North Star Vol. 31, No. 2 (2012)

April-June, 2012 The magazine of the North Country Trail Association

Volume 31, No. 2

north star

Annual Conference Program Inside!

Navigating The McCormick Wilderness Without Blazes

Advocacy For Our Trail In Washington D.C. and at the Local Level

2 The North Star April-June 2012

About the Cover Carpet of trillium on steep side of Taylor Valley during 2011 Cortland County Hike Series in the center of upstate NY, a narrow forested valley where the spring wildflowers are always astounding. On May 21st they were late last year. And that white blaze? The Finger Lakes Trail was already white-blazed for its main east-west portion before the NCT was invented. Photo by Jacqui Wensich.

North Star StaffIrene Szabo, Volunteer Editor, (585) 658-4321 or [email protected] Peggy Falk, Graphic Design

The North Star, Summer issue, Vol. 31, Issue 2, is published by the North Country Trail Association, a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, 229 East Main Street, Lowell, MI 49331. The North Star is published quarterly for promotional and educational purposes and as a benefit of membership in the Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the North Country Trail Association.

StaffAndrew Bashaw Regional Trail Coordinator Ohio/[email protected]

David Cowles Director of [email protected]

Jill DeCator Administrative Assistant/Membership [email protected]

Matt Davis Regional Trail Coordinator Minnesota/North [email protected]

Rose Ann M. Davis Office Manager [email protected]

Andrea KetchmarkDirector of Trail [email protected]

Laura LindstromFinancial [email protected] Matthews Executive [email protected]

Bill Menke Regional Trail Coordinator Wisconsin [email protected]

Matt Rowbotham GIS Coordinator [email protected]

National Board of DirectorsTerms Expiring 2012Joyce Appel, Pennsylvania Rep.(724) 526-5407 · [email protected] Jack Cohen, Pennsylvania Rep.(724) 234-5398 · [email protected] Koepplin, Immediate Past President, North Dakota Rep.(701) 845-2935 · [email protected] Moberg, First VP, Minnesota Rep.(701) 271-6769 · [email protected] Pavek, Minnesota Rep. (763) 425-4195 · [email protected]

Gaylord Yost, VP West, Great Lakes Rep.(414) 354-8987 · [email protected]

Terms Expiring 2013Larry Hawkins, President, Lower Michigan Rep.(269)945-5398 · [email protected] Rummel, New York Rep.(315) 536-9484 · [email protected]

Ray Vlasak, At Large Rep.(218) 573-3243 · [email protected]

Terms Expiring 2014Mary Coffin, VP East, New York Rep.(315) 687-3589 · [email protected]

Dave Cornell, At Large Rep. (239) 561-6512 · [email protected]

Garry Dill, At Large Rep.(614) 451-0223 · [email protected] John Heiam, At Large Rep.(231) 938-9655 · [email protected]

Lorana Jinkerson, Secretary, At Large Rep.(906) 226-6210 · [email protected] Thomas, At Large Rep.(612) 240-4202 · [email protected]

In This IssueInto the Wilderness ........................6NCTA Conference Pages ...............9Registration Page .........................15Nominations forBoard of Directors .....................16Your 2012 Ballot: Vote! ..............17 Welcome, Rose Ann Davis! ..........17Hike the Hill ..............................18Advocacy for the Arrowhead Trail .....................19End 2 End on the FLTIn Just One Day?! ........................20A Humbling Experience ...............25End to End Policy .......................26

Kids on a summer hike, led by the photographer's sons Kyle and Dale, who fought over who was actually leading. Hike ended at Argentine in northern Butler County, Pennsylvania, where there is a glass blowing center that welcomes visiting hikers.

ColumnsTrailhead ......................................3Matthews’ Meanders ....................4Trail Manager’s Corner ..............24

Departments Hiking Shorts ............................21

Tamm

y Veloski

April-June 2012 The North Star 3www.northcountrytrail.org

In the years that I have served the NCTA, the concept of Trail Protection has evolved significantly.

In the beginning, it was simply a matter of preserving the trail on the ground. It was mowing and pruning, fighting back the pucker brush and the autumn olive bushes to keep the trail open and hikeable. At that time, that was a big job for me.

After a couple years, I became more active in our local chapter and was drawn into interacting with our local DNR Land Managers and then the DNR management from the Capitol. I began to make the acquaintance of some of the good people who were granting us the right of way across their land. I remember well my first workshop with Irene Szabo at my first National Conference in Pennsylvania. She spoke of developing relationships with landowners and seeking easements for the trail. My gut response was “I don’t want to do that.” and “I can’t do that.” Sound familiar?

Shortly after that, in our local chapter, we lost a beautiful section of trail on which we had worked hard to achieve “Gold Star” status. We lost it because we had not taken care to maintain relationships with a landowner and keep up our written “contract” with him. That was a very hard lesson. Not long after, we experienced the death of two very good friends who had supported the Trail’s passage through their land. We had failed to make the effort to get a permanent easement and discovered that the children were far less interested in supporting the trail than their parents. A new meaning of Trail Protection impacted me.

With the passage of the Willing Seller legislation and the possibility that the NPS could purchase land more easily, work with Land Conservancies, and more aggressively seek permanent access to the land through which our Trail passes, you can bet I was at the Trail Protection Workshops that were held at the Dayton Conference. The one thing that struck me in those workshops

LARRY HAWKINS President

TRAIL HEAD

was how few of us were there and how little we have done as an organization to protect the corridor through which our trail passes.

During the past year, we formed a Board Committee, which has been truly struggling with the direction in which we must go in coming years. What are our priorities? Is it simply getting trail on the ground or are we to be patient to get the best and most scenic passage for the Trail? How wide should the easements be? Are we looking for ten feet, twenty-five, a hundred feet, more? What kinds of easements should we be seeking—twenty-five years, permanent? How are we to use the funds that become available? These are thorny questions.

More recently, on a national level, a new and challenging side of Trail Protection has become apparent. With a Congress that is less and less committed to the environment, we have been

struggling to get congressional approval for the Arrowhead reroute in Minnesota. Natural gas “fracking” is putting the trail at great risk in Pennsylvania. In the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, renewed interest in mining threatens the “viewscape” through which the NCNST passes.

The most recent and serious incursion has recently occurred in New York's Madison County, where many of us hiked an abandoned railbed during recent NCTA conferences in Cazenovia. A ten year old section of the trail maintained by the Central New York Chapter was destroyed when the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) arbitrarily changed the designation of the trail from a hiking trail to a multi-use trail and allowed a local snowmobile club to come in with heavy equipment and bulldoze away years of work by the Central New York Chapter. Your Board of Directors met in emergency session to commit significant funds to a legal battle to reverse this decision and alter the perception of the OPRHP as to how they interact with National Scenic Trails. We hope you support us in this effort to protect the Trail to which you have dedicated so much sweat equity.

—Larry Hawkins

The Many Faces of Trail Protection:The North Country Trail Association develops, maintains, protects

and promotes the North Country National Scenic Trail

On NCT Hikers trail east of Craig Lake State Park, Upper Peninsula, Michigan: somebody else's handiwork on a shelf fungus, so her hike group just laughed and kept going. …and lived! Pictures by Lorana Jinkerson.


Certainly one of the most appealing values of experiencing the North Country National Scenic Trail is the never-ending diversity, whether natural,

cultural, historic or simply the people you get to meet. That diversity extends to working landscapes as well. As the NCNST hiker traverses America’s northern heartlands there are opportunities to experience everything from pristine wilderness, where the touch of human hands can be difficult to discern, to intensely managed landscapes where the human interface is not only apparent, it may even be offensive. Hiking downwind of a chicken farm or following in the footsteps of a manure spreader is a possibility. There’s the probability that growing oil and gas exploration and drilling will continue to be done on or near parts of the NCNST, and hikers encountering it won’t be pleased at the noise, smell, truck traffic and sometimes loss of trail that occurs. Mining activity is prevalent in some areas, both for ores and minerals as well as hard rock quarrying. And the state and national forests that host many miles of the NCNST are managed for multiple uses, including logging. Hikers rarely enjoy passing through the signs of recent timber harvests or clear-cuts.

While it may seem simplistic, hikers might make an effort to better understand these working landscapes, the purpose of the activity, the ways in which impacts on the environment are managed, and the efforts made by the NCTA and the land owner/manager to mitigate impacts on the hiking experience. A deeper appreciation might result for the interrelatedness of things as well as the difficulty in balancing competing and even opposing interests on behalf of the public trust (as is the case with state and national forests). Working landscapes such as farmlands and forests have value in their current state, which the hiking community also has a very high interest in maintaining. Farmland, for example, often converts to housing developments when the farmer no longer makes a living from it. Most NCNST hikers would prefer hiking along a field edge or through a woodlot than the latest “Quail Ridge” or “Fox Hollow,” where nary a quail nor fox can be found.

Clear cuts offer another example, and it can be tough to swallow a trail once surrounded by mature trees suddenly converted to slash piles and sawdust. The thru-hiker will never likely revisit the clear-cut, but if he or she came back even two years later the blackberries would likely make it worthwhile. And for the next 15 to 20 years, as the aspens regenerate it will be grouse and woodcock heaven, or jack pine habitat for Kirtland’s warbler and the Karner Blue butterfly, both endangered. Active forest management as a working landscape may not be aesthetically pleasing to some,

but to others the ecological diversity thus engendered, not to mention the value of the timber and the employment of local loggers, can outweigh some of the aesthetics.

NCTA Chapters working closely with land managers who value the National Scenic Trail as well can often build relationships that mitigate those negative impacts of working landscapes as they occur. Creating buffer zones in clear cuts is one example. Another is ensuring and upholding NCNST values in routing haul roads or drilling pads.

