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July 5, 2000Out and aboutLove the great outdoors? TC has a club for youBy The Record-Eagle sports staffTRAVERSE CITY - Whether you're a resident or tourist, a hiker or biker, if you enjoy recreational sports, there's probably a club here for you. The Traverse City area is home to several clubs that promote recreational pursuits - from running to hiking, cycling to paddling. All have one basic premise, and that's to bring people with similar interests together to enjoy a certain outdoor activity. The focus is on having fun. And to achieve that, clubs offer an itinerary of summer events for members and non-members alike. The bottom line: show up and enjoy. "I remember 20 years ago, some people suggested that we have more meetings," said George Kuhn, who founded the Traverse City Track Club. "I said, 'Forget the meetings. Let's just get out and run.' " And run they do, Wednesday and Saturday nights. TRAVERSE CITY TRACK CLUB Founded in 1962, the Traverse City Track Club is believed to be the second oldest running club in the state - trailing only the Motor City Striders in longevity. Kuhn started the club to fill a void in the community. "I wanted to have some running competitions," he said. "That was my major motivation. Back in the early '60s we didn't have any running races up here. The Cherry Festival didn't even have a race back then. Of course, that's not a problem anymore. Now there's a race almost every weekend." The track club sponsors four major races a year - the Frozen Foot in February, the popular Bayshore Marathon/10K in May, the Vasa Trail 11-25K in September and the Women's Remembrance 5K in October. In addition, the club conducts races Wednesday and Saturday nights for a 10-week stretch in the summer. The races typically attract 55 to 70 runners a week. The lengths vary, gradually building up to a 15K by summer's end. The cost to enter a Wednesday or Saturday night race - a mere 50 cents. People of all ages and abilities are welcome. "There's a misconception about the track club," Kuhn said. "Some people think it's for elite runners only. It's not. We have runners of all abilities. Certainly, over the years, we have had some outstanding runners. But we have 12-minute milers, too." Although standings are kept for the regulars, the races are open to anyone. "Just this past Wednesday, we had a guy from Arizona join us," Kuhn said. "Over the years, we've had numerous people from different places stop by and take part." Dave Taylor replaced Kuhn as the club's president a few years ago. Taylor and his wife, Lisa, moved to Traverse City in 1988 and one of the first things they did was to track down the track club. "We ran in a few of the races, got to know some of the runners socially and it snowballed from there," Dave Taylor said. "Now, some of our best friends are those we met through the track club." Some runners, in fact, enjoy the camaraderie almost as much as they do the running. "I look forward to coming (to the Wednesday and/or Saturday night races)," said Bonnie Alanson, who's also a member of the Cherry Capital Cycling Club (see below). "It's always fun to see everybody... some even go out for dinner afterwards. This has given me a chance to meet a lot of good people. Sometimes, I'll come over even if I'm not running just to see everybody." Taylor said the club has approximately 110 members. About 40 to 50 of those members are part of the "core group" - those who take an active role in the club's operation. Chuck Bissell is one of those core runners. He said the track club acts as a support group for many. "As you get older, and maybe a little less competitive, you enjoy the friendships more than anything else," he said. "This is a unique sport because most of the runners here are friends. You rarely see any hard feelings. Everyone is supportive of everyone else." For more information on the track club call the hotline at 941-8118 or visit the Web site at www.users.northlink.net/tctc. CHERRY CAPITAL CYCLING CLUB Jeff Corwin knows the lure of the Cherry Capital Cycling Club. He may be the club's president now, but in the early 1990s, he was just another bicyclist looking for someone to ride with. Then he met Sarah Cockrell, an enthusiastic member of the CCCC, and she reeled him in. "I met Sarah at the Open Space during Bay Day or Earth Day or something like that, and she convinced me I should be riding with the club," Corwin said. "And once I started, I got hooked." Corwin will happily take the time to explain the physical benefits of joining the club, which has between 280 and 300 members, but the best reason is a simple one. "It's a social thing," he said. "We stop and talk during our rides. We have a lot of fun. It's like a big group of friends." CCCC members enjoy each other's company so much, in fact, that they continue to meet during the winter to go snowshoeing and hiking - "Any excuse to get together," Corwin said. The group sponsors bicycle rides practically every night during the summer months. There are mountain bike rides and touring rides with distances for every ability level. "We have just about everyone covered," Corwin said. "Long or short, leisurely or difficult. If you want to get out and ride, we have a place for you." The CCCC sponsors two major events each year - the Ride Around Torch (RAT) on July 16 and the Leelanau Harvest Tour on Sept. 17. Proceeds from RAT provide the club's operating budget