' Office of the Editor Marienville, Pa. 16239
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\t '/ VOLUME IV, r;
NUMBER 2,
SEPTEMBER 1984
SEPTB,IBEII 198/+
Nind.JIn 2
vcLUI,lE 1r'
EDITORIAL
cn'GANIZATIO}I
NORTii COUIITRT P. 0. Box 311
TNAII
The North Country ts four years o1d
ASSOCIATION
Trall Associatlon now. Thts ls to
say that NCTA as an entlty was lar:nched ln 1980 wlth cfflcers Presldent: Robert E. Dreis and a selected board of dlrectors. Orowlng palns have been nany end lce-Pres: Virglnia Wunsch Secretary: Joyce HarLukowlcz velopment retarded. Forty-elght Treasurer: Kenneth R. Gaclcler ths and etght seni-annual meet*r f **f ***X'zY:':l$l(**** X**X*{***l+* t f X}'* X lngs later, hope for survival has Editor: John Hipps, l'1. D. ua1Iy evolved lnto a real Marlenville, Pa. l6239 posslblllty by the year L98l+. It (sra) 927-&85 became a probablllty at the May 18 Itlt** *1.$n t: : ltlltl6t**tti*lt.1:(,r :. j ,, ,, . \ *lf X tilt tlng at our Headquarters ln TiATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTOFS tte Cloud under the leadershlp, of
Whtte Cloud, Mtchigan,
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sldent Bob Dretsr wlth the contlnued, fundamental and rellabIe
Dr. Wl1ltan Et0lng Dr. Robert Hafer
support of Glnny Wunsch, Joyce lukowtcz gnd Ken Gackler.
Pennsvlvania Dr. John Htpps
.
Dr.
nty-two members were present,
t of them new ones and most them from Michlgan.
Ralph Eaney Rtchard Hanrey
!,1r. Robert Waldron
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Bobert E. Drels Steve Sorenson Thonas
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Robert E. Drets 532 Smtth street
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level of enthuslasm fll1ed air of our Headquarters Bulldlng on the part of aIL ln attene. Everyone contrlbuted to the at hand so that a great eaI was accompltshed. 0r:r NCTA ls ready to move faster and more' flrrfly ahead now as a result of this neeting. he edltor judges lt as the best we lve had yet and feels a 1ot ter for lt. hlglt
. Virglnla Wunsch . Kenneth Gackler . Joyce Harlukovlcz
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VOLUME IV
UUMBF.H 2
NOTES FROM THE NCTA SECRETARY
SPECIAL ATTENTION
Here1s a brief summary of the minutes of the General NCT:A meeting held in White Cloud, Michigan, last May 19. If you missed the meeting - you missed an enjoyable and encouraging time. Plan on attending in October - we need your support!
A personal expression from RUTH SACK - Western Michigan Chapter: The NCTA helps lou To Reach Out
Very shortly, the NCTA will have a fine, handsome patch thanks to the efforts of hardworking members Art Holland, Ginny Wunsch, Tom Gilbert and Bob Waldron. The patch will be J" in diameter, and sport several colors. Watch this NEWSLErTER for details. The meeting was held at the Headquarters building, which is a renovated schoolhouse. A great amount of work, mostly volunteer, has brought the building to a comfortable standard. Now chartered as a hostel with American Youth.Hostels, it is available also for overnight accomodations. Those present expressed their appreciation to Peter Wolfe and Ginny Wunsch for their dedicated efforts. The organization of chapters, responsible for designated parts of the North Country Trail, was an important topic. A group of NCTA members in the w~stern Michigan area presented a charter application to become the West Michigan Chapter of NCTA. The Board of Directors'unamimously approved the application, and at the same time recognized that the chapters concept may not be viable in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where organizations already exist.
