The trail was bustling with activity from nearly 3000 people each week since it opened in June. The most frequent question from trail users is, “When will there be more trail?” Imagine how many people w
ill enjoy the various attractions within the National Lakeshore when there are eight miles of trail between Glen Arbor and Empire. Empire Village Council member Linda Payment shared, “The Council has been a supporter of the trail since its inception. What this trail brings to The Village is invaluable, especially as years pass. Many look forward to using the trail to enjoy our beautiful surroundings, and the wonderful legacy that we are leaving to our children, grandchildren and future generations. Use of this trail for cross country skiing in the winter will help infuse our local economy with additional business when it is most needed.”
The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is only $200,000 away from the funding needed to begin construction on the next four-mile segment from the Dune Climb to Empire in 2013. To help us get there, the Traverse City Track Club has issued a $25,000 challenge match, with a bonus of $5000 if the goal is met before December 31st.
by Katy Wiesen, owner of the CycleryIt’s hard to believe that summer 2012 has already come and gone. We spent last winter renovating The Cyclery at Crystal River Outfitters to take our bicycle business to the next level. While we have rented bikes over the past 17 years and offered bike repairs for the past 3 years, The Cyclery was our chance to finally really embrace the local biking community. The timing of The Cyclery and the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail were incidental, but could not have worked out better. During the summer, our staff spent the majority of their time setting up rental bikes and educating people about the trail. Upon their return, people would rave about their experiences on the trail.
Even more exciting for us to see, was the multi-generational groups of bikers. Our mechanics saw some of the coolest old bikes come in for tune-ups. These bikes were often covered in spider webs and rust and hadn’t seen a ride in decades. However, the trail was now calling the owner’s name! After a quick tune at our shop, they would hit the trail.
With the summertime success of the trail, we are now expanding The Cyclery into winter operations of cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals. Once the snow flies, we will be open and renting adult and children’s cross-country skis for families to enjoy the 4-miles of groomed trail.
We feel so fortunate that Glen Arbor has embraced the Cyclery and that we are able to offer a local outlet for bike repairs, accessories, new bike sales and now, winter sports. While open last winter at M22 Glen Arbor, we noticed that people are anxiously looking for things to do. One of the many great things about the SBHT is that it offers year-round recreational opportunities for all generations, and should positively impact local businesses, even in the traditional off-season.
Volunteers Take to the Trail
By Kerry Kelly, Friends of Sleeping Bear Trail Crew Leader
www.friendsofsleepingbear.org
The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes (FSB) is managing the maintenance of the trail. A maintenance and visitor contact program has been established, which includes more than 40 volunteer Trail Ambassadors who ride, walk, or ski the trail identifying maintenance issues, removing small branches and picking up trash. Trail Ambassadors wear bright orange vests so they are easy to find if you have a question, need directions, or have an emergency. Heavier trail maintenance including tree removal, blowing leaves, and erosion control, is handled by our Trail Crew. This small group of ten people will also groom the trail for cross country skiing this winter. Grooming equipment has arrived, and the crew is being trained on its use. The John Deere Gator will have its wheels removed and tracks installed in November to pull the groomer. Now all we need is some snow!
The FSB also leads and organizes the following efforts:
- During August of 2012 FSB conducted trail use counts and surveys. The results show that 85% of trail users are groups of family and friends. Since June 20th, when the trail officially opened more than 36,000 people have used the trail. Trail Use Surveys will be conducted as new trail is built. Read the full Survey Analysis.
- Most signs and mile-markers for the trail have arrived and many are installed. The wood signposts are black locust, produced from trees removed from the National Lakeshore. Black locust is very resistant to decay and is an invasive species taking over large sections in the National Lakeshore, so the trees were removed by SEEDS Youth Corp and milled into signposts.
- A group of students from the Leelanau School will be pulling mullein, an invasive species, along the trail between the Dune Climb and Glen Haven.
- Next spring, a group of TC West Intermediate students will plant native species in the intersection islands along the trail. These islands were created as a natural way of preventing vehicles from driving on the trail, but they will also be used to educate trail users about native plants and the hazards of non-native invasive plants.
- For more information on the Friends of Sleeping Bear, or to get involved with trail projects, visit www.friendsofsleepingbear.org.
