NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December,
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Trail Supporters Contributions, Special Renewals DONATIONS Adirondack Mountain Club, Finger Lakes Chapter Teresa and Tyler Agostini John Allen & Edith Maynard Rob and Lucy Alt Fred Auch Lori Baker Charles I Benjamin Jay and Joyce Billingsley Richard D. Boettner Baxter Brings Paul Champiln & Jody Engel Ed and Nancy Chappel Hugh & Janice Davidson James & Maureen Doull Donna M Drew ECXJR>fcxxls, Marquetra, Ml Donald A Edwards Randal Eshuis Frst UnSI MehxlislChurdl Russell D Fure Pamela & Martin Gargaro Douglas Gibson Chris and Helen Haller Stan Harold Richard & Beverly Harvey Larry Hawkins James and Barbara Hein Denise Herron Michael & Denise Hoffman Michael L. Hopper David Irish Chris Johnston Leslie Kick Tim E Klingler Nelson S Leavitt John J. Leinen Susan D. Mabee Karen Maclachlan
Lesley Mayer Richard Naperala Michael & Virginia O'Keefe Timothy J. O'Rourke Lewis Peters Reaeatmal Eq~lrc. John Richardson David Robinson Samuel Newhouse Foundation Neil J Sanders Mike Schaeffer Finnan Schiebout David B Sheldon Richard Smith Bill Stellema James S. Stewart Michele D. Stout Irene Szabo Stella K Thelen Barbara Thompson Sidney Tuinstra Uniel Way a Ki1g County WemerVeit Joylyn Wahla Philip Walsh Jeff and Melanee Weening Chris Wise David E. Younger Reynold Zeller
MEMBERSIDPS Organizations: Buckeye Trail Association Michigan Trails Girl Scout Council USDA Forest Service, Walker MN USDA Forest Service, Manistee Ml
and New Members
UfeMember: WemerVeit
Pathfinders: Loyal A Eldridge Peter J Schmitz Irene Szabo Betty Tableman
Trail Leaders: Sally W Brebner Peter & Polly Edmunds Paul and Liz Forsberg James and Mariah Hope Ronald Kulak Dale and Katherine Ledebuhr Joseph Moyzis Wii1ael & VrgniaOKeele Bob and Annette Papp Cynthia Pryor Kenneth W. Sargeant Turkey's Cafe Kathryn Urberg Steve and Deb Webster Dewey and Kay Wobma Robert and Chris Yuill Phyllis Zaenglein
New Members: Rodney Anderson Sue Andraschko Bill and Mary Kay Archer Kenneth and Geraldine Beck Donna Bevard Dan and Jann Bidwell Ronald L. Boland Dennis Boyer Nancy Bradbury Bethany Brosey Ken Brown
since our last issue of the North Star
Kenneth Bums John and Pam Carter Frank Cetera Dave & Chris Chadderdon Paul ChoolJ(xl & Jody Ergel Diane Charron Judi E. Cleary Bruce Coppersmith Mike Cox Cranberry Public Library Karen G. Culp Mary E. Dahl Tom Dandrilge & Lynn Mal1i1 Polly Derby Jennifer L. Dore Tom Dwight Stephen J. Eno Thomas Fintak John Christopher Fischer Mount Fitzpatrick Laura Foraker Sharon R. Froeligh Larry L Galen Chris Ghiorse Theron Gilliland Jr Terry Glover Larry Goldstein Victor Gonda Elaine Goodspeed Ms Peggy Grant Deb Harris Dora E. Hartnagel Brian L. Heath Steve Heise Richard Henderson Eileen Hennus Heather Hewett Fred Hill Robert Hirseman Gerald R. Hofmann Heath Hoke
Laura A. Hughes Theodore L. Hullar Jason Hunt Steven E. James Ken and Barb Jeltema Julie Johnson James Kelly Barbara Kennedy Pete Ketcham Betty Kiefer Joseph E. Killian Pamela Kooiker Gary and Wendy Kosch Nancy Laidlaw John C. Larch Kent Larson Joseph Lear Dale & Katherine Ledebuhr Lisa Mae Long Karen Maclachlan Robert Massa Eric McCall Erin McDonald Aaron Moony Cecil Neely Mark and Karen Nootbaar Eric Obergfell Jeff and Sandra Palmer Maxine M. Paschall Kaye Phillips Cynthia Pryor Tyler Putman Marsha Resinol Steve Riddle Philip Rosewame John W. Rudnicki Kenneth W. Sargeant David M. Scheid Randy and Solveig Schick Francis Schmitt Mike Schweingruber
Frank Seery Jesse Seiders Barbara Smith Charleen Smith Kerri Smith MariW. Smith Ralph Soffredine Frieda Sousley Carol Lynn Springstead Michael F. Sproul BillStellema Randy Stelzer Dennis Stelzner Isaac Stephenson Cynthia Stiles Larry D. Swisher Betty Tableman Tamra Tambeau Edward and Donna Thoma· Christy Tigchelaar David Tobiasz Jean Torrez David P. Trautman Gary Uber Kathryn Urberg Richel Van Camp Matthew VanDyken Marie Vergata MaxViatori Robert and Pamela Vincent Virginia Wanty Steve and Deb Webster Jeff and Melanee Weening JoeyWemer Gudrun Wittgen Shannon Wojtowicz JudyWynand Charles M. Yates Clyde L. Young Phyllis Zaenglein Janusz Zak Thomas R. Zander
$15 Introductory Rate • Who Do You Know? Our Sponsored Membership Program allows current members to sign up new members at an introductory rate of just $15. To qualify, Sponsored Members must be new to NCTA, or not have been members for at least two years. The $15 rate is good only for the first year of membership. To use the program, just fill in your name in the "Sponsored by:" box. Then, give the form to your friend to Please choose your affiliation (check one): Member of a specific chapter:
0 Member of my closest local chapter (if one exists) 0 Member-at-Large (not affiliated with any Chapter) 0
I Sponsored
I
by:
Name(s) of New Member(s):
)!
Address: •cf
City, State Zip: Phone: I'd like to volunteer the following skills (optional):
WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! Tb begin your membership, please complete this form and send It with your $15 payment to: North CountryTrail Association• 49 Monroe Center NW,Suite 2008 •Grand Rapids, Ml 49503
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~ ~~1111-.1~ coUNTJ\>y
• AS S 0 C I A T_I 0 N. •
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December
1999
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NORTH COUNTRY TRAIL ASSOCIATION
49 Monroe Center, Suite 2008, Grand Rapids, Ml 49503 Phone (616) 454~5506 FAX (616) 454~7139 Email: NCTAssoc@aol.com www.northcountrytrail.org
Executive Director Bob Papp Margie Kindel Project Manager Office Manager Glory Meyer Joan Buenavista Bookkeeper Cartographer Melanee Vandermolen Editor: Wes Boyd 14815 Rome Road, Manitou Beach, Ml 49253 ( 517) 547-7 402 • wesboyd@dmci.net Contributing Editor: Joan Young 861 US 10, Scottville Ml 49454 (616) 757-2205 • jhy@t-one.net
OFFICERS President: Werner Veit 49 Monroe Center, Suite 200B, Grand Rapids Ml 49503 (616) 454-5506 • wv12@aol.com Vice President (Financial): DavidComell 514 Cordes Rd., Delton Ml 49046 (616) 623-8659 • janc128@aol.com Vice President of Trails (West): Pat Miller 15737 65th Ave., Milaca MN 56353 (320) 983-5643 Vice President(TrailsEast): Lynn Waldron 8133 Norris Rd., Delton Ml 49046 (616) 623-5340 • lwaldron3@juno.com Secretary Joan Young 861 West US 10, Scottville Ml 49454 (616) 757-2205 • jhy@t-one.net
Published five times annually in January, April, June, August and October by the North Country Trail Association, a private, non-profit 501 (c)3 organization as a benefit of membership in the organization. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any , form without permission of the North Country Trail Association.
hStar Features Hiking to Petoskey on the NCNST
10
Much of the trail from the Jordan River Pathway to Petoskey, Ml is relatively new and not well known, but it's pretty good trail.
The Great Trail - Sandy Beaver Chapter
12
Hopes for a new NCTA chapter in northeastern Ohio have finally gelled with the formation of this new chapter.
Paying for the North Country Trail
13
Our funding for the trail from the National Park Service has undergone some revisions which will make it more difficult to develop the trail.
Trail Focus: Fort Ransom, North Dakota
15
This out of character town provides an interesting walk.
National and Volunteer Awards
16
Distinguished Service, Lifetime Achievement and Volunteer awards were given out at the annual meeting.
Annual Meeting Scrapbook
18
As promised, if you didn't make it to the meeting in Pennsylvania, you missed a good one. Ken Gackler recorded some of the highlights for us.
Garrison Canal added to North Dakota guide 23 The latest addition to Byron Hutchin's trail guide features the longest certification of the NCNST in recent years.
RegularDepartments Keyboard Trails Trail head Hiking Shorts Heart and Sole North Country Trail Shop Executive Director Report
5 6 7 20 24
28
Cover Photo: The TittabawasseeChapter is a fairly new one, but that doesn't keep them from trail work on the NCNST. Cora Killinger photo.
