Pumpkinvine Work Party, Oct. 8

When:  Saturday, October 8, 2011, 8:30 am

What:  The wooden-trestle bridge 500 feet east of County Road 43 was renovated in 2009. A temporary deck was installed to circumvent damage during trail construction. The work party will remove the temporary deck and install a new one with side rails.

Elkhart County Parks will provide the lumber, bolts, screws, an electric generator, saw and other equipment.

Participation:  If you plan to help, please notify me at rjcarrico1@frontier.com. 

What to bring:  Below is a list of equipment we will need. Bring the equipment you have on hand:

1. Gloves, tape measure, pencil to mark boards
2. Hammer and wrecking bar.
3. Electric drill (we will have a generator but cordless drills will be useful too). Driver bits for Torx screws will be supplied.

We will provide drinking water.

Where:  The work site is on County Road 43 east of Middlebury. From Middlebury travel east on County Road 16 (Warren St.) and turn north on County Road 43 at approximately 2 miles. The trail crosses County Road 43 within ¾ mile. Park in the trail parking lot and walk about 500 feet east to the bridge.

Middlebury to Shipshewana

I hear of more and more people riding the Pumpkinvine from Middlebury to Shipshewana. The reviews are very positive.

John Yoder

Friends of the Pumpkinvine August newsletter online

Click this link to access the August newsletter in color. Friends' August newsletter

Pumpkinvine Nature Trail ribbon cutting will be Sept. 20, 2011

The  official opening and ribbon cutting for the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between Middlebury and Shipshewana will be held Tuesday, September 20 at 1: 30 p.m. at the intersection of the trail and County Road 900 W. just north of County Road 250 N. Parking is available at Lifegate Church at the corner of 250 N and 900 W.



Bob Carrico, Larry Neff, Myron Yoder, Jim Smith, John Yoder,
Norm Kauffmann, Chet Peachey, Mike Bontrager



Officials from the Town of Shipshewana, Middlebury, Elkhart County Parks, Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, Inc., and the Indiana Department of Transportation, will participate in the ribbon cutting. Anyone interested in the trail is invited to attend.

            The construction of this six-mile section of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, which nearly doubles the current developed portions of the trail, was a coordinated effort of Elkhart County Parks and the Town of Shipshewana. The engineering-consulting firm was DLZ Indiana, LLC, and the contractor was Walsh & Kelly, Inc. Funding came from Federal Transportation Enhancement Funds, with the local match coming from the Town of Shipshewana, Elkhart County Parks, and the value of the land donated by the Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, Inc.

             The Middlebury-Shipshewana portion of the trail has a small gap from York Street and State Road 13 to east of the Dairy Queen in Middlebury that will hopefully be finished in 2012 or 2013. Other sections scheduled for completion in 2012 include the 1.2-miles from Wayne St. to US 20 and a 1.2-mile section between County Road 37 and County Road 35.

            When all phases are completed, the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail will connect Goshen, Middlebury and Shipshewana with a linear park 17 miles long. In Goshen, it will also connect to the 10-mile long MapleHeart Trail to Elkhart.

2011 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride Photos

Photos from the 2011 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride are now online.  2011 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride

Many thanks to the photographers who helped take photos:  Branden Beachy, Ellen Stevens, Joe Guth and John Yoder.