Rochester Hills

Fall Classic guides bikers west

By Linda Shepard
C & G Staff Writer

ROCHESTER HILLS — In an effort to guide bike riders to the western reaches of the Clinton River Trail, organizers are offering escorts during the eighth annual Clinton River Trail Fall Classic Sept. 29.

“We thought we’d try something a little bit different,” said Ron Vogt, event media coordinator. “We’ll have guides through the provisional aspects, the surface streets. The improved trail ends at Opdyke. It is not the best part of the trail. We wanted a guide to get people through.”

The escorts will “get them over to Sylvan Lake and the beautiful lake itself,” Vogt said, “where (the trail) connects with the West Bloomfield Trail.” The western trail route also includes travel over Telegraph Road on a pedestrian bridge completed several years ago.

The family-friendly Fall Classic begins at Riverside Park, located at the corner of Auburn and Squirrel roads in Auburn Hills. The Clinton River Trail, an abandoned railway line, passes through five cities in the middle of Oakland County: Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Pontiac and Sylvan Lake.

Mimi Zwolak, president of the Friends of the Clinton River Trail, said the unimproved portion of the Clinton River Trail is composed of individual parcels. “When you take the trail west and get to Opdyke, it looks like the trail goes across the street — but it doesn’t,” she said. “The railroad used to go straight west, but it was sold off years ago.”

Completing the missing link would cost at least $1 million. “The logistics are difficult,” Zwolak said.

Fall Classic bike riders can choose from several different route options, with distances of 5 to 40 miles, and participants have the option of connecting with the Macomb Orchard Trail east of Rochester Hills.

Walkers are also welcome at the Fall Classic. A 5k walk is planned for a portion of the trail that does not connect with the bike riders. “It is mostly a bike event, but there are walkers,” Vogt said.

The 16-mile-long Clinton River Trail would be an integral section of a proposed Great Lake to Lake Trail across the state, stretching from Lake Huron in Port Huron to Lake Michigan in South Haven, Zwolak said.

Last year more than 300 participants rode bikes or walked in the Fall Classic, Vogt said. Registration costs $20 for individuals and $50 for families, with a maximum of four people per family.

Friends of the Clinton River Trail, a volunteer organization, coordinate the Fall Classic, and all funds are used to develop and improve the trail. The Clinton River Trail Fall Classic is one of many events celebrating Michigan’s vast and varied network of trails during Michigan Trails Week Sept. 23-29.

Fall Classic registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with complimentary bagels and coffee. Parking is available at the park or at several nearby locations. For more information or to register, visit www.clintonrivertrail.org.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Linda Shepard at lshepard@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1065.