Pioneer ATV Trail
Pioneer Trail Ribbon Cutting:
Held on Saturday June 30th 2007.
What started in 1991, will see another major step this Saturday. That is the official ribbon cutting of the Pioneer Trail. This is the ATV trail that runs from east of Bergland to Rockland.
It was TRALE-UP and its founder, Jim Firkus, that began the plans for the trail in 1991. Firkus was able to get help in building the trail from the Michigan National Guard, US Army Reserve, USFS, Michigan DNR, and numerous local individuals and business's.
The trail was a road training excercise for the Guard and Reserve and it meant hundreds of hours in layout, engineering studies, and permits. Dozens of culverts were installed to maintain a high degree of enviornmental protection. Especially since the trail was built in an area that the Ottawa National Forest had designated as 'Semi-Primitive.'
The Pioneer Trail serves as a connecting link between the Bergland to Sidnaw State Forest Road, and Rockland. When TRALE-UP disbanded, Mi-TRALE was formed and took over the completion of the Pioneer Trail. Completion that took hundreds of man-hours.
In 2001, Mi-TRALE began working on getting Trail Agreements from the Private landowners that the Pioneer Trail went over from Bergland to Rockland. It was those Private Landowners that gave permission for this Multi-Use club to take the Pioneer Trail to the next step.
The next step was working with the Ottawa National Forest in making sure the trail continued on its earlier mission of maintaining Enviornmental Protection and the safety of the ATV Riders that would use the trail. It was this cooperative effort between the Ottawa National Forest and Mi-TRALE that kept the process of gettign the Pioneer Trail ready for this Saturday's 'ribbon-cutting.'
One problem area on the trail was bridge construction and gate erection. A bridge needed to be constructed over Trestle Creek. Through the cooperation of the Lake Gogebic Snowmobile Club and the Michigan DNR, that bridge was constructed. Then it was through the private funding of Mi-TRALE that steel gates were built and purchased. These gates would take the place of the original wooden gates that TRALE-UP had built.
"It is important for different user groups to work together," commented Mi-TRALE President Skip Schulz. " From the beginning in 1991 to this Saturday, this trail has been the culmination of many groups and people coming together. From the Guard and Reserve to the Superior Snowmobile Club to those in the Public Service sector, everyone has been fantastic!" added Schulz.
The wooden gates were illegally destroyed. The gates were in the original plans as a way to maintain that this trail would be used solely by ATV riders and snowmobilers. With the Ottawa National Forest having over a thousand miles of roads that hunters and street legal vehicles to use, the 20 miles Pioneer Trail was to be one of the few connecting trails that ATV's could enjoy.
Mi-TRALE then began working on making the Pioneer Trail as a connector trail to the Bill Nichols Multi-Use Trail. The south end of the Bill Nichols trail begins at the Ontonagon County Fairgrounds in Greenland. Mi-TRALE was successful once again in working with Private Landowners and Ontonagon County in opening up the Caledonia Road to ATV's.
The Caledonia Road connects Rockland to Greenland. Then in Greenland ATV Riders can use the Ridge Road and head North to a trail that goes to the Bill Nichols trail. It was with the permission and cooperation of landowners on the land between the Ridge Road and the fairgrounds that provides ATV Riders with the final 'connecting' trail to the Bill Nichols trail.
With the succesful passage of Michigan House Bill 4323, and the legal use of limited stretches of County Maintained Local Roads, Mi-TRALE is building a connecting ATV Trail System that would be one of the longest in the United States. An ATV Rider right now can go from Northeastern Wisconsin, connect to the Mi-TRALE maintained Multi-Use trail from Iron River to Marenesco. That route would then use the Stagecoach Road on the south eastern Side of Lake Gogebic and the East Shore Road. From the East Shore road an ATV Rider would then use the abandoned grade east of Bergland to connect to the south end starting point of the Pioneer Trail.
With the opening of the Pioneer Trail and the connecting trails to the Bill Nichols trail, an ATV Rider could continue north all the way to Houghton.
"This connecting trail system will become a major draw for ATV Riders all over the Midwest, and eventually the nation," commented Schulz. "The tourism economic benefits will be into the hundreds of thousands of dollars," added Schulz.
Mi-TRALE understands that numerous individuals were instrumental in working with TRALE-UP in the original building of the Pioneer Trail. Due to its limited manpower of volunteers Mi-TRALE was not able to get in contact with the hundreds of people that played an instrumental role in the early construction of the Pioneer Trail.
Mi-TRALE is hoping that all those that did help in the early construction of the trail, or those that know some of the following people, can please get the word out as to this Saturday's official ribbon cutting of the Pioneer Trail. Following is a list of people that Mi-TRALE hopes will attend;
Any and ALL those in the National Guard and US Army Reserve that were a part of the construction of the trail. The help from the RL Ryerson Company and other corporations. The Private landowners such as Penegor Lumber, Mead/Westvaco, International Paper, (and I apologize to the other landowners that have given us a Trail Agreement).
