North Star Vol. 28, No. 2 (2009)

Volume 28, No. 2July - September, 2009 The Magazine of theNORTH COUNTRY TRAIL ASSOCIATION

Volunteer Adventures Update 6

New Easement 9

North Dakota Conference Highlights 10

2009 NCTA Awards 11

The Hardest Miles 16

Sandy & Pearl Return to ND 18

Backwoods Emergencies 21

Al Larmann Wins Lifetime Achievement Award!

2 The North Star July - September 9

Come Visit Us!The Lowell office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

9 East Main Street, Lowell, MI 49331Phone (866) HikeNCT • 616-897-5987 • Fax (616) 897-6605

Thank you for your confidence in

electing me to serve this great organiza-tion. I hope all the 2009 Conference attendees had a great time under North Dakota’s big sky enjoying the trail, learning from the work-shops, renewing old acquaintances and making new friends.

I want to take this opportunity to THANK Dave Cornell for his leadership as President the past two years and to thank Sarah Julien, Carl Boesel and AI Larmann for their service on the Board of Directors. These folks truly care about the trail; over and over they have given so much of their time, talent and financial resources.

Let me briefly introduce myself. My day job is working as Manager of Rural Development for Cass County Electric Cooperative, the largest electric distribution cooperative in North Dakota with over 3, members. My wife Deb is Sheyenne River Valley Chapter President, and also serves as Chapter membership chair. She works as a Business/Ag Banker at Wells Fargo Bank. We live in Valley City and have a son attending North Dakota State University and two grown daughters. I enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, traveling… and even work.

A lot of progress has been made on the trail and with NCTA in the past few years but we have lots more to do. To mark the start of my tenure as NCTA’s president here are seven “M’s” I intend to use to challenge myself, your board and our membership as we move forward: • Membership: Members are essential to our very existence. Today we have about ,3 members. I challenge each of us to sign up at least one new member. This will help us grow and will also return additional funding to respective Chapters, which in turn helps grow the North Country National Scenic Trail and NCTA.• Miles: When completed the trail will be about 4,6 miles long. Right now we have only about half the trail on the ground. I challenge us to get more miles of certified trail on the ground. • Money: More funding will allow us to support membership efforts to build the trail and tell its story. I challenge us all to support the Annual Appeal, join Founders Circle, become life members, consider planned giving and contribute more of our gifts of time, talent, materials and treasure. • Maintenance: Sections of our trail need better maintenance, as this year’s through-hikers’ experience attests.

I challenge us to assist fellow members to maintain trail and recommend improvements to trail leaders or make the improvements ourselves. • Management: We have a great qualified staff, dedicated Board of 16 members, and are in the process of filling the Director of Trail Operations position. I challenge our management to do much more in development, to create relationships to solicit larger and multiple year contributions to fund special projects and provide sustenance for the North Country Trail. • Marketing: I challenge our management and partners to find ways to accomplish more in communications. We need to fund a communications/marketing position to coordinate our publicity and produce promotional materials to market our trail to Congress and financial partners, and to communicate with our members and the general public to promote the use of our trail. We need to get the word out about our GREAT trail, which remains a secret to so many people who live nearby. • More: Each of us has something more to add to this mix. Share ideas with others, create lifelong friendships with trail folks, tell everyone about the fun you have on the trail.

We all have a choice. We can do nothing, or we can do more to make a difference and become engaged. Pick an “M” or two and become involved. Help our staff, board and me make a difference.

I pledge the Staff and Board will try to do the best we can with the resources available. Thanks for your help.

SEE YOU ON THE TRAIL!

Help Grow the North Country Trail

North Country Trail Association The North Country Trail Association develops, maintains, preserves and promotes the

North Country National Scenic Trail through a trail-wide coalition of volunteers and partners.

During the Thursday evening picnic at Sheyenne Riverbend Farm, grande dame Martha Jones, president of the NCTA in its early years, gives advice to the new Presidential whipper-snapper, Bobby Koepplin.

BOBBY KOEPPLINPresident

TRAIL HEAD

July - September 9 The North Star 3www.northcountrytrail.org

Staff Andrew Bashaw,

Regional Trail Coordinator Ohio/[email protected]

Jill DeCator, Administrative Assistant/Membership Coordinator

[email protected]

Matt Davis, Regional Trail Coordinator Minnesota/North Dakota

[email protected]

Laura Lindstrom,Office Manager/Financial Administrator

[email protected]

Bruce Matthews, Executive [email protected]

Bill Menke, Regional Trail Coordinator Wisconsin/Michigan UP

[email protected]

Matt Rowbotham, GIS/IT/Communications

[email protected]

National Board of DirectorsTerms Expiring 2010

Larry Hawkins, First VP, Lower Michigan Rep.,(269)945-5398 · [email protected]

Terms Expiring 2011Rick Adamson, Ohio Rep.,

(419) 853-4332 · [email protected]

Lyle Bialk, Lower Michigan Rep.,(810)679-2401 · [email protected]

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

Dave Cornell, Immediate Past President, At Large Rep.,

(239)561-6512 · [email protected]

Garry Dill, At Large Rep.,(614)451-0223 · [email protected]

John Heiam, At Large Rep.,(231)938-9655 · [email protected] Hoffarth, North Dakota Rep.,(701)490-3889 · [email protected]

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

Terms Expiring 2012Joyce Appel, Pennsylvania Rep.,

(724)526-5407 · [email protected]

Jack Cohen, Pennsylvania Rep.,(724)234-5398 · [email protected]

Bobby Koepplin, President, North Dakota Rep.,(701)845-2935 · [email protected]

Tom Moberg, Minnesota Rep.,(701)271-6769 · [email protected]

Brian Pavek, Minnesota Rep., (763)425-4195 · [email protected]

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

A Glance Inside

About the Cover Al Larman, 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. Photo taken by Mary Kunzler-Larmann.

ArticlesEnd to End Dreamers ..................4Nettie Does the NCT ..................5 Volunteer Adventures Update ......6Pennsylvania's Tour de NCT .......7 Heritage Chapter's CollegeIntern Program ...............................8New Easement by Most Interesting Land Owner...............9 9 Conference Highlights ......19 NCTA Awards ..................1The Hardest Miles .....................16Sandy & Pearl Return to ND ....18Backwoods Emergencies ............1Extended Trail Outings ............Willing Seller Authority .............3NCTA's New Board Members ...4

ColumnsTrailhead ......................................Matthews’ Meanders ....................4Going for the Gold ....................25

DepartmentsHiking Shorts ............................

North Star StaffIrene Szabo, Editor

(585)658-4321 or [email protected]

The North Star, Summer issue, Vol. 8, Issue , is published by the North Country Trail Association, a private, not-for-prof-it 501(c)(3) organization, 229 East Main Street, Lowell, MI 49331. The North Star is published quarterly for promotional and educational purposes and as a benefit of membership in the Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the North Country Trail Association.

Becky Heise

The "Ladies Line" railbed segment connects Kathryn with Clausen Springs Recreation Area, 4.5 miles west, where this new bridge and dedication plaque were stranded by this year's spring floods. The bronze plaque celebrates funding for the bridge from the family of John Carlisle, who was instrumental in the creation of the park. See page 18 for the fun photos in Sandy & Pearl Return to ND!


Bonita Helton hopes to finish the whole NCT in two seasons, and was

reportedly through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in August, planning to return to the eastern half next year.

Eb Eberhart, “Nimblewill Nomad” in trail registers, expected to finish the east end in NY by September nd so that he could return for the Mackinaw Bridge crossing on Labor Day, then finish up the Arrowhead portion he’d left this past May for a completion in one year!

Longtime backpacker Joan Young has been knocking off weeks at a time for years now, and as of late August had just finished Minnesota, leaving 416 miles undone. She plans

to finish Ohio in September for 14 miles, then complete the NCT next summer in Michigan. Joan’s dream is to be the first woman to WALK the WHOLE route, including every inch of temporary road route.

Why are long distance hikers so important to the North Country National Scenic Trail? After all, there are so

few who have actually accomplished hiking the entire trail. Why should we care?

Unlike most if not all of the rest of our National Scenic Trails, the North Country isn’t well suited for through-hiking. We’ve got only a little more than half the trail on the ground, and mostly we’re pretty strapped in just maintaining what we’ve already built. There’s still a lot of road and connector walking involved, likely to be the case for some time. At 46 miles…the longest hiking trail in the National Trails System…the distance alone discourages all but the extremely committed to through-hiking and trail-bagging. And, after all, we are the North Country, and winter will surely be a factor for any through-hiker at some point—and maybe more than once!

But people do through-hike. We recently had the privilege to host “Eb” Eberhart at NCTA’s headquarters as he passed through on his quest to complete the entire trail in one year. We’re in touch with Bonita Helton, who’s trying to complete it in two seasons. And who isn’t familiar with our own Joan Young—the spirit of the North Country Trail—who’s just a few hundred miles shy of becoming the first woman to complete it on foot.

A growing cadre of long distance hikers on the NCT helps garner greater public awareness through more news coverage. They add to the Trail’s cachet; they strengthen our brand. They validate its coolness. They link us to the bigger picture and give us greater pride of ownership in “our” national scenic trail. They affirm and verify our personal connection with something bigger, grander, larger than ourselves or our own little piece of the NCT. They reinforce the aspirational nature of our trail, even though only a few

will ever through-hike the entire length. Through-hikers help create and strengthen linkages

within our community; they unite us as we support them. Through them we feel more strongly connected with one another and more firmly in ownership of our North Country Trail. Every time a long distance hiker experiences our North Country-hardy people as he or she traverses the NCT we’re reinforcing the promise that the North Country Trail not only offers unique natural and cultural landscapes but an ever-changing kaleidoscope of people connections that are often deeply meaningful.

