Merrell Trail Updates

Refer to this blog post for updated information on the Merrell project, openings/closures and trail days.

UPDATE 7/12/22

Over the weekend we had our grand re-opening celebration out at Merrell. It went off without a hitch and the community showed out. Wynalda is now a bike-optimized expert level trail, with jump lines, bigger and better berms and improved flow. With that being said, here’s what you should know:

  • Pre-ride, re-ride, free-ride. The trail is fun, but it’s dangerous. Make sure you know what to expect before going all-in. Take a few laps at slower speed to get a feel for the new features. Plan your line and find a comfortable pace.

  • Signage. In order to get the trail open, we created and posted signage to help guide through the adjusted layout. We aren’t finished with signage. It’s important to be extra careful of other riders and the daily direction of the trail while we are still in the process of adding signage. Proceed with caution and please be patient while we continue to get the new signs up. New Kiosks and updated maps are in the works.

  • Medical Evacuations. A massive reason for the adjusted trail layout and amended signage is the history Merrell has with first-responders experiencing difficulty finding injured riders out on the trail. Safety is always the highest priority when executing a project like this. We’re making a few changes to ensure that anyone who gets hurt and makes a call out on the trail can be evacuated efficiently. Again, we ask for your patience as we continue to flesh out the adjusted trail layout.

  • Have fun. We worked with Josh at TrailSense to create the new Wynalda as a result of the West Michigan Mountain Biking Community speaking up about wanting technicality. We heard you, we agreed, and we made it happen! The loop is fun & fast and we hope everyone enjoys riding it. There’s more work to do, but this is an amazing place to start.

We’ll see you out there.

UPDATE 5/24/22

Reconstruction continues on the Wynalda Loop. This is the last weekend to ride before we close down the entire trail until reconstruction is complete.

The trail day planned for this Saturday is being postponed to the tail-end of the project due to heavy rain forecasted later this week. Work resumes on Sunday, June 5th. Be sure to sign up for one of the following trail days if you'd like to help!

Sunday Jun 5, 2022 11am-4pm
Monday Jun 6, 2022 3pm-8pm
Saturday Jun 11, 2022 10am-3pm
Sunday, Jun 12, 2022 11am-4pm
Monday Jun 13, 2022 3pm-8pm
Saturday Jun 18, 2022 10am-3pm
Monday Jun 20, 2022 3pm-8pm
Saturday Jun 25, 2022 10am-3pm
Sunday Jun 26, 2022 11am-4pm

June Waiver: https://forms.gle/F9dDXemkwNs5fj3XA

UPDATE 5/10/22

The trail refresh will start May 16, 2022. We will be closing the Premier Park trailhead for the duration of the project which is expected to end the week of June 27.

The Wynalda Loop will be closed at the creek to all users for the duration of the project. This includes foot and bike traffic. For everyone concerned about the Ninja Bike Clinic, we are working with Ninja to open a loop for the clinic.

We will close the Belmont trailhead on Tuesday May 31, 2022 to all users, which also closes the trail to all users. The trail closure will be in effect into the week of June 27, 2022. Potentially a week longer if we encounter further weather delays. It has been an extremely wet Spring and we would have preferred an earlier start, but Nature did not work with us.

What to expect:

A refined jump/flow on Wynalda. Direction will remain by the day.
Drainage repairs and trail improvement on Phaser. We have been watching the lower line of Phaser all Spring and have determined the best plan is to move the trail to higher ground. Direction will remain by the day.
Drainage and trail improvement of Wilderness, Mixmaster, and Chameleon.
A new in and out loop in anticipation of future changes at the Belmont Trailhead.
A green level jumpline at the Belmont Trailhead.
No work will be performed on Sawtooth.
The anticipated work on Siren will be delayed. For us to build something bigger and better requires a larger budget and planning. We will facilitate a series of public survey meetings to develop a plan and budget for fundraising after we complete this refresh.

Trail Work Dates:

May
Sunday May 22, 2022 11am-4pm
Monday May 23, 2022 3pm-8pm
Saturday , May 28, 2022 10am-3pm
Waiver: https://forms.gle/2Fpy2SU1zsYYfhWRA
June
Sunday June 5, 2022 11am-4pm
Monday June 6, 2022 3pm-8pm
Saturday Jun 11, 2022 10am-3pm
Monday Jun 13, 2022 3pm-8pm
Saturday Jun 18, 2022 10am-3pm
Monday Jun 20, 2022 3pm-8pm
Saturday Jun 25, 2022 10am-3pm
Sunday June 26, 2022 11am-4pm
Waiver: https://forms.gle/F9dDXemkwNs5fj3XA
Additional dates as needed

Austen Reno