for the year. Proceeds from the Harvest Tour go to the Leelanau Trail. The club also plans several weekend get-togethers that include camping and paddling. Last April, a group of 10 CCCC members traveled to North Carolina and biked in the mountains. Club membership is $15 per year and includes a monthly newsletter, "Cadence." For more information visit the CCCC's Web site at www.cherry-capital.com/cccc or call 941-BIKE for weekly ride updates. CHERRY CAPITAL PADDLING CLUB The Cherry Capital Paddle America Club started just a little over a year ago, according to club president Phil Curtis, an avid paddler who has built his own kayaks, and the club already has a mailing list close to 200. The club is about 90-percent kayakers, but canoeists are always welcome. "We started out basically as a social club of like-minded people who wanted to get together for some outings," Curtis said. "However, we quickly discovered that there was a real safety issue with a lot of new people who were discovering paddle sports, especially kayaking. "People were poorly equipped, or didn't know how to use the equipment they had purchased. In some instances they had the wrong type of kayak for the type of water they wanted to use it in, especially open water, which is the most dangerous." In that first year the club made a decision to pursue the issue and offer year-round safety classes introducing beginning kayakers to different rescue and rolling techniques. "We used the pool at the Grand Traverse Resort during the winter to put on eight safety classes, and last summer we held six open water classes," Curtis said. "So far we've put around 250 people through the safety classes with all volunteer help. That's quite an accomplishment for a brand new club." In addition to the year-round safety classes, the club sponsors a paddle somewhere every week during the summer and often on weekends. Some of the more unusual outings include a Power Island moonlight paddle on July 16, a Boardman River marathon - paddling all the way to the bay - on July 22, a Cathead Bay paddle on Aug. 12, a Long Lake paddle and camp out Aug. 19, a Mackinac Island/Mackinaw Straits paddle over Labor Day and a Sturgeon River paddle in early October. The club paddles year round. For more details, call Curtis at 267-5843, or log on to www.cherry-capital.com/ccpac/. Membership also includes a dual membership in the American Canoe Association and Paddlers Magazine. Many of the outings include picnic lunches or a get together afterwards. G.T. HIKING CLUB When Arlen Matson was getting ready to retire seven years ago, he wanted to have things in order so he'd know what to do with himself. "I wanted to do something physically, mentally and spiritually," he said. Matson now fulfills his spiritual needs by working with senior citizens at his church. He's also writing a children's book, which takes care of the mental challenge. As for his physical activity? "I decided on walking since your health is in your legs," he said. "I came across the North Country Trail, which was perfect for doing trail work." Thus began the early stages of the Grand Traverse Hiking Club. After becoming friends with Arden Johnson, who was a trails assistant director for northern Michigan, the two worked during the summer to learn how to blaze and make trails. "We found a need to maintain this area and the need for a hiking club," said Matson, who is currently the club's trails director. The club became official in 1994 with about 30 people and numbers now peak around 150, with new members joining constantly. "We're always trying to get more people," said club treasurer Sue Makrianis, who is also in charge of membership. "We had some brand new people backpacking (June 23-25) on probably one of the most beautiful sections of trail on the Manistee River. "This is right out our backdoor and a lot of people don't even know it." Richard Naperala, president of the club, first became involved in the club through Matson. "He's just a real go-getter," Naperala said of Matson. The two have worked with other members of the club on 60 miles of trail, which follows the north part of the Manistee River and the Manistee State Forest. The entire North Country Trail is approximately 4,000 miles long and extends from New York to North Dakota. "We're very fortunate to have the trail," said Naperala. "People from downstate are really impressed with its beauty." The beauty of the outdoors is highlighted at monthly meetings through slide presentations, which is one way Makrianis contributes to the club. "I've given quite a few slide presentations," she said. "Some are personal trips; they're not all about hiking, but just getting outdoors." This will be Matson's last year as trails director due to hip trouble, and he has no regrets about the length of time he's given to the club. "It's been a great ride; I've really been in my glory," he said. "What more can you ask for than fresh air, flowers and trees? "It's really a pleasure to walk on a nice trail." Matson also gives credit to his wife, Arlene. "For two years, it was just the two of us working on the trail," he said. "She's been out there with a saw, and that's how it all started." For more information on the club, contact Naperala at 223-7903 or visit their Web site at www.traverse.com/people/north/ gthike. Dennis Chase, Jeff Peek, Mike Terrell and Jessica Hulett contributed to this report. |
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