No shortcuts
New portion of East Gull Lake Recreational Trail: 'Now you can go somewhere'
EAST GULL LAKE - The sliced strand of ribbon danced in the light breeze as the runner edged past the small crowd.
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But this was no finish line. Quite the contrary.
Supporters of the East Gull Lake Recreational Trail system gathered June 28 on a portion of the recently completed leg of the trail. Etched out last fall, it was paved - overnight, it seemed - soon after the snow disappeared in mid-spring and has been a buzz of activity ever since.
A portion of the new leg of the East Gull Lake Recreational Trail runs parallel to Cass County Road 70, across from the parking lot and clubhouse facilities at Cragun's Resort's Legacy golf courses.
Brainerd Dispatch/Brian S. Peterson
The June 28 ribbon cutting was held at this location to take advantage of the setting - Dade Lake shimmered in the background. But any place along the new 4.2-mile stretch would have done nicely. It winds along the plush fairways of Madden's on Gull's "The Classic" Golf Course and Cragun's Resort's Legacy courses, towering woodlands and, of course, Dade Lake.
"It's what I'd hoped for. You have a grand picture in mind, and that's what we got," said Neal Gaalswyck of the East Gull Lake City Council. "Even the little things. Now you can go somewhere."
Indeed. The trail, a multi-use system built in cooperation between Cass County and the City of East Gull Lake, now spans 7 miles, from the East Gull Lake Airport to the Gull Lake Dam Recreation Area.
A jogger headed down the East Gull Lake Recreational Trail toward Dade Lake - a stretch of the trail that runs parallel to Cass County Road 77.
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Brainerd Dispatch/Brian S. Peterson
Cost of the project was approximately $500,000 - $275,000 from the Cass County Project 73 Fund, $100,000 from Kavanaugh's Resort Development, $70,000 from the East Gull Lake General Fund, $30,000 from East Gull Lake Development Fees and $25,000 from the East Gull Lake Park and Trail Fund. East Gull Lake taxpayers accounted for $95,000 through the park and trail and general funds. East Gull Lake also has committed an annual budget of $12,000 for maintenance and construction.
According to Mark Kavanaugh, co-owner of Kavanaugh's Resort and a member of the trail committee, "There's small components still left, but that will be done in the next month. But it's all useable."
Additional signage is in the works, including: "A plan to put signs up like Adopt-a-Trail," Gaalswyck said. Such donated funds would go toward park benches, landscaping, additional signage and the likes.
Jim Demgen (left), Cass County commissioner, cut the ribbon with help from East Gull Lake Mayor Dave Kavanaugh while Rob Mason of the East Gull Lake Recreational Trail Committee looked on during Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
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Brainerd Dispatch/Brian S. Peterson
Said Cass County Commissioner Jim Demgen: "Signage is coming. There's still improvements that need to be done."
It was mostly cloudy with a cool breeze when the nine trail backers set out from The Classic parking lot for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They crossed Cass County Road 18 and walked the trail along Cass County Road 77 for about 50 yards. The ceremony lasted only a minute or two, but the group lingered there longer, talking about what had been accomplished.
Automobilers are urged to share the road with trail users where the East Gull Lake Recreational Trail veers onto the shoulder of Cass County Road 70 near the Gull Lake Dam Recreational Area.
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Brainerd Dispatch/Brian S. Peterson
And what's yet to come. The next phase is to "close the loop" to the section of the trail that runs from the airport to the trail just across from the Cragun's entrance - a short leg of about a quarter of a mile. Then, according to Kavanaugh, the plan is "to continue the trail on County Road 18 at The Classic Golf Course south to the junction of 120th Street - this will give us the eventual connection to the Baxter trails and the Paul Bunyan Trail. And to continue the trail along Pine Beach Peninsula Road - the entry to Madden's - to give access to the trail to residents of Green Hill and the Pine Beach Peninsula. And expand the trail on the north side of County Road 77 from the future Pine Beach Peninsula trail to the East Pointe Trail. The advantage here would be the elimination of the number of crossings of County Road 77."
BRIAN S. PETERSON, outdoors editor, may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.