When my daughter Dorothy married and subsequently became a mother, I lost my hiking and camping companion. (My husba.nd1s idea of camping and hiking is a Holiday Inn next to an 18 hold golf course. Oh woe is me! Where could I find other people of my now retirement age that loved activities in the outdoors. Must I resign myself to keeping the house clean, ugh! crochetting, sitting in my rocking chair watching TV, etc., etc.? · On May 1, 1983, the Gr~d Rapids Press featured Judy Fremore•s article on the NCTA. I decided to "reach out" so I joined this newly fonned organization. · · Oh Joy! My life will never be the same. I find retirement exciting and I look forward to each trail scouting or trail marking activity. True I have met a few younger people like Jim Warm.els, Paul J;.s.Bar and Bob Waldron - but mostly I am meeting and hiking with people my own age. People like Bernice Baron, Virginia Wunsch, Art & Mary Holland, Clayton & poloris Burrows, Norma Bifulco and Leslie and Elsie Demorest, to name a few. I am looking forward to hiking with most of these wonderful people for ,, 125 miles in the U. P.
Two meetings per year will be held to conduct the business of the NCTA. They will be scheduled on the Jrd So keep walking and let the NCTA Saturday in May, and the Jrd Sathelp you reach out for a more urday in October. Come out and exciting, enriched life. he:+p us make the North Country Trail a reality.
JOYCE HARLUKCMICZ
RUTH SACK 2
I
VOLUME IV
NUMBER 2
SEPTEMBER 1984
PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE MICHIGAN UPPER PENINSULA 125 MILE HIKE.
Edinote - The preliminary report is in the form of a letter from Art Holland. The entire report is indeed lengthly, yet so interesting and informative, I choose not to diminish it by editing. Instead, I would like to see it become a Chapter in the NCTA records at our Fall meeting and publish it in THE NgwSLETTER in future issues. 19 August, 1984 Dear John, The 125 Mile Hike is over and I was going to get opinions from. the hikers as to their enjoyment over the seven days. I wrote the story from the letters that they gave to me, but it .ran into such a real long story that I figured that you might not want to use it in THE NEWSLE.."TTER. Instead of copying it over, I~ll mail my fir~t copy for you to decide if you want the full length or may take inserts. This was a promotional hike and it sure did the job in an area wherE the trail needed help. With very little work the trail up there could be completed for 225 miles from the big Mac bridge to Munising. I had a great group of people ranging in ages from 32 to 80 years. Four were under 50 years and 12 were over 65 years. It was a real rewarding pleasure to be the leader of these hiker.s, all getting along real good, cooperative and helpful on the trail. We met and talked to many forest rangers and other hikers; all interested in the idea of taking a group on a long distance hike like this. Some asked if we were all camping, but no one cared that many were staying in motels. 路 Peter Wolfe enjoyed hiking with these people and was a gentleman all the way - Jiked by all and they treated him like he was royalty. It \las my idea that we were hiking for seven days anC..掳that the trail ran through seven st.ates, to keep our days separated by naming them to a state as we travelled westward. As a reward for each hiker, I gave them all pins to wear from the start and gave a certificate at the end. The ones that completed the trip can buy a patch to wear under the trail patch. All were satisfied at the end with themselves, but a few do say that they should of prepared themselves by hiking more. miles in the last month. 路 I hope you can get something out of all of this and that it might encourage more leaders to take a group out on a long distance hike. Sest of luck with THE NEwSLETTER, as you sure do a great job. <:
Another Hiker ART HOLLAND 3
NUMBr1t 2
VOLU楼.E IV
CHEERS
SEPTEMBER 1984 EDINCJrE TO JiOB WALDRON
VIC DECK.ER became President of Keystone Trails Association this past April 1984. TOM TJIWAITES (I can say it better when I lisp) stepped in as Vice President. Now, there's a team for you! It may not take two to take the place of Emeritus DAVE RAPHAEL, but they may have to hike fast to fill the shoes of DAVE who chose not to run after a four year incumbercy. And that is not because DAVE has that big a hiking shoe; he just did so much for KTA and Trails in those four years, his achievements w:i.11 be a challenge for anyonP. to match.
This Editor has sent a prescription for colic to Bob Waldron for his new baby so-that he can get back to NCTA with his enthusiasm, expertise and creativity. EDI COM Ruth Sack, Acting Membership Chairman, 2317 Foster, N. E., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49505 writes an encouragin~ word (with deer but no antelope) that membership at last count is 301! Just imagine, by the Fall meeting, when we all pledge at least one new member each, it will be 60211 And by next year we will路have at least A MEMBER A MILE!!! With a lot of thanks to Ruth and Bob Waldron.
