Black-Eyed Susan along the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

Black-Eyed Susan along the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Invasive species removal along the Pumpkinvine

Pictured at an Aug. 9, 2022, work party are Sarah 

Baxter, Trenton Snyder, Randy Snyder, Al Spice,

John J. Smith, Christine Guth.

 A small group (2-6) volunteers have been removing invasive plants at selected sections of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail since 2020.  All the volunteers learned a lot about botany by working together; we have a good time working together, no matter how much botany we knew when we started.  So far, we have focused on removing invasive plants in the best-preserved wooded areas along the trail, especially just west of the parking lot at County Road 33 and just east of the County Road 43 parking lot. We remove multiflora rose, bush honeysuckle, oriental bittersweet, garlic mustard and other non-native plants that can overtake native plants. We work from the edge of the surfaced trail to the fence lines that separate the trail from neighboring land.  After three years of working two hours per week from April through October, we can notice a big difference at the fence lines: on the trail side of the fence, there are many fewer invasive plants than in the adjoining woods on the opposite side, and growing populations of a wide diversity of native trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous ground cover. 



Sunday, August 8, 2021

The cooling effect of trees along the Pumpkinvine is real and measurable

 Many times as I've ridden the Pumpkinvine in the heat of summer, I've noticed how much cooler it feels when I'm in the tree-lined sections compared to the open areas. It felt so much cooler that I've speculated the temperature had dropped 10 degrees in the shaded sections. But that was just a guess.

Well, Sunday, Aug. 8,  I realized that I had a way of testing that hypothesis through the temperature reading on my GPS, a GPS that I've had for two years, but that I never thought to consult about this issue. 

My first insight came when I realized that I could read and remember the temperature on the GPS display as I rode along. Shortly after mentally recording two or three-degree changes in the temperature, I realized that there's a much simpler way to get that data, i.e., the chart that the GPS uploads to the website, www.RidewithGPS.com. The GPS has been collecting this data for two years, but I never thought to consult it.

Here's what I learned about the difference in temperature on today's ride. (You can see the ride here: Ride of Aug. 8, 2021 Click on the temperature icon at the bottom of the map, then have your cursor hover over the graph to see the temperature and the corresponding location on the map.)

My ride Sunday was from home to Abshire Park to Dips on the Vine in Middlebury. As I approached the trailhead at Abshire Park, the temperature was 88 degrees. (I was approaching on State Road 4.) By the time I reached CR 127, having traveled that 2.25 miles in the shade on packed limestone, the temperature had dropped to 79 degrees --- nine degrees lower. As soon as I got into the open area along CR 26, the temperature went back to 88 degrees. In the half-mile west of CR 33, the temperature dropped to 81. East of CR 35, the temperature was 82 degrees. Then it climbed to 86 degrees in Middlebury.

In summary, the temperature dropped the most in the limestone surfaced, longest wooded area between SR 4 and CR 127 (nine degrees) It dropped six degrees in the shorter, asphalt-coated areas. 

It happened to be a sunny day, and I'm sure changes in the cloud cover at various times made a difference, too. But I have to conclude that the canopy of trees that line the Pumpkinvine really do offer riders cool relief from the summer sun. 

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

The difference a trail makes: the area south of the bridge over the Little Elkhart River

 Every time I ride the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail over the trestle bridge spanning the Little Elkhart River in Middlebury, I'm reminded of how bad the area south of the bridge looked before it was turned into the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. I remember it as something like a dump, and I'm amazed to see how much better it looks today with the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail on the east side and Krider World's Fair Garden on the west. They make an inviting and pleasing place to visit or ride through. 

I've mentioned the transformation of the area south of the bridge to many of my riding companions over the years, but when I looked for a photo of the area to prove my point, I couldn't find any in my Pumpkinvine picture collection.

Then today while scanning some old Pumpkinvine slides, I found one from 1989 that shows the area. The slide is indexed as "Looking south from Middlebury bridge." You can also identify the area from two details in the photo. On the near left you see the railing of the bridge, and on the right is the windmill in Krider Garden. The area doesn't look as junk-filled as I remember it, but keep in mind that it was another six years before the Pumpkinvine was built in this area, so it could have gotten worse in that time. 

It is also important to note that this view of Krider World's Fair Garden is prior to its renovation. It was not in good shape in 1989. Together the new Garden and Pumpkinvine result in a striking transformation of this Middlebury area.


 

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

FAQs about the new Pumpkinvine section between CR 33 and CR 20


Q: Is this section finished?

A: No, it is rideable, but not finished. Additions will include privacy fencing near the overpass and at CR 33, a donor- recognition area, a second entrance-exit to County Road 20 and signage.

Q: Why is there a curb along part of the trail just north of the overpass?
A: The curb is designed to keep gravel from the lane just south of the trail from coming onto the asphalt trail. This lane gives the landowners access to the land they own south of the trail.

Q: Why is there an overpass in this section?
A: The overpass is the result of negotiations between the Friends of the Pumpkinvine, Elkhart County Parks and the adjacent landowners who had land and buildings on both sides of the trail. The Friends and Elkhart County Parks did not want the trail to leave the old Pumpkinvine corridor in this area because it would have put the trail into wetlands. But the landowners were reluctant to divide their property with the trail.  The Friends of the Pumpkinvine and Elkhart County Parks promised an overpass if the landowners permitted the trail to stay on the old Pumpkinvine corridor and avoid the wetlands in this section.

