North Star Vol. 30, No. 2 (2011)

April-June, 2011 The magazine of the North Country Trail Association

Volume 30, No. 2

north star

Annual Conference Program Inside

National Park Service’s Tom Gilbert Retires

Hiking Through POW Camps?

2 The North Star April-June 11

In This Issue

About the Cover Photo: Tom Gilbert, our National Parks Superintendant and visionary of the NCNST, addresses members at NCTA conference at Cazenovia, NY, in 2008.Photo by Larry and Mick Hawkins.

ArticlesUnsung Heroes of the NCTA ......3 BOD Nominations: Vote! ............4Dayton Conference Schedule .......8Tour De NCT ......................Tribute to Tom Gilbert ..............1POWs on the NCT? ..................6 ColumnsTrailhead ......................................7

North Star StaffIrene Szabo, Volunteer Editor, (585) 658-431 or [email protected]

Peggy Falk, Graphic Design

The North Star, Summer issue, Vol. 3, Issue , is published by the North Country Trail Association, a private, not-for-profit 51(c)(3) organization, 9 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 with-out written permission of the North Country Trail Association.

Staff Andrew Bashaw,

Regional Trail Coordinator Ohio/[email protected]

David Cowles, Director of Development

[email protected]

Jill DeCator, Administrative Assistant/Membership Coordinator

[email protected]

Matt Davis, Regional Trail Coordinator Minnesota/North Dakota

[email protected]

Andrea Ketchmark, Director of Trail Development

[email protected]

Laura Lindstrom,Office Manager/Financial Administrator

[email protected] 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 2011

Lyle Bialk, Lower Michigan Rep.,(81) 679-41 · [email protected]

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

Dave Cornell, Immediate Past President, At Large Rep., (39) 561-651 · [email protected]

Garry Dill, At Large Rep.,(614) 451-3 · [email protected] John Heiam, At Large Rep.,

(31) 938-9655 · [email protected]

Lorana Jinkerson, Secretary, At Large Rep.,(96) 6-61 · [email protected]

Doug Thomas, At Large Rep.,(61) 4-4 · [email protected]

Terms Expiring 2012Joyce Appel, Pennsylvania Rep.,

(74) 56-547 · [email protected] Jack Cohen, Pennsylvania Rep.,(74) 34-5398 · [email protected]

Bobby Koepplin, President, North Dakota Rep.,(71) 845-935 · [email protected]

Tom Moberg, Minnesota Rep.,(71) 71-6769 · [email protected]

Brian Pavek, Minnesota Rep., (763) 45-4195 · [email protected]

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

Terms Expiring 2013Larry Hawkins, First VP, Lower Michigan Rep.,

(69)945-5398 · [email protected] Rummel, New York Rep.,(315) 536-9484 · [email protected]

Ray Vlasak, At Large Rep.,(18) 573-343 · [email protected]

DepartmentsHiking Shorts ............................17

Meeting MinutesNCTA Executive CommitteeNov. 18, 1 ............................5Board of Directors Dec. 4, 1 ................................6NCTA Executive CommitteeDec. 8, 1 ..............................6

Great blue heron in Pennsylvania, a wonderful sight in many a swampy spot throughout our trail's states.

Vinnie Collins

www.northcountrytrail.org April-June 11 The North Star 3

All NCTA volunteers are heroes. Anyone who donates time, talent and treasure (not to mention plenty of blood,

sweat and tears) supporting the dream of building a primitive footpath connecting America’s red plaid nation in our northern heartlands is deserving of hero status. It's not hard to identify as trail-builder-heroes those mud-covered, bug-bit, sweat-soaked and Pulaski-wielding happy warriors emerging from the trees or prairies at the end of a work day. But there’s a lesser-known group of suit-wearing NCTA'ers who eloquently and persistently pursue this dream in the halls of Congress and our seven state houses. They are the members of your NCTA Advocacy Committee. All of them know a Pulaski from a McLeod, and you’ll recognize them on the Trail. They’re just a little less recognizable when they exchange their muddy Vasques for polished pumps and wingtips.

What’s advocacy? In our case, simply, it means persuading law-makers and government officials that a hiking trail is a worthy thing … worthy of funding, permitting, locating on public lands and single-use management. Without a strong advocacy effort the NCNST would fall off the radar, lose its credibility, and worst of all lose champions like Senators Levin, Stabenow, and Klobuchar, or Representative Tammy Baldwin.

How is advocacy accomplished? Good advocacy is based on building and nurturing relationships with key individuals in government at all levels. At this point NCTA’s Advocacy Committee focuses primarily on the federal government. Committee members divvy up the seven states and identify key staff within each Member of Congress’s office, both Senatorial and House Districts. They communicate with them regularly on issues of concern to the NCTA and NCNST, and they visit them in Washington once a year during the annual Hike the Hill/Trails Advocacy Week.

At Hike the Hill the Advocacy Committee coordinates talking points for the meetings with Member offices. Contrary to what some might expect, these meetings mostly do not occur with the actual Senator or Congressman or woman. Rather, meetings are scheduled with legislative assistants within the office, and on rare occasions the Member of Congress will stop in to say hello. This is where the bulk of the work is done in advocacy, and these are the critical relationships the NCTA’s Advocacy Committee seeks to nurture. At these meetings, which are often very short, the advocacy team highlights the top two or three pieces of legislation we’re supporting or asking for and leaves behind support materials for further reference.

For example, NCTA’s 11 Hike the Hill advocacy delegation was led by Chair Al Larmann and included John Leinen, Jack Cohen, Bruce Matthews and Andrea Ketchmark. The team focused on an agenda that, in addition to the standard appropriations request for the NCNST in the NPS appropriations bill, also included the reintroduction of the Minnesota Re-Route authorization (Arrowhead Re-route), and efforts on two fronts within the Land and Water Conservation Fund supporting the growing need for easement acquisitions that will accompany the willing seller authority that the advocacy committee successfully obtained in 9. Other meetings highlighted relationships with the US Forest Service

and obtaining unit status with the NPS for the NCNST.

Truthfully, NCTA’s advocacy is in its infancy. There are simply not enough volunteers or staff to cover and support adequately all the bases, from federal and state governments to the local level.

At the state level, in sporadic instances, committee members and other volunteers as well as NCTA staff are working to build relationships, and NCTA has made inroads in almost every state government. But the effort is not well coordinated and often tends to be issue-driven; i.e., a segment of the Trail is opened to horseback riding by State Parks, etc.

What should be apparent from this brief explanation is that while there are NCTA advocacy heroes at work there are far more opportunities to nurture both old and new relationship at each level of government, and to ensure that NCTA’s story and agenda are front and center, uppermost in the minds of legislators and government officials. This year veteran Advocacy Committee Chair Al Larmann is stepping down, and his wingtips will be very hard to fill. In a perfect world NCTA would have at least a couple members ready to step into the chair’s role. The board of directors is realizing the importance of maintaining a strong Advocacy Committee, but the process is slow and it does take time for folks who may be more comfortable benching a sidehill to get comfortable on THE Hill, Capitol Hill.

In that perfect world NCTA’s Advocacy Committee would be at least strong, with at least one member leading every state. The national legislative agenda would be carried out with the Hike the Hill strategy, but in addition the committee would have the quick-strike capability to respond when immediate needs surface, as they often do. The ability to mobilize volunteers to contact their Members of Congress is a critical part of today’s response to government by the People. The People, that is, NCTA, need to have the capacity to participate via communicating with Congress. And the truth is that NCTA’s capacity currently is severely limited.

Again in that perfect NCTA world, each state would have an advocacy effort that mirrors the federal one, with volunteers taking the NCTA story to state houses along the trail. In addition, NCTA would be empowering its chapters to participate more effectively in local government.

Clearly, with both advocacy efforts as well as trail-building, the NCTA has “miles to go before we sleep.” NCTA members are encouraged to volunteer for advocacy work. Not everyone needs to go to Washington, but plenty of grass roots work awaits at the state and local levels. Advocacy work offers an alternative to trail construction and maintenance, and though the results aren’t usually as immediate the work is surely as important in perpetuating the Trail.

Advocacy Volunteers: the Unsung Heroes of the NCTABruce Matthews


This is your official ballot for 2011 Election of Board of Directors. All votes must be postmarked no later than August 1, 2011.

Minnesota, At-Large new nominee, for At-large seat.Doug Thomas, Bloomington,

Minnesota/Flagstaff, Arizona. I earned a BA degree with a major in Accounting from Univ. of Wisc. - Madison in 1978. Moved to Twin Cities, MN area in 1979; 8 years there as CPA in public accounting, then 19 years there as CFO of a privately held agribusiness company. During that time I took up marathoning and ultra-marathoning and was part of the group that organized the first 1 mile running race on the Superior Hiking Trail in 1991. Since 1 spend several months each year in Flagstaff. Retired 1/31/6. Became Trail Steward on a segment of the Arizona Trail near Flagstaff in 7. Took up backpacking in 8. Currently a member of Arizona Trail Association, American Hiking Society, Ice Age Trail Alliance, North Country Trail Association, and Superior Hiking Trail Association.

New York Representative running for third term.Mary Coffin currently serves as

VP East. She has been a thoroughly involved trail volunteer for over years, maintaining and building trail in central New York along the Finger Lakes Trail, working with landowners and state agencies, and planning and leading hikes. In both her local chapter and on a state-wide organizational level, she has served many years as either board member or chair, so her administrative experience is extensive. Even after tending trail since 198, Mary still attends local NCTA-sponsored trail-building workshops to help her create the best possible new pathway as her Adirondack Mountain Club - Onondaga Chapter keeps building the NCT toward its eventual east-end goal. Mary has also received the NCTA Distinguished Service Award.

Michigan, At-large Representative running for second term.

Lorana Jinkerson has been active in the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter in Marquette since her retirement as a professor of educational technology at Northern Michigan University in 5. She was appointed to the NCTA Board of Directors in the fall of 8 and elected to the position of Secretary in August 9. Lorana is currently the NCTH Chapter president, webmaster, newsletter editor, media/communications contact, trail adopter and trail crew member. In 9, Lorana wrote a children’s book about the NCT, Nettie Does the NCT: North Country Trail and has donated all profits from the sale of the book to the Association. She is a member of NCTA’s Founder’s Circle, the chair of the NCTA Awards Committee and also the ad hoc Land Protection Committee. In 9 she received the NCTA Communicator of the Year Award.