The importance to NCTA of North Country Trail long distance hikers far outstrips their individual accomplishments. The experiences of Joan, Eb and Bonita amply illustrate just how much our North Country people care, and are in fact the essence of the North Country Trail experience. In addition to the world class historic, cultural and ecological highlights that distinguish the North Country Trail, it’s our North Country-hardy people who make us unique, and make the experience of long distance hiking on the NCT unlike that of any other. Simply, North Country Trail people care in ways that make the experience of our trail one of a kind.

BRUCE MATTHEWSExecutive Director

MATTHEWS’ MEANDERS

Update On End-To-End Dreamers Out On The Trail Now

Nimblewill Nomad in central NY in late August, hosted by local volunteers, standing at the junction of the Onondaga Trail and the main east-west Finger Lakes Trail.

Mary Coffin

Mary Coffin

www.northcountrytrail.org July - September 9 The North Star 5

The first and only children’s book about the North

Country National Scenic Trail is now available for pur-chase - Nettie Does the NCT: North Country Trail. The book is intended to inform and encourage families and chil-dren to explore this trail as well as enjoy, appreciate and respect our natural environment. As the idea developed I seized upon the idea of utilizing our “blue blazes” as a means to providing more detailed information than I could put into the “story” portion. Consequently there are 15 pages of the 38 with a “blue blaze” that read-ers, parents and teachers can pursue to extend their knowledge about hik-ing, nature, the NCT and the organi-zations that support it.

Here’s how it all came about.In the fall of 2008, I realized that

there was no children’s book about the North Country Trail.

With absolutely no experience writing children’s books, or any books for that matter other than my dissertation, I decided that I would/could write one for the NCT. To help ensure that I would follow through on the project, I told my friends and family my plan. I figured if I told enough people I was going to do it, then I would be forced at least to make a valiant attempt or be totally embarrassed when they started asking questions about my progress.

I immediately decided upon the title, Nettie Does the NCT: North Country Trail and in late December began the text. I also began the search for a self-publishing company. I found Xlibris, a subsidiary of Random House, and lo and behold, they were having a half-price sale if you signed up before the end of the year. I figured if I paid for the publication, I would certainly follow through with the writing, another motivator to keep me on task! I am somewhat of a procrastinator so I figured I would need all the motivation I could get.

The materials from Xlibris provided me with the goal of having approximately 44 pages as costs jumped considerably after that. Several times I thought to myself, “I don’t think I can do this” when alas, a few more pages would be written. By the end of February, the text was mostly written and ready for illustration.

In the meantime I was getting concerned about an illustrator since I planned this to be a picture book. I searched online and found several, many way too expensive. I finally found Toby Mikle’s site and really liked the way he had his pricing set with a picture and a price, then a click to add more

detail and the price for that, continuing on to very detailed drawings. Over the next two months we worked back and forth online to develop the illustrations. By the way, I never met Toby and don’t even know where he lives. We did all the work via the Internet.

It was now time to send it off, text and illustrations, to Xlibris to begin the publishing phase. By the end of June the published version was in my hands, ready for sale. I actually did it!

The book tells the story of four friends who go out for a day’s

hike on the NCT in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is both a story and

informational, providing a lot of content about day hiking, the trail, NCTA, local chapters, adopters, other National Scenic Trails, the National Park Service, leave no trace, etc. Although the setting is based here in the Marquette area, the informational content is broad enough to be a learning experience all across the trail, from New York to North Dakota.

Help spread the word about our trail by purchasing one or more for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors. It would make a great gift for birthdays, Christmas or just because you love them. How about also purchasing one for your local public library or elementary school?

Cost is $22 per book plus $2 shipping. Books may be ordered by sending a check payable to me, mailed to Nettie Does the NCT, c/o Lorana Jinkerson, 1830 Altamont, Marquette, MI 49855. Any profits will be donated to the North Country Trail Association and my local chapter, North Country Trail Hikers, equally.

Visit the website: https://sites.google.com/site/nettiedoesthenct/ for more information.

Lorana A. Jinkerson, also known as Nettie, is a retired Professor of Educational Technology at Northern Michigan University. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors of the North Country Trail Association as well as the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter where she is active as a trail adopter, a member of the trail crew, the webmaster, the newsletter editor and is in charge of media/member communications.

Nettie Does the NCT — A New Book About Our TrailLorana A. Jinkerson


Douglas County Forest—WisconsinThis trip occurred from May 15 to May 21. Unfortunately,

we were able to attract only two “adventurers” but the outing was a success because it was incorporated with a regularly occurring Brule-St. Croix Roving Trail Crew outing and the combined result was a nice sized crew. On the positive side, our two adventurers were attracted from outside our normal area of influence, Missouri and Iowa!

Work accomplished included the construction of about ½ mile of new trail west of Spring Creek, heading toward Gordon Dam. In addition, one day was spent rebuilding the St. Croix Creek Bridge. A highlight for our guests was the sighting of two bears, one near camp and one walking the boardwalk through the Brule Bog.

—Bill Menke, Regional Coordinator

Plumbago Creek—Upper Michigan

This outing took place June 24-30 and was a huge success. Fourteen “adventurers” contributed close to 675 hours of labor to complete the chosen project, which was to build a bridge across Plumbago Creek on private property. In order to span the creek and adjoining beaver ponds, we had to build a 156 foot bridge! This task was complicated because the landowner wanted the bridge to be six

feet wide so that he had equipment access to the east side of the creek. In short, it was a huge construction task.

Doug Welker did a very thorough job of site evaluation, bridge design, permits, and transportation of materials to the site prior to the crew’s arrival. John Forslin from the North Country Hikers Chapter agreed to serve as camp cook and did an excellent job of keeping the crew fueled and happy.

The bridge was built in 16 foot spans supported by six rock filled cribs and five sills. Doug had previously partially drained the beaver pond but we still spent a lot of time wading around in the water that was well over the tops of most of our boots. One entire day was spent working in the rain. To the credit of each adventurer, no one ever voiced a complaint and at the end of four full days working on the bridge, it was completed.

—Bill Menke, Regional Coordinator

Slippery Rock Gorge—PennsylvaniaOur second annual Volunteer Adventure, June 6-10, has

come to a successful end. Down in Slippery Rock Gorge, just south of Eckert Bridge in McConnell’s Mill State Park, I counted over 45 stone steps, a retaining wall, and a three ton stone bench installed, among many other small and arduous trail improvements by 13 adventurers over 5 days.

As far as I could tell everyone had fun, worked hard, used the Griphoist to lift boulders out of the ground and lay

them in place, AND everyone went home with all of their fingers! In fact, so much fun was had that

when we took a vote on what we wanted to do on our recreation day, folks chose to move more boulders.

Dessert has been a constant feature both years now.

—Andrew Bashaw, Regional Coordinator

Morgan Hill State Forest & Labrador Hollow—New York

The project’s mission was to improve two extremely steep sections of a trail that drops to the top of Tinker Falls then climbs up the other side. It is located on the Onondaga section of the Finger Lakes and North Country Trails on State land. The group was able to complete only part of this major project June 22 – 26 but will continue as time permits.

Bill Menke

Bill Menke

Left: Joanne laminates the St. Croix Creek Bridge beam. Above: Wisconsin, St. Croix Creek Bridge.

Above: Michigan, Plumbago Creek Bridge finished in the bone chilling rain and cold.Right: Cynthia Heltunen is on the level.

Volunteer Adventures Update–2009

Bill Menke

Bill Menke


The Butler Outdoor Club and the Butler Chapter of the NCTA have

embarked on a plan to hike all off road sections of the North Country Trail in Pennsylvania. Coordinator John Stehle named it the “Tour de NCT of PA.” The general idea is to do a hike once a month, working our way alternately from the Ohio and New York state lines. Since the typical hike will be between 7 and 12 miles, it will take almost 2 years to accomplish the 185 miles of off-road trail. At the end a special patch will be awarded to all who hiked the trail during the period. As of May 2009 we had hiked three stages of the tour. The first stage from the Ohio border goes through State Game Lands and is maintained by the Wampum Chapter. The 20 hikers who showed up for the first stage found it to be a beautiful and well maintained trail, although at 4.1 miles, it wasn’t very long. Because of the distance to get from Butler to the New York border, we decided to do the northern sections as two day events. Stage two of the tour is the first section coming down from New York. Five of us went up on a Saturday to make the short 1 mile walk to the state line and back and then camp at Tracy Ridge Campground in the Allegheny National Forest. The weather forecast was ominous, but nothing came of it. We had perfect weather for camping and for hiking. Gene Cornelius, the trail steward for that section, accompanied us for the 11 mile section. The trail is in very good condition and is beautiful with many

views of the Allegheny Reservoir. The third stage was the two trails that go in and out of Wampum, where local maintainer Bob Cody escorted 17 of us to the trailheads and made sure we were on our way. But we didn’t need too much help in this, since Ron Rice, one of the original builders of the trail, was hiking with us. Again, the trail was in good shape, while the weather was perfect at 70 degrees and sunny. An 8 mile hike July 5 was on familiar territory for those of us in the Butler area, the beautiful Hells Hollow –McConnel’s Mill section. We had two of the maintainers along with us, Kay Thompson and Joe Hardisky, and their work didn’t disappoint. The trail was in great shape, especially nice because we went through the section that was just completed by the NCT Volunteer Adventure project in June. They did an amazing job getting the trail off the creek bed and up on the steep rocky hillside. The stone work was beautiful for our fourth stage.

Some people have wanted to keep up with the tour but cannot make each scheduled hike. In this case some people may plan makeup hikes to keep their record complete. It is still early to see how this will develop, especially with winter weather issues, etc. But so far we have had a great time doing several stages. If you wish to be on the email list for notification about future stages, send a request to John Stehle [email protected]. John Stehle, Cell 724 256-0674.

