On Memorial Day, Kaitlyn Bohnet, 34, the executive director of North Sky Raptor Sanctuary, was notified by a concerned citizen that a near-fledgling red-shouldered hawk had been blown out of its nest in Ludington during a storm the day before. The scene of the unfortunate spill was the caller’s yard. Bohnet swung into action, retrieving the distressed bird. After conducting a wellness check on the crash-lander, she contacted the Pere Marquette Township Fire Department for assistance. Given an aerial lift of some 40 feet courtesy of the department’s ladder truck, Bohnet reunited the young hawk with its family in its maple tree nest, safe and sound. In 2023, North Sky, headquartered in Interlochen, rescued raptors in 29 northern Michigan counties, including Leelanau. Outlining their area of coverage, Bohnet explains, “It’s pretty much from Grand Rapids to the Mackinac Bridge, then everything east to west. So, if there’s a raptor in need, we’re here to help.”
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An important question hovers over the Leelanau Conservancy’s push to build a 10-car parking lot east of Wheeler Road, which mountain bikers will use starting next year to access the expanding Palmer Woods trail network. Neighbors opposed the initiative, but the Cleveland Township Board sided with the Conservancy and greenlit the project on Nov. 14. Do mountain bike trails and infrastructure in preserved natural areas reflect development (most mountain bikers drive fossil fuel-burning cars to access trails)? Or does the sport increase environmental awareness? In other words, does mountain biking compromise or help the environment?
This weekend, the Friends of Sleeping Bear reported on ski and sledding conditions throughout the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The groomers have been out on both trails. Unfortunately, the lack of snow on the Heritage Trail meant that the south trail does not have classic tracks, but it has been rolled to form a really nice flat corduroy. Skate skiers will love this! Heritage trail north of Glen Arbor had a little more snow, and we did get a set of classic tracks down. Palmer Woods has the best snow conditions in the area. 6-8″ of fresh powder. Nice groom and classic tracks in most places.
Tucked away in the hilly heart of Leelanau County are two under-the-radar, off-the-beaten path towns that need to be moved up on your list of destinations. Maple City and Cedar are especially great Leelanau hubs if you’re a family with younger children looking for a more relaxed vibe, but still plenty to do.
“We have snow, and lots of it,” report the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. “Come out to Sleeping Bear Dunes while the skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, is at it’s best!” The grooming crew has been busy on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. The Trail has been groomed from Empire to Glen Arbor and North of Glen Arbor at Crystal View trailhead to the Lawr Farm (Wheeler Road). Conditions are really good.
The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes report that we received a good snowfall yesterday providing about 6-8 inches of fresh powder over warm ground. The Friends report that they don’t yet have the tracks on the groomer, so the trails won’t be groomed until the end of this week if conditions allow. Those seeking to ski on the asphalt parts of the Heritage Trail should know that their ski poles will probably hit the asphalt and might skid.
Four miles of new mountain bike trails opened in late July at Palmer Woods Forest Reserve. And four more miles of trails are expected to open in mid to late October, thereby more than doubling the length of the current trail system, which will offer 14 miles of mountain bike trails in total.
The Leelanau Conservancy announced plans today to expand its largest natural area of over 1000 acres. With the Palmer Woods 1000-Acre Project, the Conservancy hopes to purchase 350 acres of forestland adjacent to the 721-acre Palmer Woods Forest Reserve near Glen Arbor. The Conservancy is now asking for the public’s help to raise the final $325,000 of the $3.5 million goal to purchase the property. The expansion would offer additional recreational trails, as well as add a new dimension to the property by creating a 5-mile shared border with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. If the project is successful, Palmer Woods will eventually offer 40 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing trails.
The Leelanau Conservancy’s new three-mile mountain bike trail at Palmer Woods Forest Reserve has officially opened. Nearly 150 people attended an opening ride and party on Sunday, Nov. 4 in cold, wet conditions to ride the first public flow-style mountain bike trail in Leelanau County.
Exciting news for mountain bikers in Northern Michigan: work to expand Palmer Wood’s Forest Reserve’s trail system with single-track mountain bike trails is slated to begin next month. Flowtrack Mountain Bike Trails, LLC, a professional trail-building company from the Upper Peninsula, has been hired to lead the design and construction of the new trails.