HIKER MISSING ON NCNST IN UPPER PENINSULA:
Joseph Robert Clewley, a 73-year-old white male, has not been seen since Saturday, July 12, 2008. 

He was staying at his cabin located south-southwest of Paradise, Michigan, which is located in Chippewa County's Whitefish Township. 

His van was found parked along the north side of Tahqua Trail, about 5.1 miles west of M-123, at the trailhead for the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST).  Tahqua Trail runs along the north bank of the Tahquamenon River and is within the boundaries of the Tahquamenon Falls State Park.

Initially the missing man's dog Chip was also missing but later turned up unharmed near the Clewleys' cabin on August 1.

Click here for a Web site set up for the search for Joe Clewley. 

More details are available in an article published August 24, 2008, in The Mining Journal of Marquette, MI, and in an earlier article from The Evening News of Sault Ste. Marie.
 

Help needed!   Two upcoming work projections on the Trail could use your help.  One is this week in Chief Noonday's section.  One is toward the end of September further north in the Lower Peninsula:

1.  In Chief Noonday's section:  This Friday, August 29, Chris Sweeney is bringing a group of volunteers from Kashi/Kellogg's to work in the Middleville State Game Area.  These will all be newcomers to trail work. If any of you are available to help supervise, we could really use the help. We are planning on meeting at the south Robertson Road trailhead at 10:30 AM and will probably send a crew in each direction to do pruning, tread repair, and blazing.

If we can figure out a way to do it, we would also like to pull the kiosk in the south parking lot and swing it around 90° to make it a less inviting target to those who find it an irresistible target for their heavy caliber weapons — not to mention we'd like to reduce small arms fire directed toward the Trail!

Most of our members work on Fridays, but if you are available, we could sure use the help.

2.   In northern Lower Michigan:   On Saturday, September 27, at 9:00 AM the Tittabawassee Chapter of the NCTA will be working on the Boor Conservancy re-route, south of Petoskey, to move the North Country Trail off of Krause Road into the woods and onto the side of a 200-foot hill.  They really need all the help they can get to bench this trail into the side of the hill.

Bring any dirt moving tools you have, such as grub hoe, shovel and metal dirt rake.  The chapter will provide mattocks, pulaskis, fire rakes, and McLeods. The chapter will also provide some snacks and beverages for breaks, but feel free to bring more.  They plan on providing lunch and a supper meal for the workers at the end of the day.

Please let them know if you plan to come so they can prepare enough food. Please RSVP to tbwchapter@northcountrytrail.org.

Meet at Krause Road south of Brubaker Road by the communication towers (the Google Maps location shown here is only approximate!).  There are a group of towers at that location that are visible from miles around.  Consult your county map of Emmet County because unless you are familiar with the area it is confusing.  (The Google Map link here shows the preferred route to the work area if you were coming up from the south via US-131 from the direction of Point A on the map.  You want to end up at Point B.)

Camping is available on private land if you want to stay overnight and help the next day too.  Help eat up the leftovers!   Any questions other than the RSVP, call Gary at 989-842-3478 or Jerry at 231-526-9597.
 

Summerfest 2008:   Chief Noonday's presence at the Hastings Summerfest once again helped promote awareness and use of the North Country National Scenic Trail as it passes through Hastings' own back yard.  This year conditions started out a bit damp, but from mid-afternoon on Friday things picked up weather-wise. 

Having learned a lesson from last year's flood conditions, this year we employed floating leak-proof containers for our literature stock.  This year's lesson was that the tarp over the booth is overdue for retirement!

Tom Warner and Larry Hawkins talk with visitors to the Chief Noonday booth on Saturday afternoon.  (Chris Sweeney was hidden from view in this picture.)

Location arrangements were a bit different this year — and a bit challenging.  Non-profit exhibits were sited along Court Street this time, and Chief Noonday's booth was just two doors down from the entertainment stage. 

Mick Hawkins joked with visitors on Saturday that he'd be glad to answer their questions if they submitted them in writing —  because the decibels emanating from the stage a few feet away were totally overwhelming his hearing aids.

Jerry Pattok, Larry Hawkins, and Joe Higdon were responsible for setting the booth up and taking it down, and Jerry handled transportation.