Bill Menke

Bill Menke

The job is bigger than our local people resources but what was completed was done well and provides a great improvement. Unfortunately articles in both North Star and the FLT News failed to attract any out-of-towners from the NCTA community. There were ten local volunteers, the usuals, who worked throughout the week to complete 10% grade switch-backed benching to replace a fairly straight drop. Also the stream crossing was moved upstream to a much safer spot and cleared of logs.

The workers began clearing on the 10% flagged route on the other side of the falls and installed an experimental rock and dirt filled box step and bermed bench on a steep unstable section for further observation. We want to see how it is affected by winter’s frost heave.

Volunteers should feel proud of what they accomplished especially on the north side of the falls. It is such an improvement and more representative of NCT standards. As time permits our local Adirondack Mountain Club – Onondaga Chapter will continue to make progress on the south side to improve trail.

—Mary Coffin, Board member & project leader

Tour de NCT

Left: Wisconsin, Leslie, Joann, and Trish digging tread.

Below: Michigan, Dick Kroener at Plumbago Creek.


The Heritage Chapter, custodians of the easternmost trail in

Wisconsin, has occasionally utilized the assistance of a college intern

over the years. The program was established with Northland

College, a local college in Ashland, approximately 20 miles from the trail. Northland College is a private college with an

environmentally focused curriculum.

Our contact is Mike Gardner, Program

Director of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute

within Northland College. Our arrangement with Northland is rather loose and informal. The Chapter pays the college $1,000

a year toward the intern program and for providing an intern for a specified number of work events. In our case we have six work weekends

per year for a minimum of 12 days of intern assistance. Northland College then generally requires the intern to write a report on his/her activities for a credit at

The Heritage Chapter’s College Intern Program Michael Stafford

The weekend will provide interesting workshops, hiking in the woods of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula

of Michigan, three nights of entertainment and good food. Add time to spend with friends, old and new, and beautiful sunsets on Lake Superior.

Come on Tuesday, August 3 for a two night back packing trip or on Thursday, August 5 for a Chain Saw Certification Workshop. Bring your family to enjoy the Kids and Family Programs at the Great Lakes Visitors Center or just to have fun at the indoor water park at the AmericInn.

Explore the Apostle Islands, Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island, orchards and artists of Bayfield and murals and the lakefront of Ashland. The Great Lakes Visitors Center alone is worth the visit.

There will be a variety of accommodations and places to camp.All of the information will be on our Conference Website after the 15th of October.

the college. The college also pays the intern a stipend for the services. The intern needs to have his own transportation and be able to work all scheduled work weekends. The intern’s duties include trail maintenance labor and tasks are assigned and developed on an as-needed basis, depending on the skills of the individual. For example, our current intern has training as a wilderness first responder in case of accident or illness. So we assigned to her the task of updating the medical kits for the chapter.

We try to introduce the intern to as much of the trail as possible in the first work weekend to become familiar with the trail. Most of our chapter members are great distances away from the trail and getting consistent attendance at work events is a struggle. Therefore, we rely on the intern to log the hours of all volunteers on NCTA group logs during these work outings. Having the consistency and youthful energy of a local intern is very helpful to us and we hope to continue the program.

Presently the intern program and search for candidates is not an easy process so we hope to formalize it so that we can rely on it each and every year. We also hope that our current intern will assist in finding the next intern and thereby pass the torch. If you are interested in an intern for your chapter, I recommend contacting your local college in the department for environmental studies. If you wish to inquire about the Heritage Chapter’s program, please contact me at [email protected] or 414-403-4575.

2010 National Conference in Ashland, WisconsinAugust 5 through 8


Mrs. Jean Pitt awarded the Finger Lakes and North Country Trails

an easement on a very significant piece of land in central New York. The protected section of FLT/NCT Onondaga Trail is the 0.67 mile eastern access to Highland Forest County Park and to 25 miles of hiking trails within the park, FLTC Map O1. We are most appreciative of Mrs. Pitt’s generosity. She is a legend in her own time, a delightful, witty person and I enjoy every visit with her.

Mrs. Pitt has lived her whole life in this area. Her father Allen Gaines, son of slaves, was the first African-American to purchase property in the town of Pompey shortly after the turn of the last century. It wasn’t easy for Jean growing up in the only black family in the area, but the Gaines family became very prosperous farmers through hard work and extensive study of Cornell University publications. Much of their produce and eggs went straight to Syracuse University dining halls due to their high quality.

Jean likes to reflect on many childhood memories related to the lands her family owned and where the trail is located today. She remembers the variety of spring wildflower, many of which we still see along the trail today. She enjoyed picking and mostly eating strawberries and blackberries and even picked dandelions that were sold to city folk.

One year there were still pockets of late spring snow protected by the shade of the hill as the early berries were ripening. Her family picked the berries and used the snow to crank out homemade ice cream to go with the berries. There were rumors and tales of Indian graves on the hill. She and her brothers looked but never found them. In 2008 Cornell sent students to investigate so there must have been some truth to the rumors. Protecting the trail is a way of protecting Mrs. Pitt’s childhood memories.

New Easement by Most Interesting LandownerStory and Photos by Mary Coffin

Vice President East, New York Representative

The Gaines family valued education so Jean went on to Syracuse University followed by graduate work at Case Western where she met her husband, Bill Pitt. They settled near her parents’ farm in Delphi Falls. Her father met her new husband, the college man, and remarked, “He’s no farmer.” She and her husband dabbled in the collecting and selling of rare books and a little farming while pursuing careers as social workers in Syracuse. Unfortunately Mr. Pitt died ten years after they were married. Mrs. Pitt, while bringing up two daughters, had a forty-

year career as Director of the Social Services Department at the VA hospital in Syracuse. After her husband passed away Mrs. Pitt even took over his weekly TV program for a short time. The program featured issues and history important to the local black community, especially health related topics.

My experiences with Mrs. Pitt and all our landowners reinforce how important and rich our relationships with landowners can be. Most have a story waiting to be discovered and are very interesting people. We know they are generous people as they let us have trail on their lands. I suggest each sponsor or steward seek opportunities to get to know at least one landowner per year.

Mrs. Pitt’s easement is a very significant contribution to protect the trail and we are forever grateful to Jean Pitt for her forethought and generosity. Under the terms of a trail easement, future owners must continue the permission through a defined corridor, and while they may use the land any way they choose, they may not block or erase the trail itself.

Republished with permission from the Finger Lakes Trail News

View of DeRuyter Lake from the Pitt trail easement.

Jean Pitt

10 The North Star July - September 910 The North Star July - September 9

Beautifully typical of our North Dakota hikes, the Stairway to Heaven trail featured both open rolling grasslands and sections through river valley woods on black soil.

Conference Highlights

Mick H

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Right: Deb Koepplin explains the "Ladies Line" portion of the upcoming hike from the trailhead in Kathryn, North Dakota, while Sarah Julien scratches herself.

The 2009 President's Photo, capturing a good portion of those attending NCTA Conference in Valley City.

Below: During the live auction, bidding was heavy for this unique production, a quilt made using historic NCTA T-shirts by the Sheyenne River Valley Chapter.

Sheyenne National Grasslands hike, showing unique trail markers.

July - September 9 The North Star 11www.northcountrytrail.org July - September 9 The North Star 11www.northcountrytrail.org

Another perennial auction favorite is a collection of…uh…unique hats donated by Fred Szarka of the NPS. Here Bobby Koepplin models the skunk hat while bidding continued briskly over the wolf and buffalo hats.

A special trip was offered the day before the conference officially began, to enable visitors to see the far western end of the NCT and visit two museums of western history along the way. This mound at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site was home to an extended family for the Mandan people.

Left: Kaleb Cook at Clausen Springs Lake.

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Matt D

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Above: Stephanie Hoffarth on the family hike at Clausen Springs.

Beautifully typical of our North Dakota hikes, the Stairway to Heaven trail featured both open rolling grasslands and sections through river valley woods on black soil.

Mick H

awkins

Deb Koepplin

Conference Highlights

Sheyenne National Grasslands hike, showing unique trail markers.


2009 NCTA Awards Presented in North Dakota

Joyce Appel of Pennsylvania was honored with a fleece shirt. Even MORE hours rated her the added benefit of sleeves!"

Mary Coffin is awarded Distinguished Service.

Past President John Leinen presents Al Larmann with the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award after a speech full of appreciation and admiration for Al's huge and ongoing contributions.

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Mick H

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Ray Vlasak, Leadership Award.

Mick H

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Larry Haw

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Communicator of the year went to Lorana Jinkerson.

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Mick H

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Above: After the picnic at Riverbend Farm, the National Park Service gave out awards in recognition of volunteer hours, including these special ones for the truly dedicated who have passed the thousand hour mark in cumulative hours. Minnesota's Pat Leinen is clearly excited to receive her fleece vest, embroidered with the NCT logo and her name, from Dan Watson.

Right: His grateful nominators insisted we use this fuzzy photo of John Kwapinski, recipient of the Friend of the Trail award, because it shows him doing what he does so well, leading a hike to places he loves.


The Committee which sifts through nominations for our Association awards noticed immediately that the sheer

number of nominations was up, and came from a wider sampling of local groups, from YOU who work with these people you chose to recognize. Thus it was especially reassuring to receive several nominations for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from both New York and Minnesota, from several people who have worked beside Al Larmann both on the national board and in his home chapter, CNY. For a relatively young chapter, CNY has built an astounding amount of trail, a lot of it in unexpected locations, and much of that progress has been made possible due to Al Larmann’s patient negotiating skills with public agencies, his ambitious administration of complex grant contracts to effect major construction projects, and his capacity for planning big volunteer projects, too, including bridges and switchback stairs. He also served as long as allowed on the NCTA Board of Directors, where he carried out an ongoing advocacy effort, including five trips to Washington, D.C., for the annual “Hike the Hill” appropriations battle. If all he had done for the chapter was write their fine newsletter for at least a dozen years now, Al would deserve high honors, but his commitment has been immense, many pronged, and constant, especially astounding when we take notice that he’s in his eighties!

