Cross Country Ski Weekend, Up North!
Higgins Lake
First ADVENTURES will host its annual Cross Country Ski Outing in Roscommon, MI on the weekend of January 20-22. We’ll stay in affordable lodging, ski on Saturday and optionally on Sunday, then drive home. The Cross Country Ski Headquarters typically has over 12 miles of well groomed trails and a comfortable lodge with food and a warm fireplace to relax by. There are also other very good xc skiing locations in the area. The snow conditions are expected to be better and more consistent than they tend to be around home. Let us know if you want to go. Please join us – and bring your friends!
Save the Planet and See Detroit Using Your Bike!
Two local events are planned which highlight the practicality and benefits of bike travel while also bringing us up to date on some of the exciting recent initiatives in the City of Detroit.
On Saturday, August 13 (one week before the Woodward Dream Cruise) the Sierra Club will host the 2011 Green Cruise beginning in downtown Ferndale. Many activities are scheduled to celebrate various forms of human powered transit. Of course bicycle riding is significantly featured with choices of a 1/2 mile family parade, a 4 mile family ride, a 22 mile ride through South Oakland County cities, and a 40 mile ride through Detroit to visit several older and newer landmarks. The 22 and 40 mile rides will divide into groups according to riding pace. Visit http://michigan.sierraclub.org/semg/Green_Cruise.html for more information.
The Tour de Troit began in 2002 and seems to have grown larger every year. It’s a great way to become reacquainted with Detroit. This year’s ride will be held on September 24. The Tour de Troit offers two route options – a leisurely paced 30 mile ride complete with police escort and a 62 mile route for more experienced riders. The rides begin and end in front of the old Michigan Central Station building. There is a registration fee which includes a commemorative t-shirt, a refreshment stop during the ride, and more substantial food and drinks supplied by various Detroit establishments at the end of the ride. Over 3,200 people rode last year and this year promises to be even bigger. Registration well in advance of the ride is highly recommended because there is a limit to the number of riders allowed. Last year’s registration closed at least a couple of weeks before the ride. There appears to be a price break if you register before August 15. Visit http://www.tour-de-troit.org/ for more information.
Note:
In lieu of the normal First ADVENTURES ride from the First United Methodist Church of Royal Oak on August 13, we will participate in the Green Cruise. Feel free to pick the ride option you’ll most enjoy!
Road Biking Schedule Modified
Due to conflicting commitments for the biking leader through the summer, it is necessary to modify the Saturday road biking schedule. The rides for the remainder of the season are scheduled for June 18, July 2 & 23, August 6 & 13. Please be sure to check the “Events Updates” page of this web site for possible changes, especially if the weather looks questionable.
Come along for the ride!
(post modified 7/12/11)
Road Biking Update
The starting time for the Saturday bike rides will be at 9 am. The time is now corrected on the earlier post.
It looks like the weather is expected to be good for our first ride of the season this Saturday. Hope to see you then.
Hocking Hills a Resounding Success
by JCline
First ADVENTURES made the second trek to Hocking Hills State Forest Climbing and Rappelling Area the last weekend in April. Traveling to the area Friday night, the climbers were greeted with perfect weather for the action on Saturday. The early morning arrival at the cliffs allowed the team to claim the pillar of rock shown below for their primary activity. The lone pine tree at the top provided the solid anchor necessary for safe climbing. Everyone made the ascent, decidedly more difficult that last year’s effort. Everyone rappelled off the tower as well. A 50 foot rappel off a different section of cliffs completed the day’s activities.
The climbers will be gathering later this summer to partake in tree climbing and rappelling at Bald Mountain Recreation Area north of Auburn Hills. Contact us if you want to join us.
Road Biking
Riders of moderate ability and training are invited to join us as we embark on trips to various locations in the Metro Detroit area. We’ll begin this season on May 28 with a leisurely 15 mile ride and, abilities permitting, progress up to 30 miles or more at a pace of 15-17 mph.
Rides begin at 9:00 am on Saturday mornings in the First United Methodist Church of Royal Oak parking lot (southwest corner of Lafayette and Sixth Street), weather permitting.
We would also like to start a more leisurely, shorter ride; so let us know if you would like to be a part of that.
The Clinton River Trail (and the actual river)
View from the Clinton River Trail
The Clinton River Trail is a 16 mile long recreational trail in Oakland County. MI built over what once was a part of the Michigan Airline railroad line. For approximately five miles near the town of Rochester, the trail traces the Clinton River. The Clinton River is the centerpiece of the Clinton River Watershed and of what was once a self-sustaining and healthy ecosystem.
Prior to the 1800s, the Clinton River watershed was a diverse and balanced ecosystem consisting almost entirely of forest, woodlands, wetlands and some savannas supporting a wide variety of wildlife. Indigenous Native Americans and early European visitors to the area primarily used the Clinton River as a water transportation route and for fishing and trapping. As the area was settled it transformed into an area of agriculture and logging and then rapidly into a densely populated urban area with intense industrial, commercial and residential development. Today, the Clinton River watershed is the most populated watershed in Michigan with 1.5 million people. The southern portion of the watershed is almost entirely developed urban land use.
Unfortunately, development has occurred without an understanding of, or respect for, the need and desirability of a healthy ecosystem. While industrial, agricultural and other human related pollutants were introduced into the river and storm water runoff substantially increased due to pavement, buildings, and sewers; vast areas of natural vegetation and wetlands, which could have helped cleanse and mitigate runoff, were destroyed. Wildlife, waterfowl and aquatic diversity is greatly reduced. In 1985, the river was designated as one of 43 “Areas of Concern” regarding the health of the Great Lakes by the U.S. and Canada.
Much has been done, is currently being done and is planned to be done to bring the Clinton River fully back to supporting a vibrant ecosystem. The Clinton River Trail plays a role in that. The trail is like a well used linear park along the river which encourages public awareness of the ecological and aesthetic importance of the river and the natural environment it supports. For the five miles it runs along the river, the area around it also serves as a natural buffer from urban development and serves as part of a wildlife corridor that could eventually extend to Lake St. Clair.
Take some time this year to walk or bike the Clinton River trail. When you get to the river portion you may want to pause and reflect on how much this waterway has contributed since long before we arrived here and what we can do to make it fully healthy again.
For more information:
Friends of the Clinton River Trail – www.clintonrivertrail.org
Clinton River Watershed Council – www.crwc.org/
Winter Carnival is Cancelled
It’s now official, the Winter Carnival scheduled for Saturday, February 19 is cancelled. Due to the warming trend and predicted rain, we understand that Independence Oaks is closing most of its winter activity venues.
Please continue to visit this site for upcoming warm weather adventures!
Winter Carnival Alert
There is a chance that the First ADVENTURES Winter Carnival, scheduled for Saturday, February 19, may be canceled due to the predicted onslaught of good weather this week.
Be sure to check our “Event Updates” (click the tab at the upper right of this page) before heading out on Saturday to see the status of this event.
Pray for cold weather!
The Oak Apple Run is Coming — Prepare Yourself!
It will only be a few months until the Oak Apple Run in Royal Oak. We are again offering weekly Running Training to help maintain your motivation and give you something to look forward to each week.
We’ll meet at First United Methodist Church of Royal Oak in Fellowship Hall (at the lower level) each Sunday at about 10:30 in the morning, immediately following the 9:15 church service, beginning March 6, 2011. If you would like to attend church first, the 9:15 service conveniently has a very casual dress code so you can wear your running attire during worship!
It’s time to get started on training so you can perform at your best on the day of the event. Adult runners of all abilities are encouraged to join us.
