Marquette, Mich mtn biking, post1: Harlow Farms Connector

If you are a person who likes mountain biking and lives in Michigan, I would highly recommend making it up to Marquette at some point.  Marquette offers a huge variety of trails and terrain that will keep most levels of riders happy and coming back for more.  I've made three trips up there between this summer and last, two trips for recreational riding and one for Ore to Shore 2010 (more on Ore to Shore in a separate post), and have more or less just scratched the surface.

One aspect I really like about Marquette riding is being able to ride to the trails, particularly the South Marquette trail system.  Better yet, the Noquemanon Trail Network (http://www.noquetrails.org), which oversees the trails, has created the Harlow Farms Connector (HFC) trail which links into the Pioneer Loop.  The HFC extends off of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail (IOHT) just south of US-41... basically a person in downtown Marquette can ride up the IOHT to McClellan (and if they like, just ride down McClellan to the trail head).  Then cross McClellan, pick up the trail, which uses the old railroad bridge to get over US-41.  Just across the bridge on the left (as you head south) is the entrance to the HFC.

Iron Ore Heritage Trail, coming from downtown Marquette; view from the old
train bridge.  

The IOHT, over US-41 on the old railroad bridge, looking west and south.
The HFC is just across the bridge to the left.

On the mmba boards this summer, some riders planning on visiting Marquette were wondering if the connector trail was accessible from the Holiday Inn, which is on US-41... it would be just off to the right in the lower bridge picture.  This I did investigate, and the IOHT is easily reachable from the Holiday Inn:

Sign for the Holiday Inn on the IOHT, near the bridge over US-41.  The sign faced south, or would be
most visible to people on the trail going to Marquette. 

Trail from the Holiday Inn parking lot to the IOHT.  This linker is on the far east side of
the Holiday Inn, across the property from the vehicle entrance.

Looking at the Holiday Inn from the link over to the IOHT.  The vehicle entrance is on the
other side of the building.  

This all being said... I still did not find the single track link between the HFC and the Pioneer Loop.  My first trip to Marquette this summer was short, had two full days in town and a class reunion to attend (my wife's).  I was looking for the HFC linker on Friday... I think I was on the right track, but crashed and destroyed my front wheel.  With plans to ride out to Negaunee the next day on the IOHT, I was just able to buy a replacement wheel that evening (see Lakeshore Bike post below).

This put the kibosh on HFC exploration.

As for the Harlow Farms Connector trail, at least as much as I've been on, is itself a fun trail.  After leaving the IOHT, the trail weaves through the woods and skirts a small pond, crosses Bacon Drive, and goes through the woods west of Marquette Golf and Country Club.  The trail emerges where Grandview Circle meets Grove street.  To continue on the HRC, head west on Grove (continuing right from the trail) until Vandenboom road.  Across Grove from Vandenboom is a gravel road that continues south (this is the entrance to the Marquette Township Grove Well Field).  Take this gravel road.  The road goes down a small hill with a gate at the bottom, go around the gate and continue on the road.

Trail markers along the Harlow Farms Connector.

Saw a barred owl while on the gravel road.

  About a half a mile down the gravel road, there will be a trail off to the right:

Continuation of the HFC off of the Grove Well Field road.

After the trail splits off from the gravel road, it winds through the woods and emerges into a linear open space, most likely a natural gas pipeline.  The trail follows this space up a short hill, down the other side and continues up another hill, which comes to a flat spot below a fairly steep hill.

At the top of the first hill in the gas line corridor.  The trail cuts left into the woods in the
middle of the next hill.

At the flat area in the middle of the big hill, the trail heads left into the woods, and splits shortly after, with a trail that heads off to the right up the hill, and a trail that continues strait ahead.  Continuing strait on the trail after it goes into the woods, there is a rather nice downhill that pops you out back at the gravel road.  Go right on the gravel up a small hill,  where the road tees out, continue right, around another gate, and keep following the gravel road.  It will curve around and head directly south, at this point look for the Pioneer Loop on the right hand side.  The section of trail that splits off from the gravel road is optional, the road can be used to reach the Pioneer Loop.  So far, that is the only route I have been able to find.

The day I was investigating and crashed, I had taken the trail to the right, which emerges onto a small dirt road, I turned left and was looking for single track heading to the right.  I found a trail off to the right, a sandy course that went down a hill, and there had my crash.  Not sure exactly why I crashed, though I suspect my wheel may have had some problems to start with.  In any event, I still didn't find the rest of the connector, is likely going to have to wait until next summer (or maybe a hike in the winter).  Despite this, the HFC is a fun adventure to get the South Marquette good times rolling... as a bonus, after joining the Pioneer Loop from the gravel road, it is basically all down hill to McClellan on sweet, flowing single track.