Three people were recognized this year with Distinguished Service Awards. Tim Calloway of Michigan’s Harbor Springs Chapter wears many hats for his chapter, so has become one of those nearly indispensable volunteers. Not only is he their trail foreman and equipment caretaker, but he also organizes most of their hikes, including special events for children, aiming to promote both the trail and hiking to new people through programs and hikes. He also oversees printing and distribution of the chapter map brochure, where 1 copies a year are picked up in their trail county.

Tana Turonie of Wisconsin’s Chequamegon Chapter sounds as if she has deserved Distinguished Service for some years now. She was Chapter President during a critical period in the young Chapter’s growth and created a model of sustainable leadership that continues today, all while directing their trail maintenance program at the same time! In addition to organizing and leading those field efforts, she also contributes trail work herself, both then and now, and is responsible for many a long-lasting improvement project…routered signs, shelter refinements, new puncheon, repairs to a damaged boardwalk.

Mary Coffin has tended her own section of the Finger Lakes Trail in central NY for nearly 3 years, working within the area sponsored by the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Onondaga Chapter, but her commitment to additional projects qualifies her, too, for the Distinguished Service honor. While a member of the NCTA Board, she has undertaken direction of a major addition to the FLT System which will add the missing miles between the Onondaga Trail and the CNY Chapter’s trail. She and her helpers are devoted to creating high quality trail from the beginning, making for slow progress but stunning pathway which is a joy to walk. As can be seen elsewhere in this issue,

she has also obtained a permanent trail easement from a private landowner, and next year she will lend her decades of experience as a group trip planner to the NCTA’s first Guided Tour.

It’s easy to see why a nomination of Lorana Jinkerson for Communicator of the Year was perfect: in this issue, see her article about publication of the first children’s book about the North Country Trail, Nettie Does the NCT. What a great way to communicate our trail’s message! Even before her book, though, Lorana had jumped into “communicating” with both feet, as her NCT Hikers Chapter newsletter editor and keeper of the website, even offering herself as the primary contact for those desiring information. She has done interviews on local TV about the trail, all while actively maintaining trail.

Due to his skilled leadership, Ray Vlasak has taken the Laurentian Lakes Chapter from a startup with about 1 members to a highly functioning group of 45 members with the fastest growing membership of any NCTA chapter, all in the last two years. Ray has provided public outreach efforts throughout the area, while fundraising for grants the chapter has applied for.

The LLC Chapter has already built approximately 10 miles of new trail and started securing public and private access for another 25 miles. Ray is very engaged with local partners and the community in addition to his tireless volunteer efforts building and maintaining the trail. Thus he is a thoroughly understandable recipient of the Leadership Award.

Minnesota Senator Amy Kobuchar merits our Vanguard Award for her willingness to introduce and support the “Arrowhead Reroute” legislation once Congressman Oberstar reintroduced the legislation in the House to alter our historic Congressionally mandated route. While this legislation has been attempted before, its appearance early in this session of Congress may give all parties time to gather enough support to move it through committees, especially with the specific support of the district’s representatives.

Another Vanguard Award goes to Hank Ludtke, mayor of the City of Frazee, Minnesota. His support and leadership have resulted in permissions from numerous private landowners and from the City of Frazee to route the NCT through town, with park improvements to host the NCT in mind. Hank has also generated a lot of interest within the community in anticipation of the trail’s arrival, because he sees the NCT as a community amenity that will attract visitors while improving the lives of its residents. If every trail town had a leader as interested in the NCT as Hank is, our trail would be much further ahead.

Two agency people from North Dakota received this year’s Friend of the Trail Awards, chosen from among many nominations, due to their terrific commitment to our trail. Kevin Stankiewicz has taken his position as State Trail and Byways Coordinator for the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department to a level of personal involvement that has produced great results. He has worked


hard with the local chapter on plans for the Valley City conference, provided brochures and posters throughout the state promoting this event and others, offered training opportunities, and has attended almost all NCTA events in the state, including many weekend and evening meetings half-way across the state. With his involvement, ND Parks & Rec has provided cash support for the conference, provided a display banner for the Sheyenne River Valley Chapter, and volunteered to drive a van during the conference, gas paid!

John Kwapinski is the manager of Fort Ransom State Park, host of miles of trail south of Valley City, where he not only maintains his own segment of the NCT, but committed his crew of experienced sawyers and workers when there was an opportunity to build more trail in nearby Sheyenne River State Forest. (Those of us from other states are astounded...and jealous...to see such cooperation between separate public agencies.) His leadership in the beginning of that project gave the chapter volunteers a big head start on the initial hard work of creating new trail.

In 8 the boundary of Fort Ransom State Park was expanded southward, so John immediately began to expand his park’s trail miles, and is planning a new NCT trailhead kiosk outside his visitor center. Meanwhile he has been instrumental in working with nearby private landowners in order to fill in the gaps between State Park and Forest.

Trail Blazer goes to Chuck McCready, who owns No Boundaries Maps and Graphics in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, where he has designed many maps, brochures, and displays for the Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore Chapter. His work graces the kiosk at the Michigan Welcome Center at St. Ignace, at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge, a location where thousands of visitors are introduced to the NCT. He provides all these materials and design work either free or at cost, a great gift to the chapter, and at the same time tends a section of trail with his wife and daughter.

Charlie Krammin is highly appreciated as the Trail Builder for the Chief Noonday Chapter, planning and creating miles of trail over the last twelve years. His latest accomplishment is a reroute of the NCT off a horse trail in the Yankee Springs Recreation Area, despite a Michigan moratorium on new trail building in effect right now. He convinced the YSRA manager and others that the new trail was really a reroute and improvement, designed to avoid erosion and damage to areas of ecological significance, so after a lot of “selling,” his negotiations enabled the chapter to build the new route. Naturally, he was out there with the work crews.

The Spirit of the Woods Chapter adopted an old, heavily used, under-maintained segment of the NCT through Manistee National Forest when they started up, so their trail deserved a lot of work to bring it up to standards. Ed Chappel has been the leader of years of effort there, organizing their volunteers into segment adopters, leading special work or project crews, and taking a group of “seniors” out to do trail work nearly every Thursday. He planned and organized the famous 600 foot long boardwalk this young

chapter built through Dead Horse Marsh, repaired bridges, rebenched bad spots, and ensured that their whole 8 miles was paint-blazed to replace aged markers.

This past year required extra effort, even for Ed, after two major problems required emergency repairs, one a flooded-out bridge, and the other a slumped steep hillside that eliminated a critical piece of trail! Ed led these two emergency workdays, with a bunch of fellows around 70 years old, and in each case a 14 hour workday was required to finish the job. For these ongoing heroic contributions, Ed has been awarded Trail Maintainer for 2009, but it sounds like we should add a halo in there somewhere.

Outreach belongs to the Chief Noonday Chapter’s Tom Garnett for his tireless dedication herding all the cats necessary to bring to fruition the Historic Iron Bridge Trail along the Kalamazoo River from Battle Creek, a multi-use trail that will carry the NCT through a series of towns. The hard part of this project has been coordinating a host of public agencies and private partners, keeping them enthused and the project alive even when some agency personnel changed jobs. Tom has earned credit for personally keeping the greenway project alive, raising money through grants, and creating public enthusiasm. When the trail finally begins to appear on the ground next year, Tom will have been the man who kept the project alive and a host of organizations and agencies working together toward a commendable goal.

Joseph Bruenjes of Valley City, North Dakota, earned the Rising Star Award for his Eagle Scout project to create a two-mile loop around Clausen Springs Lake in the Sheyenne River Valley Chapter area, a new trail highlighted during this annual conference. He planned the work parties, brought in 30 volunteers besides Chapter members, obtained over $500 worth of required materials, and then conducted several days’ worth of trail-building. A nice touch, he made sure the Scouts rotated through different work parties to ensure that each was exposed to various trail-building tasks and skills.

Peggy MacRae and her late husband Rod have supported the NCNST and the NCTA in a number of ways for a very long time, nearly to its beginning. In fact, Rod was awarded Lifetime Achievement last time our annual conference was in North Dakota in . They have always contributed to every annual appeal and done so in a generous manner. Upon Rod’s passing, Peggy continued to hold the NCT dear by providing a generous bequest in his honor. Last year when the NCTA began its Founder’s Circle annual giving program, Peggy was one of the first to make the pledge to join. For these reasons, among others, Peggy is honored as our Blue Blaze Benefactor.

Three steady contributors received the Sweep Award this year, and they were saved for last intentionally, for the “sweep” is the person who is always there, perhaps bringing up the rear, but always cleaning up after others, tidying details, performing countless tasks so dependably that others may tend to take their service for granted. Of Stacy Scheel Davis, her nominator said, “I watched with anticipation at


Mick H

awkins

Vicky Swank

Stacy Scheel Davis, deserving recipient of one of three Sweep awards.

Tana Turonie of Wisconsin’s Chequamegon Chapter, recipient of one of the Distinguished Service awards.

Larry Haw

kins

Flo Hedeen, another Sweep award recipient, contributes mightily to Minnesota trail organizations.

trail events to see how long it would be before Stacy asked for help. She did not. I waited for the state newsletter, and it came each time, on time. I watched as 40 or 50 volunteers poured out of the woods to storm a picnic table that Stacy had provided for all of us to eat. Everyone was satisfied, but afterwards there was no sign that anyone had been there.

She is well organized and quick to lend a hand; she does those jobs that aren’t in the spotlight but humbly serves with passion.” This nomination defines the award!

For the trail in Minnesota, Harvey Johnson has been a different sort of longtime volunteer. He worked on Itasca State Park trail from the beginning, and continues today at the age of 81. Now he is the resident kiosk builder for both Itasca Moraine and Laurentian Lakes Chapters, and can be counted on to participate in Wednesday workdays.