A membership campaign effort is shaping up to bolster our steadily but slowly growing membership. Every present member is asked to recruit at least one new member by the time of the Autumn meeting or when you send your o路.m membership renewal 1.n. 路 This campaign will be called A MEMBER A MILE. A record will be kept by Secretary JOYCE HARLUKOWICZ and Treasurer KEN GACKLER and published in each issue by State. A surprise trophy will be awarded each six months to the winning State.
EDINOJ'J<:
Our Fall meeting is at our Headquarters in White Cloud on October 20, 1984, starting with a business meeting at 1:00 p.m., with trail workshops to follow on Sunday. The JllDINOTE Membership and Board of Directors voted to designate the Spring meetA special happening to come out of ing as Membership meeting and the our Spring meeting was the declsion Fall one as Workshop meetings. to hold our semi-annual meetings at the Headquarters in White Cloud. Agreement was total, thereby, mandating the action; we have grown a little more in our stature and credibilit~ for it. EDINOTE TO KEN GACKLER I am still waiting for my reminder notice to renew my membership.
4
SEPTEMBER 1984
NlWJ3ZR 2
VOLUME IV EDINOTE
EDINOTE
News from New York State - via the Finger Lakes Trail Newn:
: A logo for the North Country Trail Association was selected by all present at the White Cloud Richard Harrison, present presiden meeting. It1s a neat one and is of the highly active Finger Lakes pictured here life size. They are Trail Conference spoke encouragavailable for $).00 at the Autumn ing words of cooperation between meeting. If you wish to have them FLTC and NCTA. by mail, a charge of 25¢ is required. The number of patches is The FLT News featured the speech limited to one hundred to a thougiven by Tom Gilbert at the Annsand per person. An order form is ual Meeting that dealt with the to be found on Page 8 of this history of the NCT and the NCTA. NEWSLETTER. Note that the form Tom presented a superb and credcan be us~d to order anything ible message for understanding available at our Headquarters in and cooperation between NCTA and White Cloud through our Vice all other organizations along the President, Historian and Librarian, route of scr. GINNY WUNSCH. In aqdit~on to GINNY, the logos can be purchased from Mary Holland, 492 Four Mile EDI COM Road, N.W., Comstock Park, Michigan, 49321. The Western Michigan Chapter of NCTA was granted charter by the Board of Directors at the Spring meeting. This group is under the leadership of Jim Warness, a most active and capable guy. The chapter has a trail load of enthusiastic and supportive people. It is expected to lead the way for future chapters all along the route of the NCT. Their meetings will be the third Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m., at the Plymouth Fire Protection office, 696 Plymouth, N. E., Grand Rapids. Anyone interested can call Jim Warness or write to him at the meeting place address. EDINOTE
.AIMOST LIFE SIZE
The American Hiking Society announced AJIIKE IN as a part of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the EDINOTE American Hiking Society, September 28-JO, 1984, at ~ince William NCTA Logo Decals and T-shirts will Forest Park, Triangle, Vr. Contac be available in the near future • • The American Hiking Society at 170 18th St., N. W., Washington, D.C., 20009.
5
NUMBER 2
VOLUME IV
SEPTEMBER 1984
EDISPF:CIAL The following item on Construction and Maintenance Specifications was sent to THE NEWSLETTER for publication from GINNY Wf.JNSCil "riy 路,.:ay of Ruth Sack. It will be published in 2 or 3 installments, so be sure and save your issues of THE N~dSLETTER. An outline of the entire article below preceeds the 1st installment. John Varro, U.S. Forest Service at White Cloud authorized the specifications. NOR'rH COUNTRY TRAIL Construction and Maintenance Specifications I. CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION'S A.
