01 Feb

Posted at 15:20h in Trails Council News
23 Likes

--inspiration for a cold winter day by David Beier

We are getting close to the time of year that bike riding is something we can look forward to. For those who ski or do indoor exercise the need to bike is somewhat less intense.  My solution to riding in the spring is to go south. When planning these trips I tend to focus on rails-to-trails bike rides. These paths are flat and void of traffic, which make them great options for early riding.

07 Dec

Posted at 10:57h in Trails Council News
23 Likes
Trails Council board member Karen Langs loves the place where she was planted back in 1970. She and her husband Russ raised two children in Petoskey, and though her adult children have moved on (one to Florida, the other to Colorado), Langs is embracing her life in Northern Michigan. She reports that after Russ passed, she resolved to continue living the life of joy that he had shared with her during their 53-year marriage.

05 Dec

Posted at 12:03h in Trails Council News
23 Likes
Save your D&W or Family Fare receipts! We’re raising money to fund our Kids Biking Initiative through Direct Your Dollars   Top of Michigan Trails Council is committed to continue our educational bike outings for fourth graders through 2022.  Now, through Direct Your Dollars, we have a new and exciting way to raise money to accomplish that goal!

02 Nov

Posted at 16:19h in Trails Council News
23 Likes
I live in Charlevoix with my wife, Anne.  I have a son, Oliver, who lives in Bloomington, Indiana.  I was born in Indiana and grew up there, in a small town near Fort Wayne. Anne and I visited the Charlevoix area in our boat about six years ago and really liked the town and entire area.  We purchased a summer home north of downtown Charlevoix and one year later decided to sell our home in Indiana and move to Charlevoix to live here full time.  What attracted us to this area was the natural beauty, the charm of the communities, and the friendliness of the people; but one of the major reasons we chose to move here was the quality of the area bike trails.

07 Aug

Posted at 15:57h in Trails Council News
23 Likes
The following is a requested message from Bill Prall, TOMTC's Safety and Maintenance Director: One very easy thing we bicyclists can do to promote bicycling is to STOP! On roadways or bike paths with traffic STOP signs or RED lights the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code (MVC) and the Michigan Compiled Law (MCL), states that you must obey these traffic signals. Where do Michigan laws apply to bicycles? 

04 Apr

Posted at 09:01h in Trails Council News
25 Likes
April 2018   (Map here) Planners for the Charlevoix  to Traverse City Trail (CHX – TC Trail) have an ambitious goal to connect two regional trail networks that link the communities of Traverse City, Acme, Elk Rapids, Eastport, Norwood and Charlevoix with over 300 miles of existing trails from Alpena to Suttons Bay. This requires combining what trail users want with suitable land and road right-of-ways that can support a non-motorized recreation and transportation trail. The trail will pass through beautiful scenery and provide access to 24 public amenities including parks, beaches, natural areas, communities, and other destinations along the US-31 corridor. The project builds on the vision of more than a decade of community groups working to make trail connections.

04 Apr

Posted at 08:46h in Trails Council News
25 Likes
April 2018   (Map here) The Boyne Valley Trailway Committee has planned a trail through the Boyne River Valley that will connect Boyne City with Boyne Falls and the Boyne Mountain Resort. In addition, it will connect five schools with a non-motorized recreation trail that will accommodate pedestrians, runners, cross country skiers, snowshoers and cyclists at all times of the year.