Michigan, At-Large running for third term. Dave Cornell is a founder of the

Chief Noonday Chapter, he has long been active in the Association and served for many years as a full-time volunteer with the National Park Service. His degrees in accounting and law have provided much needed expertise for the Association over the years. Dave has also received the NCTA Distinguished Service Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ohio, At-Large running for second term. Garrett (Garry) S. Dill Jr. has

been a member of the Buckeye Trail Association (an NCTA Affiliate) for more than 1 years. Following his retirement as a veterinary pathologist 1 years ago he joined the Buckeye Trail Crew of which he is still a member, trail maintainer and coordinator. He was most recently appointed as the BTA representative to the NCTA. His vision for the future includes more off road (certified) trail in Ohio and increased communication and cooperation between the affiliates and chapters within Ohio and with the NCTA. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Michigan, At-Large running for second term.John Heiam spent his working

career in Chicago as a systems analyst, computer systems auditor, and high school math teacher. He has BA and MBA degrees from Michigan State and a MST (Master of Science in Mathematics) from the University of Illinois at Chicago. John met his wife on a Sierra Club outing, and both were active outings leaders for the Chicago group of the Sierra Club. When they retired in they moved to the Traverse City, Michigan area, and immediately became active in local outdoor organizations. In 1 John became president of the Grand Traverse Hiking Club, and has held the post ever since. In 7 he was presented with an NCTA Leadership Award. He was appointed to the NCTA Board in 9.

Nominations For Board Of Directors Openings


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

Your Name/Membership Number Your Signature

At-Large Seats

Vote for Five Dave Cornell Garry Dill John Heiam Lorana Jinkerson Doug Thomas

Write-in

New York Representative

Vote for One Mary Coffin

Write-in

NCTA Official Ballot

2011 Election Board of DirectorsYou will not receive a separate ballot by mail. Each NCTA membership is categorized as a household, and our bylaws permit only one ballot per membership. Please mark the ballot and mail or fax to: NCTA - Elections, 229 E. Main St., Lowell, MI 49331, fax number (616) 897-6605. All votes must be postmarked no later than August 1, 2011.

Anniversary Sale May 26-30Anniversary Sale May 26-30

w w w . m i d w e s t m t n . c o m309 Cedar Ave. So. Minneapolis, MN 612-339-3433


Mission and Vision Statement read. Matthews introduced Terry Horton, Johnson Center for Philanthropy, to facilitate a Board Governance Workshop.

Membership Report presented with request that affiliate partners be reported on the membership report. Report approved.

NCTA Staff Work Plan and Strategic Plan, format and reporting of progress to the Board and membership. To be presented early 11.

Fiscal Year 2011 and 2012 budgets, concern expressed about impact that unknowns such as memberships and donations have on NCTA in order to meet budget expenditures. Budgets approved.

NPS, T. Gilbert indicated approval for relocating Trail Manager position to Lowell and other positions when vacated but Trail Superintendent will continue to be shared position with Ice Age Trail in Madison, Wisconsin. Gilbert postponing retirement to fill & mentor Trail Manager position. At Nov. Exec Comm, approval for NCTA to be proactive in helping to fill Gilbert's Superintendant's position.

Development Committee, D Cowles working with Committee on securities donations, gifts acceptance, and other related policies. Intends to have multiple appeals throughout the year; therefore, the annual appeal is being re-termed year end appeal (YEA); cards were passed out to Board members, requesting an annual pledge for the YEA and 11.

Trail Guidebook contract ratified to hire Ron Strickland for the writing of the North Country Trail Guide. Matthews' technical skill as well as knowledge of material was deemed preferable to an editor/publisher who is unfamiliar with the Trail. Should an editor be required Matthews will be contracted to edit the Trail Guidebook.

Chapter Leadership Workshop: B. Koepplin discussed the Chapter Leadership Workshops held at the Ashland Conference. The first request to be approved is that the Board of Directors of the NCTA and its Executive Committee will provide the Association leadership and general membership an Executive Summary which is to be a brief narrative summarization of the motions and actions taken by either body, policy changes, and discussions considered pertinent to the general membership. Summary to be distributed by appropriate web-based and printed publications of the NCTA.

M. Rowbotham led a review of Website Beta site. Revised website will go live early in 11.

Information Systems Committee: an article shall be prepared for North Star publication regarding the database improvements.

PA Trail Council membership recommends NCTA lower its membership dues to $20. Staff will research first year renewal rates/trends for NCTA and sister non-profit organizations. Agenda item for May Board meeting. Will review results, recommend changes to membership rates and present action plan for increasing membership.

Partnership National Trails Systems: appointed J. Leinen to continue his role as the NCTA official PNTS delegate.

Recognitions: Thanks to Bruce and everyone who got their Board reports out early for review. Nettie books, authored by L. Jinkerson, have been distributed to libraries and schools along the trail, at Lorana's expense. D Cornell and B. Matthews make special remarks and toasts to Mr. Gilbert.

Summary Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - Grand Rapids Airport Hilton, Dec. 4, 2010

Advocacy Committee after February's Hike the Hill, need a rep. from New York and a Chairperson to replace Al Larmann.

NPS Update (Tom Gilbert)• Received approval on Nov. 3 to hire NCT Trail Manager

for Lowell location.• Announcement for Trail Manager position to go out

immediately.

Summary NCTA Executive Committee Conference Call Meeting Minutes, Dec. 28, 2010

Data Management• Keeping data updated and maintained is important to

NCTA; inconsistency across chapters/affiliates/partners.• Need to identify what data needs to be tracked and

relationship to Information Systems and Trail Protection Committees.

• Trail Project Management System in OH and PA is GIS based.

• Guidebook is more a promo book, highlighting specific segments in each state not end-to-end data for hikers.

General discussion of Gilbert’s forthcoming retirement, website, discussion w/Terry Horton, and update with respect to policies/resolutions/procedures completed the call.


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Brunton Is Proud To Be The Gold Sponsor Of The 2011 NCTA National Conference

Meet Me In Dayton!

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awkins

Bobby hawking fabulous stained glass lamp at 2008 auction.

Please take time to look over the 2011 North Country Trail conference schedule planned for Dayton, Ohio, August

11-14, in these pages. The Ohio folks have worked hard to put together and host an exciting fun-filled conference.

This is a great opportunity to kindle new relationships, make new friends and renew old friendships. Observe, share ideas, and participate hands-on in NCT trail activities. Help recognize and honor our fellow volunteers and perhaps glean a tidbit or two from the special capacity building sessions that you might be able to take home to help grow your respective Chapter/Partner/Affiliate organizations.

The NCTA Board of Directors on behalf of you the members plans to honor our retiring NPS Superintendent, Tom Gilbert, and wish him well in his retirement. Book your trip, bring an auction item for both the silent and the annually hilarious live auction fund raisers. Pack your hiking boots, as I look forward to seeing you at the Conference and on the trail.

BOBBY KOEPPLINPresident

TRAIL HEAD


Annual Conference 2011

Tuesday, August 91 10:00am Two Night Backpacking

Trip: The 29 mile Twin Valley Trail (TVT) (as seen in the May 2011 Issue of Backpacker Magazine) provides an experience reminiscent of legendary backcountry wilderness trails with hills, babbling brooks, abundant wildlife, history and small town charm located only 20 minutes from Dayton in Germantown MetroPark, designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. Day one will be an 8.6 mile hike into Cedar Ridge Campsite. Day two is a 4.6 mile hike to Oak Ridge Campsite with Day 3 a quick 2 mile hike out. Your own food & gear. Meet at 10am Tuesday at 6206 Boomershine Rd., Germantown; return by 11am Thursday.

On Your Way to Ohio “On Your Way” events are planned for your convenience to get a little more out of your trip on the way to or from Dayton. We’ve packaged three separate authentic experiences located at the confluences of trails in small historic towns. Local volunteers will meet you and serve as your guide. All arrangements for food and lodging during these events are your responsibility, but please register so we know to expect you. For more info about places to stay and eat, visit www.northcountrytrail.org, click on 2011 Conference.

Wednesday, August 10

2 1:00pm On Your Way: Zoar Village and the Ohio & Erie Canal Join the Buckeye Trail and the NCTA Great Trail-Sandy Beaver Canal Chapter in another historic canal town in northeast Ohio. Zoar Village and the Ohio & Erie Canal are where the BT, NCNST, Tuscarawas River, and Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail all come together. We’ll begin by meeting at Fort Laurens State Memorial, in Bolivar, Ohio’s only Revolutionary War era fort. A tour of the fort and museum precedes a hike along the old canal, passing remnants of locks along the way to Zoar Village, where we will tour the historic community originally founded by German Zoarites. We’ll eat at the Firehouse Grille and Pub before shuttling back to Fort Laurens. Suggested Start Time: 1:00pm at Fort Laurens. From I-77, exit at Bolivar and follow signs to Fort Laurens.

3 12:00pm On Your Way: Grand Rapids, Ohio and the Miami & Erie Canal Join the Renegade Chapter of the Buckeye Trail Association in the historic canal town of Grand Rapids at the junction of the Buckeye and the North Country Trails in northwest Ohio. Canal history is preserved in Grand Rapids and Providence MetroPark on the banks of the scenic Maumee River. Meet us at 12:00pm at Providence MetroPark to take a canal boat ride on the Volunteer, then we’ll take an easy hike along the towpath with a local guide to a pleasant meal at LaRoe’s overlooking the Maumee River. Visit www.MetroParkstoledo.com to fuel your excitement! Canal Boat Tickets will be $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $4 for children ages 3 to 12.

4 On Your Way: Milford Trail Junction Stop by Milford, home of “The Junction,” just across the river from downtown where over 22,000 miles of long distance hiking, biking, and paddling trails converge at a single point. Stop by Roads, Rivers, and Trails Outfitter for an orientation to the area trails and an “On Your Way” Welcome Packet. Rent a bike from Bishop’s Bicycles for a ride on the bikeway which is also the NCT in this area. For more info on Milford visit www.downtownmilford.com. Enjoy your trip to Dayton by planning a stop in Milford and southwest Ohio. Self Guided. (Store Hours 11:00am-8:00pm) Give yourself at least five hours of daylight here.

5 One Night Backpacking Trip: Twin Valley Trail Same area as trip 1. Day one will be a 6.8 mile hike into Cedar Ridge Campsite. Day two is a 8.6 mile hike out. Meet at 10:00am Wednesday at 6206 Boomershine Road, Germantown.

6 $ 9:00am-6:00pm Wilderness First Aid Certification, session one (requires attendance at session two, Thursday, 8:00am-3:00pm.) This Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course is 16 hours long (two days), the perfect course for the outdoor enthusiast or trip leader who wants a basic level of first aid training. This course will be provided by Solo, the oldest school of wilderness medicine in the world. Wilderness First Aid is a 2 year certification. $160.00.

Quickly becoming known as the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest, Dayton offers nature at its best, along with historical sites found nowhere else. Our conference site at Wright State University offers a college campus located directly on the NCT, with great amenities.

Welcome to 2011 NCTA Conference in beautiful Dayton, Ohio,

the largest trail town on the NCT!

PreConference Activities

Look for these codes preceding event titles:F = family friendly $ = fees (add these on your registration form)


Wednesday, August 10 continued

Early Arrival Information & Hospitality SuiteWednesday, 4:00-9:00pm Arriving in Dayton early? Need to know where to go, what to do, where to eat? Stop at our early arrival hospitality suite located on the first floor at the Holiday Inn, across the street from the WSU campus, for just such information. Let us welcome you with a bit of Buckeye hospitality.