Reality dictates that the nature of the NCNST includes working landscapes in traversing its 4600 miles across America’s northern heartland, uniting our “red plaid nation.” Better understanding them and their value to local communities and in some cases importance to preserving the NCNST can create a deeper appreciation of why the NCNST is unique among national scenic trails. Better understanding how to work with land managers in partnership as they manage working landscapes can help minimize impacts of potentially adverse uses for the trail.

BRUCE MATTHEWSExecutive Director

MATTHEWS’ MEANDERS

1. 1999: This red pine forest was planted in the 1930's.

www.northcountrytrail.org April-June 2012 The North Star 5www.northcountrytrail.org

Part of my NY trail care responsibility includes a mile that endured the largest-ever red pine harvest in state forest history, an effort to recoup something from the

failing red pine plantation that was planted in the 1930's to hold the soil on abandoned farm hilltops when the state took ownership. Red pines weren't a great choice here, because the soil was too thin above rock for roots to penetrate properly, so they began to die off after sixty years.

Having the pines harvested in 1999-2000 for modest income included the greater benefits of reforestation with more appropriate species. The loggers' contract included planting thousands of Norway spruce seedlings (not a native tree, but well-suited to this thin soil) while some plots were only thinned, not clear-cut. Native species have thrived in the sunlit openings in the previous dark plantation, while wildlife variety has been exciting in the years following clear cutting in other plots. We never heard warblers or towhees when this was a region of only one kind of tree, and bears have clearly followed the raspberries.

Ironically native “volunteer” tree species have sprouted in the clear cuts with a higher degree of success than the laboriously planted Norway spruce. The spruce are doing fine, but neighbor trees are outgrowing them and in wild variety: opportunistic trees like black birch and aspen are enjoying their relatively short futures in all that sunshine, while red and white oak, red maple, beech, and, yes, a few persistent red pine are growing like crazy, and after twelve short years partially shade the trail. Trailside trees are already taller than I am.

I took pictures in several locations over these dozen years to document the changes there. This series is all of the very same spot, honest! Number 1 is the dark pine plantation as it was in 1999 before any activity there, while number 2 shows the shocked landscape after felled red pines were dragged away down a “road” made of cut-up pine tops. Number 3 shows a little regrowth in 2002, mostly grassy

weeds, tiny aspen, and hand-planted Norway spruce too short to be visible in this picture. Hand-whacking keeps the path apparent along with the occasional orange-blazed stake supplied by the loggers (an unexpected kindness). Pat Martin's back is in several pictures for scale perspective.

Number 4 was taken in June 2011, showing the riot of baby trees surrounding the same spot, while Sandy and Pearl rest in the shade from all that exhausting weed-whacking by hand. This spot is just past Pat in picture number 3, looking the same direction, and only 9 years later. The nearest tree on the left of the path in number 4 is a Norway spruce, with a self-seeded red pine behind it. So if you are shocked and saddened by a clear cut where your favorite woods used to be, be patient first of all, and don't forget, as Bruce suggests, to understand the larger picture. Those old red pines could have all fallen down by now, making for even worse trail conditions, with no benefit to the state forest.

Or on private land, consider the rebuttal written in a trail register by the logger working there. He reminded hikers writing cranky comments that the landowner was paying his enormous tax bill on this large tract by selling some trees, enabling him to keep the property intact and free of development.

Making Bruce's Point in the Field Story and pictures by Irene Szabo

2. Same spot after the red pine plantation was clearcut. 3. First grassy weeds growing up among the planted Norway spruce in 2002.

4. Same spot in June 2011!

6 The North Star April-June 20126 The North Star April-June 2012

Living in northern lower Michigan has made it easy for my husband and me to take a drive across the Mackinac Bridge and spend time in the Upper Peninsula enjoying

the campgrounds, back country trails, small lakes and the Great Lakes’ pristine beaches. It was on one of these trips north that I first noticed a North Country Trail sign. After seeing one, others seemed to pop out at me. After researching the North Country Trail (NCT) and recruiting my husband and friends, we decided to set a goal and hike the portion that crosses Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a total of about 525 miles. Backpacking wasn't a good option as some of us had bad knees and bad backs. (As we push on, some now have new knees and new hips!) We spend time together each fall doing day hikes while staying in campgrounds, motels and cabins, strengthening our friendships and creating happy memories. Even not-so-pleasant events like getting lost and rain storms now give us common experiences that usually, as time passes, turn into humorous stories when revisited.

By the fall of 2011, we had covered approximately two-thirds of our journey. For our next leg, we used a cabin by the small town of Michigamme as our base. Part of this portion of the NCT takes you through the McCormick Wilderness. Located in the Ottawa National Forest, this 16,000-plus acreage is one of rugged and unspoiled beauty, where trees have been undisturbed for more than 70 years.

This land has a connection to the inventor of the reaper, Cyrus McCormick, whose son began purchasing the land in 1904. Through the years a grand camp was built which consisted of several buildings. The complex even had its own library building, which was an exciting discovery for this retired librarian. In 1967 the acreage was willed to the U.S.D.A. by Gordon McCormick, grandson of the famous inventor.

We were all looking forward to this hike. A trip into a designated wilderness gave it a more adventuresome feel, especially after reading the sign at the trail head parking:

“The trail within the wilderness has no man-made trail markers and in some locations can be hard to navigate. Through hikers should be experienced and navigate with a map and compass. Enjoy your stay in McCormick Wilderness!”

Yes, the message on the sign really did end with an exclamation mark. What? No familiar blue blazes? This would have caused us some concern had we not had Lorana Jinkerson and Michael Rankinen joining us, whom we had contacted well before our trip north. Lorana is president of the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter which maintains the trail in the central upper peninsula of Michigan, while Michael maintains the McCormick section. Chain saws are not allowed, so he does this with hand tools, a rake, hard labor and sweat! In the spring and fall he rakes the leaves from almost seven miles of trail making it easier to find … what dedication!

Lorana added to our knowledge of the woods pointing out some very unusual lichens/fungi: “lungwort” or “lung

Into the Wildernessby Jean Moberly

Jean Moberly was asked after she submitted her hike article just HOW their group navigated The McCormick Wilderness, or if they just followed Lorana's fanny. The answer turned out to be the latter, so Lorana was asked to explain how SHE finds her way there.

—Editor

Although I understand it is not the case in all regions, in the Ottawa National Forest, which oversees the McCormick Wilderness

in western Marquette County of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, no blazing of the NCT can take place. Essentially, only hand tools, no power equipment of any kind nor any wheeled equipment can be used within the borders and no painting of our blue blazes can occur. So, just how in the “blue blazes” can you traverse the trail for approximately 6.5 miles and not get lost?

Bring in Mike Rankinen, the NCT Hikers trail adopter, and the NCT Hikers Trail Crew and it is really not that difficult! Since taking responsibility for the McCormick Wilderness, Mike has worked diligently to make this segment of the NCT as easily hiked as those segments with blue blazes marking the way. Start with a map and directions from the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter website: http://northcountrytrail.org/nct/EastMcCormick.htm. Both are downloadable. And, if you have a GPS, contact [email protected] and get the track and waypoints.

Approaching from the west via County Road 607, park, then cross the bridge over the Peshekee River. Immediately you will see a Forest Service sign pointing to the right for the NCT. From here, follow the trail by the tread that is hand-raked at least once a year. The trail is kept to width standards, that is, approximately four feet so watch for a “tunnel.” In addition, watch for rock cairns (small stacks of rocks along the trail), cut off ends of downed trees, broken twigs, branches parallel with the trail, and a few old Forest Service axe “blazes,” now scarred over. Mike suggests thinking like a hunter following a deer trail. A good eye goes a long way in being able to “see” the trail but it is well worth it. And, if all else fails, don’t hesitate to give the NCT Hikers Chapter an e-mail [email protected] or phone 906-226-6210 and ask for a guide.

These suggestions should be useful for other wilderness segments of the trail as well.

Navigating the NCT Through a National Forest Wilderness:

by Lorana Jinkerson

The McCormick

April-June 2012 The North Star 7www.northcountrytrail.org6 The North Star April-June 2012

lichen” and rock tripe. Later, I read that this lichen is used in Great Britain as an indicator of undisturbed ecosystems. These lichens were on tall rock walls that lined our path in some areas. At times on the hike, you can go off the trail and walk out on a rock outcrop. Near the end, Michael showed us his favorite overlook, a beautiful view of the scenic landscape far below.

We did this walk on September 14th, taking some rain gear in our packs “just in case.” The Boy Scouts are right: be prepared! We used those rain jackets four times when we were pelted with balls of hail, which made quite a racket as they hit us and covered the land.

Our hike was about eight miles. Despite the hail, we were sad for the day to end, but we were looking forward to the next day and a walk back to the spot on White Deer Lake where the McCormick camp was located. This is not a section of the NCT but I recommend it. The walk is six to seven miles. The lodge and camp buildings have been removed leaving only foundations. We let our imaginations go back in time to when the buildings were whole and people were enjoying this remote area. How different it would have been to stay at such a “grand” camp, having a staff toting all the necessities back to the compound and preparing for our arrival. It was a tempting scenario, but ultimately we felt lucky to have the place all to ourselves, tranquil and undeveloped.

We appreciate the work done by the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter and all the other groups that are maintaining the trail. I encourage you to take advantage of their efforts. With a little planning, you can fully enjoy the beauty of the NCT without being a backpacker. Gather up your friends and hit the trail!

Be sure to read Irene's 2003 account of an earlier attempt to find the way through the

McCormick Wilderness, page 8

Bonnie BrunettAl M

oberly

View at White Deer Lake with remnants of foundations.

Al Moberly

“The wall,” a rock face covered with odd flakey lichens.

A relatively new sign, and welcomed indeed, pointing out which unblazed opening in the woods is the beginning of the NCT route off the old lane to the remains of White Deer Camp.


