north star vol. 18, no. 5 (1999)

$15 Introductory Rate • Who Do You Know? Our Sponsored Membership Program allows current I Sponsored by: I members to sign up new members at an introductory rate of just $15. To qualify, Sponsored Members must be new to NCT A, or not have been members for at least two years. Name(s) of New Member(s): )!

The $15 rate is good only for the first year of membership. To use the program, just fill in your name in the Address:

"Sponsored by:" box. Then, give the form to your friend to •cf

City, State Zip: Please choose your affiliation (check one):

0 Member of a specific chapter: Phone:

0 Member of my closest local chapter (if one exists) 0 Member-at-Large (not affiliated with any Chapter) I'd like to volunteer the following skills (optional):

WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! *~ coUNTJ\>y Tb begin your membership, please complete this form and send It with your $15 payment to: ~ JM ~ ~~1111-.1~ North Country Trail Association• 49 Monroe Center NW, Suite 2008 •Grand Rapids, Ml 49503 • AS S 0 C I A T_I 0 N. •

DONATIONS Lesley Mayer UfeMember: Kenneth Bums Laura A. Hughes Frank Seery

Adirondack Mountain Club, Richard Naperala WemerVeit John and Pam Carter Theodore L. Hullar Jesse Seiders

Finger Lakes Chapter Michael & Virginia O'Keefe Frank Cetera Jason Hunt Barbara Smith

Teresa and Tyler Agostini Timothy J. O'Rourke Pathfinders: Dave & Chris Chadderdon Steven E. James Charleen Smith

John Allen & Edith Maynard Lewis Peters Loyal A Eldridge Paul ChoolJ(xl & Jody Ergel Ken and Barb Jeltema Kerri Smith

Rob and Lucy Alt Reaeatmal Eq~lrc. Peter J Schmitz Diane Charron Julie Johnson MariW. Smith

Fred Auch John Richardson Irene Szabo Judi E. Cleary James Kelly Ralph Soffredine

Lori Baker David Robinson Betty Tableman Bruce Coppersmith Barbara Kennedy Frieda Sousley

Charles I Benjamin Samuel Newhouse Trail Leaders: Mike Cox Pete Ketcham Carol Lynn Springstead

Jay and Joyce Billingsley Foundation Sally W Brebner Cranberry Public Library Betty Kiefer Michael F. Sproul

Richard D. Boettner Neil J Sanders Karen G. Culp Joseph E. Killian BillStellema

Baxter Brings Mike Schaeffer Peter & Polly Edmunds Mary E. Dahl Pamela Kooiker Randy Stelzer

Finnan Schiebout Paul and Liz Forsberg Tom Dandrilge & Lynn Mal1i1 Gary and Wendy Kosch Dennis Stelzner

Paul Champiln & Jody Engel James and Mariah Hope Isaac Stephenson Ed and Nancy Chappel David B Sheldon Polly Derby Nancy Laidlaw Ronald Kulak Cynthia Stiles Hugh & Janice Davidson Richard Smith Jennifer L. Dore John C. Larch

Bill Stellema Dale and Katherine Tom Dwight Kent Larson Larry D. Swisher James & Maureen Doull Ledebuhr Betty Tableman Donna M Drew James S. Stewart Joseph Moyzis Stephen J. Eno Joseph Lear Tamra Tambeau ECXJR>fcxxls, Marquetra, Ml Michele D. Stout Wii1ael & Vrgnia OKeele Thomas Fintak Dale & Katherine Ledebuhr Edward and Donna Thoma· Donald A Edwards Irene Szabo Bob and Annette Papp John Christopher Fischer Lisa Mae Long Christy Tigchelaar Randal Eshuis Stella K Thelen Cynthia Pryor Mount Fitzpatrick Karen Maclachlan David Tobiasz Frst UnSI MehxlislChurdl Barbara Thompson Kenneth W. Sargeant Laura Foraker Robert Massa Jean Torrez Russell D Fure Sidney Tuinstra Turkey's Cafe Sharon R. Froeligh Eric McCall David P. Trautman Pamela & Martin Gargaro Uniel Way a Ki1g County Kathryn Urberg Larry L Galen Erin McDonald Gary Uber Douglas Gibson WemerVeit Steve and Deb Webster Chris Ghiorse Aaron Moony Kathryn Urberg Chris and Helen Haller Joylyn Wahla Dewey and Kay Wobma Theron Gilliland Jr Cecil Neely Richel Van Camp Stan Harold Philip Walsh Robert and Chris Yuill Terry Glover Mark and Karen Nootbaar Matthew VanDyken Richard & Beverly Harvey Jeff and Melanee Weening Phyllis Zaenglein Larry Goldstein Eric Obergfell Marie Vergata Larry Hawkins Chris Wise Victor Gonda Jeff and Sandra Palmer MaxViatori James and Barbara Hein David E. Younger New Members: Elaine Goodspeed Maxine M. Paschall Robert and Pamela Vincent Denise Herron Reynold Zeller Rodney Anderson Ms Peggy Grant Kaye Phillips Virginia Wanty Michael & Denise Hoffman Sue Andraschko Deb Harris Cynthia Pryor Steve and Deb Webster Michael L. Hopper MEMBERSIDPS Bill and Mary Kay Archer Dora E. Hartnagel Tyler Putman Jeff and Melanee Weening David Irish Kenneth and Geraldine Brian L. Heath Marsha Resinol JoeyWemer Chris Johnston Organizations: Beck Steve Heise Steve Riddle Gudrun Wittgen Leslie Kick Buckeye Trail Association Donna Bevard Richard Henderson Philip Rosewame Shannon Wojtowicz Tim E Klingler Michigan Trails Girl Scout Dan and Jann Bidwell Eileen Hennus John W. Rudnicki JudyWynand Nelson S Leavitt Council Ronald L. Boland Heather Hewett Kenneth W. Sargeant Charles M. Yates