7 F 4:00-7:00pm Try Kayaking Try a kayak to see if it is something you would like to learn more about in the future. An introduction to the boat and proper safety gear will be offered and you will have the opportunity to try different styles of kayaks on a lake. It’s a great way to learn about the sport in a controlled environment. For more information call (937) 277-4374. Walk in’s welcome. Eastwood MetroPark, 1385 Harshman Rd., Dayton (Lake Entrance.)

Thursday, August 11 8:00am Registration, Trail Shop, Information Tables Open in

Wright State University Skylight Lobby

6a 8:00am-3:00pm Wilderness First Aid Certification, session two (prerequisite; attendance at session one, Wednesday August 10, 9:00am-6:00pm.)

8 $ 9:00am-3:00pm All Day Driving Tour: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park This tour of historic buildings and museums will take you to the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center where you’ll visit the printing and bicycle shops of airplane inventors Orville and Wilbur Wright and to the Paul Laurence Dunbar House, home of the nationally-known African-American poet. The tour continues at the Wright Aviation Center at Carillon Historical Park which houses the 1905 Wright Flyer where participants will get lunch and tour the park on their own. The last stop on the tour is the Huffman Prairie Flying Field where the Wright brothers perfected their flying machine and established their school. $15.00/person. Call the NPS at (937) 225-7705 for details.

9 9:00am-3:00pm Trail Dogs: Strategic Trail Initiative and Mechanized Trail Building Demonstration Five Rivers MetroParks recognized that their trail system was “catastrophically failing” in many areas due to improper design and lack of focus. In response, the Strategic Trail Initiative was launched in 2009 to address this issue. Spend the morning learning about the process MetroParks went through to identify issues, train staff, and implement a complete overhaul of Taylorsville MetroPark trails. The afternoon will include a discussion on the pros and cons of mechanized equipment, overview of types of equipment being used in the field, and an observation of equipment actively building trail. Participants will spend a majority of the day on the trail casually hiking a total of 2-4 miles.

10 11:00am-3:00pm Hike: Taylorsville MetroPark & Historic Tadmor Village This casual 3.5 mile level hike will follow the NCT north to the site of Tadmor after passing the foundation of a canal aqueduct. In the 1800’s, this small village was a busy crossroad, while today remnants of this once bustling community have been identified as a significant site along the original route of the National Road (now US 40).

11 9:00am-3:00pm Hike: Clifton Mill to Yellow SpringsThis 10 mile moderate hike is one of the most scenic in western Ohio with a combination of natural wonders and history, highlighted by a remarkable limestone gorge cut by the Little Miami River. Tour historic Clifton Mill, one of the largest water powered grist mills still in existence.The 1,000 acre Glen Helen Nature Preserve is at the heart of the Yellow Springs community. On even a short walk, visitors can view spectacular wildflowers, 400 year-old trees, limestone cliffs with waterfalls and overhangs, and the beautiful yellow spring for which the town is named.

12 $ 9:00am-3:00pm Paddle: Canoe the Mad River Water Trail

Experience the most paddled stretch of water in the Dayton region. You’ll see why as you explore this Class I-II river that takes you through scenic parkland and into downtown Dayton at the confluence with the Great Miami River. $20.00/person, max. 40 people/20 canoes.

13 F 11:00am-2:00pm Family Hike: Englewood MetroPark Nature Play Area This 1900 acre park is located on the Stillwater River. This outing will take the family to the new Nature Play Area where kids can play in a creek, climb Max Mountain and slide to the bottom, play on logs, and build forts in the woods. A 0.5 mile accessible trail adjoins the Nature Play Area so you can enjoy a casual stroll. Englewood MetroPark is also home to an 18 hole disc golf course.

2011 Annual Conference Dayton Ohio August 10-13

Within Glen Helen Preserve is the yellow spring, which is, of course, orange. The rocks that the water moves through before coming above ground are filled with iron. When the water hits the air, the iron that has been traveling in the water rusts (turns into iron oxide) and is deposited on the rock face. The Shawnee had no word for orange; the closest word they had translated to yellow. The name Yellow Spring stuck.

Vincent Nobel, G

len Helen Preserve


The Belle of St. Mary’s is located in the Miami and Erie canal in uptown St. Marys.

MECCA/Ohio D

epartment of N

atural Resources

14 Grand Opening 4:30-5:30pm North Country National Scenic Trail National Park Service Volunteers In Parks Awards Program

$ 5:30-6:45pm Dinner A taste of southwestern Ohio; you can’t visit here without trying a little Skyline Chili $10.00, casual.

7:00-7:15pm Welcome to Dayton, the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest Learn how this old industrial town is reinventing itself by leveraging its natural resources for recreation, from the largest bikeways network in the country and a Bicycle Friendly Community designation to paddling access on three State-designated water trails, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, mountain biking, and backpacking.

$ 7:15-8:30pm Andrew Skurka: 4,700 miles Around Alaska and Yukon Andrew is most well known for his solo long-distance trips, the most recent his 4,700 mile 6 month Alaska-Yukon Expedition. In total, he has backpacked, skied, and packrafted 30,000+ miles through many of the world’s most prized backcountry and wilderness areas. Skurka’s first ultra-long-distance backpacking trip, the 7,775 mile Sea-to-Sea Route, included our NCNST. During the most remote stretch across the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), he went 650 miles without crossing a road and 24 days without seeing another human. His program will reflect on the broader significance of this experience, with particular attention to setting goals, seizing opportunities, stepping outside comfort zones, and finding humility and happiness in life. $5.00/person.

F 9:00-10:30pm Family Glen Helen Full Moon Hike No Registration required. If you’d rather get away from Painting the Town Blue for a quieter evening under the stars, the 1,000 acre Glen Helen Nature Preserve at the heart of Yellow Springs is hosting a Full Moon Hike. Depart from the Yellow Springs Parking Lot off of State Route 343. This event is on your own.

Friday, August 12 7:30-8:20pm Trail Talk Round Tables No Registration required. In the morning we will provide space for all those topics of interest that didn’t make it into the tight conference schedule. Space will be provided for folks to meet and discuss over breakfast or coffee. Please send your sug-gestions to us in advance or when you arrive at the registration table at Wright State University.

15 9:00am-4:00pm Trail Dogs Work Day:Rock Work at Taylorsville MetroParkIn Taylorsville MetroPark the stone work of the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps continues to provide access for the public to beautiful natural surroundings. The Corps created extensive stone staircases along the trails in the park that now need to be restored. This workshop will highlight the work of the CCC and provide training in the use of a hand powered high-line griphoist system to move large stones, resetting stones and crib walls.

Thursday, August 11 continued


Annual Conference 2011Andrew

Skurka


Friday, August 12 continued

16 $ 9:00am-4:00pm Town & Country Tour: The Finer Things of Greater Dayton Lets celebrate what a larger town has to offer. Join us for a day experiencing the finer things such as the Dayton Art Institute, a local winery, boutique shops, a fine lunch (on your own) and a little environmental and historical interpretation for good measure. $15.00/person.

17 8:30-9:20am NCTA Chapter Leadership WorkshopJoin the leadership of NCTA chapters, partners and affiliates from across the trail for a crackerbarrel style dialog with NCTA Executive Director Bruce Matthews. Share ideas and see how others address thorny problems.

18 8:30-9:20am Buckeye/North Country Trail Town ProjectThe Buckeye and North Country Trails meander through not only forests and wild lands but through towns and communities. A Trail Town Program is a way to provide hikers with information on where to eat, shop and stay overnight as well as bring recognition to the Trail, build support from local businesses, and engage the local community in a way that builds pride around the trails. Learn what NCTA/BTA are doing to transform the communities along the length of the trail into Trail Towns and how you can make these ideas a reality back home.

19 8:30-9:20am Trail Protection: Engaging Your Local Land Trust The connection of primitive hiking trail development and land protection efforts by land trusts can be an important partnership. Hear the local land trust point of view on how the North Country Trail Association can best partner and engage with local land protection efforts to protect the trail corridor. Stick around and apply what you’ve learned at the Trail Protection Panel discussion that follows (event 25)

20 8:30-9:20am The Miami & Erie Canal and Towpath TrailThe Miami & Erie Canal was built starting in 1825 to provide a 250-mile waterway connecting the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Portions of the M&E Canal towpath are currently part of the Buckeye and North Country Trails. State and local municipalities are currently rejuvenating the canal and enhancing sections for economic, educational and recreational purposes. The historic Canal is coming alive again! Learn about the history and future of the Canal from the Miami & Erie Canal Corridor Association (MECCA.).

21 8:30-9:20am Partnering with Land Managers Positive working relationships with our land managers is key in managing the North Country Trail. But with more than 150 federal, state and local land units, it is no easy task to make sure we are communicating effectively, treating each other with respect and building partnerships that will help everyone meet their goals. In this workshop, volunteers, staff and land managers will examine the characteristics of these relationships and formulate some best practices for successful partnerships.

22 F 8:30-9:20am Family Leave No Trace Awareness This workshop will be geared towards introducing young children to the idea of backcountry ethics and will touch on the 7 principles of Leave No Trace. It will be hands on and fast paced to accommodate short attention spans.

23 9:30-10:20am Engaging Your Community on the Trail How you communicate and interact with your surrounding community can help you reach out to potential members and volunteers. NCTA has teamed up with the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) to bring you ways to reach out to new people in your backyard. We will discuss tools to help you reach out and what to do with new people once you find them!

24 9:30-10:20am Creating a Backpacking Destination In recent years Dayton has seen all the pieces of a backpacking culture emerge. The addition of the Twin Valley Backpacking Trail, backpacking classes and trips teaching skills, trailbuilding volunteer days, a new specialty backpacking retailer and a new hiking club have all added up to a lively backpacking scene. Learn from Dayton’s recent successes to take home ideas for creating a backpacking destination and culture throughout your region.

25 9:30-10:20am Trail Protection Panel Follow up what you’ve learned from workshop 19 with a panel discussion with local land trust leaders. Three land trusts with working experience with the NCTA and Buckeye Trail Association will share their experiences and take your questions.

26 9:30-10:20am Hiking Ohio’s Buckeye Trail Ohio’s Buckeye Trail was founded in 1959, recently celebrating 50 years of building, maintaining, protecting and promoting the use of the 1,444 mile BT. Nearly 800 miles of the BT are used by the North Country Trail. Join us for a brief history and presentation on hiking the BT, the nation’s longest loop trail, by Buckeye Trail hikers.

27 9:30-10:20am Celebrating Women on the North Country Trail From BTA founder and first female Appalachian Trail Thru-hiker Grandma Gatewood to our young daughters, women are very important to the North Country Trail Association. Join us for a conversation celebrating women hiking, volunteering, and managing the North Country Trail. Help us inspire the next generation of young women to fill the boots.

28 F 9:30-10:20am Nature On The Go Kids join the naturalist from Greene County Parks for some outdoor nature fun. Visit with some of Ohio’s native wildlife, snakes, turtles and more; see some of their cool adaptations and learn more about the habitats they live in. Everyone will have the chance to make a take home craft.



