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Sunday, September 24, 2023
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park - Pere Marquette RailTrail
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail
State Park - Pere Marquette RailTrail
Cadillac – Crooked Lake Resort – Midland Michigan
99 miles – 2 days
September 14 & 15, 2023
My wife, Bonnie, dropped me off at the Love Church parking
lot (Sunnyside Dr @ S141 Rd.) at 7:30.
The trail crosses S141 Rd. about 30 yards south. It was only 38 degrees and I only had cycling
gloves with no finger tips, so after a few minutes I got out my extra socks and
put them on over my gloves. Soon after
crossing under US 131, at Hibma Rd. the trail was absolutely closed. I panicked a bit since my wife was already
heading for home and I had over 90 miles left to ride. Fortunately, I noticed a small but precise
little sign which described the recommended detour. Basically, turn right on Hibma, stay on that,
until you reach Cleveland Rd., turn left, turn right when you get back to the
trail in about 20 yards. Hibma turns
into Tustin Rd. both of which seem to be
packed sand; firm, smooth but a bit rolling.
The detour was about 3.5 miles long but only added about half a mile
since Tustin Rd. runs almost parallel to
the trail. I suppose by the time you
read this, the trail will be open again.
Stopped to warm up in Tustin at the Village Grill; coffee and
a cinnamon roll. Typical coffee klatch
of fellows discussing the current news.
Saw one deer, 7 turkeys and one man with a dog. No one else was on the trail. The trail is wooded on both sides on a
majority of this stretch. Ordinarily, I
would love the shade, but due to the temperature, I enjoyed what sun I could
get. I kept all 4 layers on until almost Reed City. I never had to put my feet down at a
crossing. I did have to balance for a
few seconds as an Amish buggy passed.
Saw a few cyclists as I reached Reed City at 11:00. About 29 miles down, 27 to go for the
day. I had lunch at the 7 Slot Grill, a
Jeep themed restaurant and ice cream shop.
I had eaten there 3 other times on bike trips. Easily visible from the park where the bike
trails intersect. There does not seem to
be a café in Hersey and Evart was too far to wait for lunch.
At Reed City I basically turned left, east on to the Pere
Marquette State Trail. At first the
trail is a bit rough and beat up.
Perhaps this is due to use by snowmobiles? Quite a bit of this stretch is also wooded on
both sides but, there were more open parts with fields and tree farms. Still very little cross traffic. I stopped at the scenic overlook of the
Muskegon River. The seats are wide and
flat, so I took a bit of a nap.
I went up Main St. in Evart, found Sixth & Main, and had
cup of coffee. There is a McDonalds and
a Subway on the highway but I was looking for a more historic, local
business. As I left Evert and crossed
the railroad bridge, I met a cyclist in a straw had and overalls. I recognized this as typical Amish garb. There are Buggies Present signs on the
highway, so I was not surprised. A few
miles later I saw that I was going to meet a large group of cyclists, and I
thought perhaps some were on recumbent bikes.
As we neared each other, I realized that there were two women on mobility
scooters. One was pulling a small
trailer with toddlers in it. Following
them was a group of 5 younger women on normal bicycles. All were in typical Amish dresses. All going in to town, evidently.
I was low on water and disappointed with myself that I forgot
to take my bottle into the Sixth & Main.
I checked my phone to see if there was perhaps a store near the trail up
ahead. I was happy to see that Gibb’s
Super Store was right on the trail. When
I arrived, I saw a sign advertising snacks and beverages, even though it is primarily a feed store. When entering the store, it is quite clear
which direction they lean politically.
Trump’s name and Trump merch are everywhere.
The trail gets very close to the highway at Lake
Station. I picked up some beverages and
snacks at the Citgo. I arrived at the
Crooked Lake Resort (and bait shop) at about 3:30. 56 miles for the day. There
is an accommodations sign right on the trail.
A steep two track takes you up the road and the resort office. If you’re headed East, and you get to the
caboose, you went too far.
I had reserved the Lakeside cottage. It was charming! Out front there was a shaded wicker love seat which overlooked the lake. I enjoyed my cashews with Gatorade.
Vacationers are
required to bring their own towels, and so I brought a small quick dry towel
from my backpacking gear. The resort
owner called and offered to bring a couple more towels down since I arrived by
bicycle. I accepted the gracious
offer. One small downside to staying in
a resort versus a hotel is that I had to make my own bed before my nap. After 56 miles, wrestling with the fitted
sheets and the double bed mattress was a challenge. I showered, napped, and walked down to the
Lakeside Bar & Grille. Service was
cordial and the burger was good. I
bought a large bottle of water at the general store on the way back to the
resort. After dinner, I enjoyed the
sunset down on the waterfront, on the swing.
After dark, I went down for a bit of star gazing. There is plenty of open sky over the lake,
but there is also a lot of background light.
I slept well and later than usual. There are three restaurants in Lake Station
but none is open for breakfast so I brought instant oatmeal and instant coffee
for my ‘first’ breakfast. Crooked Lake
Resort was the highlight of my trip. The
location is very scenic, and the cabin reminded me of other favorite vacation
spots. Their normal policy is a two night minimum stay, but they were happy to accommodate my single night if I would pay a cleaning fee.
I had my second breakfast at the Nest in Farwell at the 7.4
mile point. It was busy. Quite clean.
My blue berry hot cakes were great. I saw 6 deer between Farwell and
Clare. There are frequent seats and
benches along this segment.
The trail ends about 3 miles east of Farwell. You must ride along the highway for 2.5 miles. The shoulder is smooth and maybe 6 inches wide. Perhaps I just missed them, but I saw no signs to lead me back to the trail in Clare. Eventually I turned right at Pine street and by luck found a green US Bicycle Route 20 sign, and the beginning of what seems to be a Clare community connector trail to the final segment of the Pere Marquette RailTrail.
Officially, the 30-mile section between Midland and Clare is
known as the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail, while
the section west of Clare is known as the Pere Marquette State Trail. When heading east, after Clare, one gets the
feeling they are on a different, much more cared for trail. There are small signs indicating this segment
has been recognized in the Rails-to-trails hall of fame.
https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2009/october/01/michigan-s-pere-marquette-rail-trail/
Pavement is wider than any other trail I have ridden. There are informative signs at every
crossing, including a grid including distances between all towns on this
segment. Rest rooms are clean and some
are located between towns. Snowmobiles
are not allowed on this segment.
I had lunch in Sanford which is 35 miles from Crooked Lake
Resort. Salad bar hit the spot for me. I
took another short nap on a bench at the Titabawassee River overlook. From there, it was a short ride into
Midland. Total of 43 miles for the day. My friend Stan was waiting.
Relevant links
https://walkbike.info/grandrapids/maps-guides/trails/fred-meijer-white-pine-trail/
https://walkbike.info/grandrapids/maps-guides/trails/pere-marquette-state-trail/
https://www.peremarquetterailtrail.org/trail-map/
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