Taking turns staffing the booth (in some cases for more than one shift!) were Jerry Pattok and his family (Sandy, Laura and Anna), the Hawkins brothers Larry and Mick, Jean Lamoreaux, Tom Garnett, Jeff Fleming, Josephine Miller, Steve Hicks, Tom Warner, Chris Sweeney, and Joe Higdon. 

Thanks to all who helped with the booth this year.  And thanks to our visitors as well.
 

Chief Noonday Chapter members and workers and their families from Kashi got together on August 26th to whip the Trail in the Middleville State Game Area into shape and to revise the emplacement of an informational kiosk at one of the trailheads on Robertson Road.

Bear Naked Comes to the North Country Trail:   For those of you who are unfamiliar with the product, Bear Naked Granola is produced by Kashi, a division of the Kellogg Corporation in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Yes, they make more than corn flakes! 

In keeping with the natural, unprocessed character of their cereals, Bear Naked has also been promoting National Scenic Trails, having named two of their products after the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.
 

"Charlie's Contraption" is readied for re-setting a trailhead kiosk.

On the Friday before Labor Day, several employees and their families began their holiday weekend by volunteering their
time working on the North Country National Scenic Trail.

The workday was organized by Chris Sweeney, a member of the Chief Noonday Chapter, who recruited his fellow workers, had the Chief Noonday trailer pulled to the work site, and spent quite a bit of time on his cell phone guiding people to an out-of-the-way trailhead in the Middleville State Game Area in Barry County. 

Chief Noonday trail workers Jim Heaton, Charlie Krammin and MIck Hawkins joined the group to provide support and supervision.  After a brief introduction and instruction by Larry Hawkins, Chapter president, the group divided up and set to work.

A large, very heavy informational kiosk that had been the victim of many frustrated guys with guns was pulled from the ground using a home made crane designed and built by the “straw boss”, Charlie Krammin, who is better known to some as “Hiker Killer”.  The kiosk was shifted in such a way as to make it a less inviting target for those who are unable to hit moving targets.

The rest of the crew worked the trail east and west of the Robinson Road trailhead doing pruning, blazing the trail, and picking up litter.  Chris reported that the trail was generally in good condition and now is even better thanks to the efforts of the Bear Naked team.  In the early afternoon, a hot and tired group of trail workers returned to the trailhead for a much appreciated lunch provided by Kellogg's.
 

Before-and-after pictures of the kiosk repositioning.  Have trouble seeing the one on the right?  That's the whole point — making it a less conspicuous target for small arms fire from the parking lot.  The trail enters the woods just to the right.  (Click here to see the damage that had been done to the kiosk.)

The Chief Noonday Chapter extends their thanks to the employees of Bear Naked for their hard work on the trail, and to Kellogg's for releasing them to work on the trail as well as providing food and much needed electrolyte drinks. 

The crew consisted of Tamila Williams, Larry Williams, Ben Williams, Rachael Williams, Jon Warner, Monjur Hossen, Hway-Seen Yeoung, Diana Seevers, Maria Ruhlman, and Roger Wenk.

Hopefully, we will see more support from Bear Naked and maybe someday a “North Country Trail Mix” in their product line — given that our Trail goes right through their hometown.  I encourage you to try their products.  I have, and it’s good stuff.

Larry Hawkins
 

K.B.S. has a busy workday:   Saturday was great day to be outside.  Steve Hicks (left) was so excited that he started in the wee hours when the dew was still heavy.  He was the first to start and the last to leave, mowing the entire length of the trail through the Kellogg Biological Station.  Part of his reward was getting stung behind the ear by a ground bee!!!

Larry and Mick Hawkins, Jerry Pattok and Ron Sootsman started the morning on a less healthy note packing in the calories and cholesterol at the Hickory Timber Inn — only to feel more guilty when Jeff Fleming arrived at KBS having biked five miles from Augusta to the work site.  Mary Armitage,a newbie on the work crew, came up from Kalamazoo.  Larry Pio joined us as well (Notre Dame having an away game at East Lansing). 

(From left) Larry Pio, Ron Sootsman, Mary Armitage, Larry Hawkins and Jeff Fleming in front of the brand spanking new kiosk along the Trail at KBS.