29 10:30-11:20am Hiking Across America on the 7,800 mile Sea-to-Sea Route, Using the North Country National Scenic Trail The Sea-to-Sea Route (C2C) is a 7,800 mile network of existing long-distance hiking trails that spans almost continuously between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with the exception of an 800 mile gap in North Dakota and Montana along the Missouri River and a less formidable 30 mile gap in Vermont. The appeal of the C2C is rooted in its potential to • Offer hikers an incredibly diverse and rewarding lifetime

experience and to • Unify our National Trails System for the benefit of current

and future generations of outdoor enthusiastsAndrew Skurka returns to present the C2C Route and his motivations.

30 F 10:30-11:20am Family Leave No Trace Geocaching Geocaching continues to grow in popularity, and is another way to engage families and children in discovering the natural world. Some ways to geocache are better than others, so learn how Leave No Trace principles and geocaching come together. Bring your GPS unit for some fun during this workshop that will continue throughout the conference.

31 $ 12:45-4:00pm Kayaking for Dummies This beginner kayaking class will introduce you to the sport of kayaking and the equipment involved in getting started. Participants will learn the basics of kayaking strokes. You will also practice self rescue and assisted rescue techniques. Come dressed to get wet and prepared to have fun. Cost includes equipment, instruction and transportation. $10.00/person.

32 12:45-4:00pm Hike: Clifton Gorge and the Historic Clifton Mill 3 miles easy. Historic Clifton Mill is one of the largest water powered grist mills still in existence and open for tours. Outside at Clifton Mill you can walk across a 90 foot covered bridge across the Little Miami River and enjoy the spectacular views of the Mill, Gorge, and the Little Miami River and its waterfalls. From the Mill the hike leads into Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve, which protects one of the most spectacular dolomite and limestone gorges in the state. At one point, the river funnels through a deep, narrow channel. The shaded, north-facing slopes provide a cool, moist environment for northern species including hemlock, red baneberry, Canada yew, arbor vitae and mountain maple.

33 F 12:45-4:00pm Tour: The National Museum of the United States Air Force The museum, right on the NCNST, is laid out in chronological order, beginning with Dayton’s own Wright brothers through today’s Stealth fighters, making it easy for visitors to tour the facility by themselves. You could spend all day in this museum, so several opportunities are planned for the conference.

34 12:45-4:00pm Bike: Eastwood MetroPark to Downtown to Wegerzyn Gardens Twelve miles. Experience the North Country Trail by bike as you follow the trail from Eastwood MetroPark along the Mad River and into downtown Dayton. You’ll tour the new Bike Hub located at RiverScape MetroPark which is only the third Bike Hub east of the Mississippi, designed to encourage bike commuting by giving people a place to store their bike, shower, and change for work or school. After grabbing some ice cream at RiverScape it is onto Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark for formal gardens and outdoor sculpture before returning to Eastwood MetroPark for this 12 mile ride. You’ll also experience new NCT wayside exhibits funded by the NPS Connect Trails to Parks Program. Bring your own bike; transportation not provided to trailhead.

35 12:45-4:00pm Fish: Try Fly Fishing Join us to see if you can entice a fish to bite and catch a fish on fly. No fishing license required. Instructor will teach basic techniques, and share knowledge related to your specific questions in a controlled and safe environment. Equipment is provided.

36 F 12:45-4:00pm Family Hike: Down on the Farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark Visitor Center exhibits start the journey back in time to an 1880’s farm while demonstrations, reconstructed and historical buildings, and even period farm animals paint the picture. The farm has been maintained to re-create the experiences one might have had on a typical day at the farm.

37 12:45-4:00pm Clinic: Lightweight Backpacking Gear and Skills Lightweight backpacking is safer, more comfortable, less expensive, and more fun than conventional/heavy backpacking. This clinic will be given by distinguished long-distance backpacker Andrew Skurka, a lightweight pioneer. Attendees will be given the skills to go on a 3 day 3 season backpacking trip with no more than 20 pounds of gear and food before water.

38 Friday Evening ProgramGather for Friday dinner and socialize at beautiful Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark, where our Annual Membership Meeting and NCTA Annual Awards Presentation will be held.

5:00-6:00pm Social Hour

$ 6:00-7:00pm Buffet Dinner $25.00/person.

7:00-7:30pm NCTA Annual Membership Meeting NCTA members gather to hear brief reports on the State of the Trail from Executive Director Bruce Matthews and a report from NCTA’s Board of Directors. Annual Meeting provides the legal forum to ratify board actions of the previous year and to confirm the election of new members of the Board.

7:30-9:00pm NCTA Annual Awards Presentation

Friday, August 12 continued



Saturday, August 13

7:00am-7:50am Trail Talk Roundtables Repeat of Friday AM opportunity.

39 8:00am-4:00pm Hike: Clifton Mill to Yellow Springs Repeat of Hike 11.

40 8:00am-4:00pm Hike: Caesar Creek State Park 11 miles, moderate. Join us for an all day hike in the State Park with vistas of Caesar Creek Lake from the wooded rim of the valley. The Park features clear blue waters, scattered woodlands, meadows, steep ravines, and fossils from an ancient sea bed. Within the Park the location of an important Indian trail exists that later was used by the Underground Railroad.

41 8:00am-4:00pm Bike: Springfield to Xenia, Lunch in Yellow Springs Approximate 40 mile round trip. Join Greene County Parks’ Trail Sentinels as they lead a leisurely bike ride on the Little Miami Scenic Trail, starting out from Xenia Station then heading north through Yellow Springs and into Springfield. On the return ride stop for lunch at one of the many eateries. The Little Miami Scenic Trail is flat and shaded. Bring your own bike, or rent one in Xenia: K&G Bikes (937) 372-2555 Rentals are limited and must be made in advance.

42 $ 8:00am-4:00pm Paddle: Little Miami National Scenic River Canoe Trip This 3.5 mile section of the river takes 1.5 to 3 hours to complete. Paddlers will put in at Spring Valley and enjoy the sights and sounds found along the North Country Trail from a different perspective as we float downriver back to RiversEdge Outfitters. Rentals include canoes, paddles, life jackets, and transportation. This is the most remote and scenic section of the Little Miami River. $12.00/person..


43 $ 8:00am-4:00pm Tour: Canal Hike, Lockington Locks This day long trip up the Miami & Erie Canal Corridor includes a hike of a few miles along the M&E Canal. We’ll take in 2,000 years of Ohio history from the Adena Moundbuilders, the War of 1812, and Ohio settlement to the creation of the Canal System. We’ll even get our chance to ride the canal boat, the General Harrison of Piqua, along the restored canal. A visit to Lockington Locks reveals an engineering marvel at the high point of the canal, a rise of 67 feet with 6 stair step locks within a short distance. $15.00/person.

.44 8:00am-11:30am Hie: Clifton Gorge & Historic Clifton Mill

Repeat of Hike 32.

45 8:00am-11:30am Hike: Outdoor Photography Workshop with Bart Smith Join “That Trail Guy” Bart Smith for an outdoor photography workshop on the trail, based on his experience photographing eleven National Scenic Trails. “I will bring a digital SLR, my favorite lenses, and a tripod to demonstrate some of the techniques I employ to create compelling images. I urge folks to bring their own camera equipment. I will be working with a Nikon D300 but all cameras are welcome, yes, even cell phones.”

46 F 8:00am-11:30am Tour: The National Museum of the United States Air Force Repeat of Tour 33.

47 F 8:00am-11:30am Family Hike: Glen Helen Nature Preserve Explore the wonders of Glen Helen on a family friendly hike under towering maples and majestic oaks. Play in the Yellow Spring while you search for critters big and small. On even a short walk, visitors can view 400 year-old trees, limestone cliffs with waterfalls and overhangs and the beautiful yellow spring. Trails are easy to moderate, appropriate for families and avid hikers alike. Visit Trailside Museum for an up close encounter with native reptiles while watching for songbirds at the feeders.

48 8:00am-11:30am The NCNST and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park Learn about the North Country National Scenic Trail and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park from our National Park Service partners. Both will be presented at Wright Memorial. Our partners will also present the NPS Volunteers In Parks Program. Time will allow for touring the visitor center and grounds of the Wright Memorial.

Five Rivers MetroParks


49 F 8:00am-11:30am Bike: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and Wright Patterson Air Force Base Tour 12 miles. Family-friendly bicycle tour of historic aviation sites: the first stop is the Huffman Prairie Flying Field where you can walk in the footsteps of Orville and Wilbur Wright. The next stop on the tour is the historic Bldg 286 on Wright-Patterson AFB where WWII Prisoners of War were housed. The tour then returns to the Wright Memorial. Participants supply their own bicycles and must register prior to trip. Call the NPS at (937) 225-7705 for details.

50 12:30-4:00pm Hike: John Bryan State Park to Yellow Springs 8 miles, moderate The park contains a remarkable limestone gorge cut by the Little Miami River, now a registered National Natural Landmark with cool protected stretches that feature plants more typical to Canada. The hike meanders Glen Helen Nature Preserve with its famous yellow spring along with historic remnants of early constructions.

51 F 12:30-4:00pm Tour: The National Museum of the United States Air Force

Repeat of Tour 33.

52 F 12:30-4:00pm Family Hike: Oakes Quarry Park Where can you find world-class fossil beds, old-growth forest, a native-grass prairie, and miles of hiking trails? Oakes Quarry Park, formerly a rock quarry, features one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of marine organism fossils from the Silurian age, a time more than 425 million years ago when the area was covered with warm, shallow seas. Spoil piles are available for families to uncover and keep their own ancient fossil finds, and they can take in fascinating aquatic life at the park’s four ponds.


Saturday, August 13 continued 53 12:30-4:00pm Bike: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Huffman Prairie Flying Field Bicycle Tour. This 9 mile ride will leave from Wright State and follow the NCT on the Wright Brothers Bikeway to Huffman Prairie Flying Field, where the Wrights developed the world’s first practical airplane as well as replicas of their 1905 hangar and launching catapult. This ride is led by a volunteer. Bring your own bike.

54 12:30-4:00pm Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop This Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop will cover the principles, ethics, and mission of Leave No Trace. This presentation will be active and include audience participation. The goal of the workshop is to build awareness and promote interest in low-impact hiking, biking, paddling and camping. It will also provide an opportunity for individuals to reflect on their own backcountry and frontcountry ethics.

55 Saturday Evening Grand Finale 5:00-6:00pm Social Hour and Old Time Music Wet your whistle and swap stories of your last two days with your new found friends as the grand finale of the conference gets in gear.

5:00-6:00pm President's Reception by invitation.

6:30-7:30pm NCTA Community Benefit Dinner NCTA throws open the conference doors, inviting the entire community to join in celebrating and supporting the North Country National Scenic Trail.