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December, 1999
Page4
NCTA Trail Council Directories West End 'Ira.ii Council
Chair: John Leinen 14205 St.Croix Trail North, Stillwater, MN 550B2-95B7 (651) 433-4456, jleinen@mtn.org To be assigned: Rovers Outing Club
Kekebabic Trail Club fll1,..1E
ND State Coordinator Jon Lindgren 2001 N 7th St Forgo ND 5B102-5075 (701) 231-BB09, jlindre@bodlonds.nodok.edu
OH-MI 'Ira.ii Council Harbor Springs Chapter Jerry Keeney, President 23B5 Manitou Trail, Harbor Springs, Ml 49740 (616) 526-9597 keeney@lreewoy.net
G
Richard Naperala, President 1 OB6 Quaker Volley Drive Traverse City, Ml 496B4 (616) 223-7903,Nopper@olien.com
'N State Coordinator &
Headwaters Chapter Rod MacRae 1210 W 22nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55405 (612) 377-0130
Northwestern Ohio Rails-to-Trails Asso(iation Gene Markley, Council Rep. PO Box 234, Delta, OH 43515 (BOO) 951-47BB, 140yeors@powersupply.net
OH State Coordinator Jim Sprague 4406 Maplecrest, Parma DH 44134 (216) BB4-4757
Gene Elzinga Middle Island, Marquette, Ml 49B55 6) 225-1704, im4troils@ool.com
I A( Jim Burow, President 6B41S11 lth St, Franklin, WI 53132 (414) 425-5146
Peter Nordgren, President 11260 E. Timber Ridge Rd., Lake Nebagamon, WI 54B49 (715) 394-B340, pnordgre@stoff.uwsuper.edu
WI State Coordinator
Chequamegon Chapter
Gaylord Yost 2925 W Bradley Rd, River Hills, WI 53217-1719 (414) 354-B9B7, goylyost@ool.com
Tana Turonie, President Box 475, Mellen, WI 54546 (715) 274-2521 tturonie@centuryinter.net
Chief Noonday Chapter Dave Cornell, President 514 Cordes Rd., Delton, Ml 49046 (616) 623-B659, joncl 2B@ool.com
&
Chair, Ml (Lower) State Coordinator Coun(il Rep. For Chief Noonday Chapter
8aw Beese Chapter Richard Saur, President PO Box 673, Hillsdale, Ml 49242, (517) 437-0746
___________
Lynn Waldron Bl 33 Norris Rd, Delton, Michigan 49046 (616) 623-5340, lwoldron3@juno.com
. . . :;.A: . :FF"'IL""1A.;.;.TE;;..;:;,O; ...A....N;.;.:1z""' .; RG A""'T1""0.;. .;N_Bu'keyeTrailAssodation
real Trail. Sandy Beaver Canal Chapter Brad Bosley, President 0900 Pancake-Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH 44441, (330) 224-2432
Dana Zintek, Council Rep. 2369 Suncrest Dr., Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 (330) 92B-B931
Allegheny-Adirondack 'Ira.ii Council
Western Michigan Chapter Tom Learmont, President 10554 Colby Rd, Gowen, Ml 49326 (616)9B4-5917 Len Baron, Council Rep. 1 OB22 26th Ave Grand Rapids Ml 49544 (616)677-359B
Ml (Upper) State Trail Coordinator and President, orth Country Trail Hikers
Brule-St.Croix Chapter ~)
Spirit of the Woods Chapter _,,,,.. Joan Young, President B61 West US10 Scottville, Ml 49454 (616) 757-2205, jhy@t-one.net
Doug Welker, President Rt#l, Box 59A Pelkie, Ml 4995B-9715 (906) 33B-26BO dwelker@up.net
Nancy Odden, Council Rep. 731 7th Avenue Two Harbors MN 55616 (21B) B34-2700
Tittabawassee Chapter Jerry Allen, President 1561 Bomonville Rd., Gladwin, Michigan 4B624 (517) 345-2677
Chair: Pat Miller RR#4 Box 135, Cliffwood Dr, Prairie DuChien, WI 53B21, (60B) 326-7354 Peter Wolfe Chapter
Su. rior Hiking Trail Asso(iation ~
Great Lakes 'Ira.ii Council
Finger Lakes Trail Conferen(e Harmon Strong, Council Rep. 76 Shellwood Dr., Rochester, NY 1461 B (716) 5B6-3B46
American Youth Hostels Pittsburgh Coun,il Bob Roth, Council Rep. BO Roseleof Rood Pittsburgh, PA 15220 (412) 279-6219
PA State Coordinator Bob Tait 277 S Duffy Rd. Butler, PA 16001 (724) 2B7-33B2 Bob_ Toit@nouticom.net
Clarion County Chapter Carol Atwell, President P.O. Box 15, Marble PA 16334 (B14) 354-277B, otwell@moil.usochoice.net
Butler County Chapter Joe Smith 233 E Christy Ave, Butler PA 16001-6303 (724) 2B7-B374
Wampum Chapter Richard Lutz, President Rt 1 Box 1341, Wampum, PA 16157 (724) 652-B1B5, lutznctl@lcix.net
Chair & NY State Coordinator: Howard Beye 202 Colebourne Rd Rochester, NY 14609 (716) 2BB-7191, fltc@oxsnet.com
Central New York Chapter
NORTH STAR: The Magazine
of the North Country Trail, October-December
Keyboard Trails by the Editor The deadline for the January-March issue of the North Star is January 3, 2000. Items received well before that date are much appreciated. The deadline for the AprilMay issue will be March 6, 2000. As I sit at this keyboard, it's still a few months until the turning of a new page on the millennial calendar, but it is the last issue with a date that starts with a "19". It seems like it's a time for a great and widespread retrospective of how far the trails movement has come in a century, and how far the North Country Trail has come in almost twenty years. But, I won't subject you to such a thing. Instead, I think I'll just pass along a letter from Smithhipps -- Barbie Smith and John Hipps -- who preceded me as editors of this publication.
The recent NCTA annual membership meeting at Lutherlyn, PA, was both immensely exciting and intensely nostalgic. As ale' time members from the 1980's we were almost overwhelmed by the number of attendants new to us, the number of chapters and affiliates, and the variety of workshops, hikes, and other miscellaneous activities. The four day affair was a steady dose of one thing after another. Enthusiasm and energy sparkled in the air like the bright stars of a clear and moonless night, charging and recharging us all. Nostalgia struck the two of us as we sat in the back row of the outdoor ampitheater on Friday night. Presentations were made by masters of the ceremonies, Bob Tait and Bob Papp. Upward of a hundred people were pleasingly entertained as presentations were made to many tens of members, unknown to us who had been absent from the Association's activities for several years. As we periodically scanned the audience we felt pretty lonely until we identified a familiar face here and there that for us stood out in the crowd. At the end of our scan we numbered a dozen, including ourselves, who were active in the 1980s into the early 1990s. Some of the others, of course, had compelling reasons for not being
1999
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present. Several were deceased. For others, their prionties had changed with time and circumstances. Our loneliness changed to pure nostalgia as we recalled the very first official meeting of the Association in White Cloud, Michigan, in 1980. Twelve members were present and the total membership was between fifteen and twenty. To our knowledge, the only three charter members left and active today are Ginny Wunsch, Ken Gackler, and John Hipps. Membership waxed and waned just a little since then, waning to one handful by the time of the lowest trough at the annual meeting in Yellow Springs, Ohio. For a time we were without a president and a secretary, and were held together by the thin threads of a cut and paste newsletter. It stayed that way until Tom Reimers, and then Derek Blount, who served as presidentfor consecutive terms often years, established the foundation, set the course for a slow at first, and steady increase in membership and multi dimensional activities that brought the Association into early adolescence by the early 1990s. By the mid 1990s adolescence exploded into early adulthood and has grown by giant leaps and mighty bounds to the present day. And that is very exciting and equally nostalgic. We believe the Association's present success and shining bright future owes much to the pioneers of an earlier age; leaders like the National Park Service's Bob Martin and Tom Gilbert, those unsung heroines and heroes who have gone, or gone on, and to a thing called a "Newsletter" that survived more than a few years of growing pains. Wes Boyd's North Star has become a great and respected one that stands out in the crowd of many others. Today's leaders and administrators and a membership of a quality and magnitude unmatchable will take the North Country Trail into the new millennium unbridled and unbounded. The energy, the excitement, the dedication, witnessed in this year's annual meeting is closing out the twentieth century with a mighty sound that will resonate into the twenty-first making the Y2K noise seem like a whisper. Jn the meantime, we suspect things might be a bit anticlimax for some time. Those were nice words. It was good to see John and Barbie at the Pennsylvania meeting after a gap of who knows how long.
Vision for the North Country National Scenic Trail Our vision for the North Country National Scenic Trail is that of a premier footpath of national significance, offering a superb experience for hikers in a permanently protected corridor, traversing and interpreting the richly diverse environmental, cultural, and historic features of the northern United States.
Page 6
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October - December 1999
Trail Head by President Werner Veit The West Michigan chapter, one of the founding organizations of the North Countrv Trail Association, celebrated fall colors by honoring 20 of their charter members at the chapter's annual fun day beside the Old Schoolhouse the chapter uses as a club headquarters north of White Cloud, ML And what a fun day it was! There were two hikes, the last of a series of backpacking lectures by Norm Tubbs, a drawing for outdoor prizes and a unique turkey roast. And I do mean Gene and Janice Schmidt with unique. their turkeys at the West Gene and Jan ice Michigan chapter's annual Fun Schmidt built a large Day. rectangle of chicken wire covered on all four sides by aluminum foil to reflect the heat. Inside the rectangle were six columns, also made of chicken wire, which housed charcoal. They were the shape of columnar bird feeders. The posts, supporting the rectangle, also supported cross pieces from which roasting bags, filled with turkeys, were suspended. Four hours -An ingenious outdoor "oven" after the fire got going roaststurkeys perfectly forWest and after the 50 or so Michigan chapter members. members completed their hikes, they sat down to a sumptuous meal. The program afterward honored the members who founded the chapternearly 20 years ago. Among them: Bernice and Al
Baron, John and Ruth Worst, Art and Mary Holland, Dale and Gail Werner, Harry Gubbins, Jim Warmels, Wally Doane, Kenneth Gadder, ZoraLongworth, Nelson Leavitt, Roger Meyer, Mary Payne, Shirley Pittinger, Jim Davis, Darlene Snyder, Ruth Sack, Patricia Willick, and Ginny Wunsch. Many were able to attend and I had the pleasure of visiting with most of them.
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One of the great rewards of this job is the chance to visit with fellow hikers from through the North Country region. Next month, I'm scheduled to attend a meeting of the Tittibawassee chapter, I met a lot of the Pennsylvania folks at our annual conference; in early fall visited with the Spirit of the Woods chapter during one of its hikes in the HuronManistee National Forest in north western Michigan, and then in October went to the Fun Day. While hiking with the Spirit of the Woods chapter, I got to see the splendid 600-foot boardwalk the chapter built over a wetland along our trail. It curves in sinuous fashion past a wonderful assortment of wetland plants that provide cover for an impressive number of species of birds. The chapter celebrated its completion with a camp fire and marshmallow roast. Saine of the members completed the night by camping alongside. I almost didn't make the hike because I couldn't find the trailhead. The road it was on changed names as it crossed a county line and I kept passing it without realizing it. When I finally made it well past the appointed starting hour, the group had left-they waited longer than they should have-but left me a note. So I sped after them, confident I could catch up eventually. In my hurry, I missed a root on the' trail and, of course, tripped over it and fell headlong. I was grateful the group was out of eyeshot. It wasn't the kind of entrance your president likes to make. Joan Young, the President and founder of the Spirit of the Woods chapter, documented the horrible erosion that resulted from the failure to close 80 some miles to mountain biking in the Huron Manistee National Forest. She sent the photographs to the U.S. Forest Service to demonstrate the effect of its decision a couple of years ago. I also sent pictures a year ago without noticeable result but Joan's pictures were so much more telling, it's to be hoped they will give the Forest Service pause before again allowing mountain bikes on fragile woodland soil. I'm following up, as well, and again asking the Forest Service to reconsider its decision.
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The Winter Board meeting of the North Country Trail Association will be held in Milwaukee Dec. 4 at the Best Western Midway Hotel near the Airport. Our meetings are open and any of you Wisconsin members who would like to attend are certainly welcome. Do let us know, however, if you want to attend. Just call Gaylord Yost, Wisconsin State coordinator, at (414) 354-8987, or e:mail him at gay lyost@aol.com.
NORTH STAR:
The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December
1999
Page 7
Hiking Shorts Work continues in Bayfield Forest Wisconsin's Brule-St. Croix Chapter of the NCTA keeps working their way eastward toward the Chequamegon National Forest. This spring, a work crew tackled some of the most challenging work done by the chapter to date, including a long bench section and a tricky trail routing through a ravine. The work brought the trail close to completion between Highway S and Mott's Ravine Road in Wisconsin's Bayfield County. Plans for the fall include having a Wisconsin Conservation Corps (WCC) crew working on the trail this summer, working north and east of Mott's Ravine Road, toward Wisconsin SR 27, where the chapter is proposing the idea of an informational kiosk at a graveled parking area, and highway signs. The crew also worked on a nearby trail segment last year. Work on the trail in this area has been aided by two Challenge Cost Share grants from the National Park Service. One covers expenses for the wee crew, and signage for the segment they complete. The second grant funds gates to be installled in Bayfield County Forest southwest of Iron River. This will permit certification of 1.5 miles of existing county forest trai I. Trail also has recently been laid out for future construction on the east side of Highway 27, to a point north of Rush Lake Road. This section will feature overlooks of the Brule Valley and Big Lake on the Brule River. The Chapter was not engaged in work projects during the months of July and August, but will resume activity in September.