Detailed information, contact numbers, and direc-tions will be available at registration or on the Conference Pages at www.northcountrytrail.org.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park World class sculptures in exquisite gardens. www.meijergardens.org

Canoe the Thornapple or Kalamazoo Rivers Urentemcanoe.com in Hastings has canoes to rent on the Thornapple.

Winery Tourswww.michigan.org/Places-to-Go/Tours-and-Trails/Wine-Trails

Casinos Nearby www.gunlakecasino.com or www.firekeeperscasino.com

Lake Michigan Beaches less than an hour away, with camping and hiking included at Holland, Saugatuck Dunes, Van Buren, and Warren Dunes State Park. Start with Van Buren County portion of the state DNR website: www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails

Saugatuck DunesWith strenuous hikes in sand. Potential for a guided hike with van if enough interest is expressed. www.saugatuck.com/beaches

Biking the 33 mile Kal-Haven Trail Kalamazoo to Lake Michigan. Trail info at www.vbco.org/government364491.asp and bike rentals at [email protected] in Kalamazoo.

Gilmore Car MuseumRanked as one of the top five car museums in the nation, and August 4th is a huge special show, only twenty minutes away. Open all seven days. www.gilmorecarmuseum.org

Kalamazoo Air ZooAir plane museum, rides for kids, 3D theater, and flight simulators. www.airzoo.org

Other Attractions In Southwest Michigan

In 2003 after the NCT Hikers hosted the annual conference in Marquette, Michigan, a small band of us tried to navigate the McCormick

Wilderness, unfortunately for us before Mike's careful maintenance there. If Denise Herron hadn't told us to take the path on the right immediately after the bridge across the river, we wouldn't even have known where to start despite good blazes leading to this spot; thankfully there is a sign now.

One wonders also if wilderness designation means that the wooden bridge over the considerable Peshekee River, between parking area and trailhead, will not be replaced some day? None of us is wading that one!

We found it a beautiful forest but the trail, which was initially easy to follow because it was well-used, petered out after about two miles. Apparently most users turned around that far in, leaving the rest of the trail underused and therefore harder to follow.

The shame is that this forest deserves a lot more appreciation. We were astounded at the beauty of the place: sugar maple vied with red oak, white pine and balsam fir perfumed the air, birch, hemlock, and Tamarack provided occasional surprises. Ferns, lowbush blueberry, running ground pine, staghorn club moss adorned the ground, punctuated with a few trailside samples of an orchid, rattlesnake plantain. Best of all, immense house-sized rocks rose from the forest, each draped with a wild variety of vivid green mosses and tiny ferns where seeps dripped, or capped with carpets of the stiff light green “coral reefs” of reindeer moss, or sided with rubbery gray “potato chips,” a bizarre lichen. The trail dipped and rose, curved round and round these monuments to glacial and weather's caprice. It reminded our band of New York travellers of our own Adirondacks, where the NCT will end in the east... dense, dark, damp, and redolant of the remote northwoods. We began to affect voyageur accents and see ourselves in red plaid wool shirts, or to hoist an imaginary creel and vest to follow Hemingway through the trail’s undulations. Truly, the area's higher elevation more closely resembles forests further north on the Canadian shield than neighboring tracts in the Upper Peninsula, and its lakes and rivers drain two ways to Lakes Michigan and Superior.

We wish we could have seen more of the trail here.

— Irene Szabo

An Earlier Stab at Finding the Way


You may know that Battle Creek is called the Cereal City for a reason: it is the home of Kellogg’s and Post Cereal as well as a producer of Ralston cereal. Kalamazoo is a hopping town with a fairly active nightlife, but also an abundance of hiking and biking trails and a number of excellent museums.

Those of you who attended last year’s conference in Dayton probably remember Chief Noonday’s description of the many lakes and streams that run through our chapter’s region, and the easy rolling hills and forested trails through State Forests. We are offering a chance to relax in a very rural area but with first class accommodations. Our conference is set at Yarrow Golf and Conference Resort, a top notch operation with outstanding food, a 5 star certified golf course and great layout for our conference.

While you’re here, trips should be considered to the Gilmore Car Museum, considered one of the top five antique car museums in the US, or to Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. Wandering a bit further away you can enjoy time along the beautiful beaches of Lake Michigan, shopping for art, crafts, or antiques at towns like South Haven, Saugatuck and Holland.

Our committee has worked hard to provide some great hikes and seminars! A trip with hikes to the national headquarters of the NCT in Lowell is planned. Other nearby events include tours of the summer home of W.K. Kellogg and a computerized, automatic milking facility run by Michigan State University, or what can be a very emotional hike on the NCT through the national cemetery at Fort Custer. Don’t miss the NCT through the historic bridges park or a covered bridge in another park.

We look forward to some great hikes, good camaraderie and opportunities to learn from each other while seeing some new miles of the NCT. Please join us.

— Eric Longman, Chief Noonday Chapter

Put Some Snap, Crackle And Pop In Your Step By Planning A Trip To Beautiful Southwest Michigan!

Mick H

awkins

provided by Yarrow G

olf and Conference Resort

Welcome To 2012 NCTA Conference!Hosted By Chief Noonday Chapter of Battle Creek/Kalamazoo, Michigan


Friday, August 3

3-6:00 PM Registration and information tables open, Yarrow Golf Resort lobby.

7-8:00 AM Breakfast Discussion: Communications Panel discussion featuring successful chapter communication techniques. Bruce Matthews, NCTA.

7 AM-6 PM Registration and Trail Shop open, plus Chief Noonday information table.

1 8 AM-12:00 Workshop; Maintaining Sustainable Trails: We have to understand the root causes of trail problems before fixing them. Classroom time followed by outdoors work fixing trail shortcomings to the point where they require routine maintenance. Indoor session followed by outdoor work: bring water and bug repellent. Jeff McCusker, NPS Trail Manager.

2 8-3:00 PM Historic Marshall & Albion River WalksTwo short easy and level walks (total 3 miles) along scenic Kalamazoo River, past stately homes, antique shops, and 18 small museums. Stop for local treats at Side Track ice cream parlor, Riverside Pub, or the Dark Horse Brewery. Historic home walking tour an option.

Walks hosted by Chief Noonday Chapter unless otherwise noted. Transportation provided for all walks.

EXPLORING LOWELL AND NCTA HEADQUARTERS: One whole-day trip offers four options, with potential for one return trip after lunch if desired.

3A 8-4:30 PM Exploring Trail Options South from HQ: Explore potential trail south of Lowell, then lunch in town, either box lunch or restaurant; visit staff at HQ. Continue trail through Lowell, along Flat River to Fallasburg Park. 10 miles, moderate.

3B 8 AM-12:00 South Route Hike: AM hike only, then small bus back to Yarrow in time for board meeting; leaves at noon sharp!

3C 12-4:00 PM Lowell Trail North: Hike above the Flat River, then through Lowell State Game Area, ending at Fallasburg Park. 6 miles, moderate. Hosted by Western Michigan Chapter.

3D 12-4:00 PM Downtown Lowell: Enjoy local cuisine and shopping at the unique shops of Lowell on your own.

Wednesday, August 1 1:00-4:30 PM Board of Directors meeting at Yarrow.

6-7:00 PM Cookout at Yarrow.

7-8:00 PM NPS Awards: Recognition of volunteers helping the longest National Park. Dan Watson, NPS.

8-9:00 PM Campfire at “Redbud” on Yarrow grounds.

9-10:00 PM Jam session on screened porch. Bring an instrument!

10-11:00 PM Weather willing, enjoy a walk around the edges of the 18-hole golf course to watch for deer and listen for owls. Full moon on Wednesday the 1st.

Enjoy a campfire at “Redbud.”

provided by Yarrow

Thursday, August 2

provided by Yarrow

2012 Annual Conference Augusta, Michigan August 1-5



7-8:00 AM Breakfast Discussion–National Forest Partners: Building better partnerships where we have over 600 miles of trail in ten National Forests; what works and what doesn’t, plus our new Forest Service Initiative aimed at improving both relationships and the trail. Andrea Ketchmark, NCTA.

A DAY AT KELLOGG: Half-day at bird sanctuary and dairy barn, or afternoon only at dairy barn and Kellogg home, or spend the whole day there and do all three.

4A 8-11:00 AM Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 40 acre lake in 180 acre sanctuary offers waterfowl and raptor watching plus injured hawks and owls in a protected setting. Guided walk on ¾ mile paved trail with easy alternate to one set of steps. Admission on site $3, $2 for age 62+.

4B 11:30-12:30 Kellogg Biological Station Automated Milking Tour Learn how the educated cows determine when to milk themselves at the robotic milking parlor.

4C 1-3:30 PM Kellogg Manor House at MSU Kellogg Biological Station In 1925 W. K. Kellogg, founder of the cereal company, built his fabulous summer home on the highest point along Gull Lake. Now owned by Michigan State University, the property is used for students seeking advanced degrees. The home is open as part of the guided tour, a good one for families. The Manor House is richly decorated with European tapestry, granite flooring, original paintings, and the décor of an earlier era. Admission on site $5.00.

5 8-11:00 Paul Henry TrailLevel barrier-free 3.6 mile rail trail crossing 3 old bridges then passing a mill pond with swans and ducks. This trail sponsors a woodpecker festival so bring your binoculars.

6 8-12:00 PM Middleville State Game Area Moderate 3 mile walk through woods.

7 8-4:00 PM Yankee Springs Recreation Area medium 10 miles through woodlands including

vistas and scenic lake overlooks. Area known for geological features typified by place names like Devils Soup Bowl.

8 9-12:00 PM Workshop: Trail Construction Discussion followed by building trail outside in

fairly typical landscape (well, at least it’s roughly the midpoint of the whole NCT.) Dress for the weather and work; bring water and bug repellent.

