Yates Cider Mill

[Lowell]

Time for a break from the world of worries, controversies and fast change for a timeless autumn cup of cider at Yates Cider Mill.


Click image^ to for larger view to read historical maker.

Yates Cider Mill is a remarkable piece of history located in Metro-Detroit’s urban-sprawled Rochester Hills. A water-powered mill wheel that has since 1863 sawed lumber and ground grains to flour still operates today pressing apples to into cider. Overhead gears power the apple press.



Water exits the mill course to return to the Clinton River.



Continuing its journey to Lake St. Clair, the Clinton river flow past having shared its energy to make cider.

[JBMcB]

Awesome! I like Yates a lot, I just wish it had an apple orchard. Probably impractical given it's location.

Time for reviews! [[5-Star Scale)

Yates-
Cider: ****
Donuts: ****

Franklin-
Cider: ****
Donuts: ***

Hy's-
Cider: ****
Donuts: *****

Blake's-
Cider: ***
Donuts: **

Erwin Orchards:
Cider: *****
Donuts: **

Special mention to Erwin Orchards who still makes unpasteurized cider. Perfectly safe as they pick, wash and press the unpasteurized stuff on the same day. Doesn't last long but holy cow it's the best cider you've ever had.

[Bigb23]

I remember when The Rochester cider mill had 20 acres of orchards behind them. Now it's all subdivions.

[cla1945]

In the 1950's, during the fall, we used to go to Yates. It was not near as popular as it is today. We would follow the railroad tracks almost to where the Sportsmen's Club is today. You could cross the water on the other side of the road on the trestle. Today, that's gone. My Dad took us there in the summer and you could swim in the lake across the road from Yates. I still get such a deja vu feeling every time we go there. My all time favorite place in the fall.

[O3H]

It's nice over in that section by Yates; but almost no one follows the ugliness nearby, when we have massive rainstorms on a superfund site

https://goo.gl/maps/T8mhERCgADQ2

https://redrundrain.wordpress.com/20...andfill-leaks/

This area next to the Clinton River has approximately 71 monitoring wells for
continuous groundwater samples and water level measurements.
The onsite Waste Water Treatment Plant operates 24/7 and 365 days a year.
A system of 80 above-ground vents are distributed across the site.
The G & H site was a sand and gravel quarry.
Chemicals were dumped en-masse from mid-1950s until mid 1970’s.
Ninety-five chemicals have been detected at the G & H site.
The Clinton River watershed is directly affected by this chemical landfill.

[Scottathew]

I love kayaking through there. It's right across the street\river from Bloomer Park, which is a fantastic park!

Nice pictures and video, Lowell!

[O3H]

Hackel trying to promote Clinton paddling [[canoe/kayak) by Mt. Clemens BUT forgets to realize the sewage overflows just about every hard rainfall. The first thing everyone wants to do when the sun comes out - get in,on,near the water.

I'm definitely NOT knocking Yates. Been there dozens of times, enjoy the pies, fresh apples, cider by the gallon, etc., etc. Neat place, lots of memories. Great place to decompress, relax, take a walk.

[Warrenite84]

Stony Creek Cider Mill: [[32 Mile Rd)
Cider:*****
Donuts:****
Goodison Cider Mill: [[Orion Rd)
Cider:*****
Donuts:****

[jackie5275]

Continuing its journey to Lake St. Clair, the Clinton river flow past having shared its energy to make cider.

Thanks for this tranquil photo Lowell. I needed to see this today.

[sirrealone]

It's too congested around Yate's for us to make that our regular place anymore. We have fallen in love with Hy's. It's a little more of a drive but so much more tranquil, plus they have apple picking.

Definitely avoid Long's out in Commerce Township. My in-laws live up that way and it used to be a pretty cool spot, but now they're all about the almighty dollar. They charge you for cups if that tells you anything.

[Jimaz]

It's too congested around Yate's for us to make that our regular place anymore....

Thanks for mentioning that. I was about to ask if that's still a problem.

Can anything be done to improve traffic flow around there?

[Bham1982]

Definitely avoid Long's out in Commerce Township. My in-laws live up that way and it used to be a pretty cool spot, but now they're all about the almighty dollar. They charge you for cups if that tells you anything.

All the cider mills are sorta cash grabs and traffic nightmares. Franklin now charges $10.25 for cider, and each [[tiny) donut is $1.25 or $1.50. That's after navigating the hilariously congested parking situation.

And cash only, of course. I would like to see their daily revenues; must be impressive with everyone dropping $40-$50 and constant 30 minute lines on weekends. We're probably financing someone's villa in Tuscany or somewhere.

[MicrosoftFan]

Apple Charlie’s in Huron Twp is my favorite.

[Scottathew]

Hackel trying to promote Clinton paddling [[canoe/kayak) by Mt. Clemens BUT forgets to realize the sewage overflows just about every hard rainfall. The first thing everyone wants to do when the sun comes out - get in,on,near the water.

I rode the Clinton River past the Red Run once. ONCE. Never again. It was so disgusting. Smelled like poo, we could see floating waste, and there was a layer of oil on top of the water that coated all our gear.

NEVER again.

[Scottathew]

Thanks for mentioning that. I was about to ask if that's still a problem.

Can anything be done to improve traffic flow around there?

I heard that RCOC had plans drawn up to fix the issues in the area.

My guess: The issues stem from back in the day they probably only wanted to build one bridge, so Dequindre was swung over west. This causes Avon and Dequindre to join up to become a single road for the stretch in front of Yates. It takes both two lanes roads and makes the become a combined, still two lane road.

