July 6, 2019
Michigan is the next state in our path.
We talked with a local resident before the trip and were tipped off to the Kal-Haven Trail. Its a thirty plus mile trail going from the coast of lake Michigan east past Kalamazoo. As we drove to the trail, it was raining lightly. We had perfect riding weather for the trip so far. Our drive was going west from Kalamazoo on highway 43. We stopped at a Subway and dashed inside trying to avoid the rain. There we ordered two foot long sandwiches. The goal was to split one before we started, and the second at the half way point of our ride.
It didn’t take long before we got to South Haven, MI and the rain was stopped with clear skies. Its amazing with a 30 mile drive will do for the weather. In the parking lot, we prepared for the ride. Mostly a pre-ride video, and loading the water bag with supplies. They had a very nice bike fixing rack with attached tools in the parking lot.
It didn’t take long before the trial got interesting. It paralleled the black river. We chatted with a boat and saw them again later when the river and the path met again. We also had to divert around a flooded section of the trail that Corvin rode through on our way back out.
The trail quickly turned to packed earth and chat. Very similar to the Katy Trail in Missouri. We stopped and played at the iconic covered bridge that is in most of the photos of the Kal-Haven trail. There are several minutes of video trying different camera angles as we rode across. Then we finished heading out 5 miles on the trail. Near our turn around spot, we passed by a large building. We realized quickly from the smell that it was full of hogs. I love bacon, but its very hard to get past the smell of their poop!
We enjoyed our half way sandwich after we got clear of the hog building and could breathe again. While this trail is similar to the Katy in Missouri, its high on our list of rides. The tree canopy made the ride wonderful! You should visit the Kal-Haven trail if you’re ever in the area.
Corvin’s journal entry.
Our Strava entry.
Our map of completed states.
Stats:
Total Trip Miles: 60.44
Total Moving Time: 12h 11m 34s
Total Elevation Change: 1542 feet
Total Hogan UPD: 8
Total Corvin UPD: 4
Hogan Haake