Jeff McCusker, NPS Trail Manager.

9 1- 2:00 PM Workshop: Route Planning Discussion of various approaches to connecting

the dots to close gaps in the NCT. Examples of route planning and legal requirements will be explored. Making the NCT a high quality, sustainable trail relevant to the communities it passes through will be the goal of the session.

Jeff McCusker, NPS Trail Manager.

10 1-2:00 PM Workshop: NCTA Trail Towns A Trail Town program provides hikers with

information on where to eat, sleep, and shop while allowing towns to support local businesses and engage the community in a way that builds pride around their trail. Learn about the NCTA Trail Towns program and how to get your town officially on the map. Rose Ann Davis and Bruce Matthews, NCTA.

11 1-5:00 PM Workshop: Land Navigation Basic land navigation concepts will be followed by GPS use. After the basics, we will explore

options for downloading and manipulating GPS data with popular mapping software programs.

NCTA’s Matt Rowbotham and Western Michigan member Chuck Hayden.

Friday, August 3

Tom G

arnett

Hall Lake at Yankee Springs Recreation Area


12 2-3:00 PM Workshop: Trail Protection 101

Protecting a permanent corridor for the Trail is the only way to ensure the trail and its natural surroundings are safe from future threats, enjoyed by future generations, and continued as a high quality National Scenic Trail. In this introductory session, you will learn the terms, options, and NCTA policies that will guide us as we face protecting more than 2000 miles of private land. Andrea Ketchmark, NCTA.

13 2-3:00 PM Workshop: Fundraising We will outline the array of fundraising activities available from grant writing to special events, using real examples across the Trail.

David Cowles, NCTA.

14 2-3:00 PM Workshop: Social Media, Websites, &

Electronic Communications Discuss how Chapters are using

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to increase their online exposure and get volunteers involved. Learn some best practices for using websites and event calendars. Find out what other on-line and electronic media resources might work for your group. Rose Ann Davis, NCTA.

15 3-4:00 PM Workshop: Trail Protection 201 The Trail would not be possible

without the generosity of private landowners who have granted access to their land. In this interactive session you will learn the skills required to negotiate with landowners, strategies for communicating the vision, and the tools NCTA and others can provide to guide the process.

Andrea Ketchmark, NCTA.

16 3-4:00 PM Workshop: Membership

Designed to help Chapter and Affiliate leaders and local membership chairs with membership retention and new member recruitment, including NCTA web page resources. Sample introductory slide show for community recruitment will be demonstrated. Mary Coffin, NY, and Mary Rebert, Michigan.

17 3-5:00 PM Workshop: Backcountry Medicine

Overview of first aid in the wilderness.

Dr. Larry Hawkins, Michigan.

18 4-5:00 PM Workshop: Trail Layout & Design Indoor session looking at

principles of trail design and layout, which is key to making sustainable trails that people like to use. Plenty of examples of the good, the great, and the ugly from across the USA and around the world. Jeff McCusker, NPS Trail Manager.

19 4-5:00 PM WorkshopChapter Leadership:

This is for the seasoned leader and newly elected officer alike. Roles and responsibilities of officer positions will be outlined as well as resources explained that are available from NCTA and staff. Bruce Matthews and Andrea Ketchmark, NCTA.


Friday, August 3 6-7:00 PM Dinner

7-8:00 PM Annual NCTA Awards PresentationsLorana Jinkerson, Michigan.

8-9:00 PM Program: The North Country Trail and the Kitchen Sink Joan Young spent twenty years walking the whole trail and has a delightful collection of stories and pictures to share about those years of adventures.

9-10:00 PM Music by Bows and Buddies

continued

Marie Altenau


7-8:00 AM Breakfast DiscussionOpen discussion of issues facing chapters. Bruce Matthews, NCTA.

20 8--12:00 PM Bridges to Ott6 mile moderate hike between the historic iron bridges park then through Kimball Pines where extensive damage was caused by winds last year.

21 8-4:00 PM Kalamazoo County Kaleidoscope13 miles of easy to moderate NCT through a National Cemetery, a trail town, an old interurban rail line, and Kellogg Forest. Learn about trail design where beavers rule, enjoy views over the Kalamazoo River Valley, and walk the covered bridge that the Chief Noonday Chapter moved into place. Walk part of the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and learn about robotic milking at the Kellogg farm.

22 8-4:00 PM Battle Creek Linear TrailNCT through Ft. Custer Industrial Park then continue on BCLP through woods along the Kalamazoo River. Lunch can be purchased in Arcadia or bring your own. After lunch continue along the Battle Creek River. 10 moderate miles on wheelchair-accessible trail with cautionary note that there ARE some steep portions.

6-7:00 PM President’s Reception By invitation. Larry Hawkins, Bruce Matthews, David Cowles.

6-7:00 PM Social HourCash Bar. 7-8:00 PM Dinner

8-9:00 PM Annual Auction! Bruce Matthews, NCTA.

9-10:00 PM Music by Kitty

Donohoe Entertainment.

Mick H

awkins

Mick H

awkins

Battle Creek Linear Park where the NCT walks beside the Battle Creek River, with prominent buildings like the Battle Creek Tower, Kellogg world headquarters, and the Heritage Tower in the background.

Sunday, August 5

Saturday, August 4

23 9-5:00 PM Repeat of Kalamazoo County Kaleidoscope (See number 21) 13 miles, or break out after 7 miles at the Kellogg Forest after lunch. The truly obsessive among you may even walk an additional ¾ mile beyond the dairy barn to walk the whole NCT in Kalamazoo County.

Boardwalk through boggy portion of Ott Biological Preserve, now a county park east of Battle Creek, near the historic iron bridges park.



2012 Annual Conference Registration Form August 1-5

All meals include non-alcoholic beverages.

Breakfast Buffet Opens at 6:30 AMFruit display,bakery tray, with butter, cream cheese, jellies, Kellogg cereals and assorted yogurts, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, Chef’s choice breakfast item, bacon, and sausage.Cost is $9.00 (two vouchers for breakfast included in Yarrow room rate, and breakfast included at McCamly Plaza Hotel.)

Deli Lunch BuffetHouse salad, deli salad, kettle chips, and a tray of premade assorted wraps and sandwiches.$12.00

Bag LunchWrap, whole fruit, cookie or granola bar. Ice water in AM for filling water bottles.$8.00

Thursday Night CookoutYarrow’s House SaladCorn BreadBBQ Chicken BreastVegetable KebabsYarrow’s BBQ Baked BeansCorn on the CobPotato SaladApple Crisp$18.00

Friday DinnerCaesar SaladTop Sirloin with Mushroom GravyVegetable Primavera with Marinara SauceMashed PotatoesSteamed BroccoliDessert Bar $29.00 Saturday DinnerYarrow’s House SaladCarved Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish, Au JusRicotta Gnocchi in Herbed Olive Oil and ParmesanSteamed Yukon Gold PotatoesSeasonal Vegetable MedleyAssorted Desserts$33.00

MENU LODGING


In all cases, make your own reservations with the facility! You must mention that you are attending the NCTA Annual Conference to obtain the quoted rates for all locations, even the campground. Rates, rooms and campsites blocked for NCTA Conference will be released after July 1.

Yarrow Golf & Conference Resort2012 NCTA Conference Headquarters10499 N. 48th StreetAugusta, MI 49012269 731-2090800 563-4397www.yarrowgolf.com$106.00 plus tax for two people which includes two breakfast vouchers.

McCamly Plaza Hotel (9.8 miles, 18 minutes from Yarrow)50 Capital Avenue S.W.Battle Creek, MI 49017269 963-7050www.mccamlyplaza.com$99.00 plus tax and parking for two people which includes breakfast.

MSU - W. K. Kellogg Biological Station(7 miles, 10 minutes from Yarrow)Conference Center3700 East Gull Lake Dr.Hickory Corners, MI 49060269 671-2400www.kbs.msu.edu/visit/conference-center$85.00 plus tax for two people. (kitchenette in room)

No dogs permitted at any of the above three choices; contact Irene Szabo for hotels that welcome dogs around Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, since Sandy and Pearl are coming to the conference. [email protected] or 585/658-4321

Fort Custer Recreation Area (12 miles, 15-20 minutes from Yarrow)5163 Fort Custer DriveAugusta, MI 49012800- 447-2757 reservations, 269-731-4200 information, or online at www.michigan.gov/stateparks or www.michigan.gov/fortcuster$21.00 per night per campsite plus $8.00 reservation fee. State Park sticker required.

Eric Longman


Enter the number codes and descriptions of your activity choices below (refer to the hike/tour schedule)

Code # Day & Time Hike/Tour/Workshop











Payment: My check to NCTA is enclosedPlease charge my registration to: Visa Discover Master Card Amex __________________________________ _______ ________Card Number Exp. Date CVC code

____________________________________________________Name as it appears on card (please print)

____________________________________________________Signature

Waiver–Please read and sign the following: Those persons enjoying the North Country Trail (NCT) and/or activities sponsored by the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) or any chapters/clubs conducting activities on behalf of, or in support of the NCTA, accept full personal responsibility for their own well being, or, for the well being of a minor when acting in the capacity of parent or guardian. Further, users of the NCT accept and understand that hiking is a rigorous activity often conducted in rugged outdoor conditions subject to variations in weather and terrain conditions which may involve the risk of injury or death, and, that these persons are fully responsible for their own safety and selecting activities that are consistent with their physical capabilities.

Print Name

Signature

Date

PLEASE COMPLETE ONE REGISTRATION FORM FOR EACH PERSON!

