Macomb Orchard Trail News
Volume # 5/Issue # 3 Winter 2004
Published By: Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail

The first Phase of the Macomb Orchard Trail is now open

The first phase of the Macomb Orchard Trail from Dequindre Rd near 24 Mile Rd in Shelby Twp to 29 Mile Rd at Van Dyke in Washington Twp is now officially open. This 6.7mile section of trail has been paved with smooth asphalt for walking, bicycling or skating. It has been quite busy on nice days. In winter the plan is to NOT plow it. So it won’t be useable when snow and ice is on it except for cross country skiing. The second and third phase engineering and construction from 29 Mile Rd north to Romeo and east to Armada and Richmond will start in 2005. Total length will be 23.5 miles.
 

Orchard Trail and Paint Creek Trail now Connected
By Neil Kocsis

Dequindre isn't the end of the trail anymore. It used to be that the trail west of Dequindre going into downtown Rochester and the Paint Creek Trail was so rough that only a mountain bike could get through. But no more! Oakland County, which owns the “Clinton River Trail” west on Dequindre has repaired the two bridges and laid down a fine limestone gravel on the trail. It's been rolled and the rain water will turn the limestone into concrete (of a sort). It's now easily passable using a narrow tired road bike, and there's a connector to the Paint Creek Trail. It's the concrete sidewalk running parallel to the river about 2 miles after you cross Dequindre. So now you can get your Starbucks fix and visit the Paint Creek Trail! Just think, now you can bike from Washington all the way to downtown Lake Orion on a rail trail.
 

The Covered Bridge - Status Update
By Neil Kocsis

We're moving forward! Here's what's been happening. The architects from French Associates came up with seven designs. After review, the Friends group decided that design number two (shown here) was the best overall for this location. We then presented our recommendation to the Macomb Orchard Trail Commission and they approved. So, the next task is to create a more detailed preliminary set of blueprints for the trail planning commission to review. This should also give us a rough materials list so we can estimate the materials cost and start looking for donors. I've talked to Steve Lodge of French Associates to get the blueprints started. So hopefully over the winter we can get the details nailed down and start swinging hammers next year!

What Can You Use the Trail For?
By Dave Rumohr

My start on trails came via the Paint Creek Trail and introduction to the Rails to Trails Conservancy. I wanted a mountain bike to do off road/back road riding. Through the Paint Creek Trail rides and later on the Michigander rides I realized the great numbers of different users on the trail.

The obvious ones by numbers where bicyclists, runners, walkers and horseback riders.  After all we’re there to cover as much ground as possible. The we started to notice the bird watchers (Audubon Society). People like Martha Nitz who counts frogs at strange hours of the day. Others run their dog sled teams. In the summer, they use rubber tire carts. In winter, the conventional dog sleds are used.         In the fall there is the occasional hunter going to his blind. The actual hunting is off of the trail, but still another use.

On rare occasions you may run into utility workers checking on overhead or buried cables, drain lines, and surveyors. Due to the straight routes, utilities are often buried along side the trail. Of course there is lots of farmers crossing to other side of their property. Just recently part of the MOT was included in a “safe zone for a water well head.” Armada is adding additional wells for future growth.

I received a telephone call with a brand new use for the trail. This is also the oldest use. An amateur geologist by the name of Alan Van Kerckhove called. Alan noted an extensive geological feature along the trail. A glacier ridge that was previously a “lake shore line” runs along the trail from 24 Mile Rd out to Armada Ridge road. The actual elevation is not a significant feature to the ridge. The elevation runs from 738 to 755 feet along this ridge. The ridge runs from Ubly, MI in the thumb area down through Adrian and into Ohio and Indiana. When trail head locations are established, we may want to point out the geological interests as well along this portion of the trail. Thank  you Alan Van Kerckhove for another trail feature.

New Projects and Maybe a New Direction
By Neil Kocsis

My wife and I were recently in Traverse City to bike in the RAT Tour (Ride Around Torch Lake) and since we were there we decided to also bike the TART trail in Traverse City. As we were biking, we came to a large painted sphere suspended from a light pole. It turned out to be a model of the planet Jupiter and there was a plaque with facts about the planet. As we biked on we passed more planets. I later found out that the local High School put them up and spaced them so that their relative distance from the Sun was in proportion to their actual distances. Although the inner three planets were only one or two hundred yards apart, the rest of the planets took over four miles!

My first thought was, WOW, wouldn't this be a great thing to duplicate on our trail. And then it hit me. We've been thinking about our trail all wrong. We've been thinking about it as a recreational trail when it should really be a Recreational / Educational trail! Suppose instead of just a trail to walk or ride on with the kids, we dedicated sections of the trail to various themes. Such as: The solar system; The History of the railroad along this trail; The history of the Indian tribe(s) who lived in this area; Early Pioneers who lived near the trail; and so on. People wouldn't just walk or bike the same section of the trail, they would want to see the other sections of the trail. Please note that this list is only a starter to illustrate the concept.

 What do YOU think? If you think our trail should also be educational, what themes would you like to see? I also think much of these projects could be done by students at our local high schools. Do you agree?

Let me know what you think. E-Mail me at: nkocsis@Comcast.net.