25th Annual Conference

Conference Schedule

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  • Preconference Activities - Wednesday, July 29
    • 1. 7:30am - 8:30pm - Western Terminus/Dakota Day Trip - FULL
      Explore some of ND's legendary places on this journey to the Western Terminus of the NCT at beautiful Lake Sakakawea State Park. Hike the western-most 1.5 miles of the NCT. Learn the history of the lake's namesake with stops at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Limited seating. Cost of $25 includes transportation, breakfast, lunch and park admission fees. Leave at 7:30am Wednesday July 29 return by 8:30pm. Dinner on your own. Pre-registration required. Hosted by Tom Gilbert and Fred Szarka, National Park Service.
    • 2. 8:00am - Wild Dakota Adventure! (overnight)
      Join us for a 10-12 mile (over two days) hiking adventure at the Lonetree Wildlife Management area, a 30,000+ acre tract managed by the ND Game and Fish. Enjoy a stop at the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Visitor Center on the way. At Lone-tree, you will hike to a secluded camping spot for an evening on the prairie dining by the campfi re. Camping gear will be transported ahead to the site. Fall asleep under the huge star filled skies to the music of a coyote serenade. Return for the conference after breakfast. Limited to 12 participants. Cost of $25 includes transportation, supper and breakfast. Meet at 8am Wednesday July 29 return by 4pm Thursday. Lunch on your own on Wednesday and Thursday and own camping/sleeping equipment required.
  • Thursday, July 30
    • 3. 11:30am - 5:00pm - Explore the Sheyenne Canoe/Kayak Trip
      Grab a canoe and traverse a section of the 581 mile Sheyenne River through rolling hills, flat plains, tall grass prairies and hardwood forests near Fort Ransom. Limited to 20 participants, subject to cancellation if water levels are low. Cost $20 per person for equipment and shuttle or $8 if you bring your own equipment. Family friendly.
    • 4. 11:30am - 5:00pm - The Great Karnak/Prairie Hike
      Begin this 6 mile hike by walking beneath the 2,741 foot long Karnak High Bridge where the marsh opens up to form Lake Ashtabula. Gently rolling terrain offering scenic views from the west shoreline. Moderate in difficulty. trail structures, to bench or not to bench and what do we do with wet areas, livestock and other critters.
    • 5. 12:00pm - 5:00pm - Medicine Wheel Park Family Hike
      Hike through the woods, visit the Medicine Wheel and take a walk through our Solar System all in one afternoon! Moderate 1 mile hike.
    • 6. 12:00pm - 2:30pm - Rosebud Visitor Center & Specialty Shops Tour you can help others in return!
      Visitor Center exhibits include a restored 1881 Superintendent's rail coach with original furnishings, railroad and homesteading history and ND Ag Hall of Fame. Browse through some of the numerous specialty shops for which Valley City is known.
    • 7. 2:30pm - 5:00pm - John Deere Seeding Group/Malach USA Tour
      Visit a state-of-the-art air seeder manufacturing facility-the only one of its kind used by John Deere in the US! The company employs 300 people in a 236,000 sq. ft. facility. Malach USA is a manufacturer and preferred supplier of metal products for the bus industry and supply construction markets in the Midwest. Check out their all new computerized equipment.
  • Friday, July 31
    • 8. 8:00am - 4:30pm - Trail Crew Leader/Trail Maintainer
      Classroom discussion focusing on proper planning and communication with volunteers and hikers to insure group safety while working and hiking on the trail. Then the session moves into the field for hands-on discussion about how to properly maintain and sign the NCT in a sustainable way that makes for a pleasant hiking experience for the casual hiker. Topics covered will include trailheads, blazing, mowing and trimming intervals and techniques, trail structures, to bench or not to bench and what do we do with wet areas, livestock and other critters.
    • 9. 8:00am - 9:50am - Chapter Management: The Tough Issues
      Peer discussion moderated by Executive Director Bruce Matthews and facilitated by key chapter leaders. Some topics are member relations, reaching out to new audiences and working with landowners. Bring your own issues and questions to share and maybe you can help others in return!
    • 10. 8:00am - 9:50am - Chapter Web Page Design and Maintenance
      Whether you are high-tech or techno-deprived, this workshop will have something for you. For those lacking professional expertise, Matt Rowbotham will show you how to create and maintain your own website using the new NCTA template. See it first here! Helpful hints and tips on how to make your site great.
    • 11. 8:00am - 9:50am - Outdoor Photography by the Obsessed Photographers Group
      Want to shoot photos like a pro? The Obsessed Photographers will show you how! First hour will be in the classroom with the second out on the trail using what you learn to take amazing photographs. Don't forget your camera!
    • 12. 8:00am - 10:00am - Morning Kids Activities (Drop off the kids)
      Visit the VCSU Planetarium and learn to navigate with Lewis & Clark, followed by a tour of the Rosebud Visitor Center and the 1881 Superintendents railcar! Minimum of 10 participants, must pre-register, cost of $10 per person for admission and supplies.
    • 13. 10:00am -11:50am - Fundraising: Show Me The Money
      Grant sources, writing tips and hints, the big ask and leveraging funds. Also learn how NCTA HQ accounting is structured to support chapter fund-raising review of NCT board policies, Participants are guaranteed to make money at this workshop!
