying that they don’t believe the timing of the rule has anything to do with the president's interest in bicycling.

The President states that the proposal will only apply to non-controversial trails in parks, according to Jeffrey Olson, a spokesman for the National Park Service.

Yet, several of the National Scenic Trails are under the management of the National Park Service. Tom Gilbert, Superintendent for the Ice Age and North Country National Scenic Trails says that the rule will be issued as an Executive Order, which has the force of law. Regrettably, that means that it will circumvent any requirement for public input and comment, or environmental impact analysis. Gilbert says that the rule could “undermine the superlative walking and hiking experiences that National Scenic Trails seek to provide.”

Anyone concerned about the possible ramifications of this rule should contact Steve Elkinton, National Trails Program Coordinator with the Park Service, and Gary Werner, Executive Director of the Partnership for the National Trails System.

See "Bush to help open national parks to mountain bikes", an Associated Press Release, by Dina Cappiello, October 14, 2008.
See "Federal proposal would give national park managers power to permit mountain biking", Coloradoan.com, October 16, 2008.

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Adventure Race is New Pentwater Summer Event

Summer Groove is a 15-hour endurance event being held on July 28 in Pentwater

The endurance race will run from 3 am to 6 pm and includes orienteering, mountain biking, canoeing, trekking and rope use. There will be solo, two-person, co-ed, male, female and four-person co-ed divisions.

"This is going to be a big event drawing lots of new visitors into the community. There will be 250 entrants, plus their families," Shaw [Pentwater Chamber of Commerce Executive Director] said.

Matt VanderSys of Endurance Sports in Muskegon began talking to Shaw two years ago.

"He thought Pentwater was a lovely town and would be a great place to have a triathlon," Shaw said. "I proposed it to the chamber board but they didn't want to do that. Matt came back to me with the endurance thing, the board approved that, and I jumped right on it.

"The area has a lot of natural wilderness," VanderSys said. "It has waterways, elevation changes, trails and two-tracks, which are all the things we look for."

from the Ludington Daily News
See The Groove
Contact Matt VanderSys 231-843-4993
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