However, he has no use for meetings and organizations, and only recently was shamed into becoming an NCTA member. Yet there he has been, dependably working on trail for sixteen years, undeniably a good friend to the NCT by the record of his actions.

Florence Hedeen rates the third Sweep Award this year, for her hours of work behind the scenes to promote the NCT and the Itasca Moraine Chapter in her local community. Not only is she a tireless promoter, lining up presentations and programs to interested local groups, she is also responsible for most communications with other Chapter members. In addition to a ton of work as one of the primary organizers of 2007’s Bemidji NCTA conference, she was instrumental in the effort to commission the Ballad of the North Country Trail by Charlie Maguire. She also “invented” the Hike for Hope for the Sunday following 9/11/1, an annual event ever since.

As we said at the beginning, the awards committee had a big job this year, with more deserving nominations than ever before. This is a good thing, when more of YOU are noticing that your compatriots deserve recognition, so please keep this “job” at least as hard as it was this time. Special thanks to Sarah Julien, departing chair of the committee, for shepherding this project for several years.

—Irene Szabo

Editor's note: Thanks again to brothers Mick and Larry Hawkins of the Chief Noonday Chapter for taking hundreds of pictures at the annual conference, and especially to Mick for massive amounts of picture-organizing immediately afterwards.

Mick H

awkins

Kevin Stankiewicz receives Friend of the Trail.

Mick H

awkins

Joseph Bruenjes rated the Rising Star award for his Eagle Scout project to create the two mile loop trail around nearby Clausen Springs Recreation Area.


The group of hikers included Carter 'Doc' Hedeen and Florence 'Ma' Hedeen from Park Rapids, MN, Bruce 'Pace

Car' Johnson also from Park Rapids, Ken 'Union Steward' Zimmer from Grand Rapids, MN, Harlan 'Minnesota' Liljequist from Plymouth, Brian 'Now, where'd I put that?' Pavek from Maple Grove, and Matthew 'Tucker Allman' Davis from Detroit Lakes.

Our reasons for the hike included:• Seeing the Boundary Waters from a different perspective

(approximately 99% of its use is by canoeists).• Checking on the condition of the Trail and performing a little

trail maintenance along the way.• Increasing the Kek's use and seeing if it was as hard as we were

led to believe (two experienced backpackers became lost on it last October and had to be rescued while NCT thru-hiker Nimblewill Nomad encountered horrid conditions just weeks before).

Day 0: May 17 – The two traveling parties met at Zup's Market in Ely, took care of some last-minute shopping, and picked up our wilderness permit from the Forest Service office.

Day 1: May 18 – We hiked 9.5 miles from the Snowbank Lake Trailhead to the Medas Lake Campsite. The first several miles of the Kek were great. The trail was well-marked, well-maintained, and really enjoyable to walk.

Then we reached the clearcut stretch by Snowbank Lake just before entering the BWCAW. Fortunately, some Boundary Waters Advisory Committee members and Kekekabic Trail Club volunteers had been out on a trail clearing trip and marked the route with blue flagging tape.

Florence: “Incredible beauty, vibrant forest life, signs of wolf, moose, birds, grouse, and bear. Many plants are just coming up.”

Harlan:“Walk in the woods in the sunshine, great smells, sounds of loons and peepers. Long day because we stopped so much to clear trail.”

The Hardest Miles of the North Country Trail?

Article & Photos by Matthew DavisRegional Trail Coordinator, Minnesota and North Dakota

On May 17th a group of seven North Country Trail Association members left home for Ely, Minnesota, for an eastbound thru-hike of the Kekekabic Trail. The 'Kek' is a 41-mile wilderness trail that runs through the heart of the million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) within northeastern Minnesota's Superior National Forest. It will officially become part of the North Country Trail's route after passage of the 'Arrowhead Re-route' legislation. This article chronicles the group's journey.


We encountered a lot of blowdowns and cleared most of them, which is why it took all day to hike the 9.5 miles. Ken had his trusty GPS along with him so we always knew where we were. This is important since the Kek is not marked, nor are the side trails signed within the BWCAW. The trail was very wet in many places and we often wondered how Nimblewill made it through. We were all happy when we reached the turnoff on the Old Pines Trail that took us to the wonderful campsite on Medas Lake. It was quintessential Boundary Waters, a rocky ledge covered by jack pines that dropped off into the lake.

Day 2: May 19 – After a great night's rest, we hiked 6 miles from Medas Lake to Strup Lake Campsite. The morning air definitely had a chill to it. It felt great as we crossed several beaver dams

and fortunately it warmed up by the time we forded Thomas Lake outlet as the water was very cold. After lunch, we had a couple incidents where the trail more or less vanished and after backtracking and searching we were able to rediscover our way. About half way to Strup Lake we entered the area affected by the infamous July 4, 1999, blowdown and the character of the forest changed. Instead of hiking under the canopy of mature trees we were now walking through tangled messes of leaning, tipped over, and broken off stems. It was evident to all how much work it must have taken to open the trail after the 1999 storm.

Florence: “Ugly as a blowdown is, the forest of balsam, spruce, white and jack pines are coming in nicely. Trail crews have done a phenomenal amount of work to recover the Kekekabic Trail footpath, but there’s much more to do.”

Early in the afternoon, it became cloudy, the temperatures dropped, and then it started to rain. Upon reaching the Strup Lake campsite we decided to call it a day since the trail's hilliest section was coming up and we were all tired, wet, and cold. Hypothermia was definitely on our minds. After setting up camp and cooking dinner we were treated to an amazing sunset off a thunderstorm cloud that later dropped more rain on us. As a group we decided that night to get a much earlier start in order to make it 11 miles the next day to Gabichimigami Lake.

Day 3: May 20 – After getting on the trail by 6am, we hiked 8 miles from Strup Lake Campsite to the west Agamok River bridge campsite. Today was a wacky weather day as temperatures

ranged from the mid 30s in the morning to a high temp of almost 90° in the late afternoon. We enjoyed a fabulous stream crossing before beginning the climb up to the hill south of Kekekabic Lake, although we found that 'McDonald's Arches' and most of the other large white pines were blown over or broken off. This situation did present some great views out onto the surrounding landscape that was studded with numerous small lakes. We enjoyed a long break at the vista above Travois Lake, which is the trail's highest point at 1950 feet. On the summit, there was a constant 30mph south wind with gusts that were strong enough to knock us off balance. We crossed several beautiful streams on the descent into the Agamok River gorge and our campsite by the famous 32' footbridge. By that time it was getting very warm and yet shade was a little difficult to find.

Carter: “The heat and sun in the afternoon made it feel like we were all marshmallows on sticks. Nice campsite at Harness Lake for our lunch break.”

After deciding as a group to camp there for the night it became obvious to all that it would be difficult to finish the trail in only one more day. After dinner, we enjoyed the splendid scenery found in the area and settled in for an early night as we would again have to get an early start to make it to Bingshick Lake.

Ken: “Great white pine stumps told of past glory. Moose tracks followed the trail. It was getting brutal in the heat. The crystal clear creek crossings were beautiful.”

Day 4: May 21 – We hiked 9 miles from the Agamok River bridge campsite to the eastern Bingshick Lake. After leaving camp at 6:15 in a light rain, we entered an area burned in the

Continued on page 27


This time, however, they had a lot more fun than in 2002, when I boarded them in a Valley City kennel while we

humans stayed at the college. Way better for them was staying in a dog-friendly motel, and even going on two of the group hikes, with the very kind transportation help of Sheyenne River Valley Chapter hosts. The Thursday hike along Lake Ashtabula was their idea of heaven, since they could both roll in cow flop AND take a swim any time they wanted!

These seasoned travellers (North Dakota twice now, Marietta, Ohio, Marquette and Petoskey, Michigan, Bemidji, Minnesota,) finally added a swim in the Mississippi in southwestern Wisconsin to their resume, where we watched 50 kayaks go through huge Lock 9, while a train passed just behind us loaded only with single propellers for wind turbines and three eagles whirled overhead. For each travel day I found walks for us, especially abundant in Minnesota, where state trails are numerous and well-maintained. Sure, many are paved even in the countryside, but what a wonderful use for abandoned rail lines, sometimes complete with restored small town depots near still-active grain elevators, when all three of us needed to walk off four miles in the middle of long hours of driving through horizon-to-horizon corn and soybean fields.

The truck I bought new in for my first drive to North Dakota served just as flawlessly for this 41 mile trip, even though the shine is definitely off her dusty flanks. I wanted to return to North Dakota once more, though, because I was charmed by this very different west end of the North Country Trail the first time. Yes, it is a different place from the other six states, especially from a hiker’s point of view, but she is what she is: most hikes did not wander beneath the shade of trees, but in reality many of the trees we see now were planted by European settlers to provide wind breaks, other than those naturally occurring along little rivers. It was prairie, after all, whose salient feature is endless open grassland.

“Little rivers” is ironic language this year, however. If you were backpacking somewhere in late April and missed the news, this area was smashed by spring floods. The Main Street bridge over the Sheyenne River in Valley City was wrecked, and many local streets are still bumpity after the 4-hour traffic of loaded dump trucks, rearranging tons of mud that the raging water left in places it didn’t belong. The muddy water spread for miles, and even wrecked some trail constructions, washing out a new culvert and rearranging the soil according to its whims, not ours. (See picture, page 3) Campgrounds wouldn’t even accept reservations in May, since they were still under water, and the Sheyenne River Chapter worried about being ready to host this year’s conference.

Pearl gets some loving along the hike on the Ladies Line railbed, where pink granite for ballast rock remains, a real surprise after the light gray stuff we're used to further east. The hike is blessedly level, even in this area of rolling hills, because the railbed is either built up above valleys on fill or cut through little hills.