John J. Leinen USDA Forest Service, Dennis Boyer Fred Hill David M. Scheid Clyde L. Young

Susan D. Mabee Walker MN Nancy Bradbury Robert Hirseman Randy and Solveig Schick Phyllis Zaenglein

Karen Maclachlan USDA Forest Service, Bethany Brosey Gerald R. Hofmann Francis Schmitt Janusz Zak

Manistee Ml Ken Brown Heath Hoke Mike Schweingruber Thomas R. Zander

Contributions, Special Renewals and New Members since our last issue of the North Star

Trail Supporters NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December, 199i Page2

Cover Photo: The Tittabawassee Chapter is a fairly new one, but that doesn't keep them from trail work on the NCNST. Cora Killinger photo.

5 6 7

20 24 28

Regular Departments Keyboard Trails Trail head Hiking Shorts Heart and Sole North Country Trail Shop Executive Director Report

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.

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.

National and Volunteer Awards 16 Distinguished Service, Lifetime Achievement and Volunteer

awards were given out at the annual meeting.

Trail Focus: Fort Ransom, North Dakota 15 This out of character town provides an interesting walk.

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.

The Great Trail - Sandy Beaver Chapter 12 Hopes for a new NCT A chapter in northeastern Ohio have

finally gelled with the formation of this new chapter.

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.

hStar

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.

Secretary Joan Young

861 West US 10, Scottville Ml 49454 (616) 757-2205 • [email protected]

Vice President(Trails East): Lynn Waldron

8133 Norris Rd., Delton Ml 49046 (616) 623-5340 • [email protected]

Vice President of Trails (West): Pat Miller

15737 65th Ave., Milaca MN 56353 (320) 983-5643

Vice President (Financial): DavidComell

514 Cordes Rd., Delton Ml 49046 (616) 623-8659 • [email protected]

President: Werner Veit

49 Monroe Center, Suite 200B, Grand Rapids Ml 49503

(616) 454-5506 • [email protected]

OFFICERS

Contributing Editor: Joan Young

861 US 10, Scottville Ml 49454 (616) 757-2205 • [email protected]

Editor: Wes Boyd

14815 Rome Road, Manitou Beach, Ml 49253

( 517) 54 7- 7 402 • [email protected]

Bob Papp Margie Kindel

Glory Meyer Joan Buenavista

Melanee Vandermolen

Executive Director Project Manager Office Manager Bookkeeper Cartographer

k••' NORTH COUNTRY TRAIL ASSOCIATION 49 Monroe Center, Suite 2008,

Grand Rapids, Ml 49503 Phone (616) 454~5506 FAX (616) 454~7139

Email: [email protected] www.northcountrytrail.org

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999 Page3

Central New York Chapter

Finger Lakes Trail Conferen(e Harmon Strong, Council Rep. 76 Shellwood Dr., Rochester, NY 1461 B

(716) 5B6-3B46

Clarion County Chapter Carol Atwell, President

P.O. Box 15, Marble PA 16334 (B14) 354-277B, [email protected]

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, [email protected]

PA State Coordinator Bob Tait

277 S Duffy Rd. Butler, PA 16001 (724) 2B7-33B2

Bob_ [email protected]

Chair & NY State Coordinator: Howard Beye

202 Colebourne Rd Rochester, NY 14609

(716) 2BB-7191, [email protected]

Allegheny-Adirondack 'Ira.ii Council

American Youth Hostels Pittsburgh Coun,il

Bob Roth, Council Rep. BO Roseleof Rood

Pittsburgh, PA 15220 (412) 279-6219

real Trail. Sandy Beaver Canal Chapter Brad Bosley, President

0900 Pancake-Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH 44441, (330) 224-2432

___________ ......:;.A::..:FF"'IL""1A.;.;.TE;;..;:;,O;.;.;RG ... A .... N;.;.:1z""'A""'T1""0.;...;N_Bu'keye Trail Assodation Dana Zintek, Council Rep.

2369 Suncrest Dr., Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 (330) 92B-B931

Chair, Ml (Lower) State Coordinator & Coun(il Rep. For Chief Noonday Chapter

Lynn Waldron Bl 33 Norris Rd, Delton, Michigan 49046 (616) 623-5340, [email protected]

Chief Noonday Chapter Dave Cornell, President

514 Cordes Rd., Delton, Ml 49046 (616) 623-B659, joncl [email protected]

8aw Beese Chapter Richard Saur, President

PO Box 673, Hillsdale, Ml 49242, (517) 437-0746

Jim Burow, President 6B41S11 lth St, Franklin, WI 53132

(414) 425-5146

WI State Coordinator Gaylord Yost

2925 W Bradley Rd, River Hills, WI 53217-1719 (414) 354-B9B7, [email protected]

Chequamegon Chapter Tana Turonie, President

Box 475, Mellen, WI 54546 (715) 274-2521 [email protected]

Ml (Upper) State Trail Coordinator and President,

orth Country Trail Hikers Gene Elzinga

Middle Island, Marquette, Ml 49B55 6) 225-1704, [email protected]