Superior National Forest to reopen Kekekabic, Border Route Public input and concern expressed by other agencies was instrumental in the decision by Superior National Forest to send paid trail crews to reopen the storm-damaged Kekekabic and Border Route Trails in the Superior National Forest. In the last issue of the North Star, it was reported that a storm on July 4 had taken down hundreds of thousands of trees in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, doing extensive damage to the Kekekabic and Border Route Trails. In some places, downed trees were "piled like jackstraws" in heaps fifteen or more feet deep, making the trails totally impassable, a scouting report from the Kekekabic Trail Club revealed. The two trails are expected to be included in the North Country National Scenic Trail once the planning process is complete, and approved by local authories. It was estimated that it would take at least five years to reopen the 38-mile Kekekabic alone, if done by volunteer labor using hand tools, the way the trails have normally been maintained. Due to the wilderness status of the area, chain saws are not normally allowed, and even now may only be used by paid crews under Forest Service supervision. Neal Chapman, President of the Kekekabic Trail Club, recently told Bill Menke of the National Park Service that the Forest Service has been making great progress on reopening the two trails, using a trail crew imported from the western states. They won't finish this year, ending their work in October, but will resume next spring. Chapman reported that they've accomplished surprisingly more than anyone anticipated, and are demonstrating the Forest Service commitment to reopening the trails. Concern remains about the increased fire danger in future years, with all the downed timber adding heavily to the fire fuel available. Superior National Forest officials are reportedly planning to approach the question of the fire danger as an 路 issue separate from the trail reopening. It's anticipated that trails and portages may be closed during times of high fire danger. Chippewa National Forest officials in Minnesota are reportedly also making progress on reopening sections of the North Country Trail there that had to be closed following wind damage from the same storm. Damage there, however, was not as extensive as in the BWCAW.
Continuous trail in Ottawa NF The Peter Wolfe Chapter's Doug Welker reports that with the completion of two new trail sections this year (one between Victoria and Norwich and the other just south of the west end of the Porkies), there are now over 130 miles of continuous, followable NCT in the western U.P. In that 130+ mile stretch, there's less than one mile of road walking, and, with the exception of the 1/2 mile stretch along the Black River Road, hikers will only pass one permanently occupied building on the entire trail. This is a hiking experience that is almost unmatched anywhere else on the NCT. The Forest Service has just completed collecting GPS data for the entire trail in the forest, so new, accurate maps (with accurate distances) will be available in the fairly near future.
PageB
NORTH STAR: The Magazine
of the North Country Trail, October·
December
1999
Hiking Shorts Willing seller legislation for National Trails introduced in Senate A "willing seller" bill, S.1729, was recently introduced in the US Senate, by Colorado Senators Allard and Campbell. It is a companion bill to HR2267, introduced by Representative Mcinnis, also of Colorado. "We have a long way to go to get a bill on the President's desk for signature," said Gary Werner of the Partnership for the National Trails System. "Our goal needs to be to get all 81 representatives whose districts include portions of our National Scenic and Historic Trails, as well as other supportive members of Congress, and both senators from each of our states to support these bills." Only eleven of the twenty national trails have any
authority for their federal managing agency to purchase, or even acquire for free, lands for their trail in any manner, and the North Country Trail is not among them. The bill only authorizes land acquisition from willing sellers. The owner must want to sell their land, and must want to sell it to the federal government. No land condemnation authority goes with the bill. Though the bill was introduced by Republicans, several Democrats in the House and Senate have agreed to sign on to the legislation.
NORTA continues bridge decking Eleven volunteers from the Northwestern Ohio Rails to Trails Association have a number of railroad bridges on that rail trail that serves as the North Country NST in this area that require decking, but they're getting good at it -doing one this spring in only a week. Preliminary work on the Bates Run bridge started on April 25, with a small group working on the underlying supports. A big push came the following weekend, when the 60-foot span was decked, with the last decking board put on at 1 :00 PM Sunday, May 2, just as the first user, a horse and rider, came along.
North Star deadlines revised In order to get the North Star out on schedule, and thereby make it more useful to our members, we're going to tighten up the deadlines considerably-- and we're going to adhere to them. If an item is late, it just isn't going to go in that issue. In order to help with planning, here's the deadlines for the next year:
Issue January-March 2000 April-May 2000 June-July 2000 August-September 2000 October-December 2000 January-March 2001
Deadline Jan 3 March 6 May5 July 5 Sept 5 Dec. 6
To Members Feb 3 April 3 June 5 August 1 Oct. 2 Jan. 3
• • •
The Tittabawassee Chapter "chain gang" got really tired out during five miles of trail maintenance this spring, on the Jordan River Pathway between Pinney Bridge and Jordan Valley Rd. Bridge. There were a lot of trees to be removed from the trail, but the plucky crew finished the task. The date was April 27, 1999. The one on the ground is Vern Killinger. The one in the tree is Lorna Brown.
By popular demand, we will be re-instuting "Coming Events" with the next issue, the way we used to do it, in order to get better information to those that aren't chapter members. There will be some changes, though. If you have coming events, get them to the NCTA Headquarters 49 Monroe Center, (Attn: Chris), Suite 200B, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, Phone (616) 454-5506 not later than the deadline above.
NORTH STAR: The Magazine
of the North Country Trail, October-December
1999
Page9
Hiking Shorts Rail Bed has Possibilities for NCNST in Southeastern Kent County In May of 1999, Western Michigan Chapter member Lois Cole joined Dave Cornell of the Chief Noonday Chapter, NCTA President Werner Veit, NCTA staff members and others to look at an abandoned rail bed currently owned by a private railroad company. In the process of being abandoned and currently under review for public use, this rail bed holds promise for extending the NCNST further south from Lowell to the small town of Elmdale, located on the Kent and Ionia county line. These explorers found a rail bed that passes through large trees, borders sections of marsh on either side, passes farm land, and crosses a quiet stream. Initial assessment shows that this property would make an excellent extension of the NCNST south of the Lowell State Game Area. A short segment on roads and sidewalks through the City of Lowell would be required to link the existing state game area section with the proposed rail line section. This rail segment was identified in a Kent County planning study conducted by the National Park Service as the best, and really, only practical way for the trail to cross I-96. Yet the devil is in the details when it comes to trail building. Because the property is currently under private ownership, the NCTA needs to either acquire the property itself or join in a partnership of likeminded users. With such an asset currently available, other potential user groups have already expressed some interest, including Lowell Township. As a result, possible joint ventures are being explored to gain access to this trail for the hiking public and the NCNST. The rail bed includes a 100-foot wide right of way that is already cleared of trees and well graded for easy walking. The available portion is approximately five miles long and may even include a bridge structure that spans a small creek. According to Lois Cole, the NCTA has a preference for crushed lime as a surface for the trail. Yet if partnerships are explored, other options may be possible, such a path of crushed lime or grass along side of pavement for bicycles and in-line skaters. Kent County Parks Director Roger Sabine is encouraged that there are ways to acquire the funds for this project. State grants appear to be one option, but both public and private funding have been used for similar projects in the past. For now, acquisition is on hold until the owner sets a price. Althought the right of way is being swapped between rail companies, abandonment is certain. Once the new owner, CSX agrees on a price, volunteers and NCTA staff can put together a budget and submit the appropriate
grant requests. Pricing will also determine, in part, the nature of possible joint ventures. As if that isn't enough, Western Michigan Chapter volunteers are currently exploring private easements in Vergennes Township in order to eliminate the road walk as soon as possible. "Everything we hear at this point is positive ... but it moves at a snail's pace" said Lois Cole, Western Michigan Chapter volunteer. According to Lois, there are many ways volunteers can help. The Chapter needs people to scout roads and to map out the link between the rail bed and the state game area. Volunteers will also be needed to help prepare the trail once an easement is secured.
ANST through hiker use continues to increase Between 1,900 and 2,000 northbound through-hikers had passed through Neels Gap, Georgia, on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail as of May 21st, the National Park Service reports. Only 1,400 hikers passed through that location all season last year, which suggests that the volume of hikers on the trail - at that point, at least - is about 40% ahead of 1998. A total of 109 through-hikers had passed through Harpers Ferry as of that same date, well ahead of the 34 who had passed through by May 21, 1998. -- National Park Service Morning Report
Central New York chapter elects officers New officers for the Central New York chapter were elected effective July 1, 1999. Chapter members have accomplished much in the last two years in terms of trail building and much more. The theme has been and will remain "progress via partnership of effort." The leadership team, shares a goal: to meet their obligations in a professional manner that provides both results and personal satisfaction for all involved. The new officers are: Albert F. Larmann, Jr., President, Kathleen Eisele, Vice President, Kathleen Perry, Secretary (Re-elected incumbent), Kathleen Disque, Treasurer (Reelected incumbent), Randall Brune, Director, Mary KunzlerLarmann, Director (Re-elected incumbent). Membership recruiting and retention, ongoing expanded liaison with both private and public sector agencies, trail work and "enjoyment", and related considerations will be addressed with vigor.
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October - December
1999
Michigan hikers Cora Killinger and Lorna Brown have a lot of fun
Hiking to Petoskey on theNCNST by Cora Killinger Loma and I did some backpacking on the NCT this July. We started at the Warner Creek Pathway parking lot on M-32, which is about two miles west ofUS-131. It was 6:45 P.M. and we planned on hiking only a mile or two and finding a place to spend the night in our little tents. We wanted to be away from . the hustle of civilization, out in the peaceful woods. The first part of the hike was through the woods as the evening coolness was beginning to replace the hot mugginess of the day. We found the perfect spot when we came to a long open valley with just the right amount of seclusion, overlooking the clearing. We pitched our tents and as it got dark we noticed a red blinking light not too far away, suspended over the tree tops. That wouldn't have been so bad, but it blended with this strange whir whir sound we were hearing, It would have been real easy to imagine UFO's, but of course we had to think of some sensible explanation; like the irrigation system was watering the potato field. The next morning we sat on our little hill and watched for deer, but all we saw were three horsemen and a truck going to check on the oil wells! The section of trail that goes through the valley is not certified, because it is a two-track used by vehicles. But that didn't stop us from enjoying our hike. We followed the twotrack for a mile or so, missed our tum into the woods and had to backtrack to find the trail. We plan on going back there and putting something more visible at the cut off spot so others will not have the same problem. We hiked through some big hills and alongside deep ravines. The neat part of it was remember-
MICHIGAN'S JORDAN RIVER PATHWAY is one of the most scenic hikes in the Lower Peninsula. ing the many trips I'd made on US-131 all the while never realizing the beauty just off the beaten path. The trail crosses US-131 and enters some more beautiful wooded trail. We had parked another car at Dobleski Road, because as trail coordinator, I wanted to get familiarized with the trail that our chapter had adopted and we were doing the sections by THE VIEW of Harmon's farm from Maxwell Road. The trail runs through the hills in the background.