7:20 Invitation to 2012 Annual Conference: Chair Dave Cornell and his team invite you to Augusta, Michigan, for NCTA’s next conference on August 2-5, 2012

7:30-8:30pm Live Auction Join in a rollicking good time for the benefit of the North Country Trail as NCTA auctions trail gear, memorabilia, artwork and regional goodies from the trail community.

8:30-9:30pm Bart Smith: Walking Down a Dream: A Photographic Journey along America’s National Scenic Trails. Bart Smith’s dream was to hike and photograph all eleven of the nation’s National Scenic Trails, and he was the first to do so, for over 18,000 miles. Bart is bringing his love of the trails and photography with a spectacular array of imagery from America’s landscapes. In 1991 he decided to hike and photograph the Pacific Crest Trail with the goal of having a photo coffee table book published. It took about 5 years to hone his skills because Bart is color-blind, but he published his first book Along the Pacific Crest Trail. Based on that success, Bart decided to hike and photograph the Appalachian Trail. Then on a whim, he was able to convince Earl Shaffer (the legendary long distance hiker, who in 1948 was the first person to complete the Appalachian Trail in one year) to join forces for his second book, The Appalachian Trail: Calling Me Back to the Hills. It covered Earl’s historic 50th Anniversary Hike of 1998, which he completed weeks shy of turning 80.



Conference Accommodations


Sunday, August 14Directions to additional area attractions will be available on site, and don’t forget the “On Your Way” packages described at the beginning of the schedule. For today…

56 12:00pm Hocking Hills On Your Way home join BTA and NCT volunteers at the crown jewel of southeast Ohio, Hocking Hills State Park. From the Old Man’s Cave Visitor Center you will be led on a 6 mile hike from Upper Falls through Old Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave. The hike highlights spectacular sandstone rock formations, cliffs, waterfalls and some of the largest recess caves in the Midwest. Meet at the Old Man’s Cave Visitor Center at 12:00pm.

1:00-3:00pm Glen Helen Nature Preserve Wildflower

Walk, No Registration Required. Join volunteer Daniel Pearson on a hike through the Glen to catch a glimpse of wildflowers. This hike lasts approximately two hours and is of moderate intensity. Departs from Trailside, 1:00pm.


Breakfast is on your own for all attendees! Many breakfast opportunities are available on campus or nearby; map at registration.

Dorm Lodging

All rooms are air-conditioned and share a suite-style bathroom with at least one other room. Rates are per bed, per night. A discount is offered for three or more nights’ stay. Sorry, no pets.

Hotel

Holiday Inn (937) 426-7800• www.holidayinn.com (Dayton/Fairborn)• King leisure or King sofa or Double/Double• $105 per night plus tax• Reservation block: North Country Trail till July 20.

Other Hotel Options

Homewood Suites (937) 429-0600Red Roof Inn Fairborn/Nutter Center (866)-925-4160Hampton Inn Dayton-Fairborn (866) 279-5332Ramada Limited Fairborn (866) 296-5798Studio Plus Extended StayDayton-Fairborn (866) 286-0843

Camping Location

North Country Trail Village at Eastwood Metro Park

• $10 per day: per tent• On the North Country Trail• Water, regular restrooms, no showers, no hookups• Showers available at WSU $5.00 guest fee

Other Camping Options

John Bryan State Park• Reservations at www.ohiostateparks.org• Located in Yellow Springs, Ohio

(approximate 15 minute drive)

Buck Creek State Park• Reservations at www.ohiostateparks.org• Located in Springfield, Ohio

(approximate 30 minute drive)• Camping and cottages


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

Code # Day & Time Hike/Tour/Workshop







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

Print Name Signature Date

PLEASE COMPLETE ONE REGISTRATION FORM FOR EACH PERSON!

Name:

Address:

City:

State: Zip: Phone:

e-Mail:

REGISTRATION FEES: (under 16 FREE!)Non-member registration (includes 1 year membership):

Early-bird (before July 1): $55.00 $ Regular (after July 1): $60.00 $

Member registration:Early-bird (before July 1): $40.00 $ Regular (after July 1): $45.00 $

OR per day registration:____ days x $25.00 $ Student registration (includes 1 year membership):

Over 16 years with student ID $30.00 $ Child under 16: Please specify age ____ years $ n/c

LODGING ON CAMPUS (Per Bed per Night)I Plan To Stay ❏ Wednesday ❏ Thursday ❏ Friday ❏ Saturday1 or 2 nights: $31.00 per night x _____ nights =$ 3 or 4 nights: $21.00 per night x _____ nights =$ Linen, with pillow $10.00 (or bring your own) $ I’d like to share a room with _________________________

CONFERENCE MEALS: Breakfasts throughout Conference are on your own.

Thursday Box Lunch $10.00 $ Thursday Dinner $10.00 $ Friday Buffet Lunch $12.00 $ Friday Dinner, Awards & Entertainment $25.00 $ Saturday Box Lunch $10.00 $ Saturday Benefit Dinner, Auction & Entertainment $35.00 $

OTHER CONFERENCE EVENT FEES:6 Wilderness First Aid Certification $160.00 $

(both sessions included)8 Aviation Heritage Sites Drive Tour $15.00 $

(All day Thursday)12 Canoe the Mad River Water Trail $20.00 $

(Thursday) 14 Skurka: Around Alaska & Yukon $5.00 $

16 Town and Country Tour (Friday) $15.00 $ 31 Kayaking for Dummies (Friday) $10.00 $ 42 Little Miami River Canoe Trip $12.00 $

(Saturday) 43 Lockington Lock & Canal Boat Tour $15.00$

(Saturday) CONFERENCE TOTAL: $

Commemorative T-Shirt (indicate size)Adult size: ___ Sm ___ Med ___ Lg ___ XL ___ 2XLChild size: ___ Sm ___ Med ___ Lg

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

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

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

____________________________________________________Name as it appears on card (please print)

____________________________________________________Signature



ANF Chapter and Finger Lakes Trail Promote Hiking Trail On Both Sides Of The NY/Penna Border At Salamanca, NY, Sportsmen's Show.PENNSYLVANIA - On Feb. 19th, Keith Klos manned his chapter's display with a "slide show" on a laptop and hand-out maps of the whole Allegheny National Forest array of various kinds of trails and camping places, while just down the aisle, Donna Flood, a member of the Foothills Trail Club, promoted the trail's continuation north of the border along the Finger Lakes Trail/NCT. Foothills maintains the trail for many miles in western NY after the NCT departs Pennsylvania; that club also provided David and Gloria Potzler to tend the FLT display for the second day of the show.

Thanks to Keith for thinking of letting the FLT know about this particular show. While the majority of the visitors were more interested in hunting than hiking, just reaching out to those who like to spend time in the woods is often productive for our organizations. Almost guaranteed, too, are friendly meetings with permitting landowners, who love to see our maps through their neighborhoods. (Picture, page 19.)

Registers & Log Boxes Multiplying Along the TrailLOWER MICHIGAN - A year ago Bill Menke suggested that we feature "registers" along the trail because he thought they served a useful purpose, but were used in so few areas. Well, apparently there is an upswing in "register" or "log box" installations; witness how many State of the Trail reports included adding them last year!

Dave Cornell of the Chief Noonday Chapter in lower Michigan reported, "Several years ago when traversing NY's Finger Lakes Trail with Bill Menke, I saw and fell in love with the FLT register boxes. After I returned home I acquired one and put it out on the Trail. That first register box has become a regular feature along the Chief Noonday trail; witness our winter project!"

"It was 7° out when we got up this morning, and even though that doubled by noon, that wasn't saying much. But we did pick a good indoor project and a great place to carry it out. We built ten cedar trail log boxes in the warmth of Steve Hick's heated workshop at Saddlebag Lake in Barry County." (Picture, page 19.)

Joshua Benton's Eagle Scout ProjectPENNSYLVANIA - Bill Stegman has tended a section of trail for the Butler County Chapter for a long time, and submitted this article with his friend Joe Smith.

Last year I, Bill Stegman, bumped into a friend whose son had been in high school with my daughter. Knowing that he had been involved with the Boy Scouts, I asked if he knew any scouts who would like to do a little work on the North Country Trail. His own grandson, Joshua Benton from Allegheny County Troop 15, was looking for a project to earn his Eagle Scout. A few phone calls later, we met; Josh and his grandfather, Ed Hall, rode up to my section of trail.

I showed him a spot named Buzzard Bear Rock where we had been planning to put a bench designed by Butler Chapter members. Josh agreed to build and install the bench, and to do some trail work. A few months later, Josh had installed the bench, bolted to the rock, and had, along with other scouts, relocated about thirty yards of trail around a swampy section below Buzzard Bear Rock's vantage point at the bench. He also reblazed the trail leading to the Rock and installed several new trail markers or stakes where needed.

Joe Smith and I both commended Josh on his fine job, and were invited to the ceremony when he was awarded Eagle Scout status. (Pictures, page 19.)

The Allegheny 100PENNSYLVANIA - The Allegheny 1 Backpacking Challenge is an attempt to hike 1 miles in 5 hours in the Allegheny National Forest in Northwest Pennsylvania. This is NOT a race but rather an endurance event to challenge yourself on the 1 mile section of the North Country National Scenic Trail in the Allegheny National Forest. The trail is not difficult in terms of climbing and descending, but 1 miles is 1 miles.

Event Details: The event will be held this year on Friday, June 1th from 6 PM until Sunday, June 1 to 8 PM.

Hikes: There are three separate challenges, 5, 5 and 1 miles.

If you’ve never hiked more than 3 miles in a day please don’t consider trying the 1 mile event. Last year there were a lot of people who tried the 1 and faded out quickly due to blisters and fatigue.

Meeting Locations: The hikes begin at the Pennsylvania Route 346 trailhead near the New York State line. You can leave your car at the appropriate trail head and be shuttled to the start location, allowing you to end your hike back at your car.• 25 Mile Hike, meet the shuttle at the Chappell Bay NCT

trail head at 5 PM. • 50 Mile Hike, meet the shuttle at the Henry’s Mills

Bridge trail head at 4 PM. • 100 Mile Hike, meet the shuttle at the PA 66 trail head

five miles south of Marienville at 3 PM.Gear and Supplies: You must hike self-contained,

meaning there is no support along the trail for food, water, or shelter. As the name states, this is a backpacking challenge so you will need to carry your own pack. Leave your car or be dropped off at your finishing trail head and we will provide a

HIKING SHORTS

This box already on Chief Noonday's trail has apparently attracted a woodpecker hoping for bugs inside.

Mick H

awkins


shuttle to the start of the hike. If you choose to end your hike early, you are responsible for getting back to your vehicle.

Training Suggestions: Hike every day at least 3-5 miles with your full pack that you will be taking on the day of the event. Toughen up. Hike in the dark at least once a week. As the weather gets better, increase your mileage until you can comfortably do 5 miles a day.For further information, you can contact Bert Nemcik at [email protected] or phone (814) 97-833. Contact Keith Klos at [email protected]. Register online at www.northcountrytrail.org or call the NCTA office toll free at (866) 445-368. Deadline is June 1st, firm.