Peter Wolfe Chapter Doug Welker, President

Rt#l, Box 59A Pelkie, Ml 4995B-9715

(906) 33B-26BO [email protected]

Chair: Pat Miller RR#4 Box 135, Cliffwood Dr, Prairie DuChien, WI 53B21, (60B) 326-7354

Great Lakes 'Ira.ii Council

OH State Coordinator Jim Sprague

4406 Maplecrest, Parma DH 44134 (216) BB4-4757

Northwestern Ohio Rails-to-Trails Asso(iation

Gene Markley, Council Rep. PO Box 234, Delta, OH 43515

(BOO) 951-47BB, [email protected]

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

Spirit of the Woods Chapter _,,,,.. Joan Young, President

B61 West US10 Scottville, Ml 49454

(616) 757-2205, [email protected]

Richard Naperala, President 1 OB6 Quaker Volley Drive Traverse City, Ml 496B4

(616) 223-7903,[email protected]

Tittabawassee Chapter Jerry Allen, President

1561 Bomonville Rd., Gladwin, Michigan 4B624 (517) 345-2677

Harbor Springs Chapter Jerry Keeney, President

23B5 Manitou Trail, Harbor Springs, Ml 49740 (616) 526-9597 [email protected]

ND State Coordinator Jon Lindgren

2001 N 7th St Forgo ND 5B102-5075

(701) 231-BB09, [email protected]

OH-MI 'Ira.ii Council

Su. rior Hiking Trail Asso(iation fll1,..1E Nancy Odden, Council Rep.

~ G 731 7th Avenue Two Harbors MN 55616 (21B) B34-2700

'N State Coordinator & Headwaters Chapter

Rod MacRae 1210 W 22nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55405 (612) 377-0130 I A(

Brule-St.Croix Chapter ~) Peter Nordgren, President

11260 E. Timber Ridge Rd., Lake Nebagamon, WI 54B49 (715) 394-B340, [email protected]

West End 'Ira.ii Council Chair: John Leinen

14205 St.Croix Trail North, Stillwater, MN 550B2-95B7 (651) 433-4456, [email protected]

To be assigned: Rovers Outing Club Kekebabic Trail Club

NCTA Trail Council Directories NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December, 1999 Page4

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 hik ers in a permanently protected corridor, travers ing and interpreting the richly diverse environ mental, cultural, and historic features of the north ern United States.

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 enter tained 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

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 April May issue will be March 6, 2000.

by the Editor

Keyboard Trails

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999 . . P~g~ 5

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 president for consecutive terms often years, established the foundation, set the course for a slow at first, and steady increase in membership and multi dimen sional activities that brought the Association into early adolescence by the early 1990s. By the mid 1990s adoles cence 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 administra tors 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 ex citement, 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.

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 [email protected].

* * *

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 Huron Manistee 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 photo graphs 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.

* * *

Gene and Janice Schmidt with their turkeys at the West Michigan chapter's annual Fun Day.

colors by honoring 20 of their charter members at the chapter's annual fun day beside the Old Schoolhouse the chap ter uses as a club head quarters 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 draw ing for outdoor prizes and a unique turkey roast. And I do mean unique.

Gene and Jan ice Schmidt built a large rectangle of chicken wire covered on all four sides by aluminum foil to re flect the heat. Inside the rectangle were six col umns, also made of chicken wire, which housed charcoal. They were the shape of co lumnar bird feeders. The posts, supporting the rectangle, also sup ported cross pieces from which roasting bags, filled with turkeys, were suspended. Four hours -An ingenious outdoor "oven" after the fire got going roasts turkeys perfectly for West 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

The West Michigan chapter, one of the founding organi zations of the North Countrv Trail Association, celebrated fall

by President Werner Veit

Trail Head

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October - December 1999

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.

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.

Continuous trail in Ottawa NF

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 commit ment 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 · 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.

Superior National Forest to reopen Kekekabic, Border Route

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 Wiscon sin SR 27, where the chapter is proposing the idea of an informa tional 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 certifica tion 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.

Hiking Shorts NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999

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.

• • • Jan. 3

April 3 June 5 August 1 Oct. 2

March 6 May5 July 5 Sept 5 Dec. 6

To Members Feb 3

Deadline Jan 3

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

North Star deadlines revised

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.

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 condem nation 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.

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.

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 sena tors from each of our states to support these bills."

Only eleven of the twenty national trails have any

Willing seller legislation for National Trails introduced in Senate

Hiking Shorts NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October· December 1999 PageB

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 profes sional 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 (Re elected incumbent), Randall Brune, Director, Mary Kunzler Larmann, 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.

ANST through hiker use continues to increase

Between 1,900 and 2,000 northbound through-hikers had passed through Neels Gap, Georgia, on the Appala chian 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

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.

In May of 1999, Western Michigan Chapter member Lois Cole joined Dave Cornell of the Chief Noonday Chapter, NCTA President Werner Veit, NCTA staff mem bers 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 practi cal 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 encour aged 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 be tween 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

Rail Bed has Possibilities for NCNST in Southeastern Kent County

Hiking Shorts Page9 NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999

THE VIEW of Harmon's farm from Maxwell Road. The trail runs through the hills in the background.

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

MICHIGAN'S JORDAN RIVER PATHWAY is one of the most scenic hikes in the Lower Peninsula.