RCOC's proposed fix, extend Dequindre straight north to keep with the grid and have it intersect Avon at 23 Mile. I saw plans for this at one time. Below is my recollection of those plans:

[Scottathew]

I found the source of my recollection. Source: https://www.rochesterhills.org/Docum...Home/View/1422

Here's the picture from the document:

[douglasm]

You guys are lucky. I live in "The Apple Capital Of The World", Wenatchee WA and there isn't a cider press to be found. I do miss cider and donuts this time of year.....

[Jimaz]

I heard that RCOC had plans drawn up to fix the issues in the area.

My guess: The issues stem from back in the day they probably only wanted to build one bridge, so Dequindre was swung over west....

Makes sense. Thanks. At least somebody's considering it.

I once made the mistake of trying to drive through there completely forgetting about the Yates traffic congestion. Bad decision.

If they ever do fix it, Yates will have to expand their capacity just to satisfy the new demand — a nice problem to have!

[O3H]

I remember this planning - by that superfund site near Yates.

https://redrundrain.files.wordpress....-inch-main.jpg

A 96 inch diameter , drinking water pipe, was to be moved, away from the superfund site, to "fix" any potential issues.

https://redrundrain.files.wordpress....ter-system.jpg

The Detroit Water & Sewer Department [[DWSD) easement that runs through
the western portion of the site contains a 96-inch clean water supply pipeline.
The clean drinking water supply line was constructed in 1967 and serves as
the main distribution from Lake Huron to the Detroit Municipal Water System.

* The DWSD 96 inch drinking water main has been completely submerged
by chemical groundwater/leachate on more than one occasion.*
Lets hope there was no infiltration/inflow issues; it was built in 1967.


CRA Environmental Services
Conestoga-Rovers & Associates Inc.
14496 Sheldon Road, Suite 200
Plymouth, Michigan 48170
Phone: [[734) 453-5123
Fax: [[734) 453-5201
CRA CLIENT: G&H LANDFILL PRP GROUP
DURATION: 1993 – ONGOING
COST: $16 MILLION

UPON 3rd Review – Site Inspection 5/26/2010 –
Review period: [[ April 2010 – July 2011)
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/f...1050004069.pdf
– Physical and hydraulic containment may not be functioning as designed
along the south wall of Phase II, at the southwest comer of Phase II,
along the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water main,
and at the toe of Phase III
– The discharge and accumulation of orange colored liquids at the
Phase III landfill toe may indicate that hydraulic containment to
prevent off site migration; may not be functioning as designed.
– The current monitoring well locations and list of analytical
parameters; may not be adequate to determine protectiveness of the remedy.

So who wants to catch fish below Yates, on the Clinton River ???

https://redrundrain.files.wordpress....1/11/trout.jpg

How many fish were stocked, and how many chemical exist from G & H Landfill ?

https://redrundrain.files.wordpress....-1998_2011.jpg

Your TAX dollars at work folks. Sell those fishing licenses at $30 a piece.

Everything "looks" beautiful at Yates, calm, serene, peaceful.
Almost no one talks about what actually happens along, an on , the Clinton River.

The damn river has to have fish FORCED into it, EVERY year, because State of Michigan DNR is greedy and wants those fishing license revenues.

https://redrundrain.files.wordpress....nton-river.jpg

How does everyone like those apples ..................

https://redrundrain.files.wordpress....ract-ws622.jpg

Those apples didn't grow nearby Yates.....did they ??????????

[sirrealone]

The Dequindre road mis-alignment has been a huge problem in that area for years, and not just because of the cider mill. The fact that the study you linked was from 2008 just shows how many obstacles there are. The biggest problem is that because the road borders both Oakland and Macomb County as well as whatever cities would be affected, plus the Water department, trying to line up the approvals and all the funding would be a nightmare. Under the way project funding goes, all of the parties involved would have to provide funding at the same time. Even if one party wanted to wait a year, the entire approval process would have to start over.

[Meddle]

Previous threads without politics or personal agendas.:

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...17-Cider-Mills

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...te-Cider-Mills

[ddaydetroit]

I grew up right by the Clinton river and canoed it 3 or 4 times a summer to get from Yates to the Red run Ditch takes a full day of canoeing there is no comparison to the Clinton river at Yates and and the Clinton River down river from Utica road and Hayes

[ddaydetroit]

I rode the Clinton River past the Red Run once. ONCE. Never again. It was so disgusting. Smelled like poo, we could see floating waste, and there was a layer of oil on top of the water that coated all our gear.

NEVER again.

I grew up right by the Clinton river and canoed it 3 or 4 times a summer to get from Yates to the Red run Ditch takes a full day of canoeing there is no comparison to the Clinton river at Yates and and the Clinton River down river from Utica road and Hayes

[O3H]

I'm not sure what type of craft people are paddling out there
but a "decent" skilled canoeist or kayaker cruises at 3-4 miles/hour.
Floating, splashing, etc. is different from actually paddling steady.
Covering 10 - 20 miles takes just a few hours.

http://www.crwc.org/wp-content/uploa...ershed_map.jpg

[Scottathew]

I'm not sure what type of craft people are paddling out there
but a "decent" skilled canoeist or kayaker cruises at 3-4 miles/hour.
Floating, splashing, etc. is different from actually paddling steady.
Covering 10 - 20 miles takes just a few hours.

http://www.crwc.org/wp-content/uploa...ershed_map.jpg

I went on the Clinton River from Squirrel Road to Van Dyke, stopping for about 3 hours for food and rest, we put in the water at 6:45am and got out at 8:15pm. Upriver was too shallow and we had to deal with bottom out a lot. We were using kayaks.