2nd Quarter Newsletter 2007

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To Our Readers: As we announced earlier, the publication schedule for our Newsletter was changed late last year from monthly to quarterly.  We are also changing the way we designate the issues -- from seasonal to quarterly.  The numbering for the 2007 series of Newsletters begins with the 2nd quarter, since the previous "fall/winter" issue would have included the 1st quarter issue for the year.  Makes sense to us, anyway....

 

CHAPTER MEETINGS
    Meetings are at 7:00 PM at the Barry Township Hall on Orchard Street in Delton the second Wednesday of each month, and are open to the public.
    Meetings through the first quarter of 2007 are:  April 11, May 9 and June 13.

REMINDER: For the latest information, especially toward the end of the quarter, please visit our Web site for updates -- especially the Trail Log and the Events Calendar.  

A HIKE A MONTH and the HIKE COMMITTEE:  At our February meeting we decided to sponsor, or at least be involved with, a hike every month.  You will note the schedule below shows the beginning of this effort.  Joe Higdon and Charles Krammin have volunteered as 2 of the 5 people we think we need to serve on our Hike Committee to sustain this effort.  Please contact them, or Larry Hawkins, if you are interested in helping.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULED EVENTS

April 21:  Hike Western Linear Park pathway (Battle Creek):  We will be hiking the western portion of the Linear Park trail in Battle Creek on April 21, from Brady St to downtown (5 miles).  We will meet at Cereal City parking lot at 9:30 AM and carpool to Brady Street to start the hike.  Lunch at Arcadia Brewery is an option.  Click the link to generate driving directions to Cereal City from your origin of choice.  Brady Street is on the Dickman Road curve about 1.1 miles east of Armstrong Road, which is near the Fort Custer Cemetery.  At the end of Brady Street is parking, and the start of our hike. 

We welcome anyone who is interested to join us for any of our hikes or work day events.

April 28:  Work Day with Chief Baw Beese Chapter:  We have tentatively scheduled a trail project in the Lost Nation State Game Area of the Baw Beese Chapter, our neighboring Chapter south of Calhoun County.  Larry Hawkins will be finalizing this with the president of the Chief Baw Beese Chapter, Steve Vear, with more details available soon.  See the Web site, sign up for our Yahoo e-mail reminders, or contact Larry Hawkins for final details.

May 5:  Canoe the Thornapple & Hike (Middleville):  The Middleville Trail Enhancement Committee will be hosting the 5-5-7 Volksmarch & Volkscanoe in Middleville.  Our Chapter is linking with this event, with a canoe trip down the Thornapple River and a hike back to the DNR landing in Irving (2.9 miles +).  Charles Krammin will be bringing the scout canoes (4) with PFD's, and anyone wishing to use their own canoe or kayak may do so.  It is important to let Charles know if you want to reserve a spot on one of his canoes.  Contact Charles at 269-945-2569 or by e-mail.  We will meet at the river access in Irving at 9:00 AM.  Click here for a Google® map from which you can generate driving directions from your origin of choice.  We will canoe to Middleville, take out at the portage, then hike back to Irving on the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail.  If you are going to go for AVA credit, you will need to register at the Stagecoach Park while you are there.  There is a 5-5-7 Volksmarch brochure available on-line.

May 5:  Trail Adopters Workshop at Kellogg Forest:  Dave Cornell will be leading our annual workshop for adopters at Kellogg Forest on May 5 at 8:30 AM.  This is a good chance to brush up on skills, get some blazing paint, and pose for our annual picture.  This is open to anyone that is interested.  The Kellogg Forest Parking Lot is 3.6 miles north of Augusta on 41st Street (by the Shell station), and 1 mile south of M-89 on 42nd Street.  Note the street numbers change, but the road is the same.

May 12: Spring Wildflower Hike at Fort Custer Cemetery:  Our annual Wildflower Hike will be on the Fort Custer Cemetery section of our trail.  We often have the help of someone who actually knows the names of all the flowers, so here is a chance to brush up on your flower naming skills.  This hike is about 2.6 miles.  We will meet at the trailhead on Armstrong Road at 9:00 AM and carpool to our starting point.  Armstrong Road is about 2 miles east of Augusta on Dickman Road (M-96), and the trailhead is 0.7 miles north of Dickman.  We will start the hike at the intersection of Dickman Road and Fort Custer Drive, less than 0.5 miles east of Augusta. Beavers have been active, so bring footwear that is water friendly, just in case.

May 19:  Work Day for Road Walk Blazing:  We haven’t blazed our road walks in quite some time,
but on May 19 we will be dressing up our old blazes, and adding new ones to new sections.  We will meet
for breakfast at the Hickory Timber Inn in Hickory Corners at 8:00 AM.  We will then split up and renew the blazing in Barry County from Keller Road south and blaze the new road walk from Marshall to Albion and from Albion to Homer.