NORTH STAR:
The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December
spotting our cars. Next we spotted a car in Petoskey where Bear River and Howard Road cross at a parking lot there. We drove south and east to where the NCT crosses Springvale ~oad ~nd started the second leg of our journey. If a person likes hills they really should do the whole Chandler Hill section starting at County Road 48. We had already hiked to Springvale Road on an earlier hike. I like hills, but mostly I like to be on top of them and you know how you get to the top, one step at a time. I like the view from a hill and this section had a lookout loop! It turned out to be a view of the valley, and to me it made the trip. While at the lookout, we got a good look at the sky and an approaching ~torm. It looked like we were going to get wet. Sure enough, 1t .started to rain. We put on our raincoats even though it was still hot and muggy. We didn't want to get wet to the skin. We sang a rain song, "Rain drops fallin' on my head". If it stopped we had a song for that too, "I can see clearly now the rain has gone". Mostly the trail was through woods, but sometimes there was a clearing where fems and blackberry bushes grew and we could see where someone had brushed the trail. We suspected Arden Johnson had been there with his brusher and 路 we were glad, because we still had our shorts on. Then it started raining a little harder and we came to a tangle of briars chest high, We lost sight of the trail and couldn't find it. We didn't want to bother removing our packs in the rain and getting out some leg covering so we just picked our way through the patch. We eventually found the trail again by cir~ling back. We had scratched our legs up pretty good, but neither of us seemed to mind. It just didn't matter that much, because we figured we'd heal. Is that why it's called "mind over matter"? We made up a little song for the occaison. It has the tune of the song that goes "In 1814 we took a little trip-down the mighty Mississip". Our words go like this. "We hiked through the briars and we hiked through the brambles. We hiked through the hushes where a rabbit wouldn't go, And when we came to a spot, where Arden had brushed it, we were so grateful, we called and told him so." We got to Harmon and found out it is the farmer's name who owns the picturesque farmland around there. We found a small clearing and put up our little houses in the big woods. It was 6:00 and the rain had stopped. There is a small spring fed ~r~ek.there, where we got water for purifying. We washed up m its icy coolness and considered ourselves lucky. I took the water into my tent to wash, but Loma has a bivouac tent with no room to set up. She jokingly said she would have to practice taking a bath laying down. But until then she'd use the creek. After supper we sat on the edge of the woods overlooking the farm. It was very peaceful. In the distance like a backdrop were the hills we'd be going through tomorrow. We could see the tops of three towers and wondered if they were close to Petoskey. The next morning we were fresh and ready to hike. After leaving the short stretch of road we started up a hill. It went up
1999
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CORA AND LORNA's little houses in the big woods -their second camp, near Harmon, Ml. a~d up. Did I say I like hills? We found a plant called hipaticus. It is a very pretty blue flower in the spring, usually growing in the woods, but here it was on the side of this mountain we were climbing. Loma had her flower book so she looked it up, and this variety was a hipaticus that grows in high elevations.Now I know we are climbing a mountain! It was a good hike through all kinds of terrain. At one point we came across a deserted campsite. Tent, dishes backpack, and clothing all laying there for quite some time. What bothered me was there was a leather jacket among the clothes. I can see a kid deserting stuff, but not a good leather jacket, When we got out of the woods I reported it to the Petoskey Police. We hiked on and came out of the woods and what do you suppose we saw? There in front of us were the towers we'd seen the night before. There were six of them and we'd hiked right out to their hill. It was a tower garden, they were. sprouting up all over! The NCT sure does give you a little bit of everything. The topography map of this area shows several creeks, but they turned out to be on private property. It was only a little after noon so we figured we could reach our car. It was only about five more miles. After going through a park like section of woods south of Brubaker, the trail followed roads for three miles. We didn't mind, because after the woods it was nice to be out in the open, looking at the rolling farmland. We found a place to hide our backpacks and taking only our water, we went the rest of the way feeling free as birds with the wind blowing in our faces. At one point we turned and looked back at where we'd come from, and there in the distance on the far hills were the towers. Well all you backpackers come on up and hike our northern Michigan woods and hills. The Tittabawassee Chapter has made a commitment to maintain a quality trail for you to follow. We have a lot of work to do, but I'm finding out that ~aintaining the trail is as rewarding in it's own way as hiking It.
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October- December 1999
Gettingto know the Great TrailSandy- Beaver Chapter Upon arriving at the recent National Meeting at Camp Lutherlyn, members of our chapter were greeted with "Oh! You're the chapter with the unique name."Yes, itisauniquename, but with a little explanation of history you will see why it's so meaningful. The Great Trail (also known as the Tuscarawas Trail) connected Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh, PA to the east) with Chillicothe, OH (to the west). Many well known Indian chiefs, pioneers, missionaries and military officials have traveled the Great Trail. We felt that it was important to include the Great Trail in our chapter name since another "Great" Trail, the NCT, would pass very close to the original route and also head west. The Sandy-Beaver Canal, a spur off the Ohio-Erie Canal, was built in the mid I 800's. It only operated a very few years before the railroads came to Ohio and caused it to close in 1853. The NCT will follow the original canal route through much of Columbiana County. Along this route the NCT will pass through many scenic and historic areas. Beaver Creek State Park named for Little Beaver Creek, which is now a State and National Wild and Scenic River, is loved and visited by many outdoor enthusiasts. Lisbon, the Columbiana County seat, is the second oldest city in Ohio. Its businessmen and residents were the prime promoters of the Sandy-Beaver Canal. The NCT will pass many beautiful and historic buildings. Hanoverton, a stop on the Underground Railroad, Kensington and Dungannon, all Canal boon towns, are now remembrances of that era. As you can see, the SandyBeaver Canal also deserves a place in the chapter name. Our chapter is eager to move ahead with several projects for 1999-2000.
Certifying as much trail as possible is utmost, Working with the Wampum Chapter, PA to finalize the OH-PA junction point of the NCT is a priority. Constructing a loop trail through Sheepskin Hollow, an ODNR Nature Reserve, is also underway. Working with
private land owners is always an ongoing process as you all well know, There you have it. A little background of the Chapter with the unique name. Be sure to visit us if you are in northeast Ohio. -- Tom Jordan
REPLACEMENT BRIDGE on the McKinley Boy Scout Camp trail was the resultof a Trail Day with Boy Scouts and Great Trail Sandy-Beaver Chapter members.
INFORMATION BOOTH at a May 15 hikathon at Beaver Creek State Park-- the chapter'sfirst functionafter chapter status was granted.
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December,
1999
Page 13
Paying for the North Country Trail by Bob Papp, Executive Director
I have to admit, I feel a little uncomfortable putting the words "paying for" and "North Country Trail" in the same line. It seems to cheapen the image. After all, one of the reasons we enjoy this trail so much is that it allows us to escape everyday worries, for however brief a time. On the trail, nature engulfs us and heals us. It renews our outlook and our peace of mind. Such experiences can not be bought, like a gallon of gas or a ticket to the latest Hollywood movie. Still, money has been on my mind quite a bit lately, as I think about the future of our trail and strive to lead our organization. By now, unless you are a very new member, you will have received our annual appeal letter, which describes upcoming financial difficulties and our efforts to overcome them. For more details on this problem, please read the sidebar accompanying this article. The letter itself has been a little controversial. Many members alr~ady have responded with generous donations, for which we are extremely grateful. But others have questioned the need for more money for the national association, when Chapter volunteers are doing the lion's share of the work on the trail. As I mentioned above, the concepts of "money" and "North Country Trail" don't mix well in our minds especially when we consider how far we have come on so very little. Consider the fact that already we have certified nearly 1600 miles of trail (equaling 73% of the entire Appalachian Trail) on nickels and dimes and the backs of volunteers. This is an amazing accomplishment.
So, why on Earth do we need a dramaticincrease in funding? Well, as I'm sure you've guessed, that's a loaded question. In truth, we don't need money by itself, but we do need a lot of other things. These include: more volunteers, a continuous and permanently protected trail corridor, higher prioritization with state and local agencies, more trail facilities, greater support from local communities, and greater appreciation and support among the public. Can such things be bought? In a word, yes. I'm sure it's obvious how crucial funding is, for at least some of these needs. The clearest one is a permanently protected trail corridor. Did you know that it took more than $150 million to protect the Appalachian Trail corridor? Before you panic, Jet me assure you that we won't be poking around for loose million dollar bills in any of your pockets. But think, for a minute, about what the scope of this work will mean for our organization. We are committed to acquiring corridors or easements to permanently protect the North Country Trail. This will entail lobbying for, raising, and managing hundreds of millions of dollars over the coming decades. Such acquisitions will require extensive research, negotiation and professional expertise. When will we take the first step? When we have the money to hire the staff to begin the work. What about getting state and local governments to set the trail at a higher priority and to offer consistent
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December,1999
support? We know that in some of our states our relationships with agencies, ranging from the state natural resource departments to township boards, are weak. Yet, we also know that there is tremendous potential for these relationships. There also are tax incentives for which we could lobby to encourage land owners to allow the trail to cross their properties. In some areas, the trail regularly is hurt by the decisions or neglect of forestry departments and other land managing agencies. How do we break through these challenges? Well, you're right if you're thinking that we can't throw money at them. The answer lies in much stronger public support and in much greater visibility and participation with these agencies and government units. These things, in tum, come from powerful public relations and marketing programs and from people at a regional level who have the time, skills and expertise to develop lasting agreements and cooperative relationships with these agency partners. Yes, this is where the money comes in. Here, we're talking about marketing materials, maps, planning projects, travel expenses, and staff, with varying skills. I think we all would like to believe that the virtue of our trail and the dedication of our volunteers eventually will bring us toward our worthy goals, but in truth, we are in a heated competition that we could well lose. Public officials and the public itself are barraged with messages and pleas by special interests and other organizations requesting their help. We are one voice in the throng. Ifwe are not heard, we will be passed over. If we do not embrace the enormity of our project and take the big steps we need to progress, our limited resources will block our way, and the current of time will push us back. So, specifically, what would I do in the next year if we had adequate funding? Though our Board would make the final calls, here's my personal list:
*
*
Hire a full-time cartographer. Maps are key to telling the story of the North Country Trail. We can't do it without maps. Not only could a staff cartographer continue developing our excellent series of new hiking maps, but he or she also would be "on call" to Chapters, to produce needed presentation materials and route planning maps to take to township Boards, clubs, landowners and local officials. Create a proactive right-of-way program. Chapters consistently are requesting our help in negotiating and maintaining trail access on private lands, but between our part-time staff and myself, our expertise
and time is very limited. Where we do have voluntary agreements, we need to work with 'Jand owners to devise methods to permanently protect the trail corridor. As Federal funds become available to us, we must act quickly to apply them to easements or corridor acquisitions. We also must develop significant sources of funds for this ongoing work. All of these tasks would be taken on by national or regional right-of-way specialists.
*
*
*
Substantially increase the funding opportunities for our Chapters. Some Chapters have adequate funds to implement volunteer recruitment projects, special events, and trail work, but many Chapters are just scraping by. I would like more funds to go directly to the "field," where the true trail work is done. Hire a fund development specialist. Throughout our seven states, corporations and local foundations offer a myriad of funding opportunities for our work. Closer to home, we lack even a rudimentary planned giving program, for those who would like to consider the North Country Trail in their estate plans. This staff person would work to develop these funding opportunities to meet the pressing needs described in this article. Develop a broad and effective public relations program. We can not have public support without public awareness. In order to build public awareness, we must constantly push to "get the word out." A communications director would develop promotional and educational materials to recruit members and volunteers, work with local Chapters to develop media interest and coverage, and work with 路 public land agencies and communities to improve the profile and use of trail segments.
