bike trip – Top of Michigan Trails Council

Lake to Lake Tour 2019

Trails Council — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0000

“I am fairly new to the sport of bicycling. The Lake to Lake Tour this fall was my first time riding for any distance and I was a bit nervous before starting this event. I have to say that I plan on going back every year from now on. The Trails Council was so organized and helpful. Our group was so impressed with how well they thought of every little detail. They were waiting for us at every checkpoint with water and trail mix. We felt safe and looked after. The trails were absolutely beautiful. Our group made such precious memories. My favorite part was the personal touch in each small town. The meals were fabulous and the hosts were so proud and happy to show off their communities. This trip was the highlight of my fall. Thank you Trails Council for making us feel so special.”

Kathy Dennison Adrianse, Grand Rapids, MI, 2018 tour participant

This is our third year of offering this unique tour. Participants have the opportunity to ride from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan, primarily on dedicated bike trails.

19 Bike Tour Registration and Waiver

19 L2L brochure

The 2019 Lake to Lake Tour will begin on Friday morning, September 13 at Petoskey’s Bayfront Park. From there, you, your gear and your bike will be transported to Alpena where you will dip your back tire in Lake Huron. The tour will follow the North Eastern State Trail to a lunch stop in Metz, then on to the Nettie Bay Lodge (Hawks) where you’ll spend the night in a rustic hunting/fishing lodge. On Saturday the tour follows the NEST to Cheboygan, where lodging will be provided at the Best Western hotel, and you’ll enjoy a reception featuring local beer, followed by dinner on your own in Cheboygan. On Sunday, the tour will follow the North Central State Trail to Mackinaw City at the very top of the lower peninsula of Michigan and then its south on the North Western State Trail through Pellston and Alanson to just outside of Petoskey, where you will end the day by pedaling on the Little Traverse Wheelway for three miles to Bayfront Park. There you will celebrate your successful trip by dipping your front tire in Lake Michigan.

Included in the tour cost are lodging, transportation to Alpena, day-to-day transport of any gear you don’t carry on your bike, SAG support, and volunteer riders to assure you a safe and enjoyable ride. Meals included in the registration price will be lunch and dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. The total number of riders, exclusive of volunteers, will not exceed 35. The cost for the tour is $525+ (varies depending on your occupancy choice). Your deposit will be counted as your annual membership donation. All funds in excess of actual costs will be credited as a donation to the trail advocacy efforts of TOMTC.

See links above for brochure and registration form.

Lake to Lake Tour 2018

Trails Council — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 04:00:00 +0000

“We thoroughly enjoyed the Lake to Lake tour during the fall of 2017. We appreciate all those who took the time to provide us with such a memorable weekend of riding, local history and hospitality. Thanks for a bike trip that was special, because my family and I were able to enjoy an outdoor activity with other cyclists that I now call my friends.”

–David M, Rochester 2017 participant

Last year’s tour was a huge success, so we’re doing it again in 2018. This bicycle tour gives participants the opportunity to ride from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan, all on dedicated bike trails.

18 Bike Tour Registration and Waiver

18 L2L brochure

The 2018 Lake to Lake Tour will begin on Friday morning, September 14 at Petoskey’s Bayfront Park. From there, you, your gear and your bike will be transported to Alpena where you will dip your back tire in Lake Huron. The tour will follow the North Eastern State Trail to a lunch stop in Metz, then on to the Nettie Bay Lodge (Hawks) where you’ll spend the night in a rustic hunting/fishing lodge. On Saturday the tour follows the NEST to Cheboygan, where lodging will be provided at the Best Western hotel, and you’ll travel by boat to dinner on the river. On Sunday, the tour will follow the North Central State Trail to Mackinaw City, to the northern terminus of the North Western State Trail. Then it’s south to Petoskey, where you’ll ride the Little Traverse Wheelway to dip your front tire in Lake Michigan at Bayfront Park.

Included in the tour cost are lodging, transportation to Alpena, day-to-day transport of any gear you don’t carry on your bike, SAG support, and volunteer riders to assure you a safe and enjoyable ride. Meals included in the registration price will be dinner on Friday and breakfast and dinner on Saturday. The total number of riders, exclusive of volunteers, will not exceed 30. The cost for the tour is $450. Your deposit will be counted as your annual membership donation. All funds in excess of actual costs will be credited as a donation to the trail advocacy efforts of TOMTC.

Downstate youth group takes advantage of a new trail

Trails Council — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 14:00:05 +0000

There was a large increase in the use of the North Western State Trail (NWST) on one particular day in June, as a bike tour group from the Muskegon area pedaled through northern Michigan.

Our house sits right along the trail and next to Pellston Pioneer Park. Late in the morning of June 19, I saw a group of 10 or so riders leaving the trail and heading into the park. Upon further inspection, I met a few of the 26 adult chaperones and several of the 58 youth riders on a bike trip from Mackinac City to Traverse City and welcomed them to northern Michigan and the Top of Michigan Trails Council system.

This is the 29^th year that Dan and Peggy Manzer of the Ravenna Baptist Church have organized and overseen a ride for the church’s middle school youth. A few years ago, the Sparta Baptist Church joined the group rides. This was the second of a three-year cycle of cycling. The first year, the group rode from Tahquamenon Falls State Park to St. Ignace. This year’s ride takes the group from the Mighty Mac to Traverse City. Next year, they’ll ride from the T.C. area to their church in Ravenna. The youth members and adult chaperones who pedal all three years, then, will have completed a ride from Tahquamenon to their home church.

The first day of this year’s ride was from Mack City to Petoskey. In previous years, the group rode almost entirely on roads, taking the Tunnel of Trees along Lake Michigan. With the recent improvement of the NWST, they opted to do a safer and more direct trail ride, stopping at Pellston Pioneer Park for lunch.

The large tour rides in smaller groups of about 8 to 11 kids, along with 2 or 3 adults. Boys and girls ride in separate groups and, as Dan Manzer told me, “the girls are kickin’ butt right now”!

The group camps at State parks, or sometimes on school grounds. The last group to leave in the morning is responsible for breaking down the camp and getting all their gear loaded onto trucks & trailers. The first group to arrive at the next night’s stop sets up camp. They have their own SAG support van and gear-transport team. Peggy Manzer is responsible for driving ahead with the chow trailer and setting up lunch arrangements.

The bicyclists I spoke with were all having a grand time and loved riding on the NWST. It was a great recreational and bonding experience and they were all eager to continue their ride down the trail. They were to spend the night at Petoskey State Park and ride the Little Traverse Wheelway to Charlevoix the next day. It was wonderful to see such a large, enthusiastic group enjoying the TOMTC trail system!

Patrick Affholter, Pellston

Lake to Lake Ride

Margie Reh — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 16:24:40 +0000

TOMTC plans ride on our trail system from Alpena to Lake Michigan

Lake to Lake Ride in September!

The Trails Council is in the planning stages for a September “Lake to Lake” ride on our trail system from Alpena (on Lake Huron) to a yet-to-be-determined location on Lake Michigan. The multi-day tour would take in the entirety of the North Eastern State Trail, portions of the North Central State Trail and perhaps segments of Northwestern State Trail and the Little Traverse Wheelway. The trip will include lodging and SAG support. If you are interested in receiving more information about this tour as our plans progress email Sue Bouwense at admin@trailscouncil.org and simply put in the subject line “September bicycle tour”, and include your name.