The Trail

The Trail

BY CASEY SMITH, FACILITIES AND COMPLIANCE DIRECTOR

THE TRAIL HAD ITS GRAND OPENING

on Friday, May 27. I was very proud and excited to be present for its debut. Th e Trail, a 1.5-mile-long hiking, biking, and walking trail, was my brainchild derived from a couple of years of long-range strategic planning. We knew that one of the biggest member requests for new amenities was walking and biking trails in Canadian Lakes. Th e Strategic Planning Committee along with CLPOC department heads held multiple meetings over the course of a year and a half to discuss the future outlook of Canadian Lakes, and what amenities may be needed or updated. We were able to come up with a few, smaller, more inexpensive projects, and Th e Trail was one of them.

Th e Highland Woods Park (Dog Park Area) has always been one of my favorite locations due to the terrain, wetlands, and water views. We have a lot of parks in Canadian Lakes, but this is one of the largest parks with a great central location.

I started mapping the trail out in November 2021 by walking through the woods and marking trees with paint to fi nd my way. I was able to use some existing deer and recreational vehicle trails to help create Th e Trail. After some sore muscles and many scrapes, I was able to create enough of a trail path that I could show a contractor my vision and see if it could become a reality. I was pleased to hire Dave Timmerman of Classic Lawn Services to make my vision a reality. Dave came in with a skid-steer equipped with a drum mulcher attachment and chewed through the autumn olive, downed trees, and a lot of branches. He then cleared the trail of debris and laid four inches of compacted road gravel down to form the trail bed.

In creating Th e Trail, I knew I would have to make it co-exist with ATV/UTV traffi c as there is a sand pit and mud bog area that members love to use. I was happy to fi nd a creative way to preserve those areas for use, and still place the hiking trail around those areas by using boulders and signage to keep ATV/UTVs off the actual hiking/biking trail.

I am very happy with the results of this trail system. It is challenging with hills and uneven terrain and it sure is a beautiful nature walk. If you have not had a chance to check it out, please do so. Signage is in place to guide you through Th e Trail, along with mile markers to track your progress. I am already thinking about locations for the next one, so stay tuned!

Photography by Dmity Erofeev of the Canadian Lakes Camera Club