A trusting specimen of the Cerulean Warbler.  (Wikipedia Image by MDF.)

For the Birds?   Chief Noonday Chapter followed a somewhat different path from its usual on National Trails Day this year.  We promoted the North Country National Scenic Trail — and at the same time gave support to the conservation efforts of Michigan Audubon.

Michigan Audubon's new Director of Conservation is Tom Funke, a long time member of Chief Noonday Chapter.  Tom put together a really ambitious program celebrating a small, rarely seen but truly interesting bird, the Cerulean Warbler, which happens to make its spring-summer home in Chief Noonday territory in the Barry State Game Area and the Yankee Springs Recreation Area, among other places.

Chief Noonday exhibited its work trailer and provided literature to the inquisitive.

As part of the festivities there was a Cerulean Warbler Festival running from Friday, June 6, through Sunday, June 8.  On Saturday, June 7, Tom hosted an Open House at the Otis Sanctuary, of which he is resident manager.  And out on the point at Gun Lake, exhibitors, including Chief Noonday Chapter and the Michigan Hawking Club, set up displays, and Chief Noonday members led hikes into Cerulean territory north of Hall Lake. 

Chief Noonday had its work trailer on display with trail-building and maintaining tools set out to acquaint people with the work entailed in developing and maintaining the NCNST.  Along with the trailer, maps and information on the NCNST were on display, literature hand-outs were made available, and the Hawkins brothers, Larry and Mick, were on hand to answer questions and provide inspiration.  Well, answers, anyway.

One of the hiking groups included Charlie Krammin (left), Michigan Audubon's Eldon Dodd (second from left), and Jerry Pattok (third from left).

Our capable hike leaders were Charlie Krammin, Jeff Fleming and Jerry Pattok.  Steve Hicks and his son-in-law Randy Brodbeck saw to hauling the work trailer to the scene on schedule, getting the display set up, and getting it all secured when the show was over.  Providing birder expertise on the hikes were the Audubon Society's Dick Leonard and Eldon Dodd.

Charlie coordinated Chief Noonday's participation in the day's events.  He had spent considerable time in the previous weeks, hiking on and off the trails north and east of Hall Lake, with the old Yankee Springs stagecoach road trail forming a base, seeking out the best areas for experiencing the sound and possibly even the sight of the Cerulean Warbler. 

The plan was to take people in quest of the Cerulean Warbler from the DNR parking area off Gun Lake Road at the south end of the old Bassett Lake Road trail and walk northwest up the stagecoach trail to about 0.2 mile from the Devil's Soup Bowl and Grave's Hill parking area.  Then the hiking parties would go off the trail south toward Hall Lake into areas replete with the tall oak trees in which Cerulean Warbler is noted for nesting in the very top branches — which makes it difficult to see and even a challenge to hear (particularly for Mick and Charlie with their hearing aids...).

Two generations of the Great Horned Owl were on hand from the Michigan Hawking Club.  The ball of fluff on the right was 21 days old.

However, not all of the hikers were attired suitably for much off-trail tramping, so as it turned out the hikes mainly stuck to established foot trail, including the trail up to the Devil's Soup Bowl and from the Soup Bowl east to the old Bassett Lake Road trail and back down to the DNR parking area. 

And, best of all, the groups had good luck hearing the Ceruleans, even in the Devil's Soup Bowl, and even laying eyes on a couple of them toward the east end of the stagecoach trail despite the relative dearth of oak trees in that area.

Estimates were that some 200 visitors came to the affair at Gun Lake, and roughly 25 hiked with Chief Noonday's and Audubon's hike leaders.  That was pretty good, considering all the events that had to be competing for people's time and attention on the first Saturday in June!

Thanks to all who contributed to Chief Noonday's presence and involvement in the day's doings, as well as to all our interested visitors.
 

Trail re-route in the making:  Charles Krammin, who has done a lot of spade work for trail building in his day, both literally and figuratively, has been at it again.  This time he has been devoting a lot of hours and quite a bit of shoe leather (correction: hiking boot leather) working out a re-route of the North Country National Scenic Trail section in the Yankee Springs Recreation Area between the old Yankee Springs Hotel trailhead on the west side of Norris Road and the Gun Lake Road crossing just west of Hall Lake.

Following a possible new path-to-be through Yankee Springs: (l-r) Charles Krammin, DNR's Andru Jevicks, Larry Hawkins, Ron Sootsman, and Dave Goodman.

On June 14, Charlie led a group over his proposed re-route, which he had carefully flagged out.  Hiking with Charlie were Andru Jevicks, the Yankee Springs Recreation Area Park Supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Larry Hawkins, president of the Chief Noonday Chapter, Ron Sootsman, treasurer of CNC, Mick Hawkins, Webmaster for CNC, and Dave Goodman, a frequent hiker with CNC and a member of the West Michigan Chapter.

