As much as Jim Weiske will object to his nomination for Blue Blazes Benefactor, he made respectable donations to the NCTA and the Superior Hiking Trail Association as well as to three of the chapters in Minnesota at the time of the donation. The money contributed went to telling the story by publishing and sending the newsletter to chapter members, to pay for material to build and ship a registry box and brochure holder, and to help two of the chapters provide matching funds for grants. However, as Jim has said, “I would rather hide in the weeds than be recognized for something like this.” Two Sweep awards were bestowed on those faithful members whose constant efforts in the background are vital to our organizational health. They become so utterly necessary to our functions that it would be a crime if we failed to appreciate them. Barb Pavek of Star of the North Chapter in Minnesota is one of these hyper-helpful souls who enables group projects to go smoothly by providing what we hear are bales of good food, arranging the details of events like auctions and meetings, and even working extra to earn money to make donated objects. Mike Trieschmann of Wisconsin’s Chequamegon Chapter is the other Sweep, whose many roles help keep that group functioning. His adopted trail at 8 miles is longer than others’ segments, he is one of the chapter’s few certified chain sawyers, plus he is the quartermaster, maintaining all of their equipment, both mechanized and manual. We have also read in these pages of his patient work with the City of Mellen to reroute ATV riders off the NCT. Finally, we honor three devoted members with the Distinguished Service award. Those of us in Ashland benefited from Lynne Nason’s locally well-known penchant for organizing events, publicizing them, and then carrying them out smoothly, since she was the chair of this year’s conference, hosted by a combination of five chapters. Apparently she’s been doing this for years for the Brule-St. Croix Chapter, knocking off both their National Trails Day events and their involvement with the local Voyageur Days for a decade, plus handling all chapter communications, including designing brochures! Kathy Eisele of the CNY Chapter is the kind of constant, steady contributor who can ALWAYS be counted on. She has been a trail steward for both the Finger Lakes Trail and the CNY Chapter’s newer trail, has worked as the coordinator for a bigger area’s stewards for both trails, at times keeping 60 trail workers organized, and has been an officer and board member for both the FLTC and the CNY Chapter. One could bet money that she would be prepared for all meetings and provide thoughtful written comment when required…and on time! We are glad that her chapter valued her “team player” qualities, in order to recognize at last this quiet but steady quality volunteer with the Distinguished Service award. Stan Kujawa of the Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is another such hardworking but unheralded member. Not only is he their treasurer, but he may also be the hardest trail worker they have, long involved in new trail building, acting as their lead sawyer anywhere, any time there is a need, and can “probably
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www.northcountrytrail.org
Favorite Hike in PA's ANF continued from page 15 Though I have been hiking this segment for nearly 15 years, the reason it has recently become so familiar is because five years ago I was privileged to become the formal adopter of the segment, clearing the trail of fallen tree limbs and other debris at least twice a year. I am grateful to NCTA Allegheny National Forest Chapter President Keith Klos for giving me the opportunity to do this work. This has been a fun way to experience the trail, get some exercise (a lot more interesting than sitting on the stationary bike at the YMCA for an hour!), and to become very familiar with every last foot of the segment. My equipment for this work is not complicated, just a fold-out Corona pruning saw, and some Corona hand-pruners plus sometimes a small bow saw. The NCT trailhead on the west side of Minister Valley is located along Forest Road 116, about a quarter-mile south of Hearts Content Road. The trailhead on the east side of the area is located along Minister Road, about two miles south of Hearts Content Road. As you walk this segment west, about a mile from Minister Road the NCT intersects with the Minister Trail, a popular 6.6-mile loop that features well-known rock outcrop sites. On the west side of the valley, the NCT follows the edge of an area hit by a tornado in 1985. (This is the same tornado that went on to knock down approximately 800 acres of the Tionesta Scenic Area old-growth forest 15 miles to the east.) Saplings now dominate this area. As the NCT nears Forest Road 116, it follows an old logging railroad grade, used to transport timber around the beginning of the 20th Century. Whether you start your hike on the west or east end of this segment, you will begin on flat terrain at about 1,800’ in elevation. You will gradually drop down into the valley until reaching Minister Creek at a location popularly known as “triple forks,” at approximately 1,400'. Though not an official Forest Service campground, due to the highly scenic nature of triple forks and an abundance of drinking water, this is perhaps the most popular camping spot along the entire 95-mile length of the NCT in the ANF. The aforementioned Minister Trail loop diverges from the NCT at triple forks, heading south down the west bank of Minister Creek. The Minister Valley area was proposed for National Recreation Area status by Friends of Allegheny Wilderness in 2003 as the ANF began their Forest Plan revision process. The agency ultimately concluded that the area in fact qualifies for wilderness protection under the Wilderness Act of 1964 as a result of the revision process. It is now up to the U.S. Congress to pass a law to protect the area permanently in its natural condition as part of America’s National Wilderness Preservation System. For more information about protecting wilderness in the ANF, check out www.pawild.org. Wildlife you might expect to see while walking the NCT through here includes white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), black bear (Ursus americanus), fishers (Martes pennanti), and during the summer months a wide variety of migrant songbird species. So bring your binoculars and your camera when you go! You’ll never know what you might get to see. . Kirk Johnson is a ten-year member of the North Country Trail Association, and executive director for the Warren, Pennsylvania, based non-profit organization Friends of Allegheny Wilderness (www.pawild.org) July-September 10
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