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, overlook ing 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 two track 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 hikers Cora Killinger and Lorna Brown have a lot of fun

Hiking to Petoskey on theNCNST

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October - December 1999

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 Chap ter 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.

CORA AND LORNA's little houses in the big woods - their second camp, near Harmon, Ml.

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999

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

· 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

INFORMATION BOOTH at a May 15 hikathon at Beaver Creek State Park-- the chapter's first function after chapter status was granted.

REPLACEMENT BRIDGE on the McKinley Boy Scout Camp trail was the result of a Trail Day with Boy Scouts and Great Trail Sandy-Beaver Chapter members.

-- Tom Jordan

private land owners is always an ongo ing process as you all well know,

There you have it. A little back ground of the Chapter with the unique name. Be sure to visit us if you are in northeast Ohio.

Certifying as much trail as possible is utmost, Working with the Wampum Chapter, PA to finalize the OH-PA junc tion point of the NCT is a priority. Constructing a loop trail through Sheep skin Hollow, an ODNR Nature Re serve, is also underway. Working with

Upon arriving at the recent Na tional Meeting at Camp Lutherlyn, mem bers 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, mis sionaries and military officials have trav eled 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 beau tiful 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 Sandy Beaver Canal also deserves a place in the chapter name.

Our chapter is eager to move ahead with several projects for 1999-2000.

Getting to know the Great Trail Sandy- Beaver Chapter

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October- December 1999

So, why on Earth do we need a dramatic increase 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 volun teers, 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

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.

Paying for the North Country Trail by Bob Papp, Executive Director

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December, 1999

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.

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 · 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.


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

t .#11'\··, CR33

CR13

Sorby Hill Rd. \ ~}

) ,·

... --.. .. , >..., ...... )

< -~ '

7.9 [1.3] PARKING AREA. Description ends.

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.

FT. RANSOM'S downtown is a quiet place nestled in a scenic valley.

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.

6.1 [3.5] TURN WEST ON SORBY HILL RD.Follow Sorby Hill road west into Ft. Ransom.

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.

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 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.

"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 Ameri can 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.

Trail Focus:

Ft. Ransom, North Dakota


Any NCTA member who has attended Dave Cornell's workshops on landowner relations has been awed by Dave's depth of knowledge. As a re tired attorney Dave is able to provide sage counsel to chap ters as they encounter "growing pains" along the trail. Addi tionally, Dave has spent many hours guiding the financial sys tems upgrade at National Head quarters in his role as Vice President 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 un- usual to find him accompanying National Park Service Man ager 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.

Bob Tait's enthusiasm for the outdoors is legendary through out Western Pennsylvania. He is currently involved with the Ameri can Youth Hostel, Western Penn sylvania 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 cur rently the focus of Bob's atten tion. The pride and excitement generated by Bob's efforts in

Pennsylvania were 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.

Bob Tait, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania and Dave . . Cornell from Delton, Michigan received Distinguished Ser

. vice Awards during the Annual Awards Ceremony at the 1999 '. Conference in Prospect, PA.

·'Distinguished Service Awards Presented '.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD winner Emily Gregor was presented with the award at the National Trails Conference in Nevada in September. The presentation was made by former NCT A 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 con cluded 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 .

, 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 South Western 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

. :)

NORTH STAR: The Maaazine of the North Country Trail, October - December 1999 .. P,,age 16 ~ f )_

Len Baron David Sheldon Werner Veit

Ruth Arthur James Davis Tom Learmont Glory Meyer Ginny Wunsch

Gladys Hoogterp Western Michigan

Bob Tait Gail Blakeley Theron Gilliland, Jr. Richard Lutz Bill Majernik Daniel Pacella

Wampum Gail Blakeley

Cora Killinger Cora Killinger Tittabawassee

Joan Young Joan Young Spirit of the Woods

Bea Anderson, Denise Herron, Martha Leppanen

NCT Hikers

Dave DeJonge Melanee Weening

, Janice Rock NCT A Headquarters

Jim Burow James Burow Robert Gould Gloria Henning

Ginny Ruppe Headwaters

Kathy Sabel

Donna Dodd Richard Naperala Grand Traverse Hiking

Charles Krammin Robert Benham Tom Garnett Neil Juhl

Tom Garnett Chief Noonday

Jim Petreszyn Mary Kunzler-Larmann Kathleen Eisele Jack Miller Jim Petresyn

Central New York

Chuck Zosel Peter Nordgren Brule-St. Croix

Joseph Smith Walter Teresykieivicz

Gary Drushel Charlene Wright

Bob Tait Butler County

Richard Saur Mike Burbank Terry Ladd Fred Scott Steve Vear

Terry Ladd Baw Beese

Bob Brown Ruth Brown Lisa Daiber Jim Hitt Jay Holwick Jim Maunder James Runk Walter Wegner

Suzanne Hulls At-Large Volunteer of the Year 400 Hour Awards 100 Hours 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.

1999 Annual Awards


AN OUTDOOR EXPOSITION held on Saturday drew many representatives of local groups, state and federal agencies, and outfitters.

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.

Photos by Ken Gackler

Meeting Scrapbook Annual

~ VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARDS (see page 17) were handed out in ceremonies in large ampitheatre near Lutherlyn's main building.

REGISTRATION and the North Country Trail store were well handled by the NCTA's office staff, Glory Meyer and Margie Kindel.

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.

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October· December 1999

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.

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.

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 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.

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

NO NCTA ANNUAL MEETING would be complete without some great hikes to explore the surrounding area, and many people took advantage of them.