Although this may sound like a lot of staff, I hope you can see that each of the positions I've described are focussed on building the support we need to truly complete this trail. These are the activities in which the national association should engage itself. These are the services we should be offering to our Chapters and our volunteers. We certainly have come a very long way on very little. Yet, now we are facing the true challenges that stand between us, and a permanently protected, continuous trail. We can stand here and scratch the surface, or we can break out the pulaski and swing. Notwithstanding the stamina and enthusiasm of our volunteers, funding will be the determining factor in which approach we take.
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December
1999
Page 15
Trail Focus:
Ft. Ransom, North Dakota "To the eastern eye, North Dakota seems barren," the introduction to North Dakota inF allowing the North Country National Scenic Trail reads. But it's not that way everywhere, and the lower Sheyenne Valley, especially, is nicely wooded, in places with some of the last surviving stands of North American Elm. It's so different from the rest of North Dakota that it even has a small downhill ski area. Given the walk and other things to see, a relaxing day can easily be spent there. For many years, the trail in and near Fort Ransom was the western outpost of the North Country Trail, and a segment of the 1991 NCTA Annual Meeting was held there. There's really not a lot of certified trail at Ft. Ransom, so some roadwalk has been added to make a small loop trip, starting from the parking area at Ft. Ransom State Park. FT. RANSOM STATE PARK has campgrounds, and toilets. Located where the Sheyenne Valley is at its deepest, the park's centerpiece is the Sunne Demonstration Farm, showing how farming was done in North Dakota in horse drawn days. For more information, contact Ft. Ransom St. Park, Box 67, Ft. Ransom ND 58033 (701) 973-4331. 0.0 [0.0] PARK PARKING LOT. The certified trail follows the Sheyenne River -- still a rather small stream after hundreds of miles of crossing the state -- for 1.5 miles past the demonstration farm. The trail then leaves the park and crosses private property for another mile, until reaching a privately owned bridge to CR 13. According to Ft. Ransom State Park officials, this bridge may be used to cross to the road. Certification ends at this point.
FT. RANSOM'S downtown is a quiet place nestled in a scenic valley.
CERTIFIED TRAIL starts at the parking lot in Ft. Ransom State Park. 6.6 [0.5] TURN NORTH ALONG VALLEY. In the town, near the historical museum, a paved road joins from the west, continue to the north through town. After about 1.3 miles, a footbridge will take you back to the parking area. 7.9 [1.3] PARKING
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2.5 [2.5] TURN SOUTH ON CR13. The lightly used gravel road is followed southward for 3 .6 miles to the junction with Sorby Hill Road. 6.1 [3.5] TURN WEST ON SORBY HILL RD.Follow Sorby Hill road west into Ft. Ransom. FORT RANSOM ND, 58033 (Pop. 95) is something of a tourist town, given the proximity of the park and ski area. Nestled in the side of the valley, it's reminiscent of a small eastern hill town. It has an interesting historical museum. Restaurant, convenience store.
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NORTH STAR: The Maaazine of the North Country Trail, October - December 1999
)_
, Lifetime Achievement Award ~~goes to Ohio's Emily Gregor . If a poll were taken in Ohio to determine who has had the greatest impact on the advancement of trails and hiking in that .state, the overwhelming response would be "Emily Gregor!" .' · · - Emily's devotion to trails in her beloved Ohio extends · , back to the '40s and her affiliation with the Cleveland Hiking · "Club (CHC). Then, as now, a hike led by Emily promised · scenic as well as physical rewards. . , While marrying, teaching school and raising a family, :c. "Emily managed to advance the cause of trails in Ohio through ·;. her affiliation and leadership with CHC, the Ohio Rails-to', 'Trails Conservancy, the SouthWestern Ohio Trails Associa:·X tion, the Buckeye Trail Association (BTA) and the North ': · Country Trail Association. ~; \ . As a long-time NCTA Board Member, Emily helped , '. forged the relationship between BTA and NCTA. That .. '. relationship has had an enormous impact on the direction the . ·. Trail takes today! And that relationshippropelled Emily into : -. the national spotlight where her commitment won her the ' ·· American Trail's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. In . :) ··
LIFETIMEACHIEVEMENTAWARD winner Emily Gregor was presented with the award at the National Trails Conference in Nevada in September. The presentation was made by former NCTA President and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Derek Blount.
April of this year, Congressman Regula from Ohio delivered a speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives recognizing Emily's efforts on behalf of the BTA. He concluded by saying Emily's " .. tireless commitment to the Trail will be cherished for generations to come as they explore the wonders of nature in the great state of Ohio.". It was out of the · same sense of gratitude that NCTA named Emily its Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 1999.
·'Distinguished Service Awards Presented '.
Bob Tait, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania and Dave . . Cornell from Delton, Michigan received Distinguished Ser. vice Awardsduring the Annual AwardsCeremony at the 1999 '. Conference in Prospect, PA. Bob Tait's enthusiasm for the outdoors is legendarythroughout Western Pennsylvania. He is currentlyinvolvedwiththe American Youth Hostel, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Sierra Club and with the Keystone Trails Association. Since becoming a member of the ~CTA in 1997, Bob has recruited over seventy · others and has had a hand in the formation of all three existing Pennsylvania chapters. A fourth chapter, Slippery Rock, is currently the focus of Bob's attention. The pride and excitement generated by Bob's efforts in Pennsylvaniawere most evident at the Conference. In addition to serving as PA State Trail Coordinator, Bob is an active "participant on the NCTA Board of Directors.
Any NCTA member who has attended Dave Cornell's workshops on landowner relations has been awed by Dave's depth of knowledge. As a retired attorney Dave is able to provide sage counsel to chapters as they encounter "growing pains" along the trail. Additionally, Dave has spent many hours guiding the financial systems upgrade at National Headquarters in his role as VicePresident of Finance on the NCTA Board. Not limited to the cerebral side of trail development, Dave parlays his experience as an avid hiker into "user friendly" David Cornell guidance as well. It is not unusual to find him accompanying National Park Service Manager Bill Menke on section hikes of the NCT. Dave's greatest devotion is to the section of the Trail located in southern Lower Michigan near Battle Creek where he presides over the energetic and progressive Chief Noonday Chapter.
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December
1999
Page 17
1999 Annual Awards Over 65 volunteers were recognized by the North Country Trail Association and the National Park Service for their service during ceremonies at the Annual Conference in Prospect, PA. 100 Hours Awards Bob Brown Ruth Brown Lisa Daiber Jim Hitt Jay Holwick Jim Maunder James Runk Walter Wegner
400 Hour Awards Suzanne Hulls
Volunteer of the Year
Baw Beese
Mike Burbank Terry Ladd Fred Scott Steve Vear
Richard Saur
Terry Ladd
Butler County
Gary Drushel Charlene Wright
Joseph Smith Walter Teresykieivicz
Bob Tait
Brule-St. Croix
Peter Nordgren
Central New York
Kathleen Eisele Jack Miller Jim Petresyn
Mary Kunzler-Larmann
Jim Petreszyn
Chief Noonday
Robert Benham Tom Garnett Neil Juhl
Charles Krammin
Tom Garnett
Grand Traverse Hiking
Richard Naperala
At-Large
Chuck Zosel
Donna Dodd
Kathy Sabel Headwaters
Ginny Ruppe James Burow Robert Gould Gloria Henning
NCTA Headquarters
Jim Burow
Dave DeJonge Melanee Weening
, Janice Rock
NCT Hikers
Bea Anderson, Denise Herron, Martha Leppanen
Spirit of the Woods
Joan Young
Joan Young
Tittabawassee
Cora Killinger
Cora Killinger
Wampum
Gail Blakeley Theron Gilliland, Jr. Richard Lutz Bill Majernik Daniel Pacella
Bob Tait
Gail Blakeley
Western Michigan
Ruth Arthur James Davis Tom Learmont Glory Meyer Ginny Wunsch
Len Baron David Sheldon Werner Veit
Gladys Hoogterp
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine
of the North Country Trail, October路
December
1999
Annual Meeting
Scrapbook
THE 1999 Annual Meeting of the North Country Trail Association was held at Lutherlyn Conference Center near Butler, Pennsylvania. Lutherlyn has built this splendid new dining hall and conference center since the last time the Trail Association was there, in 1991.
Photos by Ken Gackler
REGISTRATION and the North Country Trail store were well handled by the NCTA's office staff, Glory Meyer and Margie Kindel.
THE FOOD at Lutherlyn was great -- some of the best eating we've ever had at an annual meeting. There was always enough to go around, and plenty of time to talk with friends.
~ VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARDS (see page 17) were handedout in ceremonies in large ampitheatrenear Lutherlyn's main building.
AN OUTDOOR EXPOSITION held on Saturday drew many representatives of local groups, state and federal agencies, and outfitters.
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December
1999
Page 19
NO NCTA ANNUAL MEETING would be complete without some great hikes to explore the surrounding area, and many people took advantage of them.
ONE OF THE great views on the hikes was this one of Lake Arthur, from the Glacier Ridge Trail, a NCNST segment that runs near the conference site.
A HOG ROAST on Saturday evening drew a big crowd, who had the opportunity to eat their fill on the picnic tables out under Lutherlyn's trees
AND wasn't it good! There was plenty of great food at the Hog Roast, with and there was the temptation to keep coming back to the servina line.
A SILENT AUCTION was one of the new items on this year's agenda, raising money for various trail activities. Some things turned out to be real bargains.
IF A SILENT auction wasn't enough, there was again the fun of Executive Director Bob Papp's hosting a live auction at the end of Saturday evening's activities.
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine
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1999
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Please feel free to nominate a volunteer for this feature. Contact me tofind out how. Joan Young, 861 W US 10, Scottville. MI 49454 or jhy@t-one.net
·.
Edited by Joan Young A computer, the telephone, and rocks are the featured tools used by our volunteers for this issue. There is also a significant "first" for this column; a great volunteer declined to be interviewed and featured. His wishes will be honored of course, but let me explain why this is so disappointing to me. This will also be a good reminder of why this feature was created. Many of the people who are submitted to me for inclusion are very shy about their participation when I call to interview them. I hear the following phrases over and over again: "There are others more deserving than I am. " "I don't want to appear to be bragging." "We all are part of the trail effort. " "I really haven't done much. " I'd like to respond to these comments individually. No one volunteer is more or less deserving of a little praise than any one else. Different efforts accomplish different things. We do not want to assign value or ranking to any volunteer effortfor the trail. People have varying amounts of time and abilities to spend on trail work. Diversity of talents is a key ingredient in the success of promoting and protecting the trail, i.e. the computers, telephones and rocks which we'll get to eventually. Many persons are extremely deserving of a pat on the back, and we would like to eventually feature all of them! If you feel someone who is also deserving has not been featured, let me know and I' ll tell you how to submit their name! I would agree that there are many long-time trail supporters who have not been featured, but one of YOU must request that person to be interviewed. No one who is featured can even be accused of "bragging." Each person who is featured here has been submitted to me by another person or persons from the local area where the featured volunteer lives or works. Anyone whose accomplishments are described here is valued by the people he or she works with. Exactly the opposite of braggadocio, the purpose of this feature is encouragement, not pomposity. Other volunteers are encouraged to see that someone else has had success at a difficult task. Perhaps your perseverance can inspire another person to "hang in there" on a discouraging trail effort. Another person who is hesitating to volunteer because theyfeel they can't wield an ax or saw may realize that there are other talents which can be applied to trail building. The NCTA is a small group ofpeople trying to
create a 4400-mile trail across seven states. We need a sense of community, but it's hard to get to know other people when they are so few and far between. "Heart and Sole" can help us get to know each other. Perhaps someone will read about what you did and even contact you for advice on a similar task. Instead of bragging, you will be helping even more! Yes, we are all part of the trail effort. That's the point. The response that makes me shake my head in wonder is "I haven't done much. " I've heard this from folks who have volunteered hundreds of hours! I hear it from folks who discount what they have done because they enjoy what they are doing so much, as if that negates the value of the effort. I hear it from folks who feel undeserving because they are relative newcomers to the trail community. I would remind you that whatever you have done for the trail is more than what would have been done without you. Projects built and sustained by volunteers require different measuring gauges than just the number of wins, or hours worked, or sales, or physical results that can be seen. Perhaps your contribution is one key element without which some project could not be accomplished. The boss can't just assign some unpleasant but necessary task to the office Low-man-on-the-totem-pole; someone will have to volunteer to do that miserable job to make the entire project successful. So we thank you all whose hearts are large enough to take on small tasks, big projects, short tasks, long tasks, unpleasant tasks, tasks so enjoyable that they are morefun than work, or finally, those computers, telephones or rocks...
