No more gaps on Pumpkinvine trail as link paved. Path grows along Red Arrow Highway, too.
You may have already caught last week’s news buzz — or ridden it — but the final gap of the nearly 18-mile Pumpkinvine Nature Trail was finally filled. A little over a half mile of asphalt now links the trail between county roads 35 and 20 in Middlebury. It mostly follows the original railroad corridor, except for a slight jog.
Before this, cyclists had to use rural roads to make the connection. Some folks on Facebook said they’re sure glad to say goodbye to the cars and trucks that would whiz by on the road.
This is much earlier than expected. Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail had originally expected completion in spring 2024 because it originally looked like, according to soil tests, that about 800 feet of the new path would needs months to help compact the soil and avoid future sinking because of the peat underneath. But, once the work began, they realized the soil was just fine and didn’t need compaction after all.
The Friends group has been working through pesky, difficult-to-fill gaps ever since construction of the Pumpkinvine trail between Goshen and Shipshewana began in the mid to late 1990s.
Coming up Oct. 8: A biker's feast: Here's how Love Biketober Fest will aid efforts for trails, bike safety.
Meanwhile, the Friends of Middlebury Parks is running a crowdsourcing campaign to help extend the town’s River Mill Trail so that it connects two of Middlebury’s parks, two neighborhoods and some businesses to the Pumpkinvine. As of Oct. 2, it had raised more than $16,500 out of its $50,000 goal and one month left to secure a matching amount from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority. Find the link here in this column online. Or mail checks to the Friends group at P.O. BOX 1235, Middlebury, IN 46540.
More trail on Red Arrow Highway
Berrien County just finished paving another mile of asphalt trail along the Red Arrow Highway from the Harbert Community Park to Sawyer Road. And they added a wide shoulder along Sawyer leading east to the town of Sawyer, says Marcy Hamilton, deputy executive director of the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission.
This is the ongoing process of building a separate trail along Red Arrow Highway, using space from a “road diet” that slimmed it from four to three lanes.
Jan. 25, 2023: Berrien County sets priorities for bike, boat and horse trails
The recent addition extends a 1.5-mile section of trail that was built last year from Lakeshore Road, in Harbert, north to the park. Another 1.3-mile section of trail in Union Pier was finished in 2021.
Next up, Hamilton says, the county will pave a trail from U.S. 12 to Union Pier. After that, the gap from Union Pier to Harbert may be paved in late 2024 or in 2025.
Fitness at park benches
Several park benches now sit next to a sign with a QR code that leads your smartphone to a series of free exercise videos, all led by a Goshen Health exercise physiologist. They’re in either English or Spanish and can be found on benches in Elkhart, Goshen, Nappanee, New Paris, Syracuse and Warsaw.
Give them a try for a full-body workout, relying on no fancy equipment except for a bench or sturdy chair. But psst, you don’t have to find those benches. You can link to the videos right here in this column online.
The project launched with a grant from the Indiana Department of Health, and Goshen Health CEO Randy Christophel suggests that it could grow with more park partnerships and resources.
No sign of invasive carp
Phew! A follow-up test recently found no evidence of the invasive bighead or silver carp in the St. Joseph River between Lake Michigan and Berrien Springs.
Testing by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service back in June had detected a single sample — out of 220 samples — that appeared to be the eDNA — DNA that's released from an organism into the environment — of silver carp. That spurred the agency to do another 220 tests, none of which found any sign of silver carp, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports.
Bighead and silver carp aren’t known to be in the Great Lakes basin, the MDNR says. But Lucas Nathan, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the state, says it will continue to monitor for invasive carp. Boaters are reminded to clean, drain and dry their watercraft to avert invasive species. Anglers should report invasive carp at Michigan.gov/InvasiveCarp.
Youth and veteran waterfowl hunting
Indiana will hold youth and veteran waterfowl hunting on Oct. 21-22 at Indiana Fish & Wildlife areas in the state’s north zone.
Youths ages 17 or younger must be accompanied by an adult for the hunt. A federal duck stamp is required for any hunter age 16 or older. Youths with hunting licenses don’t need a state waterfowl stamp to hunt waterfowl or other migratory birds. But a Harvest Information Program number is required for youth hunters during the youth waterfowl season.
Sept. 21, 2023: Indiana fall hunting seasons set for deer and other game. Here are the 2023 dates.
Veterans can find more information about getting discounted hunting and fishing licenses in a link here in this column online.
Three Rivers Fall Color Tour
An annual driving tour on Oct. 8 includes eight destinations in Cass and St. Joseph counties, Michigan. Here are two highlights. For details, find the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook.
∎ Rivers: Paddle on the Portage, Prairie, Rocky or St. Joseph rivers for two hours up to a full day with rentals, campfire and cider from Liquid Therapy Canoe & Kayak Rental, 221 S. Main St., Three Rivers. Call 269-273-9000 or visit liquid-therapy-paddling.com.
∎ Meijer Broadway Park: Giveaways include a mountain bike, disc golf cart and pickleball starter set from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at this park that boasts seven miles for mountain biking, six miles for hiking and 36 holes for disc golf. The park is one mile west of U.S. 131 at Broadway and Roberts roads in Three Rivers.
Naturally yours
∎ Wild One plant sale: The South Bend chapter of Wild Ones will host a native plant sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 7 at Pinhook Park, 2801 Riverside Drive, South Bend. If it’s like their spring sale, the plants will go quickly. Fall is a good time to plant, though, of course, they’ll soon go dormant and show their colors next year. Books about native plants, gardens and pollinators will be for sale, and ecological groups will be there for advice. Find details and plant lists at the Wild Ones’ website, link here in this column online.
∎ Sandhill Crane All Trail Half Marathon/10K/5K: Hiking coach Ron Gunn’s half marathon and 10K and 5K runs and walks, plus a free 1K kids fun run, return Oct. 14 to the rolling trails through forest and field at T.K. Lawless County Park, 15122 Monkey Run St., Vandalia. The courses include six scenic foot bridges and several streams and small lakes. The half marathon begins at 9 a.m., the 10K at 9:30 a.m., the 5K at 10 a.m. and kids run at 11 a.m. Awards will go to top finishers. T-shirts may still be available. Cost is $30 except for the kids run. The race benefits the Dowagiac Rotary Club and the Cass County Parks. Water and sport drinks will be offered on the courses, plus fruit, sport drinks, Popsicles, potato chips, cookies and water at the finish. Deejay music will be at the start/finish and two spots on the courses. Register at RunSignUp.com or through a link in this column online.
Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and Red Arrow path gaps paved