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

Buckeye Trail Association

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, unpleas ant tasks, tasks so enjoyable that they are more fun than work, or finally, those computers, telephones or rocks ...

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 de clined to be interviewed and featured. His wishes will be honored of course, but let me explain why this is so disap pointing 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 effort for 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 "brag ging." 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 accom plishments 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 persever ance can inspire another person to "hang in there" on a discouraging trail effort. Another person who is hesitating to volunteer because they feel 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 of people trying to

· .. o··.···.L· .. ·E•···•· · . .a.···.·.· .. · '· .. : ' .-· .

. .· ·.

Edited by Joan Young

·A····R······.·····T········.·· ... · .... ···:· . ·i :·. . . . -_ : .

.. ..... . Please feel free to nominate a volunteer for this feature. Contact me to find out how. Joan Young, 861 W US 10, Scottville. MI 49454 or [email protected]


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.

Sometimes the chief qualification for being given respon sibility 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!

Grand Traverse Hikers

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999 sense of accomplishment at re-organizing the BTA website. We are sure, though, that the responsibility was not misplaced. Requests for information from the internet have risen dramati- Kathy likes to hike and ski, and being new to the TC area she cally and he is pleased to contrib- wanted to get to know others with similar interests. Because ute to the increased awareness of of her position, her phone number was made available for the trail. people to contact for information about the trail. The library,

He also serves on the BTA the Chamber of Commerce, and local stores all gave out her board of directors, and is Section TELEPHONE number when people asked about the trail. "I Supervisor for the Williamsburg got a LOT of calls," Kathy told me. She was able, in this way, section,about50milesoftrail.He to recruit quite a says he was just "looking to help few members. She out," when he was asked to con- passed that office sider this large responsibility. Steve along to someone has decided that focusing on those else last year and 50 miles has helped him to not is now focused on become overwhelmed at the other trail efforts. thought of how much there is to do Steve Miller concen- She has led a lot of on the entire 1200-mile Buckeye trating at a BTA board hikes too. This

meeting. Trail (NCT is concurrent with began simply about 800 of those miles).When he took on this section east of enough when the Cincinnati about 90% of it was a road walk. Steve has newly formed managed to re-locate a lot of these miles so that now only 50% club's executive

. is on roads. That's quite a feat, and one that I personally will Kathy Sabel and friends hiking in committee got enjoyasladdthatsectiontomyownNCTmilesthisnextyear. Sidona, AZ on an Elderhostel outing maps, picked a Now I will know who to thank! Steve first learned about the place to hike, and trail from a book about hiking in Ohio. When he wrote for just went and did it. This is the total immersion method of more information he learned that the BT/NCT passed only a leadership training! mile from his house. He quickly joined the organization and Kathy also has adopted three miles of the NCT to main- a few years later began actively working at trail-building. tain, and works on the Lost Lake Pathway which is close to her

"I'm really selfish," Steve tried to convince me. He likes home. Kathy likes being able to enjoy nature on the trail while the contrast of "getting out and away in the woods" to his high- also working to protect resources for the next generation. "It's tech, high-stress days at the office. But he then realized that his a good way to keep active; it energizes you," she emphasized. efforts may help others to have that same selfish opportunity Kathy is retired from being in charge of about 200 computers to experience "the woods, the scenery, the quiet. ... All my for Dow Chemical, and so has been able to hike and stay aches and pains go away in the woods." There's a good energized through Elderhostel on many trails around the prescription for healthy living from Steve! 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 00- hour 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 "dedi cated club member who is always willing to help out."

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. • Lots of Photos! $4.95 from the North Country Trail Association

49 Monroe Center, Suite 2008, Grand Rapids, Ml 49503 Phone (616) 454-5506 FAX (616) 454-7139 Email: [email protected]

Now Available: The new, third edition of

Following the North Country National Scenic Trail

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 Trail follows 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 frag ments 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 [email protected]

Chuck 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, co chaired 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 profes sional 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

had to find in the woods. Those woods are ones that he knows well. Chuck re cently retired from as Su perintendent of the Brule River State Forest in west ern Wisconsin, from which position he has been aware of the NCT since the plan ning stages in the l 970's. During his time with the SF he was involved in adminis-

OK, I could have chosen many tools to describeCHUCK ZOSEL's work for the North Country Trail. But I selected ROCKS. Rocks that Chuck

- St. Croix Chapter Brule NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October - December 1999

European in 1680 and was in use until 1880 when the trail was abandoned as water routes were replaced by overland trans portation. 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!"

~o.._;, O;U;Jtai • Mlno.:.ui.. t \\•.cnntl.ll • M'-:hlpn <>hlo • ~v~v.s:iil.a • Nrw Ym•

Where do I get more information?

just call our office at 888-'1511- NGl'A and ask for a copy of the Schoolhouse Brochure!

*~couNrRr

.f.~ •ASSOCIATION•

Who runs it? The Schoolhouse is maintained and managed by volun

teers from our own Western Michigan Chapter.

Is it close to the North Country Trail? You bet! Just one and a half miles from lhe NCNST!

Where is it? 5 miles NW of White Cloud. Michigan, nestled in the

southern region of the 1 Iuron-Manistee National Forest

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!

Easy paced, naturalist led, gourmet food provided NATURAL OUTINGS

1-800-668-8911 [email protected] www.naturaloutings.com

We are well-known in Canada for high quality, low-priced trips. In US dollars thev are 30% lower -- maximum $600 per week.