Buckeye Trail Association STEVE MILLER is a very busy fellow! He works as a computer programmer for Portion Pac in Mason, Ohio, is building a house, and has an infant daughter. Tums out he's also busy on the trail. Steve has applied his COMPUTER skills to the Buckeye Trail web site this past year. He has completely re-worked the site to provide more information about hiking in Ohio, as well as information about the actual BT Association. That was a job that took about three months to complete, and he does regular updates. Steve feels a real
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999
sense of accomplishment at re-organizing the BTA website. Requests for information from the internet have risen dramatically and he is pleased to contribute to the increased awareness of the trail. He also serves on the BTA board of directors, and is Section Supervisor for the Williamsburg section,about50milesoftrail.He says he was just "looking to help out," when he was asked to consider this largeresponsibility.Steve has decided that focusing on those 50 miles has helped him to not become overwhelmed at the thought of how much there is to do Steve Miller concenon the entire 1200-mile Buckeye trating at a BTA board meeting. Trail (NCT is concurrent with about 800 of those miles).When he took on this section east of Cincinnati about 90% of it was a road walk. Steve has managed to re-locate a lot of these miles so that now only 50% . is on roads. That's quite a feat, and one that I personally will enjoyasladdthatsectiontomyownNCTmilesthisnextyear. Now I will know who to thank! Steve first learned about the trail from a book about hiking in Ohio. When he wrote for more information he learned that the BT/NCT passed only a mile from his house. He quickly joined the organization and a few years later began actively working at trail-building. "I'm really selfish," Steve tried to convince me. He likes the contrast of "getting out and away in the woods" to his hightech, high-stress days at the office. But he then realized that his efforts may help others to have that same selfish opportunity to experience "the woods, the scenery, the quiet. ... All my aches and pains go away in the woods." There's a good prescription for healthy living from Steve!
Grand TraverseHikers Sometimes the chief qualification for being given responsibility is that you find yourself first in the line. This happened to KATHY SABEL when she responded to an article in the newspaper in 1993 about a Chapter of the NCTA which was forming in Traverse City, Michigan. She quickly found herself in the position of club secretary and membership chair!
Page 21
We are sure, though, that the responsibility was not misplaced. Kathy likes to hike and ski, and being new to the TC area she wanted to get to know others with similar interests. Because of her position, her phone number was made available for people to contact for information about the trail. The library, the Chamber of Commerce, and local stores all gave out her TELEPHONE number when people asked about the trail. "I got a LOT of calls," Kathy told me. She was able, in this way, to recruit quite a few members.She passed that office along to someone else last year and is now focused on other trail efforts. She has led a lot of hikes too. This began simply enough when the newly formed club's executive Kathy Sabel and friends hiking in committee got Sidona, AZ on an Elderhostel outing maps, picked a place to hike, and just went and did it. This is the total immersion method of leadership training! Kathy also has adopted three miles of the NCT to maintain, and works on the Lost Lake Pathway which is close to her home. Kathy likes being able to enjoy nature on the trail while also working to protect resources for the next generation. "It's a good way to keep active; it energizes you," she emphasized. Kathy is retired from being in charge of about 200 computers for Dow Chemical, and so has been able to hike and stay energized through Elderhostel on many trails around the country. Her responsibilities for the local chapter are also. diverse. She enjoyed being part of a large bridge-building project that involved carrying in planks and heavy tools, doing a trail re-route, moving a cabin, and then the final trail marking and blazing. Of course that crew had to be fed, and Kathy also helped with the food preparation. She has received the I 00hour volunteer award from the NCTA. This willingness at such a variety of roles is certainly what prompts another club member to describe Kathy as a "dedicated club member who is always willing to help out."
On That Perfect Day by William J. Majernik
When the winds blow warm and gentle.when the sky is clear and blue, And peace has found your spirit and there's only the Earth and you. And the footpath ahead it beckons and you answer it's siren call. Think back on the hands that built it, built this pathway for us all.
Page 22
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October - December 1999
Brule - St. Croix Chapter OK, I could have chosen many tools to describeCHUCK ZOSEL's work for the North Country Trail. But I selected ROCKS. Rocks that Chuck had to find in the woods. Those woods are ones that he knows well. Chuck recently retired from as Superintendent of the Brule River State Forest in western Wisconsin, from which position he has been aware of the NCT since the planning stages in the l 970's. During his time with the SF he was involved in adminisChuck Zosel hiking in tration and management of Montana's Bob Marshall about 26 miles of the trail. wilderness. Originally the trail followed a snowmobile route, but Chuck's "first love" is for the narrow foot paths that allow you "to get close to the land and take in the sights, sounds, and smells." He has been pleased to see the NCT moved from the wider route to become one of these special woodland paths through "his" forest. As a volunteer Chuck is the treasurer of the Brule-St.Croix Chapter, cochaired their National Trails Day event this year, and was the first from the chapter to adopt a section of the trail as his own. This leads us, finally, to those rocks. The whole story is one of the continuing transition Chuck is making from professional forester to trail volunteer. The chapter takes its name from the two major rivers in the area. The Brule River flows northward to Lake Superior and the entire Great Lakes navigation route. The St. Croix flows southward, eventually joining the Mississippi. The rivers are separated at one point by only two miles. Asyou have now guessed, these miles are an historic portage used by Native Americans and then explorers and pioneers. The portage was first described by a
European in 1680 and was in use until 1880 when the trail was abandoned as water routes were replaced by overland transportation. Many such trails disappear forever. Thanks to Chuck's efforts this one will not be lost. His last official act as Forest Superintendent was to purchase the final piece of land so that the entire portage route will remain under state protection. But 1880 was a long time ago; what had happened to the actual trail? Now Chuck transitions to a volunteer. He learned that the trail was re-established in the l 930's and marked with boulders. These rocks were marked with bronze plaques commemorating explorers and pioneers who used the portage. So Chuck has been searching the woods for these monuments and is working to restore the original route of the portage trail. This tiny, but exciting, piece of history will now be preserved in our North Country Trail thanks to Chuck Zosel. So, from all of us, "Thanks, Chuck!"
I am especially encouraged by this issue's group of volunteers. The North Country Trail continues to struggle to find an identity within the community of National Scenic Trails. The Appalachian Trail has the Blue Ridge, The Pacific Crest and Continental Divide Trails have watershed divisions, the Ice Age Trail has it's glacial border, the Natchez Trace Trailfollows an historic route, the Potomac Heritage Trail traces a river and the Florida Trail has Floridian identity. But who are we? What comprises our trail 's "soul. " Our geology is diverse, as are our volunteers. Our goal is to preserve and make available off-road, woodland/prairie experiences in the increasingly populated northeast and upper midwest. Our route is made up of thousands of fragments of our nation's diverse history. Each volunteer brings us closer to the reality. The effort is sort of like crafting a string of beads that somehow do not need to be placed on the cord in consecutive order. One of these days, though, we will awake to discover a beautiful complete chain of scenic and historic jewels stretching across the North Country. Please feel free to nominate a volunteer for this feature. Contact me to find out how. Joan Young, 861 W US IO, Scottville. MI 49454 or jhy@t-one.net
Now Available: The new, third edition of
Following the North Country National Scenic Trail by North Star Editor Wes Boyd The standard overview of the trail, newly revised and updated for 1999 Includes a new section on the history of the trail. â&#x20AC;˘ Lots of Photos! $4.95 from the North Country Trail Associatio n 49 Monroe Center, Suite 2008, Grand Rapids, Ml 49503 Phone (616) 454-5506 FAX (616) 454-7139 Email: NCTAssoc@aol.com
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999 Page 23 ..--~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-=------.
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BARGAIN ECOTRIPS By Van, Foot & Paddle to Premier Wild Places
• • • • • • • • • • BYRON HUTCHINS and his measuring wheel at the west end of the North Country Trail in Lake Sakakawea State Park, North Dakota.
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Garrison Canal Added to North Dakota Guide In 1998, two new parts of the Garrison Dam Canal System were added to the North Country Trail. The total 142-mile irrigation project has now become part of the trail and was added to the Hutchins Guidebook on North Dakota this summer. The most eastern section, which crosses North Dakota 281, 2 1 /2 miles north of New Rockford, follows the canal west for 40.85 miles and was never operational. It contains only rainwater and cattails and took the Hutchins 3 days. The center part of the system is the Lonetree Wildlife Management Area, a 26.55-mile section that was previously certified. The third part of the system is the McClusky Canal, starting from the Lonetree section to Lake Audubon, a 74.9mile walk along the canal. There is a wide one-lane gravel road on each side of the canals. The Hutchins spent 6 days on this section but spent half of one of these days enjoying the town of McClusky while waiting out a rainy spell. The entire system is now included in the North Dakota booklet published by the Hutchins. The Hutchins have also published a new guidebook for the Buckeye Trail Association called "Following the Miami and Erie Canal from Lake Loramie State Park to Napoleon". The North Country Trail uses 38 miles of this section from Lake Loramie to Delphos. The entire section is 99 miles and the Hutchins spent 10 days on it.
ttent the NCTJ\'s aoom Schoolb0
o~e
Ilse!
What's it for?
NCTA's Schoolhouse makes an ideal hostel for your hikes through lower Michigan. It includes a shower, cots, and a kitchenette. Ifs also a great site for meetings or retreats!
Where is it? 5 miles NW of White Cloud. Michigan, nestled in the
southern region of the 1 Iuron-Manistee National Forest
Is it close to the North Country Trail? You bet! Just one and a half miles from lhe NCNST!
Who runs it? The Schoolhouse is maintained and managed by volunteers from our own Western Michigan Chapter.
Where do I get more information? just call our office at 888-'1511NGl'A and ask for a copy of the Schoolhouse Brochure!
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•ASSOCIATION• ~o.._;, O;U;Jtai • Mlno.:.ui.. t \\•.cnntl.ll • M'-:hlpn <>hlo • ~v~v.s:iil.a • Nrw Ym•
Proceeds benefit the North Country Trail Assodation in its efforts to build, maintain and promote the North Country National Scenic Trail.