The goal is to take the hiking trail off the horse trail which it presently shares through most of this section. 

Charlie Krammin points the way on his map to Andru Jevicks and Dave Goodman.

There is much to commend separating hiking trails from horse trails, especially on the sandy soil that characterizes Yankee Springs.  Without belaboring the esthetic considerations of what happens to a trail when heavy creatures like horses, shod usually with metal shoes, walk repeatedly on the same 2-3 foot wide dirt track month after month over a period of years, there is a bona fide safety issue.  When horses encounter walking humans on the trail, things can get tense, and there is a real potential for harm befalling both riders and hikers, not to mention the steeds.

Andru commented that re-routing the trail would not only result in a safer trail use experience for both hikers and horse riders but would do a far better job of showcasing what the beautiful Yankee Springs Recreation Area has to offer to the public than is possible with the present arrangement.

The next step would be for Andru to take the proposal to the DNR in Lansing, which he planned to do promptly.  There was no estimate as to how long obtaining approval from the DNR would take.

Based on GPS unit odometer readings, the existing Trail section between Norris Rd and Gun Lake Rd is about 2.5 miles long.  The new re-route would yield a much more scenic and pleasant hike which would be about one mile shorter.

(Charlie's account of the day's hiking appears on the Trail Tales page.)
 

Tom Warner, Steve Hicks and Ron Sootsman worked on clearing the new path.

Developments at KBS:  We had a nice turn-out of able-bodied people on June 21st at the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station in Kalamazoo County to work on some new developments for the Trail which will enhance exciting new developments in the KBS program.

On hand were representatives of KBS and Chief Noonday Chapter.  Dr. Gwen Pearson, Assistant Director of Education and Outreach for KBS, was on hand dressed out and equipped for hands-on work on the trail.

Working with her were Chief Noonday Chapter members Larry Hawkins (chapter president), Steve Hicks, Ron Sootsman, Mike Wilkey and his grandson Zachary, Jeff Fleming, Tom Warner, Mick Hawkins, and the KBS Trail Adopter Jim Martin. 

Helping out was Jim Studt, coming all the way from Sparta.  We had him work with the backpack blower in a clever ploy to recruit him for the Chapter.  We'll let you know if that works....

Back in May, Gwen had met with Dave Cornell, president of NCTA's national board, Larry Hawkins, Ron Sootsman, and Mick Hawkins and outlined plans that KBS had in the works for new directions in its research and the use of its fields.  These directions opened up new possibilities for the Trail through KBS which made for a better Trail and opened up the possibility of better public exposure of KBS's important work.

Jeff Fleming, Ron Sootsman, Gwen Pearson, and Steve Hicks take a breather to discuss plans for a new bio-fuels project for the field at the edge of which they are standing.

Larry, Jim Studt and Steve met for breakfast in Hickory Corners — in order to ensure the validity of the day's efforts. 

And then the whole crew staged at a previously little-used paved turn-around near the entrance to the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary from C Avenue. 

This location would become a new trailhead for this section of the NCNST. 

The kiosk presently located on the service road from 40th Street west to the KBS buildings will be moved to this new location, partly in order to reduce the incidence of hikers parking along the service road or around the KBS buildings.


At this time the Trail is being re-routed in three locations:

Yahoo satellite image

   A.  The former field walk approaching 40th Street from the east is now replaced with a much more sylvan footpath through the woods in the area northeast of the intersection of C Avenue and 40th Street (marked (a) in the satellite image right), coming out to a road crossing at 40th Street closer to C Avenue.  This eliminates the former road walk along 40th Street north to the KBS service road. 

   B.  After crossing 40th Street the trail continues off-road west, paralleling C Avenue, along the south end of what is presently an alfalfa field (marked #2 in the satellite image), shielded from the road by a narrow grove of trees and brush, going up to a short access trail to the new trailhead area.  From there the trail continues north between the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary on the west and the alfalfa field on the east, coming out and crossing the service road where the kiosk is presently located.

Jim Studt of West Michigan Chapter wields our backpack blower.

   C.  The Trail continues north along the existing field walk (marked #3 in the satellite image) but then goes to the left of the grove ((b) in the satellite image) instead of to the right, thus avoiding the fence stiles.  A short distance past the grove the Trail goes through an open gate and continues as a field walk along the present route (#4 in the satellite image) roughly northwest towards the existing stile at the east-west farm road.

Today we cleared the pathway through the woods (a).  It is ready to hike on, although it is presently marked only with red flags.  Jim Martin will be blue-blazing it soon.  This basically means that the off-road Trail starting back at C Avenue coming up from the Cheff Center in the south will now be entirely in the woods all the way to the new crossing at 40th Street.