• • • • • • • • •

West Coast Gulf Islands & Olympic Park Ontario's best - Killarney Park - canoe/hike Quebec - Gaspe & Saguenay - whales & trails Newfoundland & Labrador - day hikes, Viking trail Yukon River canoe trip, Kluane Park hiking Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Escalante Virginia's Shenandoah - hikes from hillbilly cabins Costa Rica ecotour - coast to coast Belize reef sailing, Maya ruins, jungle hikes Mexico's Copper Canyon - ultimate explorations

•

BARGAIN ECOTRIPS By Van, Foot & Paddle to Premier Wild Places

/~ .... ---· .····-- .. :..>\ '··~. -. ~~~- : .: ..: )

· .. ·· .. ···.. - .... ·' .~·.

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 74.9- mile 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.

Garrison Canal Added to North Dakota Guide

BYRON HUTCHINS and his measuring wheel at the west end of the North Country Trail in Lake Sakakawea State Park, North Dakota.

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December 1999 ..--~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-=------.

A. 'Royal Mesh-Back Cap (C201) ..... $10.~5 Mesh back, cotton twill front, royal blue, plastic snap strap. B. "Denim" Blue Cap (C203) ••••••••• $15.95 "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/Navy Cap (C207) .... $14.95

..,1. Slf Trail emblem design. Low profile .-: washed cotton, unconstructed. light • · +~ Khaki crown with washed navy bill.

'> Adjustable buckle on fabric strap. E. Natural Colored "Bucket Haf' (c2os) $16.95

..,1. Slf A simple North Country National ~--: Scenic Trail design on a new hat • · +~ style! Washed cotton, one size fits

'> most.

HATS-Some New Ones Too! r=

Trail Crew T-shirt (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

Pre-shrunk cotton "Beefy-T". Three-color NCTA logo on front and two color 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

Front & Back NCTA T-Shirt (C101)

Sage NCNST T-shirt (c-103) North Country National Scenic Trail - Just Beyond Your Backdoor. It's made of heavy weight, 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 XXL: $10.45

are accurate route descriptions by experienced quiuenoox writers who have walked the sections with a measuring wheel. In easy to use looseleaf form,

Penn~lvania 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

Michigan NCT m Lower Michigan, 66pp (M401) $12.00 NCT in Upper Michigan, aapp {M402) $12.50

Wisconsin Chequamegon N.F. and Brule River S.F., 19pp (M501} $3.50

Minnesota Chippewa National Forest, Itasca S.P., 24pp {M601) $4.00

North Dakota NCT in North Dakota 15pp (M701) $3.00

Certified Sections of the North Country Traill by Byron and Margaret Hutchins Detailed informa tion and maps highlighting the longest and best off-road segments of the Trail. These

$8.00

$6.50

$5.00

(T401} Michigan Huron-Manistee National Forest: North Segment

.._~lL s+ (T-402} Michigan ;jlti<;, Battle Creek to Chief Noonday Road w\:).:o (T-201} Pennsylvania McConnells Mill and Moraine State Parks

NCT Map Sets 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''.

Proceeds benefit the North Country Trail Assodation in its efforts to build, maintain and promote the North Country National Scenic Trail.

North Country National Scenic Trail Mug (P103) NEW plastic trail mug tapere ·· .t "t qt. cup holder $5.00

Volunteer Patch (P121) •............•..........•••.•.................•• $1.50 ea. State Patches New York (P111), Pennsylvania (P112), Ohio (P113), Michigan (P114), Wisconsin (P115), Minnesota (P116), North Dakota (P117) •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• $1.50 ea~ 3" Round Patches North Country Trail Association (P122) •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• $3.00 ea.

(P105) Silver, painted in Medallion $4.00

(P104) Brass Hiking Stick Medallion $4.00

or Hiking Stick 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

Troy

St. Marys Stockport

Scioto Trail Sinking Spring

Buckeye Trail (Ohio) Section Maps

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 Belle Valley (M311) Morgan, Noble and

Guernsey Counties Bowerston (M312) Harrison, Carr ll and

- Guernsey-' ou ies '""f ""' ~,,_,.,, w ar en Counties Defian e (M314) Defiance, Paul ing, Putnam, - Henry and Wo Counties

Delph s (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 Adams, Pike and Highland 'Counties

(M322) Auglaize and Shelby Counties (M323) Morgan, Perry and

Athens Counties (M324) Greene, Miami and

Montgomery Counties West Union (M325) Adams and Brown Counties Williamsburg (M326) Brown and Clermont Counties

-co:T'.:!;;:'~"-...

" tJ ~?.~~~~~~~.

Michigan Map Sets by Arden Johnson 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. 1.. 3 ~· (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 ,

Minnesata/Guide to the : Finger Lakes Trail North Country Trail;Chjppewa Resources Map Sets National Forest ~6 · _•; These excellent looseleaf maps of by Roden~k MacRae ( 611) ,; the trail in New ~k are-published Descriptidn of the r ute and trail by the Finger ~es Trail CoP.ference. log, east to west. W9nderfully $4.00 per set~ \ written by a Chippewa.National (~i-tt)--RA-bercfer - Portagevm:l Forest exp.e.r_t 12 page§_j $1.25 ('4112) Portageville - Watkins Gl~n

.(M113) Watkins Glen - NW of Cuyler ..-» 1/G id b ks I ~~ Hiking Stick Medallions ~~~:d ~; th~~~efe Lak Is Trail

Add the NCNST insignia to your Conference, these help~,?~~~~ hiking stick. Brass and silver colored various parts of the North €;nntry Trail metal. The silver medallion is where it overlaps the Finger Lakes Trail painted in color. (FLT) in western and central New York.