June 2 National Trail’s Day Hike (Augusta north):  For our National Trail’s Day hike we will hike about 7.5 miles from the Augusta Road trailhead parking lot to Gull Lake - Kellogg Middle School.  We will meet for breakfast at the Lakeside Café at 209 S. Webster in Augusta at 8:00 AM.  Meet at trailhead at 9:00 to begin the hike and arrange for carpooling.  The trailhead is 0.4 miles north of M-96 on Augusta
Road in Augusta.  We will be traveling north through the Hutchinson property, the Sackett property, the
Kellogg Forest (MSU Experimental Forestry), the Cheff property, and the MSU Experimental Dairy
Farm, stopping at the school on 40th Street.

June 16:  Work Day:  No details yet.  We are reserving this date for our June work day.  Check our Events Calendar later for details.

Summer 2007:  Kanoe the Kazoo:  We are looking for a way to be involved with one of the Kanoe the Kazoo segments, perhaps with a hike back to the cars.  More details soon, but shooting for some time in July.

August 2–5:  NCTA Annual Conference:  The 2007 NCTA Annual Conference will be held in Bemidji, Minnesota. 

August (last week):  Upper Peninsula Work Week:  The Hiawatha Shore to Shore Chapter in the Upper Peninsula is a small Chapter with a long section of trail that needs some TLC.  Bill Menke (Regional Trail Coordinator) and Clare Cain (Director of Trail Management) are planning a weeklong work project in the Upper Peninsula for the last week in August to provide support.  You are invited.  Work will be on the trail west of Tahquamenon Falls.  Food and camping will be provided.  If you are interested, contact Larry Hawkins or Clare Cain by e-mail or call Clare at 616-897-5987 for more information.

MSU W. K. Kellogg Biological Station:  One of our trail partners, MSU Kellogg Biological, which includes the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Kellogg Forest, Kellogg Experimental Dairy Farm, and Kellogg Manor, is looking for volunteers.  Positions would require about one day per month, or two half days.  Short training sessions begin on April 10, depending on the position you volunteer for.  Contact the Community Relations Office at 269-671-2263.

April 21 Ziph Expeditionary Team Skills Training Session:  The Fortune Bay Expeditionary Team has let us know about a skills training session on April 21 sponsored by another group.  E-mail for more info.  Other info and past pictures are seen at www.fortunebaycompany.com/Mainpage.htm.  All individuals are welcome to attend this course.  Instructors are Chuck Hill, Bill Smith, and Chuck Hayden.  Course Curriculum: (1) Map and Compass Reading; (2) Global Positioning System (GPS) use and practice; (3) Rappelling, Ascending, Traversing, Telfer Lower, Knot Tying, etc.; (4) Team Dynamics and Team Structure; (5) Various Campcraft Techniques (Fire starting, site selection, constructing site amenities, etc.); (6) Wilderness Expeditioneering and activities.

April 21:  NFS Chainsaw Training in St. Ignace:  If you are interested in traveling to this Class “A” chainsaw training course (bucking only) in St. Ignace, check with Clare Cain to see if there are still spots
available.  Class begins at 8 AM.  She will tell you what protective clothing and equipment are required
to participate.  (A 2-day course will also be held in Bemidji prior to the Annual Conference. See Clare).

MSU Dessert and Discussions:  The MSU Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) is pleased to continue the Dessert with Discussion series, programs highlighting a wide range of environmental and ecological issues of local and global concern.  The informal hour-long program features Rwanda coffee, tea and delicious desserts.  The programs will be held on Tuesday evenings April 10, May 15, Sept. 18 and Oct. 30 from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.  They are free and open to the community.  The Dessert with Discussion series will be held at the KBS Education Center Auditorium located at 3700 East Gull Lake Drive.  From M-89 take 40th Street north to B Avenue. Follow B Avenue one mile west.  Prior to the 7:30 PM presentation, attendees may choose to enjoy dinner with the evening’s guest speaker in the historic W. K. Kellogg Manor House.  Hors d’oeuvres will be served at 5:30 PM followed by dinner at 6:15 PM.  Dinner is $35 per person and reservations are required.

The programs this quarter:
•  Tuesday, April 10 Seeds of Science: Connecting Children to Science through the 4-H Gardens.  Dr. Norman Lownds, MAES Horticulture Scientist, Curator MSU 4-H Children’s Garden
•  Tuesday, May 15 Endangered Species Restoration: Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Success Stories.  Joe Johnson, Chief Wildlife Biologist and MSU Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Manager
•  Additional KBS special events can be found on the KBS Web site.

REPORTING IN

First Friday Forum:  Larry Hawkins participated in a First Friday Forum sponsored by the Barry County Democratic party at their Thomas Jefferson Hall in Hastings to discuss trail issues in Barry County.  He was joined by Phil Van Noord of the Middleville Trail Enhancement Committee and the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, along with Rick Moore of the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail.  The program was televised on the local cable TV channel and nicely covered in the local news media.