Mick H

awkins

SANDY & PEARL RETURN TO NORTH DAKOTA NCTA Annual Conference 2009

Kathryn today, and the restaurant is now closed. The Karnak trestle is busy with frequent BNSF trains over the valley where Lake Ashtabula was created by Bald Hill Dam. Pelicans, ducks, and grebes dot the water.

Deb Koepplin

Gayle Coyer

Irene Szabo


Other than a detour around the Main Street bridge, and odd piles of black dirt, Valley City is almost back to itself, with the rest of the pretty river bridges intact. The host chapter acquitted itself admirably with a well-organized long weekend, complete with an amazing amount of state and local agency tangible help (vans and busses for free!). What struck me on the first visit was how HAPPY North Dakotans are to have anyone CHOOSE to visit their state, and that sentiment remained alive this time.

It is, after all, one of the loneliest states in the union. Fewer than 700,000 people are spread around a very large state, most of them in a few little towns and small cities. Earl Pomeroy, their only member of the House of Representatives, where counts are based on population, spoke to us briefly one evening, pledging his support of the Arrowhead re-route. Even modest metropolitan areas in the rest of our trail’s states have more people than that, so those who live on 1 acre farms and tend the vast landscape that gives us visitors our main impression of endless miles of corn and beans, sunflowers and sugar beets, bisected at large intervals by deadly straight two-lane deserted highways where almost any speed is safe with very wide set-backs from the road before crops begin, where locals bale the highway department’s grass, those people live in magnificent isolation from one another, probably very real in the winter and rather awful before motorized travel began.

It occurs to me that a single person would probably have to move near a town or join a church, whether agnostic, atheist, or believer, just to have the occasional human contact. Children spend a crazy amount of hours daily on the school bus, while family farms must provide the primary social life for

many thousands who tend farms of a size the rest of us cannot envision. Those farms are noteworthy, however, for their pride of place: almost without exception each is neat and tidy, with extensive flower gardens and mowed lawns around the home. I’ll confess that there are some utterly ratty farmsteads in New York, even on my road, but the only ones thus in North Dakota are completely abandoned, and rare at that.

After the weekend, I spent Sunday afternoon driving around the back roads of southeastern North Dakota on a personal quest to sniff out remote and interesting railroad locations to photograph, starting with the City of Kathryn, about miles south of Valley City, where we had hiked on a newly purchased segment of abandoned railbed the previous Friday. This “city” is a small collection of houses, population 53, one large grain elevator, a playground, and a few stores facing the railbed with old-timey western movie false fronts, including the recently closed restaurant. One almost expected to hear spurs jiggle against a board walk when the ranchers came into town.

This is the Ladies Line we’ve read about in North Dakotan reports of their trail accomplishments over the last year or so, so-called by the original Northern Pacific railroad, now merged among others into the giant BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe), simply because there were several towns on the dead-end line with women’s names, Marion, Kathryn, Elizabeth, Alice, and Myra. Even now there are many dead-end rail lines in the state, still active, simply because there is enough sheer mass of agricultural output along them to justify whole trainloads of wheat or corn seasonally from the end of the line and back to connections with the rest of the world. This one, however,

An old photo of Kathryn in her heyday, showing three elevators and active tracks where our trail walks today below one remaining grain elevator. Thanks to Sheyenne River Valley chapter's Becky Heise for obtaining this historical photo.

Continued on page 20


New Book about the NCT!UPPER MICHIGAN - The first book for children about

hiking on the North Country Trail has been published. See the article about Nettie Does the NCT on page 5.

Fourth Annual Junction Trail Festival, MilfordOHIO - Eight long distance trails converge in Milford, a

dozen miles east of Cincinnati, including the Buckeye Trail and our NCT, canal trails and the American Discovery Trail. Visit www.thejunctiontrailfest.org to see what exhibits, games, music and free camping are offered, along with hikes, bike rides, and canoe trips, on September 26 and 27.

Correction to State of the Trail ’08 entry for Western Michigan Chapter:

LOWER MICHIGAN - Chapter Trail Manager Paul Haan informed us that “the article mentioned that ‘illegal horse and bike use’ resulted in sedimentation into two creeks. While the horse use is definitely illegal and definitely leading to sedimentation, bike use is not prohibited on the section of trail where the work was completed and was not identified as a major factor in the sedimentation problem.”

The second correction worth noting is that the volunteer working on landowner issues north of the Lowell State Game Area is Chuck Hayden.

NCTA Volunteer Adventure ProgramUPPER MICHIGAN & OHIO - There is still time to sign

up for September’s two volunteer adventures, one building new trail in woods near the Little Garlic River in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 17-21 September, or new trail building along the Miami & Erie Canal Towpath in northwestern Ohio, 26-30 September. Contact the NCTA office to sign up or learn more information, or consult the NCTA website.

Notice to Minnesota NCTA MembersMINNESOTA - Paper copies of the Call of the North will

no longer be mailed out to NCTA members & partners in Minnesota for two reasons:1. The chapter leadership has decided to go green, and . Because of a decline in Star of the North Chapter

membership, the chapter can't cover the printing & mailing cost any more.

From now on, an electronic copy will be emailed to those who've shared their email address, and made available for quarterly download on the STN Chapter's website. If you would like to receive a copy of the newsletter via email, email the editor at [email protected].

—Matthew DavisRegional Trail Coordinator for MN & ND

North Country Trail Association

HIKING SHORTSwent inactive about 1997, the tracks removed in 2006: the countryside around Kathryn is rolling hilly, more suitable for pasture, so crop production just isn’t enough to pay for a train.

I pulled up in my bug-spattered truck on Sunday to the trailhead in Kathryn, where a man picking up a piece of trash under the wonderful trailhead sign with historic pictures on it did a double take when he realized he was looking at New York license plates.

Paul Fisher is the fire chief of Kathryn, which he explained meant he also was in charge of the water and sewer services, plus had the care of the local park and playground. Like other North Dakotans, he was happy but surprised that anybody had come from so far to visit, so we gabbed a while. He knew about the trail, but didn’t realize it was so long and went to NY!

It turns out that loss of the railroad meant that trucks had to serve the grain elevator, which was bought by an individual for a rumored $250,000; rumor ALSO has it that he filled it with corn the first year, that cargo already exceeding in value what he paid for the elevator. Villagers were not pleased with all the truck traffic, however, verified by cranky municipal signs forbidding trucks or farm implements on THAT particular dusty residential road.

Aside from my personal passion for stuff historic and railroad related, it’s clear that such a vast state grew into its current immense agricultural productivity because railroads enabled growers to ship all that stuff to the places it was needed. While many little branches are gone now, a surprising number of very busy rail lines still cross the state, connecting Chicago with the northwest Pacific coastline. Sandy, Pearl, and I drove miles through corn (a little behind due to late planting after the floods), beans, and wheat, sometimes with nothing else to see in any direction, but every so often there is an old timey grain elevator, or a modern cluster of humongous stacks, all of them collecting the volumes produced here, visible from afar.

On Saturday we three returned to the north end of Thursday’s hike along Lake Ashtabula in order to photograph the high, long Karnak trestle, which carries BNSF trains east and west across the lake’s valley. I schlepped a tripod and several cameras along the trail to the first fence stile, only to be deterred by a herd of cattle in the next field who weren’t there on our last visit. Three long trains within two hours were my reward, even in these times of reduced traffic, so I enjoyed the Big Time, even here in the near-middle of nowhere, while immense white pelicans landed and took off in the lake among western grebes.

My only suggestion to our hosts for next time would be to take us to the prairie potholes two hours southeast of Valley City, where nearly every farm has multiple ponds, filled with cranes, ducks, shorebirds, even some swans. It was enough to give a bird watcher the vapors!

Sandy & Pearl Return to North Dakota continued…


“The location of anything is becoming everything.” This statement rings more true than you realize. Geographic

Information Systems or GIS is quickly becoming a mainstream tool for location-based services and decision-making support.

A GIS stores geographical data such as roads, railroads, rivers, parcel boundaries, trails, including descriptive information of each object, as thematic layers to a map. Often tabular data can be related geographically and thus tied to these thematic layers (e.g. addresses, parcel numbers, etc.). The user can then choose which map layers and tabular relationships he/she wants to display thus creating specialized maps and analysis for specific applications.

Located in Northern Michigan, Wexford County was at the forefront of utilizing GIS in County government in the State of Michigan. GIS was introduced in Wexford County in 1993. Since then, it has been slowly maturing and is still in a state of change: geography and demographics are always in flux, while technology and innovation change rapidly. GIS plays an active role in land information, addressing, road inventory, building and zoning, public safety (Emergency 911, Emergency Management, MI State Police, and Traverse Narcotics Team [TNT], North Flight EMS), Road Commission applications, Township and public service support. Currently Wexford

County GIS is using and maintaining over 11 layers of geographic data, and new geographic data and applications are currently under development.

GIS has been integrated into Emergency 911 (E911) Central Dispatch at the Wexford County Sheriff ’s Department. The data rich GIS components are the backbone of the successful E911 Dispatch system linking E911 caller events with real world locations on a digital map.

Virtually all 911 landline calls are received with the caller’s address. The location of the caller is then automatically related to and displayed on the digital GIS maps (which include color aerial photography) with a symbol pinpointing the caller’s location. In turn, the mapping software is then able to delineate who is to respond to that call (which fire dept., police dept., first responder, ambulance). As cellular phones gain popularity, the volume of cellular 911 calls is increasing. The E911 system can locate these cellular 911 calls on the digital maps with impressive accuracy.

The success of an E911 mapping system is directly correlated with the quality of the geographic data included in the system. Data such as snowmobile, hiking, motorcycle, ORV, cross country, and bicycle trails have been integrated into the Wexford County E911 mapping system. Trail mile

Backwoods Emergencies: Recreational Trails and E911 Incident Location

Chad Collins

A closer look at the location.

Landline E911 call event has been located.

A closer look at the location.

