White Pine Trail - Reed City to LeRoy, MI

Reed City Crossroads

We began our ride Wednesday morning around 10:00 am at the Reed City trailhead.  Skies were clear and the temperature this fine August morning was 69 F.

Two railroad crossings

This trailhead is located where the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad cross the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad.  Both of these rail lines have been transformed to rail trails for biking, hiking, and snowmobiling. 

Reed City Depot 

The depot provides parking, restrooms, information, and picnic tables. 

Covered bridge in Reed City

Heading north we cross the Hersey River via a covered bridge.

Newly paved trail

We chose the north route because we had not biked this section of the White Pine Trail and in the fall of 2018 this section of the trail was newly paved.  

Mile marker 307

The old railroads used mile markers similar to our highways today.  This concrete mile marker indicates that the trail is 307 miles north of a beginning point near Indianapolis.

Newer mile marker

The newer wooden mile markers indicate the miles north of Grand Rapids.

Deer on the trail

This deer had not spotted us yet.  Once it did, it was gone in a flash.

Oops!  Gravel

Fortunately one of the bikers we met in Reed City informed us that there was a 1/4 mile section left to be paved approximately half way to Leroy.  Once there, our pace went from about 9 mph to 2 mph.

Department of Natural Resources 

There aren't any legal motorized vehicles on the trail except those of the DNR.  I asked  the officer about the gravel section.  He said a culvert needed to be repaired before that section could be paved.  He spoke very kindly to us.

Aspens?

Aspens and birch have a similar look, but have noticeable differences.  Aspen bark doesn't peal.  Birch leaves are pointy with jagged edges whereas aspen leaves are more round.  I think these might be aspen.  Either way, the color in the fall would be amazing.

Tunnel under highway

This tunnel was approximately 50 yards in length.

Exit towards LeRoy

The tunnel was the highest point on our trek.  We gained a bit over 200 feet in elevation from Reed City.  Our return trip will be a much easier pedal.

Playground?

Well, there is a bike trail here.

Museum 

And a museum.

Restaurant 

And a restaurant.

Massive burger and homemade chips

These small town eateries are incredible.

Dutch apple pie, a la mode 

The burger was so big we had to split the dessert.

Friends

Some of the neatest people in this world are those you've never met, so we like to meet them.  Debbie and I noticed a couple, (wearing bike garb), entering the restaurant.  We both went to their table and introduced ourselves and for the next 20 minutes or so, we had a great conversation. We are now Facebook friends with Ken and Mary from Plano, TX. 

White Pines

Our complete trip was 26 miles, and yes, there were white pines on the trail.

Pere Marquette State Trail - Reed City to Evart (MI)

We started our day early today.  It is Saturday, June 19 and overnight temperatures were in the 50s.  Highs today are expected to be in the lower 70s by afternoon.  An ideal day for a bicycle ride into parts unknown.  After loading our tandem on the back of our car and Schooner in the back seat we headed for the Dog Star Ranch which is about a mile from us.  The ranch is maintained on approximately 48 acres and dog care is done well!  Schooner is scheduled for doggie day care and grooming today.  One pampered pup!  She is going to have a ball!  We dropped Schooner off and were on our way by 8:00am.

 

The above map shows two bicycle trails in purple.  The east/west trail is the Pere Marquette Trail and the north/south trail is the White Pine Trail.  The place where the trails intersect is Reed City and that is where we are headed.  Reed City is about 1.5 hours from our campground and the drive is picturesque.  We take back roads to reach the highway.  There are many farms and fields along the way.  We are in an Amish community and signs along the way warn drivers to be alert to horse-drawn carriages on the road.  We see two.  One "driven" by a man and another was driven by a woman.  Both adults were dressed in traditional attire.  Not something we see everyday. 

We always enjoy riding Rail-Trails.  These paths were once used by trains.  Many states have converted the no-longer-used tracks to paved bicycle trails.  They normally will not have more than a 3% grade.  That is the part that I really like.  The Pere Marquette trail is a 56-mile east/west trail on the former CSX Railroad line.  It runs from Baldwin to Clare, MI.  The White Pine Trail is along the former Penn Central Railroad.  Reed City is a crossroads of the two tracks.  There is a staging area at the Reed City Depot for us to park and begin our ride.

We began our ride at 10:00 am under clear skies and a chilly 61 degrees.  Our destination is Evart, MI.  The trail is asphalt and well maintained as are most trails in Michigan.  Along the route we observe a number of farms with long perfectly parallel rows of crops growing.  Some cattle are out enjoying the sun as well.
 The pic below shows mounds of gravel, dirt, and sand.  Beside the mounds are huge holes in the ground.  Evidently trucks come here for loads of dirt/sand to distribute around the state.

Around 11:30 am we made our way into the community of Evart, MI.  (Pronounced ev-art)  Evart has a population, as of 2013, of 1,890.  Michigan highway 10 runs through the middle of town.  Above left is a picture of the depot and the old rail switch.  We asked a local where we might find a good lunch and he recommended the Lamplighter Cafe.  (pic above on the right)  After a leisurely lunch we are energized and ready for the return trip of 14 miles.  It is now 12:30 and 63 degrees.  We both agreed that the day could not be more perfect.

On our way back to Reed City we took advantage of a scenic pull over to take a break and view the Muskegon River.  In this selfie the Muskegon River is in the background.  

On the right is the Muskegon River without bicyclists in the pic.

 The above pic gives an idea of how pretty the day and how well maintained the trail is.

Along the trail and near Hersey is an interesting building.  Above the door it says "The Get Away".  It is not listed as a bed and breakfast.  It appears the owners just wanted to name their home.

Pictured on the left is the Hersey River.  We stopped on the wood bridge to take pics when another rider came by.  We were thrilled when he stopped to visit with us.

Pictured below is Chris visiting with "Gordie Payne, the biggest pain in Hersey," he said.  Hersey (population 344 in 2013) is a little community just off our trail.  Our map shows our trail passes through Hersey, but if it does, I didn't see it.  Like I said, it is a small community.  Among several topics, Chris and Gordie discussed fishing here in Michigan.  Imagine that!

Chris and Gordie visit on the Hersey River bridge

 Just before 2:00 pm we are completing our 28 mile ride.  The sign below is on the trail just as we enter Reed City.  We don't have these signs in Oklahoma.

Such a beautiful entrance into the Reed City staging area.  Our ride is now complete.  I checked the weather app to confirm my suspicions that the weather was still perfect.  It was 67 degrees, sunny, light wind, and deep blue clear skies.  Indeed, the weather was still perfect!