Last summer, when John Rothhaar let us know that 2020 would be his last year as Trail Care Coordinator, we knew it was going to be a difficult task to replace him. For the past four years, John has served tirelessly taking care of the Trail and serving on the Trailways Management Council. We recognized John’s many contributions in this blog post from last summer: Volunteer Spotlight on Our Trail Care Coordinator.

John Rothhaar

Fortunately, John continues to be involved with important projects such as the upcoming Crystal Ave. trail rehabilitation and the Elberta extension. We continue to salute John for his devotion to the Trail and helping to make it more enjoyable for all of us.

When we started working on a job description for the TCC position, we quickly recognized the role was probably too much for one volunteer. Consequently, we decided to establish the Volunteer Coordinator position to relieve the TCC of the burden of recruiting and coordinating Trail Crew volunteers.

In our next blog post, we’ll be introducing our new Volunteer Coordinator, Avace Wildie — stay tuned for that!

Today, we’re thrilled to introduce our new Trail Care Coordinator, Charlie Gregory!

New Trail Care Coordinator, Charlie Gregory pictured with his fiance.

Seven years ago, Charlie Gregory retired and moved from Chicago to our area. Recently, he reflected on his decision to move here to enjoy the great outdoors of Northern Michigan, especially Benzie County, as well as his excitement about his new role with the Trail.

“I spent my summer youth vacationing on Crystal Lake and I hiked the railroad tracks from Beulah to the outlet many times,” he recalled. “Today, the tracks and the sound of the train whistle have been replaced by bike tires and open vistas of pristine blue waters and soaring hills.”

“Last year, I logged over 2,500 miles roaming the county trails and roads,” Charlie shared, “so when the call of ‘all-aboard!’ came, I was happy to sign up as the new Trail Care Coordinator.”

“I’m eager to meet the many volunteers who will help sculpt a spectacular Trail ride for future generations,” Charlie continued. “It’s not just a Trail; it’s an adventure spanning four towns, a beautiful lake, a stunning harbor, a roaring falls, a wild river, enchanted forests, turtle ponds, and a resort destination! All aboard the Betsie Valley Trail Ride!!”

To contact Charlie, email bvtcare@gmail.com. If you’re interested in joining the Trail Crew, go here to learn more about what’s involved and how to volunteer.