Clearing Width end Heights 1. Branches and limbs: The normal clearing width will be 4 feet. The clearing height will be 8 feet. At a few locations, it may be practical to discourage trail bi.kers to enter onto the trail, by leaving a few more closely spaced trees for the first 50 yards or so. In such cases the width may be reduced to 2~ feet, however all branches and stubs must be pruned back to the 4' standard (except on the back sides of those trees establishing narrower trai: widths). 2. Trees and Stumps: As mentioned above, the normal clearing width will be 4 feet Trees will be removed where necessary within this clearing zone, subject to the following limitation. Trees will not b removed for the sake of 11straight11 trail aligrunent. Althoug occasional cross country ski use is expected, the NCT is designed primarily as a summer foot trail and should wind an route the trail near to large old "patriarch" trees and tree with unusual 11character". Such trees should never be cut fo trail purposes unless they pose an imrr.ediate safety hazard. Stun:ps within the clearing zone sho:lld be removed whenever practical. All stubs less than 2t inches in diameter will b grubbed out. Stump holes mu.st be filled with solid fill material, not leaves er duff, then tamped. Larger stumps should be cut as close to the ground line as practical using a bow saw. Use special caution not to create or leave a tripping hazard when doing this.
B.
Grade Limits Allowaqle and Recommended Grade: The maximum grade for the trail is 10%. Hillsides greater than this should be traversed diagonally or by incorporating switch backs to bring the grade within allowable limits. It is recommended that grades in excess of 7% be avoided whe~ever possibl. To be continued in Volume V, Number 1, Spring 1985.
6
VOLUME IV
NUMBER 2 NCTA SUGGEStION
SEPTEMBER 1984 BOOKX
All members and readers are invited to extend to the NCTA Officers, Board Members and F.ciitor, suggestions for improvements in our organization, activities and THE NEWSLEtTER.
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VOLUME
SEPTEMBER 1984
NUMB.ffi 2
APPLICATION FOR MEMBER.SHIP Annual Dues (membership yeax rl.Uls from October 1 to Septemb&r 31)
NCTA P.O. Box 311 White Cloud, MI Date
Adult ••••••••• $ 10.00 Family. • • • . • • • .$ 15. 00 Student •••••••• $ 5.00 Organization ••••• $ 25.00 Supporting ••••••• $ 50.00 Donor ••••••••• $ 250.00 Life .•••.••••• $ JQ0.00 Patron •••••••• $5000.00 Commercial •.•.••• $ 500.00
49349
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I wish to join the North Country Trail Association. Enclosed is $ for a membership. Name _
----
Address-------------~
Phone----·-------------~ **********************ll-**lHH<·::*******l: ):·\,-**********************~~*lh! ·it·;·;!-!' Enclosed is $ postage)
for NCTA PATCHES($3.25 each including
Send to: Name
Address
Zip Code
Please complete: I am interested in furthering the work of the NCTA by:
___ ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ ___
Constructing and maintaining trails Building and maintaining shelters and campsites Regional Newsletter reporter· Clerical, secretarial, typing work Membership Development Liaison with area trail organizations Other:
The following person(s) want to become memoers of NCTA: Name
------------------------------------------------
Address-----------------------------------------Phone
--------------------------------------~
***EDINOTE***
THIS ISSUE OF THE NEWSLETTER SALUTES THE STATE OF MICHIGAN FOR ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NCT AND THE NCTA. (1) There are more miles of the trail in Michigan than any other state. (2) It' is in the center of the seven
states through which the trail runs. (3) The trail headquarters is at White Cloud. (4) All the officers are from the Great Lakes State (except Bob Dreis of Wisconsin) (5) Michigan, along with Ohio, has more official certified miles of trail to date. (6) In general, NCT members in Michigan have done more for the trail than all the rest of us combined - so far.
NCT Trailwork/Hile Report Form
Length of trail hiked or worked on: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Include a drawing or sketch shoving trail and how to get to it. NAME ADDRESS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
General Trail Condition (amt. of use, trail markers, etc):
(continue on separate Recommendations for future work:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Managing Authority for trail section (if known) ~~~~~~
***USE THIS FORMAT OR JUST WRITE THE SAME INFORMATION IN A LETTER****
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A 3,246 MILE, ALL-SEASON, MULTI-USE, NON-MOTORIZED, NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORICAL TRAIL FROM NEW YORK TO NORTH DAKOTA.