NCT Map Sets
Trail Crew T-shirt
NEW TRAIL MAPS Printed in full color on durable paper these new maps come in a clear plastic bag to assure complete water protection. They have been carefully field checked for accuracy. Each map unfolds to a full 11" x 17''. (T401} Michigan Huron-Manistee National Forest: North Segment .._~lL s+ (T-402} Michigan ;jlti<;, Battle Creek to Chief Noonday Road (T-201} Pennsylvania McConnells Mill and Moraine State Parks
w\:).:o
(c102)
A TRAIL CREW shirt for volunteers! Tan 50/50 blend. Two color design on front with map and a "fired up" volunteer. (color: tan)
M, L, XL: $8.95
XXL: $9.95
$8.00 $6.50 $5.00
Sage NCNST T-shirt
(c-103)
North Country National Scenic Trail - Just Beyond Your Backdoor. It's made of heavyweight, 100% cotton, color sage, and features a front design in brick red, forest green, and ivory. The trail line on the map is actually a list of all seven state names. (color: sage)
S, M, L, XL: $9.45
Certified Sections of the North Country Traill
XXL: $10.45
by Byron and Margaret Hutchins Detailed information and maps highlighting the longest and best off-road segments of the Trail. These are accurate route descriptions by experienced quiuenoox writers who have walked the sections with a measuring wheel. In easy to use looseleaf
NCT m Lower Michigan, 66pp (M401) NCT in Upper Michigan, aapp {M402)
$12.00 $12.50
Wisconsin
Chequamegon N.F. and Brule River S.F., 19pp (M501}
$3.50
Minnesota
Chippewa National Forest, Itasca S.P., 24pp {M601)
NorthDakota
NCT in North Dakota 15pp (M701)
$4.00 $3.00
.....
$10.~5
Mesh back, cotton twill front, royal blue, plastic snap strap.
B. "Denim" Blue Cap (C203) ••••••••• $15.95
Penn~lvania
Michigan
r=
A. 'Royal Mesh-BackCap (C201)
form, NCT m Pennsylvania, 37pp (M201) •.•...••• $5.25 Ohio .'Wayne National Forest, 14pp (M301) ...... $3.00 · Burr Oak - Sinking Spring, 51pp {M302) .• $7.00 Sinking Spring to Milford, 38pp (M303) .•• $5.50 Little Miami Scenic Park, 19pp (M304) $3.00 Miami & Erie Canal, 14pp {M305) $3.00
HATS-Some New Ones Too!
NCTA T-Shirt
(C101)
Front & Back
Pre-shrunk cotton "Beefy-T". Three-color NCTA logo on front and twocolor trail map on back. Slogan on back reads "Going the Distance on the North Country National Scenic Trail" and includes the seven state map of the trail. (color: bright white) S, M: $10.95 (color: creme white) L, XL: $10.95 (color: creme white) XXL: $11.95
"Pro-wash" cotton twill with extended bill, deep blue crown and bill (looks like denim), adjustable buckle on a leather strap. C. Moss Green Cap {C206} $14._95 ,._,1. S!f0 Embroidered association logo. Low ~--: profile distressed washed cotton ~+~ twill. Constructed with soft lining. " Adjustable buckle on fabric strap.
D. Light Khaki/NavyCap (C207)
....
$14.95
Trail emblem design. Low profile .-: washed cotton, unconstructed. light • · +~ Khaki crown with washed navy bill. '> Adjustable buckle on fabric strap. ..,1.
Slf
E. NaturalColored "Bucket Haf' (c2os)
$16.95
A simple North Country National ~--: Scenic Trail design on a new hat • · +~ style! Washed cotton, one size fits '> most. ..,1.
Slf
Michigan Map Sets by Arden -co:T'.:!;;:'~"-...
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These convenient and detailed maps cover the North Country Trail where it overlaps with the Buckeye Trail. they are published by the Buckeye Trail Association. Each map $3.50 (M311)
Morgan, Noble and Guernsey Counties Harrison, Carr ll and Guernsey-' ou ies
'""f""' ~,,_,., Bowerston -
(M312)
war en Defiance, Paul ing,Counties Putnam, Henry and Wo Counties (M315) Putnam, Allen nd Auglaize Coun ies Lovela d (M319) Clermont, Wa~ en and Hamilton Co ties Massilon (M317) Stark and T rawas Counties New S raitsville (M318) Athens eking, Morgan, Per ounties H c ng, Ross and v· ton Counties oss and Pike Counties Scioto Trail Adams, Pike and Sinking Spring Highland 'Counties (M322) Auglaize and Shelby Counties St. Marys (M323) Morgan, Perry and Stockport Athens Counties (M324) Greene, Miami and Troy Montgomery Counties West Union (M325) Adams and Brown Counties Williamsburg (M326) Brown and Clermont Counties Defian e Delph s
(M314)
An excellent reference for the entire North Country Trail in Michigan. Includes all off-road segments and suggests on-road routes where the. trail is incomplete .. Also pro~des good f, general information about access pomts, terram, ~ markers, camping and water, etc. $4.00 per set _ ,,,,,,,,,,__..,., (M411) SE Lenawee Co. to W. Calhoun Co. (M412) NE Kalamazoo Co. to SE Newaygo Co. (M413) SE Newaygo Co. to NW Wexford Co. (M414) NW Wexford Co. to SE Charlevoix Co. (M415) Charlevoix Co. to Mackinaw City (M416) St. Ignace to SE Marquette Co. (M417) Marquette area to Ironwood
Buckeye Trail (Ohio) Section Maps
Belle Valley
Johnson
~~~~\ ,,..-' 1..
Finger Lakes Trail Resources Map Sets
~6 · _•;
These excellent looseleaf maps of the trail in New ~k are-published by the Finger ~es Trail CoP.ference. $4.00 per set~ \
by Roden~k MacRae ( 611) ,; Descriptidn of the r ute and trail log, east to west. W9nderfully written by a Chippewa.National Forest exp.e.r_t 12 page§_j $1.25
~~
(~i-tt)--RA-bercfer - Portagevm:l ('4112) Portageville - Watkins Gl~n .(M113) Watkins Glen - NW of Cuyler 1/G id b ks I
Hiking Stick Medallions
Add the NCNST insignia to your hiking stick. Brass and silver colored metal. The silver medallion is painted in color.
~·
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Minnesata/Guide to the : North Country Trail;Chjppewa National Forest
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3
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~~~:d ~; th~~~efe Lak Is Trail Conference, these help~,?~~~~ various parts of the North €;nntry Trail where it overlaps the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) in western and central New York. FLT in Cortland County (M121) FLT End-to-End Guide for Backpackers (M122) FLT: Conservation Trail to Hornell (M123) FLT in Steuben Co. (Hornell-S.Bradford) (M124)
$5.95 $2.50 $7.95 $6.95
North Country National Brass Hiking Stick Medallion $4.00 Scenic Trail Mug (P104)
(P103) NEW plastic trail mug tapere · .t "t qt. cup holder $5.00
(P105)
Silver, painted in Medallion $4.00
Volunteer Patch (P121) State Patches New York Minnesota
(P111), (P116),
•............•..........•••.•.................••
or Hiking Stick
$1.50 ea.
Pennsylvania (P112), Ohio (P113), Michigan (P114), Wisconsin (P115), North Dakota (P117) •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• $1.50 ea~
3" Round Patches North Country Trail Association
(P122) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
$3.00 ea.
NCTA uilding and Maintenance Manual by Thomas Reimers (L101) This great manual for volunteers provides helpful guidelines and suggestions for planning, construction · and continued maintenance of the North Country Trail. It covers rural and roaded natural, semi-primitive and primitive trail. 22pp $2.00
Buck Wilder's Hiking & Camping Guide By
Tim Smith and Mark Herrick
One whole lot of fun! Buck Wilder and his pal Rascal the Raccoon share their considerable wisdom and wit. Wonderful color illustrations are filled with humor and countless tips and trivia. Though at first glance this looks like a book for kids, adults also find this guide irresistible and informative. 64pp, (L103) $12.95
Long Distance Hiking By Roland Mueser
Hiking! By Philip Farranti and Cecilia Leyva A truly fresh look at hiking. Read about: philosophy of hiking, stress management, creativity and hiking, and trail romance. Also, explore today's issues through hiking: strengthening family ties, improving communication, a healthy lifestyle for kids, an inexpensive pastime and providing seniors with a natural prescription for health. A new twist for anyone who currently enjoys hiking and for those who are thinking about starting out. 245pp, (L106) $14.95
Dayhiker's HandbookBy J. Long & M. Hodgson
Lessons from the Appalachian Trail.
R'S ~~~r;:9 :~pr~~~~~~i~in HANDBOOK a map and compass, predicting hikeg - AnMl:;::;~:.'::.:!:Gutde
Blending sage advice with personal experiences and anecdotes, this unusually thoughtful, highly readable account of long-distance trekking on the AT. Mueser draws upon extensive interviews to examine unorthodox yet relevant topics. He covers all the questions providing the basis for planning your own long-distance hike. 180pp, (Llll) $16.95
~ ~=~
Comprehensive guide for beginning wanderers and those exploring new
difficulty, when to tum around, managing food and water, weather lore, walking techniques, traveling with kids, first aid, and more. Many short features, fun tips and anecdotes. 216pp, (L107) $14.95
Trails Across America By Art & Margie Miller
book is the first to provide engaging descriptions and advice on all 19 trails in our National Trail System. Includes North Country, Morman Pioneer, Pony Express, Appalachian, Iditarod, Lewis and Clark, Pacific Crest, Trail of Tears, Florida Trail, Continental Divide and many others. 308pp, (L105) $19.95
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Dennis R. Hansen Michigan trail enthusiasts, don't get caught without this atlas! 2nd Edition includes maps and descriptions for over 600 hiking, biking, skiing, and nature trails in Michigan. Search by location or types of use. 581pp, (L102) $29.95
~
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This detailed guidebook provides backpackers, hikers, campers, and skiers with all the information they need to plan a trip to the tranquil Porkies in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Includes history, wildlife in the park, fishing opportunities, cabins and shelters, camping areas, family day hikes with complete information on trails, access points, waterfalls and backcountry treks. 160pp, (L108) $11.95
50 Hikes in Michigan By Jim
An Illustrated NATIONAi, LAKEsttoRE Guide by Olive A GUIDE Anderson. The centerpiece of the North Country National Scenic Trail. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a rugged, beautiful, and unique coast on the Lake Superior Shore. This revised guidebook includes maps, and excellent descriptions of the many recreational opportunities available at Pictured Rocks. 56pp, (L110) $6.95 r1c10Rm aocxs
<.;-~ <,).~~DEo;:
Porcupine Mountains By Jim Dufresne
Subtitled A Traveler's Guide to Our National Scenic and Historic Trails, this
By
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"ilA
DuFresne
From one of Michigan's leading outdoor writers comes this comprehensive guide to the best trails in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Each hike write-up contains all the basic information you need: access, parking, trail distance and difficulty, hiking time, contour map, and explicit trail directions. Formerly titled 50 Hikes in Lower Michigan. 252pp, (L109) $15.00
Followingthe NCT
•
Woman's Guide to Backpacking The One Pan Gourmet
:
~
'<'o fDl"<'<::i
By Wes Boyd Brand new Third Edition of Following the North Country National Scenic Trail. A Classic! Includes general descriptions of the Trail and efforts to build it in each of our seven states. This new addition also includes appendices on throughhlking the NCT and the history of the Trail and the Association. 96pp, {L112} $4.95
,·~J>JlS-s-
By Adrienne Hall You1l find ·-~ By Don Jacobson the knowledge and skills you ~11 5~<:>". Fresh Food on the need to become a Trail. Tired of self-sufficient eating dried and backpacker. Yes, preserved goods you can light a in the backcamp stove ... set country? Here's an up a tent by your- alternative from self. . . take your an outdoor chef kids with you who takes his and keep them spice rack and entertained ... fresh food with survive (and even learn to love) a week him. Covers planin the woods without hot showers! ning, packing, preparing and - most Hall's fresh perspective and up-to-date important - eating savory meals on the presentation of techniques and trail. Geared toward the three-day trip, equipment provide all the tools you this book includes over 150 trail-tested need to become a confident, comfor- recipes, prepared in one pan, pot or table, capable backpacker! 160pp, oven. 157pp, {L114} $12.95 {L113} $14.95
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•ASSOCIATION•
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Page28
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December, 1999.