Numerous Private individuals also played an important part. Such as John Juntinen, Don Buissere, Former Senator Don Koivisto, Gary Gustafson, Marshall Hirvala, Don Olson, Jerry Kitzman, Bill Cook Jr., "Cupcake," Jack Shillman, Mike Razmus, Tony Domitrovich, Paul Tesonavich, Dean Juntinen, Dennis Johnson, Richard Krupps, Mike Sabo, and Shawn Hagen.
Numerous individuals with the Michigan DNR played an instrumental role in this Saturday's opening of the Pioneer Trail. That includes Ron Yesney, Wayne Wheeler, Carrie Gustafson, Mike Peluto, John Gaffney, Duane St. Ours, and Ann Wilson.
If it wasn't for the cooperation of the Ottawa National Forest, the Pioneer Trail would have only been a 'dream' of Jim Firkus, TRALE-UP, and Mi-TRALE. Some of the many people that played an important part in the Pioneer Trail from the Ottawa National Forest included Dave Martin, Don Palmer, Randy St. Charles, Butch Fitzpatrick, Dan Torrence, Jeff Mell, Darla Lenz, and Dawn Buss-Glodowski.
Lenz and Glodowski will be speaking at Saturday's Ribbon Cutting, along with Yesney and State Representative Mike Lahti. Mi-TRALE has invited State Senator Mike Prusi and representives from both the Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ontonagon County Chamber of Commerce to speak at the ribbon cutting. Mi-TRALE hopes that a representative from the Michigan Natural Resources Commission and the Media will be in attendance.
The Ribbon Cutting will take place at the ATV Parking lot located where the Pioneer Trail crosses the Norwich Road in Ontonagon County. That parking lot is 12 miles south of the Nowich Road/ M-64 Intersection, west of Ontonagon. The parking lot is also located 10 miles north of the Norwich Road/M-28 Intersection, west of Ewen.
The Ribbon Cutting will begin at 10:00 AM Eastern Time this Saturday. Following the speakers, Mi-TRALE members will be taking people for an ATV Ride to the start of the Bill Nichols Trail.
Mi-TRALE is asking that you help celebrate what took over 15 years to happen! The official opening of the Pioneer Trail. Mi-TRALE will also have trail maps and memberships available during the ribbon cutting.
Article Reference and for more information, please visit:
MI-TRALE
Held on Saturday June 30th 2007.
What started in 1991, will see another major step this Saturday. That is the official ribbon cutting of the Pioneer Trail. This is the ATV trail that runs from east of Bergland to Rockland.
It was TRALE-UP and its founder, Jim Firkus, that began the plans for the trail in 1991. Firkus was able to get help in building the trail from the Michigan National Guard, US Army Reserve, USFS, Michigan DNR, and numerous local individuals and business's.
The trail was a road training excercise for the Guard and Reserve and it meant hundreds of hours in layout, engineering studies, and permits. Dozens of culverts were installed to maintain a high degree of enviornmental protection. Especially since the trail was built in an area that the Ottawa National Forest had designated as 'Semi-Primitive.'
The Pioneer Trail serves as a connecting link between the Bergland to Sidnaw State Forest Road, and Rockland. When TRALE-UP disbanded, Mi-TRALE was formed and took over the completion of the Pioneer Trail. Completion that took hundreds of man-hours.
In 2001, Mi-TRALE began working on getting Trail Agreements from the Private landowners that the Pioneer Trail went over from Bergland to Rockland. It was those Private Landowners that gave permission for this Multi-Use club to take the Pioneer Trail to the next step.
The next step was working with the Ottawa National Forest in making sure the trail continued on its earlier mission of maintaining Enviornmental Protection and the safety of the ATV Riders that would use the trail. It was this cooperative effort between the Ottawa National Forest and Mi-TRALE that kept the process of gettign the Pioneer Trail ready for this Saturday's 'ribbon-cutting.'
One problem area on the trail was bridge construction and gate erection. A bridge needed to be constructed over Trestle Creek. Through the cooperation of the Lake Gogebic Snowmobile Club and the Michigan DNR, that bridge was constructed. Then it was through the private funding of Mi-TRALE that steel gates were built and purchased. These gates would take the place of the original wooden gates that TRALE-UP had built.
"It is important for different user groups to work together," commented Mi-TRALE President Skip Schulz. " From the beginning in 1991 to this Saturday, this trail has been the culmination of many groups and people coming together. From the Guard and Reserve to the Superior Snowmobile Club to those in the Public Service sector, everyone has been fantastic!" added Schulz.
The wooden gates were illegally destroyed. The gates were in the original plans as a way to maintain that this trail would be used solely by ATV riders and snowmobilers. With the Ottawa National Forest having over a thousand miles of roads that hunters and street legal vehicles to use, the 20 miles Pioneer Trail was to be one of the few connecting trails that ATV's could enjoy.