Name:

Address:

City:

State: Zip:

Phone:

e-Mail:

REGISTRATION FEES: Early-bird (before July 1): $50.00 $ Regular (after July 1): $60.00 $

LODGING: A variety of local lodgings is listed on page 14. You are to make your own reservations for lodging. CONFERENCE MEALS: For a detailed Menu, see page 14. (Note: If you stay at Yarrow Resort, or McCamly Plaza Hotel your breakfast is provided with your lodging.) Check this box if you want vegetarian meals.Breakfast Buffet $9.00 X number of breakfasts = $ Thursday Friday Saturday SundayDeli Lunch Buffet $12.00 X number of lunches = $ Thursday Friday Saturday Bag Lunch $8.00 X number of lunches = $ Thursday Friday Saturday SundayThursday Night Cookout $18.00 $ Friday Dinner $29.00 $ Saturday Dinner $33.00 $

CONFERENCE TOTAL $ ________

Early-Bird Deadline is July 1!Sign Up Online: www.northcountrytrail.org

Send Your Registration By Mail: NCTA, 229 E. Main Street, Lowell, MI 49331Send Your Registration By Fax: (616) 897-6605 Sign Up By Phone: 866-HikeNCT (445-3628)

2012 Annual Conference Registration Form August 1-5

16 The North Star April-June 201216 The North Star April-June 2012

Pennsylvania Rep: Joyce AppelJoyce Appel is a retired teacher

whose multiple outdoor interests and activities on adventure trips always left a lasting impression on her students as they watched her slides in class. Joyce has also been involved in many outdoor organizations such as AYH, Butler Outdoor Club (former president), Sierra Club, Explorers Club, Nature Conservancy, Keystone Trails Association, and Moraine State Park Regatta. She is also a board member of the Butler Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Show. Through the years, she has organized local and state wide events such as the “Outdoor Extravaganza,” worked on fundraisers, led hiking and canoe trips, and has been involved in building the NCT in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Rep: Jack CohenJack is the Executive Director

of Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau (BCTCB), to which he was appointed in 2003. In this position, he oversees all marketing and promotional opportunities for BCTCB’s members. Jack has been a member of the Butler Outdoor Club since 2006. He has served as a board member for many organizations, including the Regatta at Lake Arthur, the North Country Trail Association, Moraine Preservation Fund, the International Association of Family Entertainment Centers and the Cranberry Area Chamber of Commerce.

Minnesota Rep: Brian Pavek Brian serves as president of

the Star of the North chapter. He serves on other trail boards and as a trail volunteer in both state and regional positions. During the recent recession he served nearly full time as a volunteer with the NCTA, the National Park Service, the Chippewa National Forest, and with the American Hiking Society. Now he works in manufacturing as production supervisor/auditor in the medical devices and semiconductors industry.

North Dakota and Minnesota Rep: Tom MobergPrior to retiring in 2006, Tom

had a 40 year career in higher education that included service as a faculty member, IT director, senior administrator, and association executive. He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Iowa. Tom grew up in northern Minnesota, and currently lives in Fargo, North Dakota. Tom currently serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, and does other volunteer work including trail building and maintenance for the North Country Trail. Tom and his wife Mary spend as much time as possible at a rustic cabin in northern Minnesota built by her family during the 1940's. From that base they help maintain a nearby section of the NCT in the Chippewa National Forest.

Wisconsin Rep: Gaylord YostGaylord was first elected to

the NCTA Board in the 1980s while employed by the USDA-Forest Service. He served as their representative on the Board until his retirement in 1994. His tenure with the Forest Service included working as a District Ranger, Job Corps Center Director, Assistant Forest Supervisor, and as Eastern Region program manager for wilderness, scenic areas, rivers, trails, and dispersed area recreation. Since then, he has devoted his time and efforts to building the North Country Trail and its community in Wisconsin. He also has served as volunteer Wisconsin Trail Coordinator and Great Lakes Coordinator and in various officer roles with Wisconsin's Heritage Chapter. He is the recipient of an NCTA Lifetime Achievement Award, Distinguished Service Award, and was chosen Chapter Volunteer of the year several times.

Nominations for Board of Directors Openings

This is your official ballot for 2012 Election of Board of Directors. All votes must be postmarked no later than August 1, 2012.

April-June 2012 The North Star 17www.northcountrytrail.org16 The North Star April-June 2012

Ballot is not valid without your name and/or membership number.

Your Name/Membership Number Your Signature

Vote for Five

Joyce Appel Jack Cohen

Brian Pavek Tom Moberg

Gaylord YostWrite-in

NCTA Official Ballot2012 Election Board of Directors

You will not receive a separate ballot by mail. Each NCTA membership is categorized as a household, and our bylaws permit only one ballot per membership. Please mark the ballot and mail or fax to: NCTA - Elections, 229 E. Main St., Lowell, MI 49331, fax number (616) 897-6605. All votes must be postmarked no later than August 1, 2012.

Our newest member of the North Country Trail Association is Office Manager, Rose Ann M.

Davis, who has been here only since September of 2011. While it hasn’t been very long yet, Rose Ann brings a wealth of diverse experiences to the Association.

Rose Ann was born in Tucson, Arizona, and spent most of her youth out west. While Rose Ann was not a military brat, she did have a very similar upbringing, traveling around quite a bit for her father’s job. Her favorite places include New Mexico, Colorado, North Carolina, and of course Michigan! Michigan is also where she’s lived the longest and currently resides with her family.

Rose Ann has two teenagers (yikes), a 14 year old daughter named Sarah and a 16 year old son named Jacob. Sarah is a big nature lover, like Mom, and went on her first nine mile hike of the North Country Scenic Trail just this past winter. Jacob on the other hand is the fisherman in the family. He’d rather sit with a pole in his hand than do just about anything else in the world! Also a part of the family is “the best dog in the whole world,” Professor Pablo Picasso Davis or just “Pablo” for short.

Rose Ann graduated from Oakland University, where she earned a degree in Linguistics. She is a big lover of language and has studied a few – Spanish, Italian, Sanskrit, and even some computer programming languages. Her work experience includes marketing communications work at Pepsi-Cola, multimedia design

& event management at Steelcase, as well as graphic design & copy writing at The Grand Rapids Press/MLive. Rose Ann also has a variety of hands on volunteer experience from the Sierra Club to the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, most recently with the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, where she chaired their outreach committee.

At the North Country Trail Association headquarters in Lowell, Rose Ann has had the pleasure of taking over office management responsibilities and hopes she is starting to help the office run more effectively. She also handles Human

Resources, general Information Technology support, much of our electronic communications (like the Blue Blaze Bulletin), Social Media, and is currently working to update various parts of the NCTA website. So far there has been a “whirlwind of information for me to learn and process, but I think I am starting to finally get the hang of things here!”

Rose Ann is very excited to have joined the NCTA. She hopes that her past experience and skills will offer a lot to the Association in the coming years. Rose Ann is also thrilled to join an organization that has “preserving a part of nature” as part of their mission. Finally, she is looking forward to becoming a more experienced hiker and where better to learn more about hiking than on the North Country Scenic Trail?

Welcome, Rose Ann!


I doubt any of us would admit we got involved with the North Country Trail because we wanted

to be in politics or help shape public policy. More likely, this is exactly the world we are trying to escape! But the truth is that we need our elected officials to know and care about the North Country Trail, and really that means knowing and caring about you. We need each Representative and Senator to value what the Trail brings to their state and their district. We need them to have a reason to care about the Trail, and know why it’s important. Lobbying is a dirty word to some so we prefer to call it advocacy, but whatever you call it, the act of communicating with elected officials, educating them on topics important to the Trail and asking for their support is a critical role for NCTA to play. If we don’t do it, who will?

Each February, a few NCTA staff and volunteers attend Hike the Hill, an annual advocacy event hosted in Washington, D.C., by American Hiking Society and the Partnership for the National Trails System. This is a fast-paced week packed with meetings on Capitol Hill and

with Federal agencies to discuss the importance of the North Country Trail and our volunteers. Part of the discussion focuses on a few key issues that are important to us that have a real, tangible effect on how the trail is managed on the ground, like the introduction and passage of the Arrowhead Re-Route and the funding for our National Park Service office and the Challenge Cost Share program. But a good portion of our conversations are spent telling our story—YOUR story really—in an effort to create champions for the Trail. We sing your song about sweat equity, illustrate volunteer statistics with graphs, explain how we leverage federal dollars ($4.31 returned for every federal dollar invested!) and provide specific examples to illustrate why the NCT is important to their community back home in hopes of building a relationship between the Member of Congress and his/her staff.

Another important thing we do in D.C. is meet with our federal agency partners (the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service), giving us the chance to address policies within the agencies that affect the trail and our volunteers. These meetings are attended by a large showing of the National Scenic and Historic Trail (NSHT) Community and are an important part of Hike the Hill. It gives us the chance to showcase our great work to agency leadership and really hit home how much of a force we are as a group. There is a National Scenic or Historic Trail in 49 of the 50 states (Indiana must feel left out). We have incredible reach and jaw-dropping volunteer statistics to show. These meetings are a chance for us to remind leadership why they should support us, why enabling citizen stewardship is a gift to Americans today and tomorrow, and that they need to remember us in the decision making process (budget and management).

Lastly, this is a week to connect with our colleagues from the other National Scenic and Historic Trails.

Although each trail is unique, we have similar struggles and triumphs and can learn a great deal from one another. Recently we watched our sister organization, the Continental Divide Trail Alliance, dissolve after 17 years building and maintaining the CDT. This news left everyone in the trail community not only concerned for our friends and the future of the CDT, but worried about the fate of our own organizations. Hearing more about their struggles, we know we are in a better position but it was important to learn about what had brought them to this decision and make sure it doesn’t happen to us.

The story of the North Country Trail is incredible, but add to that the story of the other 29 National Scenic and Historic Trails and you will see a network of volunteers woven across this country that has no rival. As a group, we are unique in our ability to galvanize hard-working individuals to take on the monumental task of building long distance trails. Each Trail has an incredible volunteer story, but together, we have the ability to tell a much bigger tale, one that stretches across the country and tells its history and hopefully, its future.

