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Ausable Valley Snowmobile Association
Volunteers for Better Trails
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 Join Us! |
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Ausable Valley Snowmobile Association
Volunteers for Better Trails
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Join Us! |
Grayling Area Non-motorized Pathway. Located north of Grayling off the I-75 Business Loop, the non-motorized pathway is a paved pathway designed specifically for biking, rollerblading and walking. While it is legal to snowmobile on the right-of-way where the pathway is located, please avoid riding on the pathway and help preserve the asphalt surface for other user groups. The pathway begins across from the Grayling cemetary and continues north to the high school and east to Hartwick Pines State Park.
The Deward Tract is a 4700 acre section of state land surrounding the headwaters of the Manistee river, west and north of Grayling. There are snowmobile trails around this area but there have been no trails inside the Deward Tract.
In June 2003 the DNR issued an order closing the area to snowmobiles. This has no effect on the trail system, since no groomed trails are in the affected area.
Repeat, ALL THE TRAILS ARE OPEN!!
For the 2003/2004 season the trail marker system that was begun last year will be expanded to include all of Crawford County. Other counties are also looking at implementing similar systems.
The system consists of signs that designate the trail number that you are on, followed by a location number. The signs can be found at road crossings and along the trail, with not more than one mile in between signs. It is important to remember, though, that these are not mile markers. The locations are mapped by GPS coordinates to help with emergency assistance.
The North-South connector trail through downtown Grayling, opened last year, was generally a success and will be open again this winter. There were some difficulties in grooming the narrow stretches through the golf course and along the railroad tracks next to the golf course, so please be careful to give the groomer vehicles room to get through. Remember, our groomer drivers are all volunteers!
The Michigan Snowmobile Association's 'For Women Only' Charity Ride will be based in Grayling again this winter. Last winter, the event drew over 100 women, and raised over $125,000 for Easter Seals Charities.
This winter, the FWO Ride will be the weekend of February 6,7, and 8.
The DNR continues their attempt to minimize their trail grooming work. For the 2003/2004 season, the Blue Bear Trail from the M-72 West parking lot north to hwy. 612 (near Starvation Lake) will be groomed by the Jordan Valley Trails Council. If you've been snowmobiling up here before, then you should recognize this as a Very Good Thing. The Jordan Valley club does an excellent job of grooming, and is buying new equipment to cover this stretch of trail.