Cellular E911 call event has been located


markers have also been GPS located and integrated in the E911 mapping to further enhance the geographic efficiency of trails data in E911 system. The trail mile markers make it easier for an E911 caller to relay his or her approximate location based upon the nearest trail mile marker, helping responders more efficiently locate E911 call events in remote locations where response time is of utmost importance.

To keep the E911 system functioning at its maximum potential, the geospatial data must be maintained to reflect geographical changes in “anything” which could mean “everything.” The ultimate goal of GIS and geospatial data integration into the E911 system is to accelerate response time to emergency situations which may result in saving a life. Chad Collins, GIS Analyst, Wexford County, Email: [email protected] Web: www.wexfordcounty.org Editor’s Note: Once again, historical perspective from the geezer department…I remember a group hike in the earliest nineties when we came across a crashed bicyclist. He probably had a broken collar bone, was becoming chilled lying on the ground, and nobody could hear his whistle this deep in the woods, so it was his great good fortune that we came by. One hiker jogged ahead to a road crossing and the nearest house, but then had a difficult time explaining to the dispatcher where the injured person was. At that time, county dispatchers didn’t have even paper maps of the trail route, so it was a struggle to give directions.

We’re all better at this stuff now!

This program will offer extended hiking trips of a minimum of 5 days in length and feature sections of the North Country Trail. NCTA’s Extended Outings are designed for like-minded hikers who wish to bag a few miles of the NCNST and enjoy the camaraderie of hiking with a group while the leader plans the route and logistics. Leaders are NCTA approved, experienced volunteers who may or may not contract with outfitters. Membership in NCTA is required for hikers.

OUR FIRST TRIP!

Day Hiking the NCT on the Superior Hiking Trail, Minnesota Sept 8-15, 2010

NCTA’s first Extended Outing will feature sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. It is a day hiking and camping trip on the North Country National Scenic Trail where it is concurrent with the Superior Hiking Trail. Each day we will hike with day pack for 6-1 miles using vans to shuttle between base camps and trail heads. We will set up tents in state parks with flush toilets and showers, and cook and eat outdoors. Wilderness Inquiry, a not for profit outfitter, will take care of all planning and details.

Enjoy fall color, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, scenic vistas contrasted with deep deciduous woods, Lake Superior views, lighthouses, wildlife, eagles, waterfowl and moose. It is said that there are no uninteresting sections of trail on the Superior! Contact leader for detailed itinerary and application packet.

Leader: Mary Coffin, 38 Deepsprings Dr., Chittenango NY 13037. 315-687-3589. [email protected] Mary has 20 years’ experience leading group trips as a volunteer.

Cost $770 Includes: Guide for 6 days, 5 nights, van transport during trip, all meals and snacks starting from lunch on day 2 through lunch on day 7, Eureka tents, cooking equipment, stoves, campground fees, and NCTA leader for days 1-7.

Not Included: Airfare, dinner and hotel on day 1 and day 7. Please bring your own personal items, and sleeping bag plus pad.

NCTA’s New Extended Outing Program

GPS located trail mile markers.

Along the Superior Hiking Trail

Joan Young

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Senator Carl Levin has been the most

devoted and consistent champion of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NST) in Congress. The first time I met him was at the spring Board of Directors’ meeting the year The Shack opened its new wing (Jugville, Michigan, where the spring meeting was always held in those days). We discussed the trail, the roles of the vari-ous partners, and the needs for completing the trail.

I explained that while the National Park Service (NPS) was spending millions of dollars to acquire lands for the Appalachian NST, the Federal Government had no authority to spend funds to acquire lands for the North Country NST, except for one interpretive site per state. I will never forget his question in response: “Why isn’t the trail in my state as good as the Appalachian Trail?”

Not long after, Senator Levin introduced a bill to provide the North Country NST, and the other eight national trails with similar limitations, with authority to acquire lands from willing sellers, the same level of authority which Congress was giving to new scenic and historic trails it was authorizing at that time. It went nowhere in the legislative process. It was reintroduced in the next five Congresses before finally being passed by both the House and Senate this spring as part of the Omnibus Public Lands Act, Public Law 111-11, and being signed into law by President Obama on March 30.

The Act deleted the language from section 10(c) of the National Trails System Act [16 USC 1249(c)] that prohibited the Federal Government from spending funds to acquire lands for the North Country NST and eight other trails. It then added the following sentence to the North Country NST’s authorizing paragraph [16 USC 1244(a)(8)] to make it clear that the Federal Government may NOT use eminent domain (condemnation) to acquire lands: “No land or interest in land outside the exterior boundaries of any federally administered area may be acquired by the Federal Government for the trail except with the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land.”

Wow! We have land acquisition authority! That means the NPS can start buying land for the trail. Let’s get going!

Whoa! Not so fast.First of all, the recent law gave us only the authority, not

the money. Funds that might be used to acquire lands for the trail must come through annual Federal appropriation bills. There are many competing needs within the National Park System for the limited acquisition funds that Congress gives us each year.

Then there are other realities which we will have to take into account:•There are approximately 2,000 miles of trail yet to be

established across private lands—an enormous task, contemplation of which is nearly overwhelming.

•At best, it is likely the trail would get only a few million dollars for land acquisition each year. We will need to figure out a process for identifying the “willing seller” acquisition opportunities and then prioritizing the use of the limited funds we receive to purchase the most critical lands needed for the trail.

•We will have to figure out who will do the acquisition work. Should the work be done by the NPS Midwest Region real estate staff in Omaha? Or the NPS National Trails Land Office in Martinsburg, West Virginia? Should the NPS establish a real estate function as part of its North Country NST administrative offices? How can the work of these real estate agents be guided by someone who is sufficiently knowledgeable about the details at any point along the trail where an acquisition opportunity arises?

•Should we purchase fee title or an easement? Who will make that decision? To what extent should that decision be left to the landowner? The real estate agent?

•Should the NPS acquire the lands, or should we seek authority to grant the funds to states and other partners, particularly those who may be able to match the Federal funds, as was done with the funds appropriated for North County NST land acquisition in Wisconsin in Fiscal Year 2000?

•We will have to figure out a way to manage any lands to which the NPS takes title. Following the example of the Appalachian Trail, we will likely seek to enter into an agreement with the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) to do the onsite monitoring and management of these lands.

•The government acquisition process can be very slow. When critical, desirable lands are suddenly put up for sale, will the government be able to act fast enough to acquire them? Partnering with a non-governmental land conservancy that can act rapidly to acquire these lands on an interim basis may be critical to success in these situations. Could the NCTA develop the capacity to play that role?

There is nothing more important to establishing a hiking trail than securing the lands on which to establish the trail. That the Federal Government, particularly the NPS, now has the authority to participate in this part of the work is a huge step forward. Many thanks are due Senator Levin for his leadership over the years to achieve this success.

Beginning this fall, we will work through these questions to outline procedures for using this authority to benefit our mutual efforts to protect the trail. Our partners will have to demonstrate to the Congress that important opportunities to use this authority exist, and that it is critical to follow up with funding each year to make the authority truly potent.

“Willing Seller” Authority: What Does It Mean for Our Trail?Tom Gilbert

NPS Superintendent


At the Valley City Annual Conference of the North Country

Trail Association, outgoing Board President Dave Cornell handed the gavel to incoming President Bobby Koepplin. Cornell was recognized by the membership at the annual meet-ing for his consistent leadership and dedication to advancing the Association during his tenure. Cornell recognized and thanked his outgoing Executive Committee, which included 1st V-P Bobby Koepplin, V-P East Mary Coffin, Secretary Sarah Julien and ex officio members Tom Gilbert (NPS), John Leinen (Immediate Past President and PNTS liaison) and Bruce Matthews (Executive Director).

New NCTA Board President Bobby Koepplin welcomed his Board-elected executive committee of 1st V-P Larry Hawkins, V-P West Gaylord Yost, V-P East Mary Coffin, and Secretary Lorana Jinkerson, along with ex officio members Tom Gilbert (NPS), Dave Cornell (Immediate Past President), John Leinen (PNTS Liaison) and Bruce Matthews (Executive Director).

At the conference Board meeting the NCTA election results were affirmed, with the re-election of Gaylord Yost, Bobby Koepplin, Joyce Appel, and elections of new members Brian Pavek and Jack Cohen. Tom Moberg was appointed to fill a previously empty seat.

Members of the North Country Trail Association owe much gratitude to outgoing Board members Sarah Julien, Al Larmann and Carl Boesel. Adroit leadership during their tenure on the NCTA Board of Directors brought the organization back from the serious financial difficulties of a few years ago and re-established NCTA in a leadership role and as a viable partner with the National Park Service and other organizations. As a result, incoming Board members Brian Pavek and Tom Moberg can join the rest of the Board in focusing on NCTA’s mission instead of doing damage control.

Sarah Julien, from Grand Rapids, MI, served on the Executive Committee as Secretary and regularly volunteers at Headquarters. She participated frequently on interview teams in hiring new NCTA staff and is a member of the Founders Circle. Al Larmann, Canastota, New York, chaired NCTA’s Advocacy Committee, monitoring legislation and directing NCTA’s advocacy efforts during annual Hike the Hill events in Washington DC. He is a member of the Founders Circle. Ohio’s Carl Boesel contributed significantly to board meetings and the Founders Circle. NCTA owes a debt of gratitude for their service and many contributions.

Incoming Board members Brian Pavek and Tom Moberg join recently

appointed members Lorana Jinkerson (Marquette, Michigan), John Heiam (Traverse City, Michigan) and Rick Adamson (West Salem, Ohio). Moberg grew up in northern Minnesota, and currently lives along the Red River in Fargo, North Dakota.

