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The 2009 North Country Trail National Conference is
history. It covered four beautiful days in North Dakota.
Your local VP hiked yet another eighteen miles of THE TRAIL in some
great company. I got a first-hand look at the
ten-thousand-year-old glacial hills in the western part of the state
called The Coteaux (the slope), being guided by folks from the state and
national 'outdoor' agencies who clearly love their jobs and the country
in which they live.
The final hike was in one of North Dakota's few
true forests. It was a revelation to discover that the pioneers
didn't devastate this northern prairie. The winters are simply so
brutal that grass is one of the few things that can survive there.
And the grass is magnificent! Big bluestem as high as our heads
conjured visions of six-foot wagon wheels rumbling their way across
endless vistas.
Evenings were spent in - sometimes silly -
camaraderie, concluding with an auction that raised several thousand
dollars for the NCTA. A silent auction held before the main event
allowed yours truly to acquire a hand-made tote/daypack containing
several books including two rare treasures; Colin Fletcher's very first
adventure, The Thousand Mile Summer , and Peter
Jenkins' artlessly heartfelt 1970's epic, A Walk Across America.
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The main entertainment was provided by our
Executive Director, Bruce Matthews - and several able assistants
- who auctioned off a number of items to
help fill the NCT coffers. One of the more impressive and beautiful
items was a quilt made from past and present NCTA t-shirt logos.
The item that really got the attention, however, was a map of
the North Country Trail made of wood. Each state was cut
from the wood of its state tree. It seems finding
undamaged American elm for the image of North Dakota took some
work.
The people of Valley City North Dakota were grand
hosts and the stories of their recent struggles with the recent
spring floods were inspiring.
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