mwww.newbuffalotimes.com
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022
5
Blazing Trails: New Troy ‘Gather and Stroll’ event offers tours of volunteer-built trail, bridges
A group of hikers walk down one of the footbridges
Views from the trail (with the old mill in the distance)
A group of hikers learns about the trees along the newly formed trail
One of the footbridges that was built by the Trailblazers
Pat Fisher, president of Harbor Country Hikers and a volunteer with the Trailblazers, added tidbits about the surrounding nature
Terry Hanover leads a group down the newly formed trail
F
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
or Terry Hanover, the process of installing two footbridges by the newly formed Weesaw Trailblazers to create an approximately half-mile path through the woodland and wetland areas behind the Friends of New Troy (FONT) Community Center was akin to planting a tree. “Really, those volunteers are doing something for their grandchildren,” he said, adding that having had a part in the trail’s creation has made it “more meaningful.” Members of the public had the chance to view the finished product – the Marsh Loop - during two separate hikes at a “Gather and Stroll” event Saturday, Jan. 8. The event was sponsored by Red Arrow Roasters in Harbert. Hikers could enter their names into a raffle to win a coffee and tea sampler (valued at $50) from Red Arrow Roasters or a gift card from Baroda Tap. Complimentary coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and donuts were served in the gym throughout the morning. According to Hanover, who’s a founding member of FONT and president of its board of directors, a group of more than 12 volunteers spent last fall clearing the trail as well as building the bridges. The second bridge was finished in November – a less than ideal time to be out blazing trails. But the group remained undeterred. “It snowed and it rained, and it was cold – I said, ‘Only someone from Michigan could enjoy getting out in this sleet and building a bridge,’” Hanover said. One bridge consisted of 12 people working on it for five hours, he said. The Trailblazers was born after an attempted effort by the township to log 28 and a half acres that were acquired by the township a few years ago. The plan garnered quite the response from residents, who let their voices be heard at an outdoor meeting that was held in the summer of 2020. “And with that attention, which was negative, the Weesaw Township Board actually paid attention and decided not to log it,” Hanover said. The result, he said, was the township working
with the Trailblazers “hand in hand to create the trails and bridges.” Weesaw Township Supervisor Gary Sommers used his skit steer to clear a path to bring in heavy telephone poles for the bridges. Today, the only remnants of the possible logging project are seen on red marks on the trees (which Hanover pointed out to the group on the late morning hike). As a result of doing the trail, Hanover said volunteers have formed a bond with one common interest: to get to know and to develop the land more. “Having the Trailblazers not only gets you the result of what you saw, it gets you to know your neighbor…We’ve had great fun doing what we’ve done so far,” he said. Now, members of the group have set their sights on a bigger goal: creating a loop trail by connecting the newly formed trail to the Mill Road Park located on Mill Road right as one is driving into town. (The Mill Road Bridge is an historic site.) The project would require funding and “much more work,” Hanover said. “We hope to build another bridge that would access it to the park itself and then eventually get a grant to complete this loop trail that we’d like to have here,” he said. Some members of the Trailblazers have joined with the township in a committee to create a Five-Year Plan to develop what the township currently has even more. The Plan, which will be submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, will help the township acquire funding for such improvements. In that respect, the trail is a harbinger of even bigger things to come. For now, though, Hanover is reveling in the present. “What we have now is a good start – and we’re proud of it,” he said. The “Gather and Stroll” event kicked off a series of “social hours” that FONT hopes to hold once a month, with the next one, “Gather, Pamper and Play,” being scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 12. For those who are interested in joining the Trailblazers, Hanover said to contact him so they can be placed “on the list.” The Friends of New Troy Community Center is located at 13372 California Road in New Troy.