    • 14. 10:00am - 11:50am - GPS Skills
      NCT instructors will show beginning to advanced users how to utilize GPS and computer mapping to accomplish what you want for fun or trail use. Classroom training followed by question and answer session. Bring your own unit or one may be provided for you. Discussion will be followed by a presentation from Tom Moberg on using GPS and other techniques to create "Adventure Travel" websites or document your hikes and trips on-line!
    • 15. 10:00am - 11:50am - Hiking Fun for Kids
      Let's face it, sometimes getting a child to hike is about as easy as asking them to eat vegetables. This class will present some exciting and enticing ways to get young people out on the trail.
    • 16. 12:00pm - 4:30pm - Clausen Springs Loop Family Hike
      This 2 mile loop around the lake at Clausen Springs Recreational Area includes scenic lake views, secluded picnic and camping areas, pine forests, a trek across an earthen dam and a geocache or scavenger hunt. Easy hike - family friendly.
    • 17. 12:00pm - 4:30pm - Ladies Line Railroad Hike
      This 4.3 mile segment connects the city of Kathryn with Clausen Springs Recreational Area on an abandoned rail line. This segment is a great place to see pheasant or deer and to pick up railroad artifacts! Easy hike - mostly level.
    • 18. 12:00pm - 4:30pm - Quick Trip to LA Hike
      Begin with a tour of Baldhill Dam at the US Army Corps of Engineers headquarters followed by a leisurely stroll along the shores of Lake Ashtabula. Easy 2.5 mile hike - family friendly and opportunities for birding.
    • 19. 12:00pm - 4:30pm - GPS Demo/Practice
      Field session for those who attended classroom course. Includes a short hike and possible geocache session!
  • Saturday, August 1
    • 20. 8:00am - 5:00pm - Family Day Trip
      Take the kids to see a herd of live buffalo including two rare white buffalo at the National Buffalo Museum in Jamestown, ND. Hike the White Cloud Nature Trail, visit the Pioneer Village and pet the world's largest buffalo. Minimum of 10 participants, must pre-register, cost of $18 per family includes transportation and admission.
    • 21. 8:00am - 5:00pm - Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway Guided Bus Tour
      The byway follows the Sheyenne River, the longest river in North Dakota. The ancient river was formed by the melting Wisconsinan glacier about 13,000 years ago which carved a trench that can in some places be 330 feet deep and a mile wide! Visit a number of the 40 interpretive sites along the 63 mile route. Family friendly. $10/person bus fee.
    • 22. 8:00am - 5:00pm - Stairway to Heaven Hike
      The Oak Ridge Trail was the first segment of NCT certified in ND (1983). The route includes the "Stairway to Heaven," a beautiful stand of white pine, spring-fed brooks and a wooded abandoned roadbed leading to the only registered waterfall in the state. Moderate 6.4 mile hike.
    • 23. 8:00am - 5:00pm - Prairie flowers, Pelicans and Norwegian Elk Hike
      Visit the badlands of Lake Ashtabula. See the cactus and "Baldhills!" Easy to moderate 10 mile hike with lots of scenic views and wildlife viewing opportunities.
    • 24. 8:00am - 5:00pm - Gras Hike
      This 72,000 acre grassland is home to the largest population of the greater prairie chicken in ND, the threatened western prairie white-fringed orchid, and two unique butterfl y species, the Dakota Skipper and Regal Fritillary. Easy to moderate 8 mile hike.
    • 25. 8:00am - 1:00pm - Historic Fort Ransom Hike
      Stroll through Fort Ransom State Park, nestled in the Sheyenne River Valley, past the 1884 Sunne Demonstration Farm and all the way through to historic Fort Ransom. Snoop through the specialty shops and enjoy your lunch enroute back to Valley City. Easy to moderate 3.7 mile hike.
    • 26. 1:00pm - 5:00pm - Historic Bridges Hike
      Designed and built in a time when appearance was as important as function, the bridges of Valley City are a priceless collection of some of the most beautiful and unique bridges in the United States. See the beautiful arches of the Rainbow Bridge and stand beneath the towering 162 feet high, 3,860 feet long High Line Railroad Bridge. Also includes the Medicine Wheel Park, the only park which overlooks the city - easy hike.
  • Sunday, August 2
    • 27. 9:00am - 10:30am - NCT/VC GPS Scavenger Hunt
      Learn more about Valley City and the North Country Trail in this fun family activity!
    • 28. 9:00am - 11:00am - Historic Bridges Driving Tour
      From the delicate steel lattice work of the University Foot Bridge and the sculptured concrete "Rainbow" Bridge to the breathtaking engineering feat of the High Line railroad bridge, each is unique in its design and story. Self-guided tour.
    • 29. 9:00am - 1:00pm - Waterfall Hike
      Join us for an out and back stroll through wooded coulees and river bottoms, scenic overlooks, a spring that flows out from a hillside beneath a stately basswood tree and the only registered waterfall in the state! Moderate 4.4 mile hike - family friendly. Carpool and lunch on your own in the scenic town of Fort Ransom.