Tom currently serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations and volunteers at trail building and maintenance events for the North Country Trail. He enjoys international bicycle tours, backpacking trips, and river travel using a pedal powered water craft called a HydroBike. Tom and his wife Mary spend as much time as possible at a rustic cabin in northern Minnesota built by Mary's family during the 194's, where he also helps maintain a nearby section of the NCT in the Chippewa National Forest.

Tom holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Iowa. Although retired from full-time academia, Tom does occasionally consult at colleges and universities as long as the work doesn't interfere with his volunteer activities, hobbies, and adventures.

Brian Pavek lives in Minneapolis, with his wife Barb and three daughters (two in college and one in high school). Brian brags that on all the Father’s Day hikes his kids have taken him on, they’ve been lost only once or twice! Brian lives to volunteer in support of his passion to bring family, friends and nature together on the North Country Trail. Those fortunate enough to attend the Valley City conference this year saw first hand how Barb’s sewing skills wowed everyone with her doll clothes and NCT totes.

Brian and Barb are planning their next adventure for the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail in 1.

In With The New, Thanks To The Old!

From left to right, new president Bobby Koepplin, departing board members Sarah Julien, Al Larmann, and Carl Boesel, and outgoing president Dave Cornell.


This week I have been participating in the 12th Conference on National Scenic and Historic Trails in Missoula,

Montana. We have been discussing a variety of important and interesting topics, but the one idea that hit me hardest is the idea that we need to be Community Assets, both as individuals and organizations, in order for our trails to become true valued local treasures.

On the face of it, a trail should be a community asset, but unless it is recognized as such by individuals and institutions in the community, it really is not. It is up to us, as trail advocates, to build that recognition. There are a number of ways to effect that recognition.

Remember the Trail MissionThe paramount thing to keep in mind is that we should

always keep the trail mission in mind and be true to that mission. The North Country NST mission is to be a premier hiking and backpacking trail. So there are some Dos and Don’ts to keep in mind when we go out to build recognition. We don’t want to promote the idea that the trail is a good place for any activity that would detract from that main mission, even if it would increase the public recognition of the North Country NST. For that reason, the NPS discourages competitive events on the trail. I’m sure you all can think of other activities that might increase use on the trail, but would detract from the mission.

Talk to New Audiences I’m sure that some of you have already done a number

of the things I am going to suggest but probably not all of them. Develop a package or talk for presentation to local service groups like Lions, Rotary, or Kiwanis Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, parent-teacher organizations, Scouts, senior groups, and health and wellness organizations. Keeping local tourism promotion agencies (many counties have such an office) aware of you and your trail will soon have you scheduled for several programs a year. The program need not be long or involved. A 1-minute talk with time for questions and answers is sufficient. Of course an illustrated program such as a PowerPoint presentation or slide show has more impact, but is not necessary.

With Scouts, don’t talk only to the local pack or troop but take your message to district adult leader meetings and tell them about the opportunities in the community to do hikes and camping. With service clubs you should come with a description of the activities that are available on the

trail and with suggestions for how the group could help the community by working with or on the trail. With school organizations, emphasize the educational and healthy after-school opportunities. Many of these groups are looking for new program opportunities to fill out their monthly meetings and provide new ideas for their members.

Possible BenefitsBy bringing the message about the trail to new audiences,

you will meet people who might become new volunteers for your chapter in key positions. Do you need a person to organize a potluck for a trail activity? The local church, Scout troop, or service club may have just such a person who loves to do just that, but didn’t know that your chapter could use their help in that way. Again, I am sure that if you think about your friends in other groups, you can think of someone who might fill a key niche in your chapter.

Local clubs often are looking for opportunities for community service. Some may be willing to assist with funding of specific projects while others may be interested in hands-on service. Many can bring additional equipment to enhance their efforts.

Provide Community ActivitiesMost chapters hold public hikes or other outings, and wish

more people would attend. By going out to the Rotary Club, for example, and talking about National Trails Day or National Public Lands Day events, even months in advance, you can get folks to put the event on their calendar. They might even lend a hand with publicity.

Look for opportunities to integrate the North Country NST with other trails to develop community loop routes for resident walkers and visitors to the community. Including the North Country NST as a part of a community network of trails is a great benefit to the community. Whether the loop can be hiked in one or two hours, or in several days, loop routes serve a variety of uses.

Personal as Well as Organizational BenefitsLook at the workload of your chapter. Are there gaps in

the staffing of chapter functions? Do a few individuals seem to do all the work? Are there important tasks that never seem to get done? If you answered “yes” to any of these, consider these opportunities to recruit additional members. Remember many hands make light work. Don’t always rely on the same handful of volunteers; you will wear them out. Instead, become a seeker of community members to bring additional vitality into the chapter and to the trail.

I challenge each of you to take on one of these public outreach activities personally, and reach out to the other groups and organization with which you work. Take a brief program to your local church young adult group, senior group, or similar organization. Tell them about the trail and the opportunities to become involved. Invite them on a hike, and lead the outing. If you do, you will find that you have become a Community Asset yourself.

Promoting the Trail as a Community Asset

FRED SZARKANPS Trail Manager

GOING FOR THE GOLD



2006 Cavity Lake fire. We would hike all day in the charred remains of the largest fire to burn in the BWCAW in over 100 years and the largest to flare up yet in the '99 blowdown area.

This was the part of the trail that gave us the most worries. How would we follow the trail when all the vegetation is burned and there is no cleared corridor? Fortunately for us volunteers with the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee had recently been out there to find the trail's route and to mark it with blue flagging tape. Our worry turned out to be a bit overstated as the trail corridor was easier to follow since it had vegetation different from the surrounding forest. Of course, the blue flags helped, too. We were also lucky to be out in late spring as the new year's vegetation had just started growing and hadn't obscured the ground yet.

In several places we found ourselves in awe as everything you could see in all directions had burned. Only some majestic white pines and, in a few sheltered places like steep ravines and along bog edges, did some black spruce, white cedar, and balsam fir trees survive. Along the northeast shore of Howard Lake the fire burned the white cedars right down to the water's edge. One benefit of this condition was the X-ray like ability to see all the landscape's contours which are normally hidden under the forest canopy.

After stopping at the Howard Lake Campsite for lunch, we pushed on towards Chip Lake where we ran into Joan Young's westbound group which included Joan, Marie Altenau, Lyle Bialk, Kurt Papke, and Ed Morse. We stopped and talked with them for about an hour swapping trail conditions and just reveling in the fact that a dozen North Country Trail enthusiasts met on the trail in the middle of nowhere. After departing our serendipitous rendezvous, we continued on around Seahorse Lake where the trail went through several grassy meadows. Here the tread was very obscure. Between Seahorse Lake and Bingshick Lake the character of the trail changed again as we hiked along the shores of several small lakes and crossed the Chub River a couple of times. The Boundary Waters was finally starting to live up to my pre-conceived notions as the Kek's route was almost completely surrounded by water.

We pulled into the amazing Bingshick Lake Campsite, which sits at the end of a little peninsula jutting out into the lake, and enjoyed our last night together on the Trail. After dinner, Ken spotted a cow moose grazing on the south shore of the lake. After watching it for about a half hour we were amazed to discover that this mom had two calves with her. This was certainly a magical North Country experience!

Day 5: May 22 – After getting a “late” start to the morning (Bruce's wake up call came at 4:45am), we hiked 3.5 miles from the Bingshick Lake Campsite out to the Gunflint Road trailhead. Along the way we passed out of the BWCAW and by the Paulson Mine before descending the last mile and a half on a near-level old railroad grade.

Bruce: “I picked up an Austrian Chocolate Raspberry Layered Cake on the trail (a piece from an amazing rock formation near Glee Lake). The saddest day of the trip, because it’s the last. Wonderful group to hike with.”

After reaching the trailhead, we were happy to discover that our vehicle shuttle plan worked (for a fee, the fine people from Heston's Lodge drove our two vehicles the 170 miles around our hike). Finally, we drove to Heston's Lodge on Gunflint Lake to shower, pay for the car shuttle, and get a cup of coffee. We then departed south on the Gunflint Trail for home. Despite the fact that it was mid morning, a timber wolf darted across the road in front of Ken's vehicle and we were able to snap some good photos of it. This completed the “Minnesota wildlife viewing tri-fecta” for Matt—a moose, a wolf, and a black bear! We ate lunch at the Gunflint Tavern in Grand Marais before heading south on Highway 61 for home.

Arrowhead Re-Route Legislation– Your Help Is Needed!

Bills have been introduced in both the House of Representatives (H.R. 481, introduced by Rep. Jim Oberstar) and U.S. Senate (S. 553, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar of MN) that would officially change the North Country Trail's route in northeastern Minnesota. The change would replace 1 miles of really wet country between Jay Cooke State Park and Remer with nearly 4 miles of existing trails, including the Kekekabic, Border Route, and Superior Hiking Trails. We are currently waiting for a vote on the floor of the House and for action in the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee. For more on this issue, visit http://www.northcountrytrail.org/arrowhead.php.

You can still help out the NCTA by asking your Representative and Senators to sign onto H.R. 481 and S. 553, respectively, as co-sponsors and for their vote for this legislation.

The Hardest Miles continued…

NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGrand Rapids, MI

Permit 340

Plumbago Creek in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, stunning in autumn colors, was the site of a major bridge projectthis summer. See Volunteer Adventures Update–2009, page 6.

Doug W

elker

LV19892

Happy trails to you. Our eight newspapers across Michigan cover the great outdoors,including the best nature walks, day hikes and overnight backpacking trips. Read us,then find a slice of heaven of your own on foot. Booth Newspapers: The Ann Arbor News,The Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Grand Rapids Press, The Jackson CitizenPatriot, The Kalamazoo Gazette, The Muskegon Chronicle and The Saginaw News.

North Country Trail Association9 East Main StreetLowell, Michigan 49331

North Star Vol. 28, No. 2 (2009)

Documents

miles of certified trail

north star

life members

fellow members

great time

north dakota state university

hardest miles

membership efforts