The following reports were originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group.
01/19/01
Wayne County: Crosswinds Marsh. 5 to 10 miles of trail. This place is a reconstructed marsh - to replace the marsh destroyed at MetroAirport. And it is really cool. There's a bald eagle's nest and lots of birds. And some easy canoeing. And a hill is rising right next door at the landfill that is accepting Toronto's trash and sewer sludge. My hope is that there is a plan to eventually incorporate it into the park as a scenic overlook or ski hill.
Jan. 21, 2001
A few more comments on the Toronto trash issue...
My understanding of the issue is that Canadian trash is considered international commerce under NAFTA. Even if the state wanted to stopit, they would probably get sued - and I'd imagine lose.
The issue does have another side. I believe that Michigan and other states send hazardous waste to Ontario in large volumes. Ontario can't really stop that from happening either. So, if we make them keep their trash, they are libel to make us keep our biohazards.
This dump has been there even before this deal was signed. The lack of Toronto's garbage wouldn't really make any difference at the site.
My big concern is what happens afterwards. There are a lot of quarries and dumps in my area that just get fenced off and left. But these places can be put to public use if designed right. If these places are held to high environmental standards and later become large public spaces, I think everybody wins. And in a very flat section of Michigan, a big hill with a scenic overlook on top would be a very nice addition to a park.
BTW, the local government has been very supportive of the dump. It provides jobs and tax money in an overlooked, rural part of WayneCounty.
Complexity reigns.
07/22/01
Well, after hiking in Ohio, I headed back to Monroe for a wedding reception. Afterwards, I found out I had a little more time on my hands and decided to do a little more hiking - this time at Crosswinds Marsh.
Crosswinds Marsh is a Wayne County Marsh Interpretive Preserve. It is restored marsh, created to replace wetlands destroyed for the new terminal at Metro Airport. You can get there by taking I-275 to Will Carleton (South of Detroit near the town of Waltz). Head west on Will Carleton, past the dump to Haggerty. Turn Right and you are there.
While this is not at all a strenuous hike, it is an interesting place. There is a lot of open water - enough for a 2 mile canoe trail. There is a 4.5 mile horse loop around the perimeter of the preserve that is essentially a gravel road with one water crossing. You could hike this if you wanted.
There are also 6 or 7 miles of hiking trail. These range from dirt to gravel to boardwalk. The trails pass through cattail marsh, wooded swamp areas, open water and open meadows. You can see muskrats, fish, geese and a bald eagle's nest on the south end of the park.
This area is great for kids and a nice respite from a populated area. While I was hiking, I saw 3 or 4 kids fishing and a few couples. I also ran into a group of young people who were badly in need of bug spray. I gladly helped them out.
When combined with Pointe Mouillee SGA and Lower Huron, Oakwoods, Willow and Lake Erie Metroparks, Crosswinds Marsh helps make the Downriver area a great way to get out there in an urban setting.
01/08/03
Re: Fw: E-M:/ Granholm says no to Toronto Trash
I'll bet Granholm plays this issue up big - because it doesn't require much expenditure from the state budget. If she talks tough or even changes the situation, she'll get political mileage for free.
I know this dump well. I hike occasionally at the Crosswinds Marsh that borders the place. There is a bald eagle's nest right there.
A few things to consider: Sumpter Township gets some ungodly percentage of its annual revenue from the tipping fees on the garbage. I believe it's something like 80%. This is a rural, but growing area, with lots of parkland in the Metroparks, etc. I'll assume that if the garbage doesn't flow, they'll have to find other ways to fill the township treasury - like maybe a big old development on some farmland. Or, maybe they'll just lay off the police.
But, the dump is there. It won't close if Toronto stops shipping. Garbage will come from Ohio or New York instead. So: spend lots ofenergy stopping the garbage for zero gain to local residents. Why not lobby for a new a natural area instead?
But I do find it difficult to think that some hardscrabble northern Ontario town couldn't make use of all the money that is generated by growth in the waste management industry:)
03/15/03
I have three suggestions. Crosswinds Marsh is a restored marsh on Haggerty Rd. in extreme southern Wayne County. Take I-275 to Will-Carleton (I think) and head west. Once you zoom past a landfill, the park is on the right. It's nice and would be interesting at this time of year. Crosswinds is a Wayne County Park and offers 6 to 10 miles of trail.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Brighton State Recreation Area Horse Trails
I originally posted this hike report on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group.
05/22/02
Brighton SRA - Brighton, MI.
I hiked some of the horse trails on the west side of the park. I must have done about 6 or 8 miles. There are 18 miles of horse trail. The trails are nice and despite a few muddy patches were fun to hike. This is a well-used horse area on summer weekends, so that might not be the best time to use them. I also think that you could start on the far west end and backpack into the rustic horse campground - 9 miles in, 9 miles out. The next timeI head back, I'll look for a connection to the hiking and mountain bike trails on the east side. All told, there are 38 or 39 miles of trail and several rustic campgrounds and cabins.
http://www.michigandnr.com/Publications/PDFS/RecreationCamping/brighton_equestrian_trails_map.pdf
05/22/02
Brighton SRA - Brighton, MI.