Our visits always have good and bad. This year was frustrating as we were told to not expect much cooperation out of this Congress and that is definitely the prevailing feeling after meeting after meeting. But we will keep going back. We will keep going back because the Trail is bigger than the political argument of the day and bigger than those currently in office. No matter what your political affiliation, we can all agree that the North Country National Scenic Trail is a worthwhile endeavor, a resource, and an idea that should be embraced by our communities and supported by people in a position of power. So each year we will continue to Hike the Hill to tell our story and to ask for support for the North Country National Scenic Trail.

For more detailed information about this year’s Hike the Hill and in

Hike the Hill by Andrea Ketchmark – Director of Trail Development, NCTA

Bruce Matthew

s


depth analysis of our meetings, check out Bruce Matthews’ daily postings on NCTA’s Insight Blog for late February. And if you are interested in getting involved, let us know. We have many ways you can help and we can provide you with the materials and talking points that will help make our case with your representatives.

Although a few volunteers do accompany us each year to Hike the Hill, you don’t need to travel to Washington to make a difference. Most advocacy is done locally, as Matt Davis illustrates next.

Local Advocacy Work For The Arrowhead Re-Routeby Matt Davis,

Regional Trail Coordinator – Minnesota/North Dakota

As part of our effort to get legislation introduced in Congress to enact the Arrowhead Re-route, we have also been “beating the bushes” to deliver evidence of local support in northeastern Minnesota. Some of this was

requested by former Rep. Jim Oberstar before he introduced his bill in the last Congress while other work was done in an unsuccessful effort to convince Rep. Chip Cravaack to introduce the new bill in this Congress. This advocacy work has proven valuable in raising the awareness of and support for the NCT in local communities.

Here are some of the specific things that we have done:

1. We personally asked dozens of cities, counties, townships to pass resolutions of support and/or send letters of support to their Representative stating that they support the Re-route. We provided the samples for them to utilize and part of this process was identifying a local official, for example a park and recreation person, who would be our champion.

2. We also asked local chambers of commerce and tourism associations to write letters of support. In that request, we touted the economic benefits that hiking and walking provides in their region. Fortunately, there is good information to work with here in Minnesota since the Superior Hiking Trail is widely recognized for its contributions to the local economy and quality of life. Another part of our message was that adding the National Scenic Trail designation to the three existing hiking trails in the region (Kekekabic, Border Route, and Superior Hiking Trails) will only enhance their value in attracting more visitors to their area.

3. We asked targeted businesses like local outfitter stores and hiking gear manufacturers to contact Rep. Cravaack and share their support.

4. We obtained letters of support from local State representatives and senators that were shared with the Congressmen.

5. We started a Facebook page for the Re-route and also took advantage of existing Facebook pages within the region to spread our message.

This work has assisted our

efforts by increasing the number of constituents who are contacting their elected officials with requests to support the Re-route. It’s also helped raise the awareness of the NCT and NCTA within local communities.


In June 2nd, National Trails Day, anyone who takes a hike anywhere on the main east-west Finger Lakes Trail, all 562 miles of it, will for sure run into another hiker! If most of us think back to our hours spent along our “home” part of the

North Country Trail, that statement sounds ridiculous. Mary Stenberg ended last winter's North Star article “Up for a Challenge” about a six-day hike covering the whole Chequamegon Chapter portion of trail in Wisconsin with the lament “We didn't… see anyone else on the trail.” Your editor backpacked five days in the middle of New York without seeing anyone except a distant farmer until the last miles descended through popular Watkins Glen State Park on a Saturday. When Roy and Laurie Dando walked the whole trail in summer of 2009, they saw no one else outside of busy state parks and towns.

So how can we guarantee you'll meet at least one other hiker that day, anywhere along those 562 miles? In celebration of the FLT's 50th anniversary, Roy Dando and Larry Blumberg have organized hikes all along the whole trail for that one day, with stupendous cooperation from 75 different hike leaders! Even in early March, he already had 67 of the 75 hikes covered just by emailing regional trail coordinators, trail-sponsoring clubs, and individual trail caretakers in February, and this was before the article announcing the event had appeared in the FLT News. Regional picnics are being arranged to follow the hikes so that everybody, including those who don't hike that day, can join the celebration. Ed Sidote, NCTA Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2010, will be the ceremonial Grand Marshall for the event, and may even walk part of the way through Bowman Lake State Park with a group, at age 94.

There is an interactive map on the website, showing each of the 75 hikes with a red dot, each of which brings up information for that hike like beginning and ending spots, length, meeting spot, hike leader contact info. On June 2nd, as each hike is completed, the red dot will turn to green.

Considerable publicity is planned, including invitations to local elected officials, and youth groups are being targeted especially.

For more information or to join this historic event, contact either Roy Dando [email protected] (607) 785-3141 or Larry Blumberg [email protected] (607) 797-0912.

One Day End-To-End Hike On The Finger Lakes Trail?

One of Roy Dando's students at Chenango Forks High School, Stephanie Zdimal, designed this poster to publicize the event.

NORTH STAR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Without your material, we cannot have a magazine, so we eagerly request your submission of pictures and text for every issue. Please send both to Irene Szabo at [email protected], or 6939 Creek Rd., Mt. Morris NY 14510.

Please don’t embed pictures within your article, but send them separately as .jpg attachments. Do not refer me to your picture collection hosted by some other picture-hosting site!

Do not send your North Star submissions to the NCTA office, because they will just have to re-send them to me, and it HAS happened that precious articles have thus been lost in the shuffle.

Front cover photo candidates: prefer vertical format, and if digital, at least 300 dpi, AND we are always looking for great cover photos!

Next deadline for Vol. 31, Issue 3, is 15 September 2012.

Thank you!

— Your volunteer editor, Irene

Vinnie Collins


HIKING SHORTS

Finger Lakes Trail System, showing branch trails off main east-west FLT, much of which is also the route of the North Country Trail. Made by our mapping volunteers using ArcView.

NEW YORK - In 1962 (how can that be fifty years ago?!?) representatives from hiking clubs all across upstate New York met at Keuka College, inspired by Wally Wood's call to build a hiking trail across the state. They created the name of the trail and its administrative structure, the Finger Lakes Trail Conference, based on the organization of the Appalachian Trail because one of the active early members had come from Maryland and heavy involvement with the ATC down there. She and Wally are both gone now, as are all of the last four original members who came to the fortieth anniversary.

It took until our thirtieth anniversary to close the last gap in the main east-west trail (560 miles), and we're STILL adding to our assorted branch trails, including the Onondaga Trail which carries the North Country Trail north and east toward the Adirondacks, for a current total well over 900 miles. The trail is divided roughly 50/50 between public and private land, 450 miles of which are also the route of the NCT, so asking private landowners

for permission DOES work, and we now have over forty permanent easements. Admittedly that's forty-some out of more than 400 private properties, but it's a start and we're a young organization. Well, fifty years young…

Over the weekend of June 16th we return to Keuka College on the shore of one of the Finger Lakes for a three-day celebration which will include hikes, of course, nature programs, and an evening historical perspective with pictures from our history, including some that show current NCTA Board member Gaylord Yost, when he was still working for the US Forest Service, who had come all the way to NY from Wisconsin to certify one of our first NCT segments, that one in NY's only tiny National Forest.

To learn more about the weekend, visit our website www.fingerlakestrail.org and even consider coming to play with us. We'd be thrilled to have you.

Continued with picture and caption on the next page.

Finger Lakes Trail Conference Celebrates 50 Years!


The Allegheny-100 Challenge PENNSYLVANIA – The Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the North Country Trail will be holding the third annual Allegheny 100 Challenge June 8th through 12th. The Challenge is hiking 100 miles in 2 days, actually 50 hours. If you cannot commit to the 100-mile challenge, you can still participate in a 25 or 50 miler offered that weekend along the same trail. The course for the challenge will extend from just south of Marienville, at Vowinckel, Pennsylvania, to a point just before the New York border at Willow Bay.

Those who particulate will receive membership in the North Country Trail Association to support the trail shuttle service and a tee shirt donated by Allegheny Outfitters. The Ultimate Hiking Challenge will start Friday, June 8th at 6 p.m. and continue until 8 p.m. Sunday, June 12. Entrants must bring their own food, drinks, and gear. Remember to “Leave No Trace” and be aware that cell phones may not work. For more information, please contact the North Country Trail Association, 229 E. Main Street, Lowell, Michigan 49331, Toll-free (866) 445-3628, (616) 897-5987, Email: [email protected], Web Site: northcountrytrail.org. or ANF Chapter President Keith W. Klos, 8320 Route 337, Tidioute, Pennsylvania 16351-4318, (814) 484-7420, NCT in the ANF email: [email protected]. Project leader: Bert Nemcik [email protected], 814-927-8303. Registration deadline is June 1st, 2011, for shuttling service and tee shirts. For companies wishing to sponsor the Allegheny 100 Challenge, please contact Karen M. Klos, same contact info as Keith above.

— Karen M. Klos

Finger Lakes Trail “Jobs”NEW YORK – Steve Catherman's State of the Trail report for the last issue of North Star included the somewhat scary news that the Finger Lakes Trail Conference was going to undergo several changes in leadership during 2012. Now we can report good news on some of those changes. Gene Bavis was our first parttime Executive Director for eleven years, but will be replaced upon his retirement on June 30th by Dick Hubbard. Dick brings with him twenty-some years of experience in sales and marketing, and holds leadership positions on several not-for-profit boards. He is a devoted outdoorsman interested in hiking and climbing, who actively participates in several clubs in the northeastern U.S. Additionally Dick enjoys downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, and bicycling. He and his wife live at Rushford Lake in New York's southern tier, while his daughter is a student at the University of Buffalo School of Dentistry. Nor are we to be left high and dry by Peter Wybron's request to be relieved of the Treasurer's post, one he held for more than fifteen years. Quinn Wright is taking over as Treasurer, leaving his current post as Director of Crews & Construction. However, our ten-year magazine editor, Jo Taylor, has only one more issue to go, with NO volunteers for that job so far! Eek. Come on; it's FUN!

