3rd Quarter Newsletter 2009
(Larry Pio, Editor)

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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 Third Quarter of 2009 are July 8, August 12, and September 9.  

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.

Upcoming Events
(See Events Calendar for links related to items below)

July 11: Bike Ride – Delton to Chief Noonday Burial Site on Cressey Road, and Return for Picnic.  A Bike Hike!   A first for our Chapter.   Bring the entire family.  This ride is between 7 and 10 miles each way, depending on routing.  We expect to have a chase vehicle in case help is needed.  We will begin at the Barry Township Hall at 9:00 AM, and ride to the Chief Noonday Burial Site on Cressey Road, just a short distance from Lockshore Road, near the Barry County southern border.  Delton Road to Parker to Milo on the way out, with Milo to Norris to Delton Road on the return trip are possibilities.  Following the trip, there will be a picnic lunch at the Barry Township Hall shelter.   Bring a dish to pass, your own table ware, and drinks.

July 25:  Work Day at Yankee Springs Recreational Area, Barry County.  We will be continuing the effort at Yankee Springs Recreational Area with the final work needed to complete our trail reroute.  Signage and blazing are the main items for the day.  We will have breakfast at 8:00 am at the Gun Lake Diner at 12441 West M-179 Highway (Chief Noonday Highway).  The Gun Lake Diner is 4.7 miles west of the Yankee Springs Road and M-179 intersection on the south side of the road.  At 9:15 am we will park at the Hall Lake parking lot on Gun Lake Road, which is about 1.3 miles west of Yankee Springs Road.  A parking sticker is needed to park at the YSRA lot at Hall Lake.

July 30 – August 2:  North Country Trail Association Annual Conference, in Valley City, ND.  It's not too late to register for this year’s conference.  Click here for more information.

August:  Moon Light Hike OR Meteor Shower Hike at Otis Sanctuary, Barry County.  We are still in the planning stages for this hike.  The Perseid meteor shower is Wednesday August 12 (right after our picnic).  The best Saturday for a Moonlight hike is August 1 (the moon rises at 6:29 PM, with 84% of the moon’s surface illuminated).   The second best Saturday is August 29 with moonrise at  5:11 PM, with 70% of the surface illuminated.  Be sure to bring your mosquito repellent, just in case.  Check our web site for latest info.  To reach the Michigan Audubon Society Otis Sanctuary at 3560 Havens Road, follow M-43 west and south about 5 miles from the Hastings Big Boy, turn right on Goodwill Road, go 1.7 miles, turn left on Havens and travel 0.6 miles.  [Webmaster note: As of mid-July, we're leaning toward the moonlight hike option on August 29th.]

August 12:  Chief Noonday Picnic and a Meeting.  Our annual potluck will be held at the Barry Township Hall shelter in Delton at 7:00 PM.  We encourage everyone to attend, and specifically we would like to invite all the land owners and land managers who host our trail to join us.  Please bring a dish to pass, your refreshments, and table settings.

August 22:  Work Day Scheduled.  Please check the web site for location and work plan as this date approaches.  We have several items we are trying to jam into the schedule.

August 28 – August 30:  Hastings Summerfest.  We will once again be promoting the North Country Trail and our Chapter by hosting a booth at the Hastings Summerfest, this year on Friday August 28 and Saturday August 29.  We are beginning to schedule volunteer hours at the booth, and for set up and dismantling the booth.  Please let us know if you can help.  You can contact Larry Hawkins to schedule time, and we will have a sign up sheet at our July and August meetings, so you can see the times where help is still needed.

September 7:   Middleville 10k Volksmarch and Bridge Walk, in Middleville, Barry County.  The last Volksmarch of the year in Middleville will be held on September 7 with starting times between 9:00 AM and noon.  Four bridges are located on this stretch of the Paul Henry Trail.  Finish by 3 PM, if you wish to get AVA credit.  Participation is free.  You can register to get an AVA / IVV award for $5.  Participants can register at the gazebo next to Middleville Village Hall at 100 E. Main Street, ¼ mile east of the M-37 traffic light.  Participants may walk, run, or bike at your own pack. — Note:  Click here for the one of the listings on the Thornapple River Adventure Club web site, featuring many outdoor non-motorized activities.

September 12:  Hike Peets Road to Chief Noonday Road (M-179), Barry County.  Our hike begins on Peet’s Road about 0.5 miles south of M-37.  It continues about 3 miles through sections of the Barry State Game Area to the trailhead on M-179.  We will begin with breakfast at the Hastings Big Boy at 1105 W. State Street in Hastings at 8:00 AM.  We will then travel to the trailhead on M-179 to drop cars, and then car pool to the starting point for a hike beginning at about 9:30 AM.  To get to the trailhead, leave Big Boy and travel west on M-43, continuing west on M-179 for a total distance of about 8 miles.  The trailhead is on the north side of M-179.

September 26:  Work Day Scheduled.  Please check the Events Calendar for location and work plan as this date approaches.

Please be sure to report your volunteer hours either on the NCTA Web site, or by mail, or by reporting them to a Chapter officer.  These reports are used by Congress, the NPS, and others to help determine funding.