Director's Report Updates and Commentary to NCTA Members By Executive Director, Bob Papp
Funding Issues Elsewhere in this issue, you'll find an article I wrote called "Paying for the North Country Trail." I hope you'll take a few minutes to read it. It spells out some of our vision for the future of our organization, and the challenges and needs we'll be facing as we move toward that future. With our options mostly depleted for building trail on public lands, our Association must evolve into a very different and much more advanced . animal in order to complete and protect the 2000-3000 miles that remain. Funding will be critical to this evolution. A sidebar in th~ article also describes the reasons for our year 2000 funding crunch, which we referred to in the annual appeal letter you've probably received by now. This $40,000 reduction in funding is becoming a catalyst for other changes and growth, which I'd like to share with you. The most dramatic of these so far has been the loss of our Recreation Planner, Dirk Mason. Dirk was with us for two years, leading the planning efforts for the reroute of our trail into the "Arrowhead" of Minnesota. Dirk was skilled and extremely competent in his work, and was well-liked and respected by our volunteers. Our budget truly has no fat, so,
unfortunately, the only way we could immediately absorb a $40,000 cut in funding for the year 2000 would be to cut personnel. Although we are committed to remedying this loss of funding, I had to warn Dirk that the odds were high that his position would be eliminated at the end of this year. Dirk had an opportunity to accept an excellent job with a nonprofit in the Madison area, which he decided to take. As much as I hated to lose him, I think he made a wise choice, and I'm glad things have worked out for him.
Minnesota Reroute Those involved with the Minnesota reroute planning process will immediately see the problem we now face. Dirk was the driving force behind this project and with him gone, progress will suffer, to say the least. We are working to remedy this. There are funding opportunities both at local and state levels that may enable us to contract with or hire a temporary planner to complete this work. We're working with the Minnesota Parks and Trails Council, the Superior Hiking Trail Association, and the National Park Service to develop a strategy for acquiring such funding and completing the plan: I should have some more concrete news by the next issue of the North Star. For
now, the planning process will slow. However, we remain committed to completing the plan as expeditiously as possible, and will do everything we can to ensure that the plan stays on track.
Direct Mail Campaigns Did you catch the "s" at the end of this heading? If you've been reading my report for the past few issues, you'll know that we completed our first major direct mail campaign this past spring, sending out more than 37,000 pieces with the help of a generous grant from Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI). To date, this mailing has recruited 481 new members and volunteers to the Association (welcome!). Responses still are trickling in, yet we've already reached a response rate of 1.28%, which is considered above average. Building on this success, I submitted another grant request to REI, asking them to fund a second mailing (of 25,000 pieces) this fall. Our goal is to build our revenues to the point where we will be able to fund one such mailing per year on our own, indefinitely. Also, given our funding crunch next year, our second goal is to further increase our membership base prior to the year 2000, to help offset the loss in NPS funding and increase the overall stability of our organization. If projections and trends hold, we
NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December,
should exceed 2000 memberships by the first of the year. As I mentioned last issue, bringing these folks in the door is only the first step. It's incumbent upon our Chapters to welcome these new members and provide them introductory opportunities to become involved with Chapter activities. Some may wish only to support the organization financially, which is perfectly fine and welcome. As I've mentioned in this column and elsewhere, funding will be key to the ongoing success of this trail. By the same token, we can not afford to lose members who want to become more involved but don't know where to start. I truly hope this is a topic of discussion at Chapter meetings and that we are not letting these new members slip through the cracks. The fall direct mail campaign will be in the mail by early November. By next issue, I'll have results to report.
August Board Meeting As you might guess, much of the August Board meeting was spent discussing funding issues. One outcome of this discussion was that the Board appointed a committee to review the prospect of hiring a development director, or creating a similar staff position. A development director would be a staff position dedicated to raising money for the Association's projects and programs. Such fund raising activities could encompass: private family or community foundations; corporate giving and community relations programs; federal, state or other government funding;
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1999
and/or individual giving. This would be a major step for our organization, and one that can not be taken lightly. The committee currently is researching this idea by contacting other related organizations and professionals in the field. The Board is expecting a report from the Committee at its December meeting. Other Board action included the election of a slate of Officers (listed on the table of contents page of this North Star), and a brief discussion of our status as a National Millennium Trail, and the "celebration" that would be expected in 2000.
Volunteers All this talk of funding brings me back once more to reminding each of our volunteers of the importance of submitting volunteer hours on a timely basis. The need for such statistics is especially evident given our current funding challenges. Without accurate re-
ports of volunteer hours, we have no way to demonstrate public support of our trail! Being able to demonstrate that our Association does an outstanding job of leveraging Federal funding to develop private support is crucial to maintaining or increasing such Federal funds. Volunteer hours also are vital in our presentations to foundations or other possible funding sources. Your hours are vital. We now are completely caught up in our data entry of volunteer hours, but we only can remain up to date if you continue to provide us with regular updates of your hours. Remember, if you have internet access, we have a very easy to use form on
our web site that you can submit electronically to us. The address is: http://www.northcountrytrail.org/ voluntrs/rephours. htm
Mapping Project Since last issue, much of our effort has been going into making corrections, additions and revisions to our first three map sets. We've received a lot of feedback on these, and now have much cleaner maps overall. We also have begun work on three more map sets. One will cover the Chequamegon National Forest in Wisconsin and hopefully Copper路 Falls State Park, and the other two will cover trail including the Allegheny National Forest and Baker Trail in NW Pennsylvania. When these are complete, we expect to tum our attention to a couple of sets in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and perhaps the second half of the Manistee National Forest in lower Michigan.
Willing Seller Authority Thank you to everyone who has written a Senator or Representative regarding this issue. For those who haven't, details are in the last issue of the North Star. I have just heard that Senators Campbell and Allard of Colorado have introduced a Senate Bill (S.1729) which we believe contains the same wording as the House Bill (HR.2267). If this is the case, then this is excellent news! For these Bills to succeed, we'll need as many Senators and Representatives as possible as co-sponsors. You can help by contacting your Congressmen and Congresswomen to request their support!
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December, 1999
You can Win an Award for Recrititing.New Members! Because public support is so critical to the success of the Trail, we award people who help recruit new members to the NCTA. Those listed in bold already have received awards. We've also listed everyone who has recruited at least five new members, to track their progress. To get credit for recruiting a new member, just write "recruited by" or "sponsored by" with your name somewhere on the new member's form. (All types of new paid memberships count for credit, not just the $15 introductory ones!)
Our Top Recruiters to Date: 9 David Adams
10 Jerry Allen 11 Carol Atwell 8 Len Baron 9 Derek Blount 8 James Burow 17 Dave Cornell 5 Claudia Day 5 Kathleen Eisele
19 Gene Elzinga 7 Tom Garnett 9 Richard Grau 5 Grace Hutchinson 5 Neil Juhl 70 John Kincaid 11 Mary Kunzler- . Lannann 16 Allannann
5 John Leinen 9 Rod MacRae 16 Bill Menke 7 Richard Naperala 10 Geraldine Nault 11 Bob Papp 16 Kathy Sabel 5 Anne Saltman 43 Richard Saur
18 Dave Sheldon 70 Bob Tait 15 Barb VanDyken 7 Werner Veit 12 Doug Welker 19 Gaylord Yost 19 Joan Young
Update on our goals for members and new trail
One for
One 2,000 by 2000
One member for every mile of trail projected State North Dakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Ohio Pennsylvania New York Other TOTAL
Current members 16 86 141 942 152 207 133 95 1772
Change since last issue 0 0% + 2 2% + 5 4% + 21 2% + 2 1% + 4 2% 0 0% + 2 2% + 36 2%
Trail miles 475 375 220 1150 1050 300 625 n/a 4195
Members to goal 459 289 79 208 898 93 492 n/a 2518
2 ,000 miles certified by the year 2000 State North Dakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Ohio Pennsylvania New York TOTAL
Miles certified 176.5 90.0 81.3 580.7 301.4 121.1 224.0 1574.6
Change since last issue 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% Done 37.2 24.0 40.7 50.5 28.7 40.4 34.7 37.7
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999
North Country Trail Association
Page 31
Board of Directors
Terms Expiring in 2000 At-Large: At-Large: At-Large: OH-Ml Trail Council Chair: West End Trail Council Chair: West Division: At-Large (temporary seat):
Werner Vei~ 49 Monroe Center Ste 200B, Grand Rapids Ml 49503 Joan Young, 861 West US 10, Scottville Ml 49454 Appointment pending Lynn Waldron, 8133 Nonis Road, Delton Ml 49046 John Leinen, 14205 St. Croix Trail North, Stillwater MN 55082-9587 Daryl Williamson, 5901 Timberglade Drive, Bloomington MN 55438 Dana Zintek, 2369 Suncrest Dr Cuyahoga Falls OH 44221
(616) 235-2330, wv12@aol.com (616) 757-2205, jhy@t-one.net (616) (651) (612) (330)
623-5340, lwaldron3@juno.com 433-4456, jleinen@mtn.org 835-2186 928-8931
David Cornell, 514 Cordes Rd, Delton Ml 49046 Bob Tait, 277 S DuffY Rd, Butler PA 16001 Tim Cullenen, 6737 Murray Ave, Cincinnati OH 45227 Tom Reimers, 3C Wildflower Dr, Ithaca NY 14850 Pat Miller, RR#4 Box 135, Cliffwood Dr, Prairie DuChien WI 53821 Gaylord Yost, 2925 W Bradley Rd, River Hills WI 53217-2052
(616) (724) (513) (607) (608) (414)
623-8659, janc128@aol.com 287-3382, bob_tait@nauticom.net 527-4732, tacull@fuse.net 272-8679, treimers@aol.com 326-7354, pkmiller@mhtc.net 354-8987, gaylyost@aol.com
Terms Expiring in 2001 At-Large: At-Large: At-Large: East Division: Great Lakes Trail Council Chair: West Division:
Terms Expiring in 2002 At-Large: Mary Lucas, P.O. Box 54, Glidden WI 54527 At-Large: Amy Clark, 1646 Capitol Way Apt.101, Bismarck ND 58501 At-Large: ( Derek Blount, 906 N Alexander, Royal Oak, Ml 48067 Allegheny-Adirondack Trail Council Chair: Cu"ent Chair is ineligible to seNe on the Board until mid-year 2000 East Division: Helen Coyne, 212 Willow Circle, Cranberry Twnshp, PA 16066-4572
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The North Country Trail Association has a "Business Membership" program, with annual dues of $150. In addition to supporting a worthy cause, our Business Members enjoy benefits including a reduced rate on ads in the North Star, and regular placement of a business logo and contact information both here and within our web site.
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NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October路
December
1999
Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Grand Rapids, Ml Permit 340 North Country Trail Association 49 Monroe Center, Suite 2008 Grand Rapids, Ml 49546