FLT in Cortland County (M121) $5.95 FLT End-to-End Guide for Backpackers (M122) $2.50 FLT: Conservation Trail to Hornell (M123) $7.95 FLT in Steuben Co. (Hornell-S.Bradford) (M124) $6.95

By Jim DuFresne From one of Michigan's leading outdoor writers comes this comprehensive guide to the best trails in Michi gan'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

50 Hikes in Michigan

By 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

r1c10Rm aocxs 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

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Porcupine Mountains By Jim Dufresne <,).~~DEo;: <.;-~ ~ . z

'O..pb £0\~~

This detailed guidebook provides back packers, 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

Comprehensive guide for beginning !\JI' R'S wanderers and those exploring new "ilA ~~~r;:9 ~~~=~ :~pr~~~~~~i~in HANDBOOK a map and compass, predicting hikeg - AnMl:;::;~:.'::.:!:Gutde 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

Dayhiker's Handbook By J. Long & M. Hodgson

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

Hiking! By Philip Farranti and Cecilia Leyva

Subtitled A Traveler's Guide to Our National Scenic and Historic Trails, this 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

Trails Across America By Art & Margie Miller

Long Distance Hiking By Roland Mueser

Lessons from the Appalachian Trail. 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

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

Buck Wilder's Hiking & Camping Guide

Please mail, fax or phone your order to:

49 Monroe Center NW, Suite 200 B Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Toll free telephone: 888-454-NCTA If ordering by credit card you may

fax your order to: 616-454-7139

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

PHONE

E-MAIL

SKILLS TO VOLUNTEER (Optional)

D Member of my closest local Chapter (If one exists)

D At-Large Member (Not affiliated with any Chapter)

Membership Form If you are purchasing or renewing your membership please fill in the following information and add the amount to your order form. D $25 Regular D $45 Organization D $35 NC Explorer D $100 Pathfinder D $50 Trail Leader D $150 Business

Would you like to be a Chapter Member or At-Large? (There is no extra charge to be a member of a local Chapter.)

D Member of a specific Chapter:

By Don Jacobson Fresh Food on the Trail. Tired of eating dried and preserved goods in the back country? Here's an alternative from an outdoor chef who takes his spice rack and fresh food with him. Covers plan ning, packing, preparing and - most important - eating savory meals on the trail. Geared toward the three-day trip, this book includes over 150 trail-tested recipes, prepared in one pan, pot or oven. 157pp, {L114} $12.95

The One Pan Gourmet

•ASSOCIATION•

NCTA Members Deduct 10%: -

Shipping and Handling Charges Amount of Order S/H Charge up to $10.00 $2.50 $10.01 to $25.00 $3.50 $25.01 to $50.00 $5.00 $50.01 to $100 $6.00 Over $100 $7 .50

Signature

Name on Card

Charge Card Number

Subtotal After Discount:

MI Residents Add 6% Sales Tax: + 1-------1

Shipping and Handling: + (See shipping info below) 1--------l

------------ Membership Dues (If Included): + Expiration Date 1------1

GRAND TOTAL:

Merchandise Total: D Check or money order enclo~ed

(Made payable to "NCTA")

D Please charge my credit card

[w~J~-~

,·~J>Jl S-s- By Adrienne Hall You1l find ·-~ the knowledge and skills you ~11 5~<:>".

need to become a self-sufficient backpacker. Yes, you can light a camp stove ... set up a tent by your self. . . take your kids with you - and keep them entertained ...

survive (and even learn to love) a week in the woods without hot showers! Hall's fresh perspective and up-to-date presentation of techniques and equipment provide all the tools you need to become a confident, comfor table, capable backpacker! 160pp, {L113} $14.95

Trail Shop Order Form

Woman's Guide to Backpacking Following the NCT • ~ : '<'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 through hlking the NCT and the history of the Trail and the Association. 96pp, {L112} $4.95

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 com pleted 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!). Re sponses 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 sub mitted 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 over all stability of our organization. If projections and trends hold, we

now, the planning process will slow. However, we remain com mitted 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

Those involved with the Min nesota 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

Minnesota Reroute

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 non profit 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.

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 chal lenges 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 Recrea tion 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,

Director's Report Updates and Commentary to NCTA Members

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October-December, 1999. Page28

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 Representa tives as possible as co-sponsors. You can help by contacting your Congressmen and Congresswomen to request their support!

Willing Seller Authority

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· 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 ex pect to tum our attention to a cou ple of sets in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and perhaps the second half of the Manistee National For est in lower Michigan.

Mapping Project

our web site that you can submit electronically to us. The address is:

http://www.northcountrytrail.org/ voluntrs/rephours. htm

All this talk of funding brings me back once more to reminding each of our volunteers of the im portance of submitting volunteer hours on a timely basis. The need for such statistics is especially evi dent 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 leverag ing Federal funding to develop pri vate support is crucial to maintain ing or increasing such Federal funds. Volunteer hours also are vital in our presentations to founda tions 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. Re member, if you have internet access, we have a very easy to use form on

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 organiza tions and professionals in the field. The Board is expecting a report from the Committee at its Decem ber 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 dis cussion of our status as a National Millennium Trail, and the "celebration" that would be ex pected in 2000.