Labrador Hollow Cabin OutreachNEW YORK - About 15 miles southeast of Syracuse, New York, stand several state forests. In one of these, Morgan Hill, a fire tower was erected in 1941, with a cabin at its base to house the fire warden during the non-winter months. In 1978 the fire tower was dismantled, but the cabin was moved three miles away to the Labrador Hollow Unique Area where it sits today. From 198 to 1987 a member of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the natural resources agency that manages the forests in the state, lived in this cabin—without water, gas or electricity—while she served as overseer and nature guide for the grounds.

In 8, the DEC contacted Howard Beye to ask whether the Finger Lakes Trail Conference would be interested in managing this cabin. Howard referred this request to Tony Rodriguez, Trails Chairman of Onondaga Chapter, Adirondack Mountain Club, which takes care of the FLT/NCT in this area. Subsequently the chapter approved an Adopt-A-Natural Resource agreement with the DEC.

On certain days the interior of the cabin is opened to the public since many visitors walk the nearby boardwalk nature trail. When the cabin is locked, the porch is always open. Visitors are requested to sign the register: last year there were 8 signatures! There is a nature display on the table, along with maps of the local North Country Trail

and other literature informing the public about other trails, forests, and other places where families may hike.

While the cabin is a couple of miles away from the North Country Trail, it is connected to it by the Skyline Trail that passes in front of the cabin. However, because this is designated as a unique area, no fires or camping are permitted, nor is potable water available.

During the year the chapter usually organizes short hikes in the area to which the public is invited. In the winter the cabin is opened on appointed days as a warming hut for cross-country skiers, snowshoers, folks who trudge through the snow on the boardwalk, and those who walk their dogs. Chapter members greet visitors and show them the array of trails available in the area.

By creating a presence here we hope to increase the public's knowledge of the local plant and animal life, and of other outdoor opportunities for health and recreational purposes.

—Dick Lightcap

Backpacking in the Proposed Tracy Ridge Wilderness Area June 11-12PENNSYLVANIA - Would you like to experience the wild backcountry of the largest Roadless Area in the Allegheny National Forest first-hand? Friends of Allegheny Wilderness are planning an overnight backpacking trip into the proposed Tracy Ridge Wilderness Area for the weekend of June 11th and 1th, 11. In addition to containing a nine-mile segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT), Tracy Ridge also has a self-contained network of trails providing numerous options for day hikes, loops, and connections to the NCT:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny/recreation/hiking/tracy_ridge/map.pdf

For our hike, we will be leaving from the Tracy Ridge Campground parking lot on the morning of Saturday, June 11th, and hiking along Johnnycake Run to the Allegheny Reservoir where we will pick up the NCT, and head south from there. We will camp overnight Saturday in the wild backcountry of Tracy Ridge, and return to the parking lot during the day on Sunday.

Altogether, the hike will consist of more than 14 miles on portions of the NCT and the Tracy Ridge trail system through a stunning maturing forest that cloaks this 9,7 acre gem. There will be no charge to participate; however, hikers should bring all of their own camping equipment, food, and come fully prepared for whatever weather conditions we may encounter.

To register, or if you have questions or would like additional information, contact FAW at [email protected] or (814) 73-6.

http://www.pawild.org/images/maps/tracy_ridge.jpg

—Kirk Johnson, Friends of Allegheny Wilderness

Chequamegon VIP Volunteer Award Presented WISCONSIN - Eileen and Peter Freiburger were presented with the “VIP Chapter Volunteer Award” at the Chequamegon Chapter’s Annual Midwinter Meeting on Saturday, February 5th, at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. Eileen and Peter are multiple section Trail Adopters and frequent volunteers on other sections of North Country National Scenic Trail in the Chequamegon National Forest. Bob Norlin, Trail Adoption Coordinator, presented the award that included Fiskar geared loppers. (Picture opposite.)

Our final Stage of the Tour de NCT, hike 22, will be Sunday,

June 12, for a grand total of 251 miles. The final hike will be almost 8 miles, followed by a picnic and the awarding of the patches to those completing the Tour. It was suggested that the patch be administered as a tattoo, instead of the traditional cloth patch. Details? Contact John Stehle at [email protected] or (724) 256-0674.

Trail Patch Tatoos!?Pennsylvania's Tour de NCT

Final Hike


Joshua Benton's project began with the bench atop Buzzard Bear Rock, with a view over a valley within Pennsylvania Gamelands.

Chief Noonday Chapter picked a good indoor winter project building these ten cedar trail log boxes. Front L-R: Jeff Leigh, Larry Pio. Rear L-R: Steve Hicks, Kevin Green, Jeff Fleming, Jason Buckner, Jim Bronson.

Once a residence for Morgan Hill State Forest's watchful fire warden, Labrador Hollow Cabin now serves visitors as an information stop near the NCT; managed by Adirondack Mountain Club.

Keith Klos on right with ANF chapter display at Sportsmen's Show. People LOVE to look at big maps!

Peter and Eileen Freiburger were presented with the VIP Chapter Volunteer Award at the Chequamegon Chapter's Midwinter Meeting. (Read more on page 18)

Butler County Chapter - Left to right, Joe Smith, with Eagle Scout Joshua Benton, Bill Stegman. (Picture by Josh's grandfather, Ed Hall)

Irene Szabo

Tony Rodriguez

Dave Cornell

Joe Smith

Vickie Swank


Sixteen hikers turned out for the 20th Stage of the Tour de NCT of Pennsylvania on a sunny and brisk day on March

20 as we ended our winter break to resume our march across the state. The plan was to meet at the Cook Forest Fire Tower parking lot, but the road to it was still closed, so we parked across the road and shuttled to the other end of the planned hike.

The actual hike began at Highland Road, state game lands parking lot. We followed a road which became a trail which began a long descent to the Clarion River, which was running high and clear and had a beautiful greenish tint. The trail led back up to the ridge, about 4 feet above the river, three times, once to Galbreath overlook, once to Scurry Overlook, and finally to the fire tower in Cook

Forest. The trail was in perfect shape, and we were led on the hike by the illustrious Misters Galbreath and Scurry. Many thanks to the good folks in the Clarion Chapter who have made such an excellent trail. According to the GPS, I was told, we went about 8.6 miles, about a mile further than planned, due to the closed road.

There are several benches situated high on the ridge and also down along the river where you can stop and renew your strength, both physically and spiritually. Although I jokingly said that this may be the most "overlooked" trail on the NCT, I hope that you all make sure that you don't overlook this one in your plans for a good hike in the future.

Photographer Tammy Veloski's son Dale with a wiggly spring surprise.

The view from Scurry Overlook. Scurry and Galbreath are to be complimented for the perfect condition of their trail! Who has all of winter's trash picked up by March 20th?

Dale tries out rock steps that his big brother Kyle helped build last fall during a Keystone Trail Association work weekend.

Tamm

y Veloski

Tamm

y Veloski

Tamm

y Veloski

Tour de NCT, Hike 20John Stehles

April-June 11 The North Star 21www.northcountrytrail.org

I had the privilege recently to represent NCTA in honoring NPS Superintendent Tom Gilbert at his retirement dinner in Madison, Wisconsin. Tom’s been the first, and only superintendent of the North Country National Scenic Trail, a dual role he also plays for the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin. Here is a condensed version of my remarks made on that occasion:

Across the pond in Michigan we can sometimes get a little myopic insofar as Tom’s efforts and we do admit occasionally to losing sight of the fact that, merited or not, the NCNST may not be the center of the universe. Or at least of Tom’s universe. When you consider the problems we give Tom, and then multiply by the Ice Age side of things, this is a truly remarkable man! All the more so in noting that, at least in my years at the helm of NCTA, never once can I recall Tom complaining about or using Ice Age Trail Foundation as an excuse for anything.

We should list the many ways Tom has contributed to the National Trails System, the National Park Service, Partnership for the National Trails System, and our North Country and Ice Age Trails:• NCNST’s existence is due in large part to the efforts of a

brilliant young Bureau of Outdoor Recreation planner early in his career who imagined what a North Country National Scenic Trail could look like, completed the feasibility study for it that made it eligible for Congressional approval, and then produced the comprehensive management plan for the National Park Service that brought it to reality.

• One of the major drivers for the fact we have a Partnership for the National Trails System was Tom’s drive and motivation which led to organizing the first Heartland Conference in 1988, with the establishment of the Partnership as one result.

• We have a record and even archives documenting much of the National Trails System, enabling us not only to know “what happened” but also a lot of the “why” and “who,” due to Tom’s mostly extracurricular efforts.

• There are many individuals today whose career paths have intersected with the National Trails System, on both public and private partner levels, who have benefitted—sometimes

unknowingly—from Tom’s dedication as an organizer and historian and a mentor.

• Tom Gilbert literally “wrote the book” on modeling public and private partnerships for national parks, four feet wide by thousands of miles long. In many ways Tom is seen both within and outside the NPS as the “go to guy” in the administration of National Scenic and Historic Trails. We can talk about the many ways Tom has been there as a

partner and friend of the NCTA, but to be completely honest I’m a little afraid that if I do I might disclose something creative Tom did in order to bail us out that maybe the Regional NPS Office in Omaha didn’t know about. So I’ll just say to Tom that it’s a plain fact that NCTA would not be here today, and I would not have a job as ED, if it hadn’t been for you. Just that simple.

Personally I can recall watching with nothing short of total awe at Tom’s transformational capacity when he was cornered at a public meeting in the Adirondacks by a famously ardent proponent of private property rights, yet after minutes Tom had her purring like a kitten with his patient explanation and quiet presence. I note an Abraham Lincoln quote in a recent memo Tom circulated that states, “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.” Tom lives by these words.

At the most recent NCTA Board of Directors meeting Tom was toasted by the board, who noted Tom’s patience and loyalty, defining patience as “bearing annoyance with calm and without complaint,” and recognizing Tom as “the most patient and loyal friend the NCNST has ever had.”

So I will close by quoting one whose words are well known to Tom, because to me they capture the core of how Tom Gilbert not only approaches his job, but also how he lives his life. From his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

And in his letter to Timothy, Paul says: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Timothy 4:7

Thank you, Tom Gilbert. —Bruce Matthews

Executive Director, NCTA

National Park Service’s Tom Gilbert RetiresOur first and only NPS superintendent of the NCNST has retired. We have much to remember and cherish about our time with Tom.

Above: Tom at left with Student Conservation Association training session in Wisconsin, early 90's. Right: August 1993, Tom with his son Eric on the Kekekabic Trail in northern Minnesota. continued on page 22

Bill Menke

Bill Menke


I have to be almost forced to think about Tom retiring because I don’t want to think about it. I know how much we are all going to miss his wealth of knowledge and friendship toward the North Country Trail. Tom’s devotion and his expertise are almost beyond comprehension. I think it is safe to say that he is probably one of, if not the NPS’s authority when it comes to understanding the myriad details concerning the National Trails System Act and its amendments, along with the authorization language for each of the trails under his purview. He has been affiliated with the North Country Trail even longer than it has existed and understands the history and reasoning behind much of what we do and take for granted yet today.