Mi-TRALE then began working on making the Pioneer Trail as a connector trail to the Bill Nichols Multi-Use Trail. The south end of the Bill Nichols trail begins at the Ontonagon County Fairgrounds in Greenland. Mi-TRALE was successful once again in working with Private Landowners and Ontonagon County in opening up the Caledonia Road to ATV's.
The Caledonia Road connects Rockland to Greenland. Then in Greenland ATV Riders can use the Ridge Road and head North to a trail that goes to the Bill Nichols trail. It was with the permission and cooperation of landowners on the land between the Ridge Road and the fairgrounds that provides ATV Riders with the final 'connecting' trail to the Bill Nichols trail.
With the succesful passage of Michigan House Bill 4323, and the legal use of limited stretches of County Maintained Local Roads, Mi-TRALE is building a connecting ATV Trail System that would be one of the longest in the United States. An ATV Rider right now can go from Northeastern Wisconsin, connect to the Mi-TRALE maintained Multi-Use trail from Iron River to Marenesco. That route would then use the Stagecoach Road on the south eastern Side of Lake Gogebic and the East Shore Road. From the East Shore road an ATV Rider would then use the abandoned grade east of Bergland to connect to the south end starting point of the Pioneer Trail.
With the opening of the Pioneer Trail and the connecting trails to the Bill Nichols trail, an ATV Rider could continue north all the way to Houghton.
"This connecting trail system will become a major draw for ATV Riders all over the Midwest, and eventually the nation," commented Schulz. "The tourism economic benefits will be into the hundreds of thousands of dollars," added Schulz.
Mi-TRALE understands that numerous individuals were instrumental in working with TRALE-UP in the original building of the Pioneer Trail. Due to its limited manpower of volunteers Mi-TRALE was not able to get in contact with the hundreds of people that played an instrumental role in the early construction of the Pioneer Trail.
Mi-TRALE is hoping that all those that did help in the early construction of the trail, or those that know some of the following people, can please get the word out as to this Saturday's official ribbon cutting of the Pioneer Trail. Following is a list of people that Mi-TRALE hopes will attend;
Any and ALL those in the National Guard and US Army Reserve that were a part of the construction of the trail. The help from the RL Ryerson Company and other corporations. The Private landowners such as Penegor Lumber, Mead/Westvaco, International Paper, (and I apologize to the other landowners that have given us a Trail Agreement).
Numerous Private individuals also played an important part. Such as John Juntinen, Don Buissere, Former Senator Don Koivisto, Gary Gustafson, Marshall Hirvala, Don Olson, Jerry Kitzman, Bill Cook Jr., "Cupcake," Jack Shillman, Mike Razmus, Tony Domitrovich, Paul Tesonavich, Dean Juntinen, Dennis Johnson, Richard Krupps, Mike Sabo, and Shawn Hagen.
Numerous individuals with the Michigan DNR played an instrumental role in this Saturday's opening of the Pioneer Trail. That includes Ron Yesney, Wayne Wheeler, Carrie Gustafson, Mike Peluto, John Gaffney, Duane St. Ours, and Ann Wilson.
If it wasn't for the cooperation of the Ottawa National Forest, the Pioneer Trail would have only been a 'dream' of Jim Firkus, TRALE-UP, and Mi-TRALE. Some of the many people that played an important part in the Pioneer Trail from the Ottawa National Forest included Dave Martin, Don Palmer, Randy St. Charles, Butch Fitzpatrick, Dan Torrence, Jeff Mell, Darla Lenz, and Dawn Buss-Glodowski.
Lenz and Glodowski will be speaking at Saturday's Ribbon Cutting, along with Yesney and State Representative Mike Lahti. Mi-TRALE has invited State Senator Mike Prusi and representives from both the Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ontonagon County Chamber of Commerce to speak at the ribbon cutting. Mi-TRALE hopes that a representative from the Michigan Natural Resources Commission and the Media will be in attendance.
The Ribbon Cutting will take place at the ATV Parking lot located where the Pioneer Trail crosses the Norwich Road in Ontonagon County. That parking lot is 12 miles south of the Nowich Road/ M-64 Intersection, west of Ontonagon. The parking lot is also located 10 miles north of the Norwich Road/M-28 Intersection, west of Ewen.
The Ribbon Cutting will begin at 10:00 AM Eastern Time this Saturday. Following the speakers, Mi-TRALE members will be taking people for an ATV Ride to the start of the Bill Nichols Trail.
Mi-TRALE is asking that you help celebrate what took over 15 years to happen! The official opening of the Pioneer Trail. Mi-TRALE will also have trail maps and memberships available during the ribbon cutting.
Article Reference and for more information, please visit:
MI-TRALE
