Being a trailblazer in Leelanau County means embracing the area’s natural beauty by hiking and biking on its local trails.
Traverse City native Jim Hirtreiter and Bob Resh spent their Sunday cruising down the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail from Bohemian Road to Glen Arbor and back.
“It’s keeping us alive,” Hirtreiter said.
Hirtreiter and Resh both have stage four cancer, but they continue to fight while enjoying the outdoors on their recumbent tricycles.
The recumbent tricycles help them enjoy the outdoors with the same cancer affliction.
“Heck, the doctor says don’t fall,” Resh said. Recumbent tricycles offer numerous benefits, including enhanced comfort due to a reclined seating position, reduced strain on the back and joints, and increased stability. They are ideal for people with balance issues or mobility challenges, providing a safe and enjoyable way to exercise and explore the outdoors.
“It’s a smooth ride either way. You can go downhill pretty easily. Uphill is a little tougher. Except for Bob, he’s got a motor, and I’m my motor,” Hirtreiter said and Bob added. “(Electric bikes) increase your range and keep you riding.”
Jim and Bob both volunteer at Recycle-A-Bicycle in Traverse City with pride.
“People donate bikes, and we fix them up and sell them to people that are on a tight budget,” Jim said. “This helps people get out and ride again.”
Bob enjoys helping out knowing that those bikes help assist people that don’t have any form of transportation.
“They have no way to get around. And then we sell some too. But it keeps the bikes in the system. The bike doesn’t wear out,” Resh said.
Being a trailblazer for Jim and Bob involves exploring scenic landscapes, from lush forests to picturesque shoreline paths. Trailblazers enjoy outdoor adventures and contribute to the preservation and appreciation of these natural spaces. They set an example for others, promoting an active lifestyle and fostering community among fellow enthusiasts. Whether discovering new trails or revisiting favorite spots, being a trailblazer in Leelanau County celebrates the harmony between nature and recreation.
When Jim and Bob aren’t on the Heritage Trail they are busy exploring the Leelanau Trail from Elmwood Township to Suttons Bay or the new Boardman Lake Trail in Traverse City.
Local trailblazer Kerry Kelly has been involved with the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail since before the first section was built in 2008 or 2009. Ever since he has been volunteering with the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes doing maintenance and operation of the trail.
“The usage rate and the trail has stabilized, and we get about 70 to 75,000 trail users every year on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. And they range from families with small Children to people who are in wheelchairs and everything in between,” Kelly said. “You end up with a nice cross section, I think of our visitor base being out there and using the trail, it opens up a lot of the park for visitors to experience. It gives them the opportunity to see the dunes and in a different way to see the forest in a more close up way than you do when in your car.”
Kelly’s favorite part of the trail is the section from the Dune Climb to Empire because it meanders through the park and is not straight.
“The parking lot on Voice Road, it’s pretty much all downhill,” he said. Kelly also thanks the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore team for their work in making the iconic Empire Bluff Trail more accessible since they carve around a hill last year. He also loves hiking up and down Pyramid Point trail.
“They expanded the parking lot because there were so many people using it that people were parking up and down the road,” Kelly said.