I hiked some of the horse trails on the west side of the park. I must have done about 6 or 8 miles. There are 18 miles of horse trail. The trails are nice and despite a few muddy patches were fun to hike. This is a well-used horse area on summer weekends, so that might not be the best time to use them. I also think that you could start on the far west end and backpack into the rustic horse campground - 9 miles in, 9 miles out. The next timeI head back, I'll look for a connection to the hiking and mountain bike trails on the east side. All told, there are 38 or 39 miles of trail and several rustic campgrounds and cabins.
http://www.michigandnr.com/Publications/PDFS/RecreationCamping/brighton_equestrian_trails_map.pdf
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Bear River Recreation Area Notes - Petoskey
I originally posted these hike notes on the Great Lakes Hikes yahoo bulletin board:
Bear River Valley
05/18/03
Here's a bit more on the lower peninsula waterfalls. Both "NaturalMichigan" by Tom Powers and "39 Petoskey Walkabouts" by GaryBarfknecht make mention of the waterfall in the Bear River Valley Recreation Area near Petoskey. I've never hiked it because I saw the fake waterfall near the gaslight district in town. However, there are trails on both sides of the river (3 to 4 miles total) that will supposedly take you to the real waterfalls upstream. Apparently, the Bear River loses 75 feet in less than a mile near Lake Michigan - according to Mary Hunt of Hunt's Guides, the biggest stream drop in the lower peninsula.
05/24/03
The Bear River Valley Recreation area is built right into the city. However, the valley is quite steep and allows for good isolation from urban feeling. This river is excellent. There were continuous rapids along the mile long section we walked. And, just to verify, there is definitely at least one waterfall there. It is possible to hike the other side for a 2 or 3 mile walk. Additional mileage can be gleaned by the many walkways in the area. If you are in the gaslight district, just find the creek close to the nearby pier and follow it upstream.
Update: I did eventually visit the waterfall upstream. It is very cool. I posted a report about it at www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate
Bear River Valley
05/18/03
Here's a bit more on the lower peninsula waterfalls. Both "NaturalMichigan" by Tom Powers and "39 Petoskey Walkabouts" by GaryBarfknecht make mention of the waterfall in the Bear River Valley Recreation Area near Petoskey. I've never hiked it because I saw the fake waterfall near the gaslight district in town. However, there are trails on both sides of the river (3 to 4 miles total) that will supposedly take you to the real waterfalls upstream. Apparently, the Bear River loses 75 feet in less than a mile near Lake Michigan - according to Mary Hunt of Hunt's Guides, the biggest stream drop in the lower peninsula.
05/24/03
The Bear River Valley Recreation area is built right into the city. However, the valley is quite steep and allows for good isolation from urban feeling. This river is excellent. There were continuous rapids along the mile long section we walked. And, just to verify, there is definitely at least one waterfall there. It is possible to hike the other side for a 2 or 3 mile walk. Additional mileage can be gleaned by the many walkways in the area. If you are in the gaslight district, just find the creek close to the nearby pier and follow it upstream.
Update: I did eventually visit the waterfall upstream. It is very cool. I posted a report about it at www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Hidden Lake Gardens: Hike Notes
I originally posted these hike notes on the Great Lakes Hikes and thebackpacker.com forums.
Hike Name: Hidden Lake Gardens
Location: southeast MI
Length: 5
Submitted by: reformed lurker
Date Submitted: 12/4/00
Description:
Sure, it's not wilderness. But Hidden Lake Gardens has some nice hilly hiking in a part of Michigan where this is limited. The hiking is consistently up-and-down and is similar to the Waterloo-Pinckney trail to the north.
Animal life is typical of SE Michigan - deer, turkey, owls, etc. - and trail maintenance is superb.
This area is especially nice in winter. You can see tropical and desert environments in the conservatory.
No camping is available on-site, but Walter J. Hayes State Park is not far away.
Directions to Hike: The Gardens are on M-50 ten minutes west of Tecumseh. Drive time from Ann Arbor, Jackson or Toledo is less than an hour.
Contact Information Contact Hidden Lake Gardens (run by Michigan State University).
Phone: (517) 431-2060
Address: Hidden Lake Gardens, Tipton, MI 49287
04/21/02
Sunday, I did a 5 mile loop at Hidden Lake Gardens (on M-50 nearTipton in Lenawee County). This is some really great trail. It's got some up and down, but the best part is the way the trail often hugs the edge of a hill. At times you have to balance yourself on a little ledge of trail. Fun. Fun. Fun. Lots of deer. Beautiful trees and flowers. The place is 4 minutes from my house, so it's a nice after work hike. I wish they would extend the trail to 10 miles, but hey, it's a landscape arboretum. When it's snowy you can hang out in the desert conservatory and dream you're in Arizona. That's better than hot chocolate.
Hike Name: Hidden Lake Gardens
Location: southeast MI
Length: 5
Submitted by: reformed lurker
Date Submitted: 12/4/00
Description:
Sure, it's not wilderness. But Hidden Lake Gardens has some nice hilly hiking in a part of Michigan where this is limited. The hiking is consistently up-and-down and is similar to the Waterloo-Pinckney trail to the north.
Animal life is typical of SE Michigan - deer, turkey, owls, etc. - and trail maintenance is superb.
This area is especially nice in winter. You can see tropical and desert environments in the conservatory.
No camping is available on-site, but Walter J. Hayes State Park is not far away.
Directions to Hike: The Gardens are on M-50 ten minutes west of Tecumseh. Drive time from Ann Arbor, Jackson or Toledo is less than an hour.
Contact Information Contact Hidden Lake Gardens (run by Michigan State University).
Phone: (517) 431-2060
Address: Hidden Lake Gardens, Tipton, MI 49287
04/21/02
Sunday, I did a 5 mile loop at Hidden Lake Gardens (on M-50 nearTipton in Lenawee County). This is some really great trail. It's got some up and down, but the best part is the way the trail often hugs the edge of a hill. At times you have to balance yourself on a little ledge of trail. Fun. Fun. Fun. Lots of deer. Beautiful trees and flowers. The place is 4 minutes from my house, so it's a nice after work hike. I wish they would extend the trail to 10 miles, but hey, it's a landscape arboretum. When it's snowy you can hang out in the desert conservatory and dream you're in Arizona. That's better than hot chocolate.
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.
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.
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