We also mowed and trimmed the new trail around the field between the bird sanctuary and 40th Street (#2) as well as north of the service road up past the grove (b) and into the field (#4) north of the grove.

Larry Hawkins, Gwen Pearson, Zachary, Mike Wilkey, and Tom Warner discuss the work yet to be done near the planned bio-fuels project.

Approximately where the Trail used to come out into the field (#1) east of 40th Street and then proceeded west, the re-route will have the main Trail continue roughly southwest through the woods (a).  However, that former access to the field will now be a spur leading to a new kiosk which will display instructional material regarding a new bio-fuel demonstration project which KBS plans for that field.  They will be growing a variety of bio-fuel plants in the area and doing research on them.

There are also tentative plans for intriguing new KBS program developments in the area north of B Avenue around Duck Lake involving dairy farming — which will entail placement of another instructional kiosk and modifications of the Trail.

Thanks to KBS and to all the NCTA people who participated in today's work.
 

News notes from here and there: 
►  From the national office at Lowell comes news that Clare Cain (right), who for the past several years has with eminent capability served as Director of Trail Management, is leaving NCTA and is setting out on other trails toward new ventures. 
   Supporters of the entire NCNST including Chief Noonday Chapter have benefited from her expertise and energy, and we are sorry to see her go.  Among other projects she worked hands-on with us on a workday last year on the Trail through the Lost Nation State Game Area in Chief Baw Beese Chapter's bailiwick. 
   One of her most recent big projects has significantly advanced the project of getting the Trail on the ground through the Adirondacks in New York. 
   Chief Noonday wishes Clare the best and Godspeed!
►  Chief Noonday Chapter's own Tom Funke has a new book just out --  50 Hikes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula: Walks, Hikes & Backpacks from Ironwood to St. Ignace (Countryman Press, 2008).  The Webmaster has his own copy, and it is impressive.  Word is Tom is also working on a guidebook to the NCNST, in addition to serving as Michigan Audubon's new Director of Conservation, among other things.  We're not sure when he sleeps.
►  The North Country Trail Association is looking to hire a Communications Manager to direct all facets of a comprehensive communications program.  [Update July 30, 2008: Mary Meehan, coming from a position as media relations and marketing manager for Zondervan of Grand Rapids, has accepted the new position as NCTA's Communications Manager.  Welcome!]
 

Recent weekend tales:   The rain gods have not looked benignly upon us the past couple of weekends.

Two weekends ago on Saturday, July 12, admittedly on short notice we scheduled a hike in the Yankee Springs Recreation Area in lieu of a hike we'd scheduled earlier on the Gun Lake Tract south of Gun Lake. 

The GLT trail turned out not to be user-friendly when Charles Krammin (left) inspected it a few days before the scheduled hike.  So Charlie suggested an alternative hike on the proposed re-route he'd flagged for the Trail south from Hall Lake, which a few of us had hiked on June 14 with the Yankee Springs Recreation Area Supervisor Andru Jevicks (see below). 

The rainy morning of July 12 arrived, and, true to Chief Noonday traditions, the stalwart amongst us gathered for breakfast at the Hastings Big Boy: Charlie K, Larry and Mick Hawkins, Jerry Pattok and two of his grandchildren, and Jim Studt, member of West Michigan Chapter from Sparta.  The more we ate and the longer we tarried, the harder it rained.  By 9:00 stalwart for the most part yielded to practical, as Jerry and the kids caved, followed by Mick — and Larry hadn't planned to hike anyway, still nursing a tender calf from the fall he'd taken the first time we'd hiked the re-route in June.

Charlie dismissed us as "pantywaists" and took off for Yankee Springs with Jim.  The two of them completed the hike as planned and put the rest of us to shame.  Jim especially appreciated the running commentary provided by Charlie throughout the hike and felt he'd gained a valuable wilderness education on the trek.  His education included boot issues, because his apparently were not equal to the task, so Charlie pointed him in a good direction to resolve that issue for the future.  Jim says that a big feature the rest of us stay-at-homes missed was "10,000 hungry mosquitoes!  Too many bugs to take off our long sleeves, it was a sweatfest!"

Our luck was somewhat better a week later on July 19 when we gathered at Augusta for a morning of work on the Trail north and south of E-F Avenue.  Larry, Mick, Dave Cornell, Ron Sootsman, Tom Garnett, Jeff Fleming and Jim Heaton were joined by a new Trail Adopter, Chris Vreeland, and Chris's son for a hearty breakfast at Duda's Deli & Pizzeria.  Mike Wilkey and Terry Meden joined us at the work site.

