Photos of bike ride from Paul Meyer Reimer

More photos of the Pumpkinvine Bike Ride from Paul Meyer Reimer: Pumpkinvine Bike Ride

2013 Pumpkinvine bike ride photos

The photos from the bike ride are now online: 2013 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride

Pumpkinvine Bike Ride - 2000 to 2013

The ride total for 2013 is 1238.

Elkhart Truth had a nice article on the ride in today's paper.  I think the predicted rain had some impact on the day-of-ride registration. But except for he late afternoon showers, it was a cool and pleasant day.

Ten ways to observe National Trails Day, June 1, 2013

Tomorrow is National Trails Day, a designation promoted by the American Hiking Society. Here are 10 ways to show your support of trails tomorrow.

1. Walk or ride on your favorite trail.
2. Try a new one trail with a different bike.
3. If you normally walk on your favorite trail, try biking. If you normally bike, try walking. You'll see the trail at a different pace and perhaps in a new way.
4. Organize a group to ride a trail together. End up at an ice cream shop.
5. Contribute to a local trails group, e.g., Friends of the Pumpkinvine
6. Post photos of the trail on Google Earth. (The photo can't contain recognizable people.)
7. Pick up litter along a trail.
8. Join a national trails group like Rails-to-Trail Conservancy or American Hiking Society.
9. Write an email or letter of thanks to the managers of local trails. For the Pumpkinvine, that list would be:
   • Elkhart County Parks
   • Goshen Park and Recreation
   • Town of Middlebury
   • Town of Shipshewana
10. Volunteer to help with a trail event like the Pumpkinvine Bike Ride.

Construction will close Pumpkinvine between State Road 13 and CR 43

Trail could be closed several months

Construction on a new section of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between York Dr. and the end of the current trail east of the Dairy Queen in Middlebury will require the trail to be closed from State Road 13 to County Road 43. Construction could begin in the next two weeks, and is scheduled to be finished by the end of May 2013.

“The closing is necessary because trail construction is happening at the same time State Road 13 will be resurfaced from the Dairy Queen to State Road 4, making it impossible to have trail traffic exit onto State Road 13 at the Dairy Queen,” according to Scott Van Ommeran, superintendent of Elkhart County Parks.

The decision to close the trail was made by the three organizations responsible for the construction:  Elkhart County Parks (the managing agency), Indiana Department of Transportation (the funding agency) and Walsh and Kelly (the construction firm).

“We do not want people continuing west past County Road 43 and getting to the end of the trail with nowhere to go,” Van Ommeran said.  “The liability of allowing people to blaze their own trail through the construction zone or across private property is too high. After discussion of alternatives to closing the trail, Elkhart County Parks, INDOT and Walsh and Kelly agreed that they could not provide temporary access across private property in order to keep the trail open during construction.”

Trail users are advised to be patient with the inconvenience because the end result will be a great addition to the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. The suggested routes for trail users coming from the east is to turn north on CR 43 and use CR 14 to reach State Road 13.

Video of 2012 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride

Matt Lind has produced a short video of the 2012 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride.  Thanks, Matt!

2012 Pumpkinvine Bike Ride