Heritage Park (Adrian): Hike Notes

I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:

07/06/04

One thing that I would like to point out is how personal this kind of stuff is. The Adrian hike/bike trail is about ten or 15 miles in length. It was built by a bunch of twentysomethings who make their living fixing bikes at the local bike shop. They are cool guys who love their sport and their much-maligned town of Adrian. They decided to do something to make the place a little nicer by creating and maintaining a trail. They had some technical help from the MMBA but, for the most part, it's just a bunch of locals who pull branches every couple of months. It is nothing sinister. And I love hiking the trail. It helps make hiking a part of my everyday life.

01/23/03

I figured with the weather like it is, it was a perfect day for an afternoon hike. So, I zipped on over to Heritage Park and did one of my usual six mile loops.

Notes:

A) The sound of the very dry, windswept snow made whistling noises when I crunched my feet. The pitch of the crunch was directly related to the depth of the drift that I was stepping into. I literally spent 20 minutes just listening to the snow.

B) Ski goggles are a blessing and a curse. They kept my eyes from watering in the cold weather, but they really fogged my glasses up. I fell into the pattern of removing the goggles until my face got cold, then putting the goggles on until my glasses fogged. Back and forth. Back and forth.

C) With my ski mask and hood on, I became very aware of my breathing. After I lost interest in listening to the snow, I started to listen to my breathing. In and out. In and out.

D) I felt very comfortable temperature wise with several thick layers. I normally generate a lot of heat when I hike. I took my pulse on several occasions and noticed that I was getting a really good workout without any accompanying persperation.

E) Tinted goggles are a great thing. Mine are yellow. Once my eyes adjusted, the color of the world seemed to match that of a dusky summer evening. Of course, the sunset was incredible in its own right. Didn't need the goggles for that.

F) Not much wildlife out today. I only saw one dove flying overhead.

G) The water of the South Branch River Raisin was still open. And the water seemed very, very clear. I didn't see any fish.

I really love the isolation of winter hiking.

04/29/02

Tonight I did a 6 mile loop at Adrian's Heritage Park. This place is one of the coolest urban hikes in SE Michigan. It is hilly and has a bunch of streams. There is one ascent that rivals a section of Waterloo-Pinckney and the NCT in Lost Nation for steepest hill in southern tier Michigan. Of course, one section of trail goes so close to some baseball fields that you should bring a glove for homeruns. Anyway, I talked to a guy named Brett who helps build the trail. He says they have 6.8 miles of trail currently and they'll get it up to 9 in the near future. Adrian also purchased an easement along the River Raisin on the southern border that will eventually make the trail about 15 or 16 miles in length. This probably ties Hidden Lake Gardens for best hike in Lenawee County. Go M-52 to north of Adrian. Turn east at the sign for the park. Multiple trailheads. Maps are available at the bike shop just a few miles south on M-52.