Dick Hubbard, new Executive Director, Finger Lakes Trail Conference.

Two of these plastic-blazed hickory sticks were placed by Bill Coffin across the entrance of our ceremonial hike over the last gap to be finished in the main east-west FLT at our 30th anniversary. Each hiker had to step over them and mumble something appropriate at that historic religious moment. The archivist at that time was irritated when it was suggested that she keep those sticks for posterity. “How do you think I can fit them in a file drawer?” she sniffed disdainfully.So they've been in my garage for the last twenty years, and are being dusted off for display at our fiftieth anniversary, where we will also have a display of incredibly crude but accurate early homemade measuring wheels. Current archi-vist Georgeanne Vyverberg and I will be wearing our match-ing shirts that say “Real Cowboys don't Need GPS.”

— Irene Szabo

Joan Young


Heritage Chapter News FlashWISCONSIN – The past year brought on a major Heritage Chapter advocacy effort according to Laura DeGolier, the Chapter Advocacy Chair. Gogebic Taconite, Inc. (GTAC Inc.) of Hurley, Wisconsin, a subsidiary of the Cline Corporation, a Florida company, announced they were going to apply for an iron ore mining permit for an area within view from the NCT in Iron and Ashland Counties, Wisconsin. The proposed mine was in the Bad River watershed and drainage from the area could impact the NCT as well as the Bad River Chippewa Tribal reservation at the river’s mouth. The enormous amount of mine spoil dumped from the proposed four mile long, mile wide open pit mine, a thousand feet deep, could generate toxic acid that could pollute the watershed.

To facilitate the mine, the company called for a change in Wisconsin’s mining laws and regulations that would speed up processing an application to the Wisconsin DNR and weaken Wisconsin’s current environmentally strong mining laws prior to making the application. The NCTA Board of Directors reviewed the situation and voted to support maintenance of the current set of Wisconsin mining laws and not support changes the company sought. Our advocacy team worked to inform the public about the Board’s vote and to support it.

The Wisconsin Assembly introduced several bills to weaken existing laws governing wetlands and piers and structures in State waters. Also, a bill devoted to mining was drawn up in secrecy without consultation with the Democratic minority and eventually introduced. Public hearings were held in Milwaukee, Ashland, and Hurley and both pro and con advocates lobbied the Legislature.

The mining bill passed the Republican dominated Assembly. But Senate passage was another matter because of an almost even split between Senate Republicans and Democrats. One Republican joined the Democrats to defeat the bill. The GTAC Company immediately announced it would no longer be interested in opening a mine and said that the matter for them was closed. Since a number of Republican Senators face recall elections this spring, Governor Scott Walker, a Republican, and the Senate Republican leadership decided against reintroducing the bill. The Legislature ended its session and went home. Whether or not the Legislature will renew a thrust to change the mining laws in a new session remains to be seen.

OOPS!We'll never unravel how it happened, but somehow

register box comments from Wisconsin were attributed to the Superior Hiking Trail in our last North Star, Vol. 31, issue 1. In truth, they were from Brule-St. Croix's Winneboujou Bluff campsite register, and were transcribed by Chapter members Karen Isensee and Shari Olson.

Apologies! Bratty gremlins in the computer file?

Brew Pubs of the North Country TrailLOWER MICHIGAN – While shopping with my wife a couple years ago, I picked up a flyer entitled Art along the Ice Age Trail. The Chief Noonday Chapter is blessed with several excellent brew pubs, some right on the North Country Trail. While testing some of these products, an idea was floated for a “Brew Pubs of the North Country Trail” flyer, which at the time was uniformly applauded.

We are now proposing that each Chapter or Affiliate send in a summary of all the Brew Pubs in the area of their influence, in either .pdf or Word documents, to Larry Pio at [email protected]. Please send your submission by July 15.

The summary should include the name, address, and phone number of the Brew Pub, any other amenities at that location (for example: food), distance from trail, best product recommendations made by the Brew Pub , and the author’s recommended choices. Embellishment is welcome. Pictures? Why not? We will not remove listings that some might deem too far from the trail. We hope not to edit, so do your best work!

These reports will be assembled on CD, and will be presented initially to attendees of the 2012 Annual Conference, and then available to all via the NCTA website, where information can be updated periodically.

We recommend research begin immediately. We foresee the time when punch cards, and stickers for a Brew Pub flyer will become necessary. Thanks for your help on a fun project for our Conference.

— Larry PioChief Noonday Chapter

If You Want Your News Noticed…Please put your North Star editor on the recipient list

for your chapter or affiliate newsletter, as long as you share it electronically. We're hardly asking you to spend actual money to send a paper magazine, but it's a fact that your triumphs and worries won't get into the magazine if you don't think of sending the editor a submission. Your newsletter will at least tickle the editor into asking you more about some important topic!

Example: The next story about potential mining in the Heritage Chapter's bailiwick has been occupying their newsletters for the past year, but I never knew about it until an oblique and utterly coincidental email conversation brought it up.

So please keep me informed with your newsletters: [email protected]

— Irene Szabo


By now most NCTA members understand that the North Country Trail is pretty diverse in terms of how it looks and feels. There are narrow rocky paths

on cliffs with magnificent lake views, wide sandy sections through dense pine forests, mile after mile of trail skirting the edges of agricultural fields, rail-trail conversions, concrete multiuse paths, and downtown sidewalks. Page 9 of the North Country National Scenic Trail Handbook for Trail Design, Construction, and Maintenance (NST handbook) under the heading “ROS Explained” states “Many people associated with the North Country NST tend to think of and manage the trail as if it were semi-primitive throughout when, in fact, the surrounding degree of land development is inconsistent with this more restrictive level of management.”

To explain this, let’s step back and look at what “ROS” is. Many of our experienced members know it stands for “Recreation Opportunity Spectrum,” which might make as much sense to some as ROS. The “spectrum” is a classification system of 6 levels to classify settings where people recreate. It helps to understand the existing and future possibilities of land use related to recreation, and be able to describe it in an efficient way across the US. Over time, the ROS doesn't work very well on small parcels of land without considering the bigger picture of what’s happening outside, and this applies to the NCT as well, especially if the trailway (land adjacent to the trail that is actually managed to provide the best trail experience) is only 10 feet wide. Most management of those 10 feet is pruning

branches, and perhaps plowing through with a DR mower a few times a year to keep the trail visible. The ROS was created by the US Forest Service, and below is a graphic they developed to show the concept. The three descriptive words describe characteristics at each end of the spectrum, and the scenes in the picture give a rough idea of what the setting might look like in terms of numbers of people and level of development:

In the interest of simplicity, the NCT Handbook reduced these six categories into four for the NCT: primitive, semi-primitive, rural/roaded natural, and urban.

What do these classifications mean in terms of the trail? The idea is that each setting category describes a set of conditions, and expectations on the part of the recreational user. For example, on the paved, 10 foot wide section of the North Country Trail along the Miami River passing through the middle of Dayton, Ohio, you would expect to see a fair number of other people, vehicles, buildings, and in general a human constructed landscape. On the North Country Trail in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the UP, the trail is a narrow dirt footpath about 2 feet wide, where a hiker might go a few days without seeing or hearing other people or manmade sounds. The setting is all the things that lead to the experience or expectations about the experience that a recreationist might have. For a trail designer, remaining unconscious of the trail type and setting can lead to situations like folks happily enjoying several miles of the NCT in a wheelchair, only to encounter a puncheon 11 inches wide leading to a bridge they could easily cross if it weren’t 30 feet of marsh away.

How can the ROS classifications help us? The ROS can provide a guide to determining how wide the corridor needs to be to protect the trail experience, how wide a trail section should be, how far the vegetation along the trail should be cut back, how steep the grades and cross slope of the trail can be, how to accommodate universal accessibility, and very important on the North Country Trail, what type of

Trail Types: The Many Faces of the North Country Trail

JEFF McCUSKER NPS Trail Manager

TRAIL MANAGER’S CORNER

The abbreviations at the bottom of the chart stand for the names of the 6 settings: P=Primitive, SPNM=Semi Primitive Non-motorized, SPM=Semi Primitive Motorized, RN=Roaded Natural, R=Rural, U=Urban.


Early in the spring of 2011, I received a call from a Boy Scout concerning an Eagle Project. Jon

Gilbertson had called to seek input on a project that would feature maintaining sections of the North Country National Scenic Trail in the Chequamegon National Forest. Jon decided to center his Eagle Scout Project on the labor intensive Porcupine Lake Wilderness sections and picked the date of May 5th.

Jon dutifully had all volunteers fill out the National Park Service Volunteer Service Agreements and organized the trail maintenance including a cookout lunch provided by his parents. He also participated in the Chequamegon Chapter’s “Annual Spring Cleanup Trail Maintenance Event” on April 30th, before the scheduled Eagle Scout Project, to get a better idea of what we do. My impression of his trail maintenance abilities had already started to spike after this event.

Then the morning of May 5th came and I met Jon a little early at the staging point at the parking area on County D road, the gateway to the Porcupine Lake Wilderness. At first I questioned how we were going to manage this maintenance and finally got the message that it had all been planned. Once I got out of the way, things ran smoothly. Basically, I had to realize that I would just be a volunteer! In the maintenance process, I handed the Chapter’s cross cut saw to Jon who showed a practiced hand and a more youthful exuberance for taking on the downed trees. It was a good choice!

