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If you’ve hiked the Pyatt Lake Trail lately, you’ve probably noticed an excessive amount of water in there. As in, portions of the boardwalk are actually underwater, and you can’t even get to the scenic decks at the lake without a pair of high-water galoshes.
Never fear. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is aware of the situation and taking the opportunity to do some needed upgrades and make the trail Universally Accessible (UA).
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This was confirmed by Conservancy Executive Director Glen Chown – who, by the way, also lives on the OMP – during a presentation to the Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society last week.
The Pyatt Lake upgrades include an aggregate trail, boardwalk, parking lot and two decks, all built to UA standards. Even though many of our OMP trails are designed to accommodate people with mobility issues, UA trails are welcomed by everyone, particularly families with young children. This will be the first UA trail on the Peninsula, and the work is excepted to be completed by late November.
Local resident Pete Meyer was hiking the trail with his dog Thor last week and sent along some photos of the work currently being done there. Thank you, Pete, for the photos!
The Pyatt Lake work comes on the heels of successful UA trails at Arcadia Dunes: The C.S. Mott Preserve, Arcadia Marsh, Timbers Recreation Area and the St. Clair Lake – Six Mile Lake Nature Preserve, all constructed during the Conservancy’s ongoing “Campaign for Generations.”
Like those projects, construction on the Pyatt Lake Trail will carefully follow UA standards to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for those with mobility issues.
The trailhead for the Pyatt Lake Trail – officially known as “Pyatt Lake: The Bill Carls Nature Preserve” – is near the end of Pyatt Road off Neahtawanta Road on the Old Mission Peninsula.
Donations for the Pyatt Lake upgrades are gratefully accepted – click here to make a donation.
SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette
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