Winter Hike:  On the coldest and blowiest day of the winter, February 3rd, Charlie Krammin, Mick Hawkins, Ron Sootsman, Larry Pio and Joe Higdon were joined by “hiker Dave”, Dave Goodman, to hike the eastern half of the Battle Creek Linear Park pathway.  They all survived and have great stories of the adventure. 

The Chief Noonday Chapter helped the Middleville Chapter of the American Volkssports Association kick
off their inaugural hike along the Paul Henry Trail.  It was a day not unlike the day of our chapter winter
hike -- very cold, windy, and snowy.  It was a day to test the spirit of true hikers and perhaps their sanity.

Charlie Krammin was the first to sign in at the Middleville Hall and shortly thereafter, the rest of the
CND contingent checked in:  Mick Hawkins, Ron Sootsman, Jerry Pattok and Larry Hawkins.  We
initiated the hike with both Jerry and Larry landing on their derrieres in the icy parking lot.  Charlie struck
out setting the pace for the hike until Ron took over assuming the “trailbreaker” role.  Although our friend,
Cal Lamoreaux, the hike organizer, had advertised that there was about two inches of snow on the
underlying slush, it was soon apparent that there was more like six to eight inches of new snow.  Needless
to say, it was a very long and challenging hike.  With Charlie regaling us with stories and folk wisdom we
finally reached Irving, the halfway point for the 11K hike.  It was shortly after noon, the time that most of
us had anticipated being back in Middleville enjoying a warm lunch. So lunch consisted of great company,
protein bars and cold water.

After lunch Ron and Charlie again took the lead setting a pretty stiff pace.  On our way back we did meet one of the Volksmarch volunteers on cross-country skis.  The hike took us about 5 hours.  We were tired but oh so very proud of ourselves for having survived the elements.

Interpretive Brochure Completed:  Tom Garnett, with major help from his better half Judith Garnett, has designed and completed a new interpretive brochure for the Norris Road to McKibben Road section.  This brochure is available on-line, currently on the Trail Log section of our web site.  Many people were involved in this project, including Charles Krammin, Sheryl Drenth, Barb VanDyken, LaVerne BeBeau, and Larry Pio.  Their efforts are detailed on the Trail Log.  History, geology, flora, fauna, and some mapped info are featured.  Thanks to all for your efforts.

In January, the kiosks in Middleville, the Middleville SGA, the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail, Barry SGA and Yankee springs Recreation Area were all supplied with the new written materials, and the Plexiglas was replaced with chicken wire in some “target” areas.  The materials are laminated or covered with plastic to protect them from the elements.  New “You are here” maps from National are in the trailhead kiosks, and there are memorials for LaVerne BeBeau along his adoptive section of trail.  Workers included Bob and Brenda Jones, Larry Pio, Ron Sootsman, Jerry Pattok, and Mick and Larry Hawkins.

In March, Saint Patrick’s Day dawned clear, cold and beautiful.  Larry and Mick Hawkins, Steve Hicks,
and Josh and Larry Ritchie, Jim Heaton, Larry Pio, Tom Garnett and John Rudnicki placed new kiosks along the river at Helmer Rd. and Jackson Ave. and at Horseshoe Bend Park near the Emmet Street end of the Linear Park.  Remember the rocks!  Much thanks to everyone for a job well done.

•  A Calhoun County Hikes Page has been posted but is still “under construction”.  Special thanks to Ron Sootsman for providing the idea and the basic data for the page.
•  Work is beginning on a Kalamazoo County Hikes page.
•  Adding some pictures to the Barry County Hikes page.  Jerry Pattok will be adding more hikes in the spring, and Mick will be out getting more pictures.
•  National is developing a hard copy Lower Michigan Trail Atlas and is going to allow us to use simplified versions of maps for the Maps page on the web site.  Stay tuned for updates.
•  Mick has been working with Joan Young, and our chapter activities are now listed on the NCTA Trailwide Calendar.
•  Mick has added a Search page which provides instructions for several ways to search the Chief Noonday Web site.  This would be especially handy for looking up items in the Newsletter archives.

Report Your Volunteer Hours:  PLEASE report your volunteer hours, either by mail, or by filling out the form on the NCTA Web site.  These hours are reported to Congress, and are used to help determine budget numbers for our trail.

Other Volunteer Opportunities:  If building trail is not your thing, volunteer in a different way.  The North Country Trail headquarters is looking for office volunteers to help out anytime Monday through Friday between 9 AM and 4 PM.  Scheduling is flexible.  Volunteer help is needed to talk with visitors about the fine points of the North Country Trail (where to go, what to see, what not to miss, local activities), help with Trail Shop orders, stuff mailings and assist with data entry.  If you are interested in this exciting volunteer opportunity please contact Jennifer Tripp by e-mail or by phone -- toll free: 1-866-hikeNCT (445-3628) or by local call in Grand Rapids, MI area: 616-897-5987.