Without getting into too many details, let me say that I personally owe Tom a great deal. He hired me in 199, giving me the opportunity to finish a rewarding Federal career. He coached and mentored me and thru the process provided the most rewarding of years. He allowed me to learn thoroughly about the North Country Trail and to find many satisfying connections and friendships along the way. He put his trust in me and turned me loose. No doubt, there were times when he wished that I had done something differently but without fail, he always kindly talked it through without causing any embarrassment. He was without doubt the best supervisor that I had in a 31 year Federal career.

Tom and I took many trips together to attend meetings and visit various parts of the trail. We explored out of the way places and occasionally even got lost on some back road (really only temporarily turned around). As we traveled, I was constantly amazed when he recalled some tidbit of information about the place or person from a time many years in the past. But, from Tom, it wasn’t just a tidbit: it was detailed information. These trips were very productive as neither of us minded grabbing lunch or even supper at a fast food place if that meant that we could explore more in the field and work until it got too dark to see.

Together, we explored portions of the Adirondack route and the Black River/Old Erie Canal in New York. McConnell’s Mill and Moraine State Parks (where we first saw the NCT blaze blue color in use on the ground and later adopted it trail wide) in Pennsylvania. The Sandy and Beaver Canal, Ash Cave, and portions of the Little Miami Scenic Trail (including Fort Ancient) in Ohio. The Battle Creek Linear Parkway and Fort Custer, portions of Kent County, Wilderness and Tahquamenon State Parks in Michigan. Copper Falls and Pattison State Parks in Wisconsin. Portions of the Superior Hiking Trail, Itasca and Maplewood State Parks in Minnesota. Fort Abercrombie, Sheyenne State Forest and Fort Ransom State Park, New Rockford and McCluskey Canals, and lastly Lake Sakakawea State Park in North Dakota. Of course, there were numerous other places that we visited and numerous people we met along the way, some very wise and some colorful beyond description. We saw sunsets from atop the Chippewa Moraine (Ice Age Trail) and across Lake Audubon. So, how can I focus on one or two significant or humorous recollections? It’s almost impossible!

So Tom, I wish you the happiest of retirements. We are going to miss you in countless ways. I hope you stay involved with the trail and with NCTA and with that in mind perhaps the best of honors is for me to invite you to join us on some of our Roving Trail Crew outings.

—Bill MenkeNCTA Regional Coordinator Wisc. and Upper Peninsula Mich.,

and former NPS Trail Manager

Tom and I first met in the 1970’s at a public hearing in a small town bank meeting-room in Michigan. He was presenting the study plan for the North Country National Scenic Trail. This was before the trail had Congressional approval and before Tom wore the NPS uniform. The plan was developed by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Outdoor Recreation in Ann Arbor.

Move forward several years…We worked together on a Congressional ear-mark, now known as “pork," proposal to be submitted by West Michigan’s Representative Paul Henry to place $6, for the NCT in the Department of the Interior budget bill. This provided money for Tom, an office, and an official ranger hat.

Tom has been a strong champion of our long trail so eventually the NCTA became a significant force in the national trail network. I fondly remember a national trail conference in Alaska where Tom and Bill Menke demonstrated our first GPS device (so big it had to be carried in a backpack). How far we have come. Visits to communities along the trail brought dozens of new chapters, and developed high quality leadership. Thanks for the memories, Tom, and best wishes for your retirement.

—Pat Allen, former Executive Director, NCTA

(After April Scholtz, Pat served as the second executive director from 1993-96, working part-time out of her home-office initially.)

Mick H

awkins


And From Tom Himself:At the beginning of this year, Tom sent an email to

his staff and trail partners' directors. Part of that message is shared below, with his permission in April, where he was still frantically at his desk, alas. It is yet another measure of his stature that he must retire with some regrets at missions unaccomplished, even in light of such a grand career.

—Editor Dear Staff:As I begin a New Year –a year in which I will conclude my

working career –I want to start by thanking you for all the good work you have done for the trails and for me for whatever number of years you have been a part of our operations.

In all likelihood, I will be extending my working time past the January 28 target that I have had for more than a year. So many of the things I have had on my list to accomplish before retirement are not going to be done as I had hoped, and I am just accepting that reality. Those items will move forward to completion in your capable hands after I retire at whatever pace you are able to advance them.

But there is one objective I am unwilling to leave undone; that is taking the first steps to initiate separation of the operations of the two trails—setting up an office in Lowell, Michigan, with a North Country Trail Manager.

The other very important goal, which I really wanted to see accomplished and on which I have been working for nearly 27 years, is “unit” status. {Three of the six NPS administered National Scenic Trails are not considered "units" of the national park system, which gives them second class status. Editor} You all know how important that has been and is to me and the benefits it would bring to our trails and our work.

It pains me that such an easy and compelling decision has stirred up such strong and irrational opposition by some at the agency leadership level.

However, at this point, I see no chance that that will be achieved.

I am choosing to be at peace with that reality, knowing that I did the best I could to advance that issue, as well as on the other matters I did not bring to completion. Someone else might have done better, but “someone else” was not in my position.

—Tom

Along with everyone else whose life was touched in some way by Tom Gilbert, I will sincerely miss him at the helm of the North Country National Scenic Trail. I am one of Tom’s newer employees, and would like to share my personal “behind the scenes” glimpse of what it has meant to me and my family to be associated with Tom.

Three years ago I was enjoying a successful assignment as Site Manager and Chief Ranger of two small parks in southwest Pennsylvania. I thought I was pretty much set for life in that position, until life changed all that in a very harsh way. My wife Connie went into accelerated kidney failure and needed a transplant. She wanted the procedure as well as her life-long follow-up care to be done in Wisconsin, so we moved her and my daughter 1, miles from our home and began seeking a hardship job transfer for me. It was a long process, and the only real offer I had to be reunited with my family after a year and a half of searching came from Tom Gilbert. Tom took a chance on me, and a chance on the Trail, by hiring me as the Volunteer Coordinator.

As Tom and I talked over the job, we both knew it would be a very big departure from what I was accustomed to doing day to day. He could have played it safe and hired someone else, but he didn’t. And in the relatively short amount of time I have worked for him, I have come to realize and witness that the kindness and caring that Tom extended to me and my family in our time of need was not a unique gesture from him. It is the way Tom leads his life day to day. I have had many supervisors throughout my 31 year career in the NPS, but I can honestly say that I have never worked for anyone with more genuine concern for all people than Tom Gilbert. His gentle nature truly makes him a gentleman.

Thank you, Tom. My family and I wish all the best for you and your family in the years to come.

—Dan Watson, NPS Volunteer Coordinator, and Connie and MacKenzie Watson

After I had worked on the concept of including the Allegheny Valley Trail bike trail as part of the North Country Trail for many years, I was gratified to meet with Tom to work out an agreement at least to have the AVTA identified on the NCTA maps as an alternate route. The consummation of the agreement was at a triad in Michigan. After the local chapter hosted a lots of wine and cheese event in the afternoon subsequent to a hike, Joyce Appel and I met with Tom over banana splits. True to his word, Tom fulfilled his end of the agreement, and the AVTA route is now identified on the North Country Trail maps. Thank you again, Tom Gilbert. At the Clarion Chapter end of the agreement, we continue to work on property owners in hopes of completing the 7 mile loop encompassing both the AVTA and Clarion River corridors.

—Ed Scurry

Clarion Chapter, Pennsylvania

continued on page 24

Mick H

awkins

Doubting Thomas, Ashland, Wisconsin, 2010.


Excerpts from Dave Cornell's

Toast to Tom Gilbert

(At the BOD Meeting, December 2010.) This Board would like to take this occasion to honor your

achievements and service with a toast. To appreciate the toast you first must listen to some definitions.

Patient–Bearing annoyance with calm and without complaint.

How many times over the years have you had to fight back the desire to intervene in our affairs? Due to the fact that you control a very large portion of our income, you could if you wanted, influence our actions. You NEVER have. You always knew that it was far better to let the Association learn from its mistakes in due course as opposed to dictating the course to be followed. It is important that you understand how much we appreciate that patience.

Loyal–Faithful to a cause or a groupEveryone has conflicts that are inherent in their work; you

have been constantly confronted with at least one enduring conflict. As part of your job you oversee the expenditure of money funneled through the Park Service for the benefit of both the North Country Trail and the NPS office that oversees the Trail. There is only so much money: if you give more to the NCTA you must of necessity give less to your NPS office. You and many other Trail Superintendents have tried to overcome this conflict by promising a fixed amount to the Trail each year. …I know for a fact that there have been times when you have been told by your superiors that this practice was a mistake. I know for a fact that you have been under pressure from within your own NPS office to deviate from this practice to meet serious needs there, but you have always stayed true to your commitment. That is loyalty.

Toast I propose a toast to Tom Gilbert, the most patient and

loyal friend this trail has ever had.

Is anyone else reminded of Captain Ahab’s single-minded quest for the white whale when they consider Tom Gilbert’s devotion to this trail? Remember an article he submitted to North Star a couple of years ago about his latest attempt to locate the original germ of the idea for the North Country Trail, when he spent vacation time hovering over cartons of old records in Washington, D.C.? Was anybody besides me amazed at his devotion to this quest, to figure out who first thought of the trail, or what written records there might be of the initial inspiration?

Actually, I wish he could find that first idea, because he certainly deserves to. The more I learn about his earliest years with federal agencies, trying to serve a phantom trail from as far away as Omaha, the more impressed I am with his dedication to this grand dream.

Some time in the early 9’s, when I was President of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference but still pretty ignorant and new, our longtime trail chair Howard Beye took me with him to a meeting on the other side of the state in our capital, Albany, where we were supposed to attempt a discussion about the route of the NCT in the Adirondacks. I was new to the NCT, not even a member yet, so was pretty star struck to be in a meeting with the leadership of the Adirondack Mountain Club and Albany types from our state agency, the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The night before, however, Howard and Tom met for dinner, which meant I got to tag along. This fairly young guy knew SO MUCH about trail stuff, agency stuff, different agency policies state by state, and expressed it with such intelligent articulation, that I learned bales of stuff that not only informed but inspired me. I think this was the start of my own involvement with larger organizations and processes than just my own little piece of trail to tend.

Yeah, but he was kind of adorably goofy, too! In the early 9’s he still wore a ” wide studded leather watchband. Now I’d loved my own similar watchband in the seventies, but even I, fashion cave dweller, knew when it was time to retire it to a memory drawer. But at the same time he wore this ex-hippie wrist accessory, he was wearing Hush Puppies on his feet! I went to college at Michigan State, so wasn’t unacquainted with midwesterners, but this guy was the most incredible example of middle America I’d ever met. Sort of broadened my perspectives…

Twirl your memory clock forward to the 4 NCTA annual fest in Marietta, Ohio. It was the social hour before our Saturday evening banquet and program, so Tom and Fred Szarka were in full uniform; even Ken Howell made himself don the togs. Tom and Fred had claimed a table by putting their Smokey Bear hats there, while everybody milled around to socialize with a drink. Naughty Lois Judd lured me into grabbing their hats, and the two of us started parading around the banquet hall WEARING their hats.

