Trails

[patrickH]

We visit BI every year and enjoy all the things the island has to offer. In recent years we've noticed the condition of the trails (Buffalo Camp and Blue Trail specifically) to be severely degraded. It appears that there are some attempts to maintain the trails (clearing dead falls, brush, building bridges, etc.) but 1 mile into the Blue Trail from the Bill Wagner Campground and you hit a solid wall of vegitation and are forced to turn around.

Is there a way visitors like myself can help maintain the trails? I've have experience in trail planning and sustainability and I'd be more than happy to help out. I'm sure there are others out there that would be willing to do the same on an annual or semi-annual basis at the very least.

[Tuneman]

Your comment is well taken. And yes the trails are attempted to be maintained but it is evidently too much to handle for the trails committee seeing that there are so many miles of trails, which is an awful lot for only 4 to 5 trails committee members to take care of on a volunteer basis.
If NOT just the trail walkers and bikers were allowed to use the trails, the atv's and the side-by users were also allowed to use these trails then maybe more of these types of people would be inclined to help keep the trails cleared of downfalls. We are side-by users and would be more than happy to take our power saw with us when we travel these trails and help keep these trails cleared.
And even though there are state regulations governing the trails, it is maybe time to change these rules over to include everyone that could use the trails because of the islands uniqueness and there is only so much room on this island, and we can't afford to make trails for bikers, walkers, atv'ers all separate. We need to combine the resources so everyone can enjoy the great outdoors. That includes the very young and the very old. We have been to other states that DO COMBINE all of these activities on the same trails, with no apparent problems. It would bring more revenue to this island if people could bring their atv's, utv's
and know that there are trails that they are welcome to use. Drummond Island is a Great Example! People go there to ride there machines because of it's uniqueness and we could have that same benefit here.

Mike & Sharon

[Tuneman]

Why hasn't anybody responded to this forum topic??? If you love to go Atv'ing and would like to come to this island to check out some of the islands trails then maybe you should respond. We don't have as yet regular Atv trails, but if this is what people like to do then we should speak up so we can get some trails opened for Atv'ing or the use of Side-bys on these trails. At least the 2 track trails can be opened up for the atv'ing people that like to do this sort of thing.
More response is needed to get some of these 2 track trails opened up for use, especially down the center of the island from Hanagan's rd on down to the southern tip of the island. And maybe even more trails opened up that the atv'ing community can use.
If there were trails opened up to Atv's then maybe there wouldn't be so much property damage on the sand dunes if we had trails opened up for our use.
Please Consider responding if this is something that you would like to see on this island for recreation. If there were Atv trails more and more people could bring their quads or side-bys or other recreation vehicles and be able to use these trails and more people would bring in more revenue for this island.
And if trails were opened up to atv's then the people that come here would know where they can ride instead of saying where am I going to ride? Oh, I guess I'll ride up and down the sand dunes or beach or wherever! There is a lot of this going on and this makes it hard feelings for people that obey the law and would like to see some trails opened up for their use.

Thanks
Mike & Sharon.

[patrickH]

Thanks for your input Mike & Sharon. My personal interest for trail use is mountain biking. I don't own or ride ATV's so I don't know what is needed to develop and maintain ATV trails. My thought was, with a little more work, the existing trails could facilitate mountain bike use. I don't understand why some of these trails are off limits to bikes though. There isn't enough foot traffic on them to prevent the trails from becoming over grown. I get a feeling there is a bias against any mechanized use of the trails. One example is an artical in the July '13 Beaver Beacon were the author stated how pleased they were because non of the cyclist (participating in the BI Bike Festival) fouled the woods. I never considered bike tire tracks in the dirt foul. It sounds obserd. It has been proven that a person walking on flat ground disrupts the soil more than a rolling bike tire. I also never realized that the Kuebler Trail was closed to bike traffic. I've taken my nephews on several rides over the last 4-5 years on the Kuebler Trail. It was one of the highlites of their vacations and one of their fondest memories of BI. I know there is a lot of interest in trail use on the island but it doesn't seem this forum is reaching any of them.

[tkludt]

Iâ??ve visited Drummond Island and in my opinion, the ORV trails have left a scarred and ugly landscape. Itâ??s also plagued the DNR with land use issues In mushroom hunting there it was hard for us to find any place that wasnâ??t laced with rutted rough trails. On the other hand, quick and inexpensive ferry rides led that island to a commerce model that in my mind sacrificed itâ??s wilderness for some community business associated with off road races, trail rides and jeep jamborees. Cheap and fast transportation to that island was probably key.
Iâ??ve been a four wheeler rider and off road hunter for years in several states. Two or three trips down any given path or trail normally leaves a fairly permanent scar. For full scale off road trucks and such, itâ??s dramatically worse. Some states (NC http://sfwda.org/uwharrie-national-forest-trails/ )
deal with this issue by designating whole state parks that are dedicated to the ORV folks. I think Michigan has its fair share of authorized trails that should fill the need and think that the Beaver Island wildness has a much greater value than a few folks riding ORVs through our forests.
Tom Kludt

[kateg]

I wanted to comment on this matter because my husband and I purchased land many years ago that backs up to woods and fields (downstate). The fields were wonderful for walking, picking blackberries, etc. However, within about a year and people running their 4 wheelers, the field is no longer usable. The tracks are almost a foot deep and when it rains, they fill up with water. It becomes a muddy mess. In fact, it is such a mess that the ATV's don't even come anymore. So from my experience, I firmly believe that walking and biking trails cannot be shared with ATV's or other motorized vehicles.

[jbeal]

Hello all, We are coming over Labor Day to backpack the island. I worked three summers out at the lighthouse school as a school internship for a counseling degree back in the late 80's and early 90. I was wondering if the blue trail is clear enough for backpacking from the south end to St. James or other trails? I and a friend witha couple of our kids are flying in on Suaturday and will be backpacking the island and visiting my old haunt at the lighthouse and then boating out on Monday. Just wondering if this is able to be traveled at this time. also would like to know what a volunteer can do to help assist the trail committee. My friend and I with children and other backpacking friends may be interested in cordinating some help in the future maybe to help clear or maintain trails once a year or maybe a couple of weekends each year to give back to Beaver Island as I had such fond memories up there for my three summers and have become very much interested in backpacking of late. I helped do some initial trail work long ago I think while out there one summer.
I look forward to your response.
Jon

[Trish Scott]

The blue trail was passable to at least Lake G recently. Have a great time!