The Porcupine Lake Wilderness is an area that must be maintained only with manual tools, nothing powered, because of its status as a Wilderness Area, so it’s hard to maintain for our chapter. Jon had recruited Boy Scouts, friends, relatives and family members for the effort, and by the end of the day, two out of the three Wilderness sections had been completed. The trail adopters of these two sections were thankful for the break his leadership had provided and I was extremely impressed with Jon’s ability.

Later that year, I was invited to attend Jonathan Paul Gilbertson’s ceremony during the “Eagle Court of Honor” held on Sunday, December 18th, 2011. This

proved to be a truly humbling experience for me. All of his accomplishments on the way to receiving the Eagle Scout Level were revealed during this ceremony. Already impressed by his abilities on May 5th, my respect grew for Jon and the institution of the Boy Scouts of America.

If you ever have a chance to accommodate Boy Scouts offering to do trail maintenance on the NCT, GO FOR IT!! It will be a rewarding experience for both you and the volunteers and may even be a life changing event for everyone involved. It was for me.

Jonathan Gilbertson attends Ashland High School and is the son of Paul and Patti Gilbertson. Jon’s older brother, James, is also an Eagle Scout. They reside in Ashland, Wisconsin.

— Marty Swank, Communications Liaison

Chequamegon Chapter

A Humbling Experiencetrail structures are appropriate for the setting. I think in the case of the NCT, we need to look at the trail in terms of trail types and zones. Guidelines for doing this are in Chapter 2 of the NCT Handbook, although they are not really presented as zone descriptions. The boundaries of the zones can be defined based on the management of the land around the trail, location of trailheads and road crossings, and the nature of the existing trail.

As we work on the trail, we might want to start to move towards delineating these trail types and zones, trying to make the look and feel of the trail consistent within each zone, figuring out for the long run how to protect the trail experience in that zone by protecting the trail around it, then presenting it to our trail users to set their expectations.

Jeff McCuskerTrail Manager, North Country National Scenic Trail113 Riverwalk Place, Lowell, MI 49331 (616) 340-2004 or [email protected]

Paul Gilbertson

Jonathan Gilbertson, Eagle Scout.

On trail maintenance as “Olympic gardening”…

My opponent is formidable. All

I have to do is glance at the edges of the garden {think “trail”}. A few months ago, I could look through the bare woods…(n)ow an impenetrable green wall presses against my border of mown grass. Beneath the trees, advancing fearlessly after each attack, is another low forest of weeds, many three or four feet high. Something is out there, breathing heavily, a warm moist blast that whispers, “Grow! Grow! …You have only a few more weeks! Do what you can! Time is short! Winter is coming! Grow! Grow!”

Leaning into the Wind, A memoir of Midwest Weather, Susan Allen Toth, pg. 106


To provide guidelines for hikers and followers of the North Country National Scenic Trail by which muscle-powered milestones will be recognized: Although the

honor system will be used to determine who has completed the trail, certain standards will be put forth so that potential end-to-enders of any kind will know what is expected.

To provide long-term stability to the process by which recognized long-distance hikers and followers will be rewarded.

Situation: Prior to 2011 no standards for recognition of an end-to-end hike of the North County Trail existed. In theory, someone could hike from Crown Point, New York, to Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota by any route and claim to have hiked the trail. On occasion, long-distance hikers have skipped large portions of completed trail, replacing it with a road walk. Many people believe this sort of arbitrary choice of routes is not in keeping with the spirit of an end-to-end hike.

In addition, two people have already followed the trail by a combination of hiking and bicycling road sections. While this is not an end-to-end hike, it certainly is a worthy accomplishment and merits recognition.

The only recognition officially given in the past has been an embroidered patch bearing an NCT map, which does not show the Minnesota Arrowhead, and is thus outdated.

Policy: Three opportunities will be available for recognition.

1. Long-distance Hike/Trip2. End-to-End Trip3. End-to-End Hike

A North Country Trail Long Distance Hike/Trip definition

Completion of one or more of the following milestones according to the standards outlined below:

• Any one of the seven states of the NCT: NY, PA, OH, MI (which includes the Mackinac Bridge

• Labor Day Walk), WI, MN (which includes the Arrowhead Route), ND

• A total of 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 miles

A North Country Trail End-to-End Hike/Trip definition:

Completion of the entire 4400-4600 mile route of the NCT as it was recognized at the time of hiking/following.

In all cases, the following stipulations must be met for recognition of mileage:

1. All existing off-road trail and blazed on-road trail, except in cases of high water bypasses, bridges which are out, logging operations, or other minor detours due to emergency situations; however …

In December of 2011 the Board of Directors approved a policy crafted by a committee for long distance hike standards, long needed since there have been, over the years, a number of creative but unofficial methods of traveling unblazed portions where no trail yet exists. The policy below, plus the required application forms, are on the NCTA website. — Editor.

End to End Policy

2. It may include short detours to take in scenic, cultural or historic features near the trail (see instructions for a list of currently acceptable detours which require no approval).

3. It must include walking the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day.

4. It must include the Minnesota Arrowhead (Duluth to Grand Rapids via the Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route, Kekekabic Trail and connection to Grand Rapids).

5. It must include some reasonable connection between established trail either on-road or legally off-road.

An End-to-End Hike designation will be awarded when

the entire trail is completed on foot. It may not include bicycling or paddling sections of the trail or road.

An End-to-End Trip designation will be awarded when the entire trail is completed using muscle power. Sections may be bicycled, paddled (if waterways closely parallel the official trail), roller bladed, etc. Illegally bicycling sections will not be acceptable.

Levels Of Recognition:There is no distinction as to value/awards between a thru-

hike/trip and a section-hike/trip. There is no variation of recognition based on the speed with which the hike/trip was completed. The only distinction which will be recognized is between those who complete the entire trail on foot, and those who follow portions of the route using other muscle-powered means.

How State And Mileage Milestones Will Be Recognized:

To receive the Long Distance patch, an initial NCT Long Distance Hike/Trip application must be submitted.

Upon completing the first milestone (either one entire state or 1000 miles or more), and completion of a Long-Distance Hike/Trip Application, the hiker/follower will be given a central Long Distance patch, and any appropriate first-tier rockers. First-tier rockers will be in two sets: the seven states; and 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 miles.

After the initial application, the hiker/follower will need to submit another Long Distance Application documenting the additional mileage for completion of other milestones.

Those who qualify for milestones may buy additional sets of patches and awarded rockers for personal use.

How End-to-End Hike/Trip will be recognized: To be recognized and added to the official roster, a hiker/

follower must complete the NCT E2E Hike/Trip application form and submit it to the Long Distance Hiking Committee.

The NCTA Would Like To Thank The Following Scheels Stores For Their Generous Support!

Kirkwood Scheels - Bismark ND

Appleton Scheels - Appleton WI

Dakota Square Scheels - Minot ND

Grand Fork Scheels - Grand Fork ND

St. Cloud Scheels - Waite Park MN

Eau Claire Scheels - Eau Claire WI

Scheels All Sports - Fargo ND

River Hills Scheels - Mankato MN

If you are in the area of one of the Scheels stores

listed, please stop by and tell them you appreciate their support.

To receive a second-tier rocker, certificate, and pin, the E2E Hike/Trip Application must be completed and signed, avowing completion of a trip under the above standards. Two second-tier rockers will be available: End-to-End Hike and End-to-End Trip, and the appropriate one will be awarded.

Those who qualify for the award may purchase additional sets for personal use.

Monitoring of the North Country Trail Long Distance Hiker application process:

The Long Distance Hiking Committee will oversee the process and keep records, until such time as a separate North Country Trail Long Distance Hiking Organization is created. At that time, said organization will designate a body to oversee the awards and keep records.

Recognition of followers of the North Country Trail prior to Jan 1, 2012

These eleven people are considered to be recognized as official End-to-Enders and will not need to complete the new application form:Carolyn Hoffman—E2E Trip 1978Peter Wolfe—E2E Hike 1974-1980Chet Frome—E2E Hike 1992-1995Ed Talone—E2E Hike 1994Andrew Skurka—E2E Hike 2004-2005Don Beattie—E2E Hike 1980-2005Allen Shoup—E2E Hike 1995-2005Bart Smith—E2E Hike completed 2007Eb Eberhard—E2E Hike 2009Joan Young—E2E Hike 1991-2010Judy Geisler—E2E Trip completed 2011Draft patch design, with rockers. Reader comments to Joan

Young, committee chair, at [email protected]

NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGrand Rapids, MI

Permit 340

North Country Trail Association229 East Main StreetLowell, Michigan 49331

north star

The Lowell office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.229 East Main Street, Lowell, MI 49331

(866) HikeNCT • (616) 897-5987 • Fax (616) 897-6605The North Country Trail Association develops, maintains, protects and promotes the North

Country National Scenic Trail as the premier hiking path across the northern tier of the United States through a trail-wide coalition of volunteers and partners.

Our vision for the North Country National Scenic Trail is that of the premier footpath of national significance, offering a superb experience for hikers and backpackers in a

permanently protected corridor, traversing and interpreting the richly diverse environmental, cultural, and historic features of the northern United States.

Come Visit Us!

The North Country Trail passes through one of several covered bridges seen along its 4600 miles. Walk through this one in August during the National Conference in southwest Michigan, moved here to the Kellogg Experimental Forest operated by Michigan State University. Our host the Chief Noonday Chapter was asked by the Forest and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to move and reconstruct this treasure, for which task a civil engineer among chapter members was a pivotal help. Ironically, this bridge reconstruction is not connected to the reconstructed historic iron bridge park included in the chapter's trail route and project list. Reusing old bridges just seems to be the chapter's destiny!

Mick H

awkins

North Star Vol. 31, No. 2 (2012)

Documents

Transcript of North Star Vol. 31, No. 2 (2012)