This was especially humorous in Lois’s case, since bighead Fred’s hat sank down over her pinhead onto her nose!

What followed tells you a lot about both gentlemen. Both literally ran across the room to retrieve their hats from mere civilian heads, both trying to smile but with true anxiety showing on their faces. Whew! I guess we learned just how important the uniform and the role and the job are to some

Left: Tom addressing those gathered at Maplelag Resort in western Minnesota, 1994, during the first NCTA summer conference. Right: Tom Gilbert with the Finger Lake Trail's Howard Beye, in a precarious position at Itasca State Park, early 90's.

Bill Menke

Bill Menke


Second Extended Outing Sold Out, With Waiting List! The second NCTA Extended

Outing to Pictured Rocks sold out quickly, so make your plans now for next year's trek to the forests of northern New York, the fabled Adirondacks. Make your reservation early for September 4-1, 1, for day hikes along the future NCT route, by emailing Mary Coffin at [email protected] or (315) 687-3589.

career National Park Service guys!Only after I’d spent a sack of money

on magnetic logos to put on my truck doors, for both the FLT and the NCT, and driven them around for a year or two, did I learn that it was an absolute sin to utilize the NCT logo without NPS authorization. So I timidly asked Tom why he hadn’t hollered at me. He was kind and gentle, and allowed as how he had come to grips with a quiet dispensation for me. Wonder how long he struggled with THAT question!

And while I make loving fun of our institutional fixture Tom with the above stories, it’s true: he has been a maniacally devoted servant of the very idea of the North Country Trail, AND he has been our ONLY NPS superintendent for all these years. Just how different will our partner agency be with a new leader? Tom, whether the new person is heaven on wheels or not, we will miss you.

—Irene Szabo, North Star Editor,

and former NCTA Board Member

Membership stands at ,397.

Approved BOD Governance Workshop for hour session at Dec. BOD meeting regarding governance, board/staff relationships, best practices, etc.

Updates Arrowhead re-route and election results.Congressman Oberstar in MN 8th district lost election to Cravaack.Need to bring new members of Congress up to speed.Omnibus Lands Bill; Senator Reid is biggest champion.New Republican Senator and Representative in ND.

Marketing PlanStrategic plan outlined a good process for building a marketing plan but no funds allocated in 11 budget.

Membership Drive included resources for two drives in 11 budget; need a membership chair in every chapter/affiliate partner and workshop at the Conference in Dayton for sharing of ideas.

Year End AppealMailing has gone out, targeting specific donors with tailored personalized appeal to more top level donors. End of year motivation is tax deduction opportunity for donors.Development Committee is working on policies to be most effective.

Superior Hiking Trail Association: Matthews to negotiate final Memorandum of Understanding (Partnership Agreement with NCTA).

Strategic Plan/Staff Work Plan update to be presented at December BOD meeting.

Policy/Records Coffin, Ketchmark and Koepplin to review policies, operating procedures, Team Handbook and New Board Member Orientation Handbook and make recommendations to the BOD.

December BOD Meeting Agenda reviewed with recommendation that hard copy of Strategic Plan be distributed to BOD.

Summary NCTA Executive Committee Conference Call Meeting Minutes

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010

Hooded Merganser

Vinnie Collins

Mary Coffin


Prisoners of War in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan?Ellen Hass

Superior Shoreline Chapter

Question: What does the North Country Trail have in common with a Nazi prisoner of war camp? Answer: They are in the same place.

This statement is indeed true if you are lucky enough to hike through the Superior Shoreline Chapter’s section of the

NCT in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.When we joined the NCTA in 3 we spent a great deal

of time finding the trails in our area and exploring so we could decide which sections we would adopt. One of our first hikes took us on a section beautiful but strangely dotted with large pits on either side of the trail. We also spotted some large metal objects and a large white thing that we decided we would haul out on our return trip.

The large white thing turned out to be a portion of a toilet. What in the world was it doing in such a desolate spot? The large metal object appeared to be some sort of stove.

Several months later we saw a picture in The Munising News with a caption explaining that the person in the picture was a German officer and the location was a local Munising bar. To add to our confusion, the local NBC affiliate, TV 6, did a short story on a video that was being put together by John Pepin of the Marquette Mining Journal and a TV6 reporter, Jackie Chandonnet. The subject? Nazi POW camps in the UP.

Now we were on the hunt for more information. We turned to the Internet and went to the CCC Museum near Houghton Lake, which proved to be a gold mine. In the Upper Peninsula alone, a total of five 193's Civilian Conservation Corps camps had been converted to house more than 1 German POWs during World War II. Two of those camps were right here in Alger County. They were brought here to help with a shortage of manpower, as most of the able bodied men

were serving their country overseas. POWs were paid eighty cents a day to cut logs, and make crates for shipping munitions, fence posts, and plywood.

Prisoner escapes were infrequent. If you have ever hiked the UP, you know that we are known for a lot of snow for part of the year, and bird-sized mosquitoes and black flies the rest of the time. Escapees often returned to the camp without too much persuasion.

Now, our mission was to find these two camps, one called Camp AuTrain and the other, Camp Evelyn. As luck would have it, we also Geocache and some kind soul had placed a cache at Camp AuTrain. Our Garmin took us within feet of the entrance to the NCT and the place that had held the toilet. Getting closer, the first things we noticed were several giant slabs of blacktop, with the occasional pipe sticking through. Still getting closer, we found large pits, similar to those along the trail. Then we found an old root cellar, cisterns and other remnants, including a pit with metal plates, cups and soup bowls. Now it was making sense.

Later visits have turned up a 5 year old root beer bottle, buttons, and a wagon wheel “hub cap.” Next to the camp was an orchard that occasionally still produces fruit. We later learned that when the camps were being dismantled, pits were dug and furnishings buried.

Finding Camp Evelyn was more difficult. The word “Evelyn” appeared on the US Forest Service map, but it was in the middle of nowhere, on a railroad track. A visit to the Forest Service Visitor’s Center was invaluable. Within minutes we were driving across the Camp’s former baseball field and parking near more blacktop slabs with pipes, which were actually the bases of former guard towers. Camp Evelyn also had its own orchard.

By this time the video entitled “The Enemy in Our Midst” had been completed. John and Jackie had raced against the clock to finish the project while people still alive could share their memories of the German experience. From the video, we learned that there was only one remaining guard tower intact, in the town of Sidnaw.

Traveling to the National Conference in 1 took us through Sidnaw in the western UP. We explored but came up empty. At conference a member of the Peter Wolfe Chapter suggested that on our return trip, we stop at Mom’s Diner and ask. Bingo! A patron pointed us in the right direction, or more precisely, directions. The tower was in two sections at two locations. Plans exist to reassemble it in the near future. Looking at the parts, it was easy to imagine them sitting on what we used to think of as blacktop slabs, what we now see as history.

If you find yourself in Superior Shoreline’s magnificent area in the eastern UP, we would love to show you our Yooper part of United States History.

Finding Directions In The UPYoopers are a different breed. Until people are

trusted, information given to them is sketchy at best. When we bought our camp, Tim wanted to fish a particular stream. He asked directions and ended up in some guy's living room. It took several years before we got good information the first time we asked.

Everyone up here knows where these POW camps are, but we do not hand out directions until we get a feel for the person asking. Do not need a bunch of Trolls (people living below the Bridge) tromping around "messing with our stuff."

The only way we found Camp Evelyn was to prove to the Forest Service that we had really, really tried. If we hadn't been real close, they would not have helped us.

—Ellen


Without your material, we cannot have a magazine, so we eagerly request your submission of pictures

and text for every issue. Please send both to Irene Szabo at [email protected], or fax 585/658-4438, or 6939 Creek Rd., Mt. Morris NY 1451.

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

Do not send your North Star submissions to the NCTA office, because they will just have to re-send them

to me, and it HAS happened that precious articles have thus been lost in the shuffle.

Front cover photo candidates: need vertical format, and if digital, at least 3 dpi, AND we are always looking for great cover photos!

Next deadline for Vol. 3, Issue 3, is 1 August 11. Yes, please get your articles in BEFORE you leave for the annual conference!

Thank you!

—Your volunteer editor, Irene

NORTH STAR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

In 2009, Upper Michigan’s Lorana Jinkerson unveiled her children’s book Nettie Does the NCT which is designed to

intrigue children with learning to follow blue blazes into the natural world, a fine contribution to our outreach efforts. Then in 2010 and 2011, she started mailing copies of the book to each elementary school along the whole trail, a total of 528 copies! Just packaging and addressing this many books would make most mortals faint, but Lorana also spent only her own money on this huge effort, almost $10,000!

The accompanying letter for each gift to their library urged that each school have at least one teacher who would take children out to “their” trail. Three schools in Wisconsin and one in the UP of Michigan invited her to do a presentation, but she had to decline one invitation from as far away as Ohio. Four additional schools sent notes of appreciation for the book. While she is frustrated by the lack of response from some states’ schools, she still hopes the seeds sown will bear fruit. After all, her effort bumps into a huge lack of knowledge of our trail’s existence in some areas, while in others the school librarians may well have heard of the Buckeye Trail or the Finger Lakes Trail, for instance, but not know that these are also part of the North Country Trail! An even more difficult barrier is the fact that most of New York’s NCT is white-blazed (the FLT was already done in white before the NCT came along), so the blue-blazes book probably really mystified even those local school librarians who hike.

The three northwest Wisconsin schools were all visited on one October trip that turned into a lovely little vacation for Lorana, Denise Herron, and Jan Lindstrom, all of the NCT Hikers Chapter from Marquette. Beth and John Lindberg invited Lorana and any friends to stay at their Minnesuing Acres lodge in order to do the school presentations, a fabulous lodge on a wooded island in the middle of a beautiful lake! So Lorana visited three schools on consecutive days while Denise and Jan played hookey to hike and shop, as reported by Denise in the chapter newsletter.

Chapter outreach idea: check the library in your local schools near the trail, and if Nettie is there, offer to provide a presentation.

Lorana’s Nettie Project

John Pepin of the Mining Journal

Ellen Hass

Ellen Hass

Now relocated to the town of Sidnaw, this guard station remnant is slated for reassembly and preservation to live on as part of UP history.

A casual observer might not guess this weathered frame is the remains of a guard tower that overlooked a WWII prison and work camp housing captured Nazis.

Early news photo of the prison ruins shows an abandoned guardhouse still atop its tower, overlooking the former prison compound. Yoopers are hesitant to reveal these historic sites near the North Country Trail.

NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGrand Rapids, MI

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North Country Trail Association9 East Main StreetLowell, Michigan 49331

north star

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

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

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

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

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

Come Visit Us!Germantown, one of the delicious parks we'll visit near Dayton, Ohio during the annual conference.


Documents

North Star Vol. 30, No. 2 (2011)