Q: Why are there concrete sections on the trail?
A: One concrete section along County Road 20 is for a driveway and a possible future driveway. The others represent easements that allow the landowner with land on both sides of the corridor to cross the corridor with heavy equipment now or in the future. These concrete easements are consistent with other easements along the Pumpkinvine.

Q: Who built the overpass?
A: Custom Manufacturing, Clinton, Wisconsin.

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Walkers benefit from the new trail section, too

A note from Friends of the Pumpkinvine board member Vivian Schmucker, our most faithful walker and advocate, about her first walk on the new section of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between CR 33 and CR 20 reminded me that this new section will be a welcome addition to the trail for walkers as much as it is for bikers.

Even before it was officially open, I saw area residents walking down the trail enjoying its beauty and safety.  But Vivian walks with a greater purpose: she is training. She participates in the Maple City Walk's marathon walk in the fall that uses the Pumpkinvine as it's main venue, and in the past, walkers needed to use county roads for 3.4 miles (1.7 miles each way) of the 26.2-mile marathon course. Now the new section of the trail has eliminated two miles of that on-road route, making for a much safer walk.

Comment from Vivian:  "Since the distance between CR 33 and CR 35 by county roads is 1.7 miles, the marathoners previously had to walk 3.4 miles on the county roads for the round trip to Middlebury. Now that the new section of the trail is open, the marathoners will only have to walk .7 miles on county roads between CR 20 and CR 35 for a total of 1.4 miles for the round trip."  

Those of us who are primarily cyclists have a tendency to forget that walkers make up over 40 percent of trail users and that a new section of trail that takes walkers off the county roads improves their safety significantly, too.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

The Indiana legislature passed two laws, effective July 1, 2019, that impact cyclists in Indiana.


The first is a three-foot passing law that says when a motorist is overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction, the motorist must “allow at least three (3) feet of clearance between their vehicle and the bicycle and not return the vehicle to the vehicle's original lane of travel until the vehicle is safely clear of the bicycle.” A vehicle may pass a bicycle or electric bicycle in a no passing zone if it is safe to do so, complying with current law.”
The second law creates three classes of E bikes. The Pumpkinvine Advisory Committee made up of the four agencies that managing the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail will be discussing how this law applies to the Pumpkinvine at its July meeting.
Class 1 electric bicycle means an electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the operator is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance to the operator when the electric bicycle reaches a speed of twenty (20) miles per hour.
Class 2 electric bicycle means an electric bicycle equipped with an electric motor that may be used exclusively to propel the electric bicycle and ceases or is unable to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of twenty (20) miler per hour
Class 3 electric bicycle means an electric bicycle equipment with an electric motor that provides assistance only when the operator is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance once the electric bicycle reaches a speed of twenty-eight (28) miles per hour.
The operator of an electric bicycle has all the rights and responsibilities as the rider of a non-electric bicycle.
Unless specifically stated by statute, ordinance, etc. Class 1 and 2 electric bicycles may be operated on any bicycle path or multi -purpose path where bicycles are permitted.
A class 3 electric bicycle might not be permitted on bicycle paths or multi use paths and the operator should look toward local ordinances for guidance. (Most trail managing agencies prohibit class 3 electric bicycles.)
A person less than 15 years of age may not operate a class 3 bicycle. A person less than 15 years may ride as a passenger if the bicycle accommodates more than one rider. Anyone who rides or operates a class 3 bicycle that is less than 18 years of age must wear an approved helmet.


Thursday, June 13, 2019

A smooth ride -- thanks to Bob Carrico

In two day, June 15, 2019, a thousand riders will participate in the 20th Pumpkinvine Bike Ride. They will enjoy seeing the new colts in the fields, the beauty of the Indiana countryside and at some point in their ride, experience the shade and off-road safety of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. As they ride the Pumpkinvine, what they may overlook, is the work done to patch the cracks in the trail by Bob Carrico and his crew that results in a far smoother ride than would be the case if they hit a crack multiple time every mile.

Parts of the Pumpkinvine's asphalt surface are now 20 years old, with the majority of the asphalt being 10 years old. In that time, freezing and thawing have created cracks in the surface of the asphalt that give bike riders a jolt. (The bumps caused by tree roots going under the trail are another issue.) Filling these cracks in a way that makes them smooth is labor intensive, and the local park departments that manage the trail do not have the staff to fill them.

Enter Bob Carrico, the Trail Operations Manager for the Friends of the Pumpkinvine. He has devised a system for filling the cracks that is so good most riders will never know they just passed over a filled crack. In the past month, Bob and his crew have filled every crack in the 16.5 miles of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail from Abshire Park in Goshen to County Road 850W in Shipshewana.

Every time I ride the Pumpkinvine I'm aware of this difference this crack sealing makes, i.e., how smooth they are. Unlike the patches I encounter on the road, which more often than not, substitute create a bump up where there was a bump down, Bob's patches are smooth, the work of a cyclist who knows how much cyclists dislike bumps that are even a quarter inch high. This kind of patching takes time and patience, something Bob's crew has in abundance.

So, anyone who rides the Pumpkinvine Bike Ride this weekend or locals who ride it year round, when you encounter a sealed crack, remember the effort and attention to detail that went into making your ride a lot smoother because of the dedication and skill of Bob Carrico.