By Brittany Short I remember attending my first Friends of the Pumpkinvine Board meeting in 2016. The most memorable item on the agenda that day explored the question: What does the Friends of the Pumpkinvine become after all the “gaps” are complete? Conversations about the Shipshewana extension had begun, we were actively engineering the section between County Roads 20 and …
by Brittany Short Trail users are looking forward to the Pumpkinvine’s completion. A short segment between County Roads 35 and 20 in Middlebury is the last remaining gap in this 17-mile path from Goshen to Shipshewana, Indiana. In the fall of 2020, we were confident we could finish construction by the end of this year. But since then, wetland related …
Over the past 31 years, volunteers with the Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail (FPVNT) have worked closely with Public agencies to convert 17 miles of former Pumpkin Vine Railroad corridor into a multi-use trail and linear park. And in the last two decades the dream of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail came to life, now being used by over 200,000 …
This summer, 650 feet of trail was built west of County Road 35 in Middlebury. Currently this section dead-ends, and is not open to the public. The remaining 2000 feet is expected to be constructed next year; which is currently the final remaining on-road gap in an otherwise connected Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. Phased construction was one of the terms negotiated …
The Krider Rest Area is now open, and is the direct result of a collaboration between various community entities including: Town of Middlebury Friends of Middlebury Parks Community Foundation of Elkhart County Bontrager Family Foundation Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail Pumpkinvine Cyclery The Scott & Vonnie Trumble Family The facility has two handicap accessible restrooms complete with diaper changing …
Last July, the day after I got a new bike, I rode from Middlebury to Goshen with my husband. Since everything was new and different, I did not realize until we stopped for ice cream at the Chief that my phone mount had broken off and my phone was gone. We retraced the entire route searching frantically for my phone, …
We would like to congratulate Bud Wulliman and Andrea Thompson (October 2020) and Jane Short and Vivian Schmucker (June 2021) on their retirements from the Friends of the Pumpkinvine Board of Directors. Thank you for your selfless service to this community!
650 feet of greenway to the west of County Road 35 in Middlebury is nearly complete, and the long-anticipated closure of the Trail’s final gap is on the horizon. However, Brittany Short, Friends of the Pumpkinvine Board President, says that getting to this point took longer than anticipated. Gas main discovery halts 2020 construction In October of 2020, Trail construction …
By John Yoder Elkhart resident Robert Carrico, a member of the Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail board of directors, received the 2021 Outstanding Trail Advocate award from the Indiana Greenways Foundation at the organization’s virtual Annual Luncheon, April 29, 2021. The foundation gives this award each year to the trail advocate who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting trails …
by John Yoder, Brittany Short & Norm Kauffmann One of the final gaps in the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail has received funding for development. On Thursday, March 4th, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ NextLevel Trails program announced second round grant picks. This announcement comes nearly a near after the original decisions were due to be made; postponed due to the …
Thanks in part to a generous NextLevel Trails Grant, and the work of more than a few determined individuals, Pumpkinvine Nature Trail will finally connect to downtown Shipshewana by the end of 2021. On Thursday, March 4th, the grantees of the 2nd round of NextLevel Trails Grants were announced–nearly a near after the original announcement predictions, due to the COVID-19 …
Photos of the newly installed signs on 2/19/2021; cement base covered in plastic to allow time to cure. If you’re driving along County Road 20 southwest of Middlebury, or are adventurous enough to be pedaling by, you may notice a new sign has appeared along the Trail. This Donor Recognition sign has been in the works for several years, …
