Riding Grand Traverse on Saturday

[ws6transam]

I'm taking my son up to Grand Traverse on Saturday for his first Michigan ORV trail riding experience.

There's the north and the south loops - Which one would be best for a kid on an XR80 just learning the ropes? I want this to be fun for him. We just put squeaky-new Millville tires on his machine in the hopes of making it a bit more sand friendly, but I'd rather avoid the super-deep stuff.

North section, off Supply Rd/Martuch Rd ? It looks like it's a small loop for starters. Then there's the south loop, 7.4 miles -

Which section would you all recommend?

 

[Tom Dixon]

I would say ride off from supply rd. Those trails are the most user friendly. They are still sandy and swooped though. The south loop in Fife Lake is pretty tight and has some tough spots on it.

 

[TCTrailrider]

Grand Traverse was recently graded, whoops are gone. Supply Rd parking lot has the easiest trail.

 

[ws6transam]

Thanks!

 

[n8sjh]

I thought about maybe hitting that trail for a few hours Saturday morning? What time you think you may be up there? Maybe I will see you. I have a Suzuki RMX250.

 

[ws6transam]

Saturday morning, I hope to arrive by 9:30 AM.
I hope you dont mind poking along with a nine year old and his Honda XR80, and his daddy on an ancient '92 model yamaha! but Yeah, I will keep a lookout for you!

 

[n8sjh]

If I end up getting over that way I have no problem going slower. It is a fun trail to ride.
oh and my bike is only a 94 so Vintage here also. :rotfl:

 

[ws6transam]

post-ride report

A very short post-ride report for you -

Rain on Saturday until 10:30 AM. We offloaded the bikes, and the trails were loamy & wet, but not muddy. Nice traction - and it promised to be a terrific time in the woods with temperatures hovering at 70 degrees.

Grand Traverse loop looks very pretty!

Unfortunately we only made it a quarter-mile down the trail. Jason just doesn't have the riding skills for twisty stuff, and he downed it twice after missing a couple of berms. We discussed his line each and every time, and he corrected his mistakes after each time. Then, the third one, he rode the apex correctly, but there was a pine tree where he didn't expect it, and of course, he focused on it, straightened out, and T-boned it. (I've done the same thing.)

He smacked his upper leg HARD on the handlebars as he flew off the bike, and crying, with confidence shattered, told me he'd had enough. Well, so had I. I want to have fun with him but I sure don't want to make him afraid of riding or see him hurt, so we turned around and slowly picked our way out of the woods back to the supply rd. parking lot. Total ride time: ten minutes.

I'm proud of his attitude - how he kept trusting and trying my advice. As far as I can tell, he didnt do anything wrong: It was just a matter of not enough riding experience for the type of trail we chose. --- and that was MY mistake, not his.

 

[Don Marsh]

More LMC training?
Just get him used to the woods trails at the clubground and he soon will have confidence he needs. It has been the training ground of countless riders who have went on to become extremely good woods riders.
I rode the GT trail on Sunday not may bikes were on it this weekend.

 

[n8sjh]

Ya sorry I was a no show. I woke up and saw the weather and did not really want to ride in the rain and be soaked all day.
On the other hand when my wife wanted to go into town in Traverse City to get some lunch I think I saw you in the Red Avalanche with the 2 bikes in the back around Chums Corner. I am just guessing because there was a white Yamaha and a small Honda in the back.
Good job to your son. The trails are a little tight for younger riders. If that was to narrow you could of checked out the leetsville trail it was not to far from Grand Traverse and it is a quad trail so its a little wider. Not nearly as hard.
Sorry again maybe we can meet up some other time.
I did do a few miles on Sunday on the GT trail

 

[ws6transam]

Yes, that was us!

We're not ready to give up the fight quite yet, though I've only managed to get a little of two hours of riding time in for the whole year thus far. Not for lack of trying! Five trips up north with the bikes... My wish is that there was someplace in the Lansing area where I could go, for even a couple hours; in order to get in some practice. Committing a whole day plus 300 miles round-trip has made it very difficult to get back into this sport...