As I mentioned, Steve did a whole lot of mowing.  Mick and Mary were in charge of lopping and trimming, working north from C Avenue to the Bio-Fuels field.  Jerry Pattok pulled the old Jeff Fleming signs from the former trail route and replanted them where the trail, newly re-routed, now crosses 40th Street just north of C Avenue.

Ron Sootsman had spent last week building the new kiosk to go along the trail at the Bio-Fuels field.  Ron, Larry Hawkins, Jeff, and later Jerry, and still later Larry Pio worked on finishing construction and installing the kiosk where the trail up from C Avenue comes out at the Bio-Fuels site (and where the new re-route toward the Bird Sanctuary begins). 

We won't comment on who forgot to bring the paper stuff that was supposed to be displayed on the new kiosk.... 

We will be sharing that kiosk with KBS as part of our Interpretive Program.

We had hoped to get the new section of the trail blazed and to rehabilitate the old blazing, but were unable to accomplish that this time.

Thanks to all who turned out for the workday. As always, we so appreciate the donation of your time and talents to the trail effort.

Larry Hawkins
Chapter President - Chief Noonday Chapter
 

Volunteer Hours awards:  Jeff Fleming (100 Hours), Ron Sootsman (400 Hours), Mick Hawkins (1000 Hours), Steve Hicks (1000 Hours).  Not available for the photo: Steve Chapman (100 Hours).

2008 NPS Volunteer Hour Awards:  At our chapter meeting on October 8, chapter President Larry Hawkins presented awards from the National Park Service recognizing volunteer hours put in on behalf of the North Country National Scenic Trail. 

Receiving recognition for 100 Hours' service were Jeff Fleming and Steve Chapman. 

Receiving his National Park Service Volunteer shirt in recognition of 400 Hours' service was chapter treasurer Ron Sootsman.

Steve Hicks received his personalized fleece vest in recognition of 1000 Hours' service on the Trail.  Mick Hawkins had received his 1000 Hours vest earlier at the national conference at Cazenovia in August.
 

Before-and-after at Kimball Pines:  On the left is the former "bridge" (can you say "railroad tie"?) we replaced over the creek with the more sophisticated structure on the right.

A Bridge to Somewhere!  Another gorgeous day to work in the woods.  It was worth the drive to Battle Creek just to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. 

More pictures from the workday can be seen on our Photos page.

We met at our usual BC eating place, McDonalds on Michigan Ave.  Ron Sootsman and his son Joe joined us, and Joe did comment that the breakfast wasn’t quite to the standards that his dad had advertised for our work days!  Larry Hawkins, his brother Mick, Mike Wilkey, and Steve Hicks rounded out the group.

We were also joined for breakfast by John Rudnicki, our unofficial "Vice President for the Emmett Twp County Parks," and it was really great to see him again.  He is recuperating from further health issues this fall and is doing well but as yet with “no endurance”.

In Kimball Pines, the entrance to the road back to the beaver ponds now sported a large steel gate.   After contemplating all sorts of mischief to get the truck through, we opted for Plan B.  Larry and Steve took Steve’s truck loaded with hundreds of pounds of lumber and followed the back access road along the power lines and the railroad tracks to get the material to the site.  Ron, Joe, Mick and Mike Wilkey hauled the rest of the gear back in Larry’s garden cart.

The beaver ponds are back up again and the berm between them under about six inches of water, but the trail was OK.  When we got to the first narrow stream, we found our last year’s bridge flipped over and washed downstream about twenty-five feet.  Luckily, it’s quite portable, and we got it wrestled back into place.

The railroad tie over the second stream was still passable but its sills were sinking into the muck.  With the high water, it was very wet back there.

We carried the 2x12s and other lumber back to the site. Steve’s estimate of 16’3” needed for the bridge length was right on.  Any shorter and we would have been in trouble.   We set the sills on either side of the creek and constructed the bridge in place.

The deck of the bridge ended up quite high, but using some pieces of castoff railroad ties and decking material, we were able to build very serviceable steps at either end which further secured the sills lengthwise.

All in all, we ended up with a very nice, sturdy bridge, and we got it done by 11:30 AM.  Steve had done a fantastic job of pre-planning.  The only leftover lumber was a piece of 4x6, which we didn’t use, as we substituted the railroad ties, and a 2’ piece of leftover decking material.  Not bad!!!

Thanks to all who turned out to help.

Larry Hawkins