Hope everyone has had a great riding season! We have been busy this past year with a few projects out on the trails and wanted to give a quick update on this as well as upcoming events.
Poto Revitalization
If you have not been out to the Potawatomi trail lately, there are several new sections to check out. We’ve been working with Spectrum Trail Design out of Indianapolis on some in-corridor improvements and six reroutes that were approved last year by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Five reroutes have been completed. The sixth is roughed in and open to riders and hikers. We hope to get the last reroute completed in early December, weather permitting. More in-corridor improvements are yet to come!
Pavilion at DTE Foundation Trail
The pavilion at the DTE Foundation Trail Cassidy Road parking lot is moving along, albeit quite a bit slower than we had hoped. The pavilion is pending permitting from the State of Michigan, which should be finalized soon. We will plan a grand opening event in the spring upon completion.
Trail maintenance refresh at DTE
Next year we are hoping to have Spectrum refresh a few sections of the DTE trail. While closing the trail down during freeze/thaw periods helps a lot to preserve the trail, as the trail ages, it naturally tends to melt, simply from weather and use. Stay tuned!
Black Friday Ride- this Friday!
Join us this Friday, November 28 at 10am for our 17th Annual Black Friday MTB and Gravel Ride at Rolling Hills in Ypsilanti Township. The weather forecast is looking good – cool but sunny. Great weather for that first fat bike ride of the season, a gravel ride or a mountain bike ride!
This event is a fun, casual, no-drop group ride and is a great chance for novice MTBer’s to get exposure to single track & gravel riding, meet new riders and burn off some Thanksgiving calories. After the ride, we’ll enjoy pizza and brews sponsored by Wheels in Motion. Please register in advance free-of-charge here so we have an idea of headcount for food and drinks.
Check out the event on Facebook for more information about the ride options and agenda for the day. This is a free event at Rolling Hills Park, but as Rolling Hills is a Washtenaw County Park you may need to pay a gate fee to enter the park.
Plan ahead for January 2026 – the Abominable Snowman Ride
Join us for the 2026 Abominable Snowman Ride on Saturday, January 17th at the Glenbrook Yurt on the Potawatomi Trail in Pinckney Recreation Area. Weather permitting, we will groom the Gosling loop. This is a cold weather winter ride so dress appropriately! No official start time, generally folks meet and head out around noon. Ride your bike on as much or as little trail as you would like. There are many ride options!
Interested in making a financial donation to Poto MBA?
This is the perfect time to support your Trails! We are still fundraising for the Potawatomi Revitalization project, the DTE Pavilion and DTE Refresh. Contribute here. PotoMBA is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All or part of your gift may be tax deductible as a charitable contribution. Please check with your tax advisor.
Volunteer Opportunities
We continue to look for volunteers for trail maintenance and adoption, trail coordination and board membership. See the presentation for more on these opportunities.
Additionally, we are looking to evolve our social media outreach – if you have ideas or want to help, let us know by emailing volunteer@potomba.org!
Record your Volunteer Hours
Did you volunteer for Poto chapter activities this year? Whether it is trail work, prepping/preparing/transporting equipment, advocacy, fundraising, map making, volunteering at TTC or other events, administrative work… we would like to capture that time.
Don’t wait until the end of the year, submit your volunteer hours throughout the year here. This information is important as the DNR land managers use this to understand the support received for the trails. Poto MBA also uses this to be able to recognize our contributors. Thank you for your time in supporting our chapter and trails!
2025 and 2026 Poto MBA Events – Save the Dates*
November 28 – Black Friday Ride @ Rolling Hills County Park in Ypsilanti
January 17, 2026 – Abominable Snowman Ride @ Pinckney Rec Area
*Additional events and links to Facebook events will be posted as finalized
Stay Connected:
DTE Energy Foundation Trail Website
Join or renew your membership with the Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association today. We build and maintain the local trails that we all love to ride. Click here to join Poto MBA.