Volunteers

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 proj ects and programs. Such fund rais ing activities could encompass: pri vate family or community founda tions; corporate giving and commu nity relations programs; federal, state or other government funding;

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 ac tivities. Some may wish only to support the organization finan cially, 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 in volved 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 Novem ber. By next issue, I'll have results to report.


One member for every mile of trail projected State Current Change Members

members since last issue Trail miles to goal North Dakota 16 0 0% 475 459 Minnesota 86 + 2 2% 375 289 Wisconsin 141 + 5 4% 220 79 Michigan 942 + 21 2% 1150 208 Ohio 152 + 2 1% 1050 898 Pennsylvania 207 + 4 2% 300 93 New York 133 0 0% 625 492 Other 95 + 2 2% n/a n/a TOTAL 1772 + 36 2% 4195 2518

2 ,000 miles certified by the year 2000 State Miles Change %

certified since last issue Done North Dakota 176.5 0 37.2 Minnesota 90.0 0 24.0 Wisconsin 81.3 0 40.7 Michigan 580.7 0 50.5 Ohio 301.4 0 28.7 Pennsylvania 121.1 0 40.4

) New York 224.0 0 34.7 ·---··<::~··. TOTAL <',

1574.6 0 37.7

One 2,000 by

2000

for

One Update on our goals for members and new trail

Our Top Recruiters to Date: 9 David Adams 19 Gene Elzinga 5 John Leinen 18 Dave Sheldon 10 Jerry Allen 7 Tom Garnett 9 Rod MacRae 70 Bob Tait 11 Carol Atwell 9 Richard Grau 16 Bill Menke 15 Barb VanDyken 8 Len Baron 5 Grace Hutchinson 7 Richard Naperala 7 Werner Veit 9 Derek Blount 5 Neil Juhl 10 Geraldine Nault 12 Doug Welker 8 James Burow 70 John Kincaid 11 Bob Papp 19 Gaylord Yost 17 Dave Cornell 11 Mary Kunzler- . 16 Kathy Sabel 19 Joan Young 5 Claudia Day Lannann 5 Anne Saltman 5 Kathleen Eisele 16 Allannann 43 Richard Saur

Because public support is so critical to the success of the Trail, we award people who help recruit new members to the NCT A. Those

listed in bold already have received awards. We've also listed every one 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!)

You can Win an Award for Recrititing.New Members!


Prairieville Family Inn 10484 S. Norris Rd. Prairie, Michigan

(616) 623-6150 (A favorite of the Chief Noonday Trail Crew!)

cuumlzedCOfJ)Ol'lcteamruil<izls and leam- prosnms·

or Large Groups Wcd<md & Extmdcd

Families PO Box 1478 Portage, Ml 49081 (616) 327-5379

Backpacking Canoeing

Rock Climbing Winter trips

for

TRecs Inc.

~·Adven~ 311 W. Kilgore • Portage, Ml 49002 • 616-381-7700

Dawnhlll • xc s1cnn1 • Sn1no1rn • SilCtJact111 • car1111m11 K1pb • Can111 • l•li11 Skltn • Techlle1I Otllerwe1r

Bciy Sc-outs• Adventure I Trnel Wear lot Men I Wa111er1

225 East Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc, WI 53066

(414) 567-6847

10730 West Janesville Rd Hales Corners, WI 53130

(414) 425-6888

Law Offices of Barry S. Cohen

N9661 Willow Rd., Elkhart, WI 53020 (920) 565-4225

Thank You NCTA Business Members! 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.

(715) 264-2003, [email protected] (701) 223-8659, [email protected] (248) 548-1737, [email protected]

Kern Trekking & Travel Guided Treks on World Grand

Slam Routes (for 10 or less)

• Torres del Paine Circuit, So. Chile Feb. 15, 2000 - 12 days - $1650

• V anoise Glader Orcuit, French Alps June 22, 2000 - 8 days - $1450

• Hunza Valley, Himalayas, Pakistan October 7, 2000 -17 days - $1950

To contact us, see above.

The Hiker's Grand Slam, Inc. (not for profit)

Info on Best Hikes in the U.S., Best Hikes in the World.

Send $11 for quarterly newsletter and maps as they are done. www.hikersgrandslam.org email:<[email protected]> 700 Island Landing Drive St. Augustine, FL 32095

877-829-1167 Fax 904-829-1869

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 (724) 776-0678

(616) 623-8659, [email protected] (724) 287-3382, [email protected] (513) 527-4732, [email protected] (607) 272-8679, [email protected] (608) 326-7354, [email protected] (414) 354-8987, [email protected]

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) 623-5340, [email protected] (651) 433-4456, [email protected] (612) 835-2186 (330) 928-8931

(616) 235-2330, [email protected] (616) 757-2205, [email protected]

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

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): Terms Expiring in 2001 At-Large: At-Large: At-Large: East Division: Great Lakes Trail Council Chair: West Division: Terms Expiring in 2002

North Country Trail Association Board of Directors


North Country Trail Association 49 Monroe Center, Suite 2008

Grand Rapids, Ml 49546

Bulk Rate U.S. Postage

PAID Grand Rapids, Ml

Permit 340

NORTH STAR: The Magazine of the North Country Trail, October· December 1999

north star vol. 18, no. 5 (1999)

Documents

names of new members

drew james

dore john

sponsored membership

chapter id

specific chapter

introductory rate

sproul richard