Chris and his family had recently enlisted as Trail Adopters for the Dr. Sackett property section of the Trail between Kellogg Forest and E-F Avenue.

After breakfast we convoyed up to E-F Avenue and embarked upon a mowing and trail clean-up project on the Trail north from E-F Avenue.  The mosquitoes were memorable, to put it mildly, but the rain was very light, and within a bit over an hour we'd done a creditable job of getting the Sackett section mowed, sawed, lopped, and trimmed back so that Chris and his family could take over the care of the now decently-groomed section for the future.

Ron and Jeff, having finished their work with the DR mower on the north side of E-F Avenue, had moved to the south side and continued on while we wrapped up where we were.  But by the time the rest of had lugged our tools and gear back to the vehicles parked on E-F Avenue, the rain had become decidedly more forthright, and around 10:30 we voted unanimously to call it a day — and give custody of the area back over to the mosquitoes.

Thanks to all who took part on both Saturdays.

Mick Hawkins    

Larry Hawkins (back to camera) gets everybody lined up for this year's annual President's Photo.  Jan and Dave Cornell (in brown and blue shirts respectively) are in the front row -- not quite center.  (Click here for the "good" version of this year's President's Photo.)

Cazenovia — NCTA National Conference 2008:  Dave and Jan Cornell and the Hawkins brothers made their way to the beautiful rolling hills and gorges of Central New York for the 2008 National Conference of the NCTA hosted by the Finger Lakes Trail Conference.  The conference was held on the tiny campus of Cazenovia College in the Village of Cazenovia.  The college went out of their way to make us welcome.  The Cazenovia Police Department was not so gracious as they ticketed some participants who parked on the streets overnight.  Fortunately, the CNC reps went unscathed.

Dave and Larry attended the Summer Board Meeting on Thursday while Mick and Jan did more fun things. Thursday evening, after a wonderful meal, we had the Annual Membership Meeting of the NCTA.  Bruce Matthews, Fred Szarka, Matt Davis and Andrew Bashaw gave us a whirlwind state of the trail report from North Dakota to New York.

After that, Tom Gilbert, our NPS representative, unveiled and reported of three exciting new ventures:
●  significant progress toward the completion of the trail through the Adirondack Mountains,
●  the extension of the trail east from Lake Champlain to the Long Trail in Vermont and ultimately connecting to the Appalachian Trail, and
●  Westward Ho, the program exploring the possible extension of the NCNST west from Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota to meet the Continental Divide Trail, opening the way to the possibility of a Sea to Sea (C2C) Trail.

The National Park Service Volunteer Recognition followed the Membership Meeting.  Our own Mick Hawkins (left) was honored with the 1000 hour Volunteer Vest.  The evening closed with a fascinating program, The Erie Canal — NY’s Miracle Miles, presented by our good friend Irene Szabo, providing yet another reason to go back to Central New York.

Friday greeted us with rain, rain and more rain.  Fortunately, with great foresight, the CNC contingent had signed up for driving tours; so we stayed reasonably dry and had a great day viewing falls and gorges in the Finger Lakes area (right), along with the Cornell University campus.

The Annual Banquet, silent and live auctions, and a wonderful concert by folk singers Dan Berggren and Peggy Lynn celebrating the Adirondacks completed the evening.

Saturday dawned gorgeously and actually sustained it through the day making our hikes very enjoyable. 

As Mick had become the unofficial "official" photographer for the NCTA, he took the President’s photo of the assembly on the quad before supper.  Dave was most grateful that someone in Lowell had misplaced the ugly “Blue Blaze President’s Shirt” that is traditionally worn by the president for this picture. One wonders whether Dave’s proximity and frequent visits to the office in Lowell might have had something to do with the missing shirt....

Saturday evening, the NCTA awards were presented.  Many of our friends from the conferences received well deserved awards. 

We were particularly delighted when Bill Meinke (middle right) received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Long associated with the Trail before he retired from the NPS, Bill is now the Great Lakes Trail Coordinator for the NCTA.

Deb and Bobby Koepplin (left), from the Sheyenne River Valley Chapter in North Dakota, extended an warm invitation to all of us to join them for the Annual Conference in 2009. 

John Morris from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference, a writer and biology teacher, presented the program Seasons along the Trail with great humor, great pictures, and a whole lot of knowledge.

The rain returned Sunday morning as we packed for the trip home and said our good-byes to all our friends from east to west on the NCNST. 

The Annual Conference is a time of great fellowship and sharing.  We meet new friends, reacquaint ourselves with old friends that we have made at previous conference, and gain a whole new vision and energy for this 4600 mile trail that we all love.  For those of you who have never made it to an Annual Conference, I strongly urge you to consider the trip to North Dakota in 2009.  It’s a long ways, but it will be well worth it.

Larry Hawkins