B2B Trail User Spotlight: Patrick Judd
Around 2003, Patrick’s employer, Pollack Design Associates, was selected to design elements of the B2B Trail that stretch from Dexter to Ann Arbor ( D1 Section, known as the River Terrace Trail section). Patrick was tasked with crafting a trail user experience that brought together local ecology and local people through universal design and sustainable practices. Given the unique ecology and state protections along this segment of the Huron River, prioritizing access and connection to nature was at the heart of this project.
As an avid fly fisherman, Judd walked and waded the Huron River throughout the seasons to better understand the river, from its banks to flow to wildlife. After nearly 6 years of walking, he felt the river asked for the bridge to be placed around the first bend before entering in the main area of the Dexter Huron Metropark. This site would become the first bridge along the B2B Trail.
By boat or bike, the bridge was designed so that one would approach from direction with the end of the curve hidden from view. By spanning the shortest run between curves, the bridge is only visible as you come up to it. Judd recalls paddling this stretch and being constantly drawn to the idea that one wouldn’t spot the bridge in the distance until the first bend and it would disappear from view just as quickly as the downriver current rounded the next curve. This strategic placement creates a sense of mystery and tugs on our basic human instinct to discover what’s beyond the bend. This intentional design consideration keeps people coming back again and again to capture that sense of adventure and curiosity.
What was once an idea quickly became reality and the bridge was completed. When the surrounding area was ready for restoration, Judd broadcast seeds of native plants original to the site that he collected from before construction began. The rest of the area was filled in with native plant selections to further enhance stabilization and complemented already established flora.
Love for this bridge grew as the plants established and more miles of the B2B Trail opened to connect Dexter to Ann Arbor. When WCPARC and his firm were pulling together materials to update Washtenaw County’s 2016 Master Plan a few years later, Judd searched for imagery of Washtenaw’s many nature areas created by local artists to inspire future projects. A quick search resulted in finding an oil painting completed during the Dexter Plein Air Festival portraying Patrick’s bridge in the Dexter-Huron Metropark that matched his initial vision of the bridge’s design over ten years earlier! “Bridge Over the Huron River” by Rachel VanWylen. He knew he had found the perfect fit for the updated master plan to inspire potential partners and organizations around the beauty of our local nature areas.
That image is still used on the Dexter Huron Metropark website and continued to stick in Judd’s mind. He eventually contacted the artist, asking if they had any prints available. The Jackson-based artist never made copies of the painting in question, but the original was still available. Patrick jumped at the chance to own the artist’s interpretation of the image that resided in his mind for years and he immediately drove across the county line to acquire it.
The experience got him wondering if other artistic interpretations of this bridge existed. Following that curiosity led him to find a 10×8” piece done in watercolor pastels, but he’s still tracking down the artist to inquire about purchasing it. He patrols the internet for new works of the same subject and angle as time goes by, often finding this bridge on social media posts or as the backdrop of photoshoots. “I enjoy that others enjoy this landmark on the B2B Trail, so much so that they continually depict it from the same perspective I originally envisioned it!”
In April 2024, Judd attended HWPI’s 2024 Maps and Taps event to connect with other trail enthusiasts between the food trucks, local beer, trail maps, and activities. When he arrived at HOMES Campus, he immediately struck up conversations with HWPI and WCPARC staff, excited to learn just how much the trail had evolved on other segments of the B2B Trail. As he rounded the room, he spotted Brian Fritz, a late-addition to the event’s program who had just begun the reddish underpainting layer for a B2B Trail scene he was set to complete before the night was over. Wouldn’t you know it, the reference photo tacked to the upper right corner of the canvas was the bridge Judd designed in Dexter Huron Metropark!
What were the chances he was witnessing the creation of a painting of the same angle and perspective? Judd’s excitement was contagious. Both painter and landscape architect exchanged stories of the bridge and B2B Trail, swapping notes on best times to capture the morning light and evening shadows. Fritz, an avid cyclist who found this bridge on a long training ride, was excited to learn more about how the vision of this bridge was connected to his own interpretation taking shape in front of their eyes.
Given Judd’s ongoing search for the watercolor pastel spotted online, he knew he needed to act fast if the opportunity to acquire another artwork of the bridge presented itself. After some back and forth in the silent auction, Judd came out on top as the winner for Fritz’s live painting of the first B2B Trail bridge.
The two paintings now hang side by side in Judd’s dining room, with space enough to add the third if the watercolor pastel becomes available. If not, there is always a constant stream of creativity flowing around this bridge. Judd is confident that while he may not know what future artworks may cross his path, he looks forward to the surprise of finding how others see what’s just around the bend.
