Hike, bike, and enjoy a sweet treat with first-ever Pedals to Pines event

The end of summer/beginning of fall is a great time to see the start of changing colors and falling leaves. What better way to enjoy the outdoors amidst the season change than to hike, bike, and enjoy a little sweet treat at the end of it all? Midland community residents have a chance to do just that on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 2 to 5 p.m. The event, Pedal to Pines, is hosted by Little Forks Conservancy, Friends of the Pere-Marquette Rail Trail, and Cottage Creamery. 

Pedal to Pines is a casual 4-5 mile bike ride from Emerson Park to Little Forks Conservancy’s Forestview Natural Area, followed by a 1.3 mile trail hike and a 1.8 mile bike ride to Cottage Creamery. At the end, participants can enjoy a free small ice cream cone. 

Lily Kelsey is the conservation outreach coordinator at Little Forks Conservancy. The organization works to improve and protect natural environments, vital habitats, and waterways across Mid-Michigan. Since 1996, Little Forks Conservancy has protected over 4,000 acres of land, 26 miles of waterways, and 10 miles of trails. 

Kelsey says the event’s goal is to help get people outdoors to experience Midland through a nature lens. 

“What we really want to do is help people experience Midland through a different view, and it’s also going to be a good starting point to talk about conversations on bike safety, and how we can make our roads and city more bikeable and walkable,” Kelsey says. “I think this event will bring together a lot of like-minded people who care about the outdoors, conserving, protecting, and enjoying it.”

Kelsey says the Pedals to Pines event route goes through Forest View, which includes many different ecosystems. All levels of hikers and bikers are welcome, including beginners. The recommended age is 10 and up. Registration is free and available online up until the event. 

“It’s also kind of hidden away, not a lot of people know about it, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce people to a new nature preserve they might not have hiked before,” she says. 

Although onlookers might associate Midland as a community with industrial assets such as Dow Chemicals, Kelsey, originally from Flint, now knows there is much more to the community than that. Before relocating here, she didn’t know a lot about Midland, referring to it as “kind of in the middle of nowhere.” 

“Since moving here, I realized that was a really wrong assumption, because there are so many great resources that are overlooked,” she says. “The Tridge is downtown, and also the convergence of the Chippewa and Tittabawassee meeting, plus there are so many other river systems that feed into that. There are so many great outdoor recreational opportunities — us, the Chippewa Nature Center, Dow Gardens, and the Rail Trail allow people to see protected lands native to Michigan.”

Kelsey also appreciates the sheer amount of people and organizations doing work when it comes to conservancy and natural resources. One of those partners is Mark Maxwell, president of The Friends of the Pere-Marquette Rail Trail, who came up with the Pedals to Pines event. 

The Friends of the Pere-Marquette Rail Trail was formed over 30 years ago, with two missions: to create awareness, promote and highlight the benefits of the Rail Trail, and to fundraise, allowing support for continued upgrades and maintenance of the trail.

“The Pere-Marquette Rail Trail, much like many rail trails throughout the country, is typically described as a linear park. It’s a public open free space that exists for people to get out, enjoy the outdoors, spend time in nature, get exercise, and to enjoy the community,” Maxwell says. 

“This rail trail was designed to utilize existing space that already existed in the various communities it went through,” Maxwell continues. “It was created over the top of an old abandoned railway that was discontinued many years ago. Instead of letting this valuable piece of land go to waste, a group of people 30 years ago envisioned that we convert this space into a really great usable outdoor asset in the community.”

Maxwell considers The Rail Trail as one of Midland’s “hidden gems,” offering a unique sense of safety.

“On a given day, you’ll see people biking, walking, hiking, rollerblading, families pushing strollers, and people of all ages spending time outside,” he says. “The beauty of a rail trail is that it is controlled, from an access standpoint, to only non-motorized vehicles. So for those that aren’t comfortable with walking, riding bikes, or exercising on public access roads without sidewalks, the rail trail really provides that safe place to spend time.”

The Pere-Marquette Rail Trail is over 30 miles of paved asphalt, running from Midland to Clare. While some trails are grassy or consist of crushed limestone, the paved routes of this trail make it accessible to all types of activities, says Maxwell.

He’s excited to host the upcoming Pedals to Pines event, in partnership with Little Forks, as an ally of two organizations founded on the purpose of getting people outside and preserving nature.

“It really was the culmination of discussions, just kind of a marriage between two local organizations who have a very common purpose — preserving this beautiful space in which we live, but also converting that into space people can still enjoy,” Maxwell says. 

The bike ride begins at Emerson Park, where attendees will meet at Pavilion Shelter D. The entrance to Emerson Parkpark is at W. Main Street and Orchard Drive.