BUTLER CHAPTER
DAN MOURER isn't fond of inaction. He likes things that get somewhere, and that includes trails. In order for the North Country Trail to get across moving water, bridges are necessary, and Ben decided to do something about that. He and his family, wife Peggy and sons Jesse and Ben, had hiked on the Quehanna Trail and crossed some bridges that they liked. They had also recently been introduced to the North Country Trail by Pennsylvania's indomitable Bob Tait. Although Dan works now as a rural mail carrier, he has past experience as a builder and cabinet maker. So he realized that it would be possible for him to build the needed bridges. In fact, he built them in his home workshop with the help of the whole family. Dan wanted me to be sure to mention the careful cutting and tight joints fitted by friend Dave Rodgers. The bridges were then disassembled, taken to the trail and put in place. Not too difficult you say? These are 48-foot clearspan, arched truss bridges. Now what do you think? Even dismantled the sections weigh 300 pounds, and the site was a half-mile from the road. No problem... Dan designed special dollies to distribute the weight, and recruited workers to walk the sections to the creek. About 20 volunteers built scaffolding in the creek to Dan's specifications and they bolted the bridge back together all in one weekend. One chapter member says Dan's "leadership, engineering, and dedication" were responsible for getting the job done. The bridges are now in place on a three mile section of trail in Gamelands #95, also built by the Mourer's. One bridge is named the Bear's Mouth Bridge, since it crosses the north branch of Bear Creek where it enters the Allegheny River. While they were scouting for the best location for the other crossing one site was easily identified by the remains of a dead crow; when that spot was selected it was just natural to name it Dead Crow Bridge! Dan has made a personal commitment to see the nine miles of trail west of the Allegheny River completed. He sees himself as a stabilizing force. "I won't burn out; I'm in for the long haul," declared Dan.
CHIEF NOONDAY CHAPTER
"Everyone has things they are good at," SHERYL DRENTH cheerfully proposed. Then she added that having a sense of direction is not one of the things she is good at. But Sheryl is an art teacher and so she decided that she could paint good rectangles, and knew that her desire to make the way easy to find would make her a conscientious painter of blazes. She was asked to blaze a section where the trail still follows a road. "It sounded like a simple thing," Sheryl commented with a laugh. She checked out the section ahead of time; it was a back road with little traffic. So far so good. But when she went to start her section she discovered steep ditches potentially filled with poison ivy. She had spread a protective "goop" on her skin to ward off the dreaded P.I. rash. It was beastly hot, and the goop got gooier and slimier, while bark chips from scraping the trees rained on her and stuck. Then the county trucks began to roar past, spraying gravel and dust. The job was "much harder than I expected," Sheryl added, but she was still laughing! "And I had blue paint everywhere, even the bottoms of my shoes, even...." Well, everywhere! Sheryl joined the NCTA in 1998 at the urging of Barb VanDyken. She thought she would just pay her dues and let it go at that. But after reading the first newsletter she got "sucked in" to the projects and the adventure of seeing what's around the next corner on the trail. "It makes me feel like I'm doing something good for the future," she acknowledges. Sheryl also takes advantage of every opportunity she can to tell others about the Trail. If someone shows the slightest interest, they get a brochure! She enjoys knowing that she is a good advocate for the trail. "The more people get outside in a natural environment, the more they know about it, and the more they will want to save it." Well spoken, Sheryl.
CHEQUAMEGON CHAPTER
DENNIS CHAPMAN has only known about the North Country Trail for less than two years. But that certainly doesn't disqualify him from being outstanding! He heard Mary Lucas (member Board of Directors) give a program about the trail and decided that he would like to hike and do maintenance. He's also a professional photographer, and has hopes of using those skills to record some of those scenic spots along the trail. Dennis has always enjoyed the outdoors, and even helped put himself through college by cutting trees for the DNR. Those chain saw skills certainly were needed in the Porcupine Wilderness area of the Chequamegon Forest where a blowdown had seriously blocked the trail. Since this is a National Forest, their chain saw certification is required, and Dennis completed the training to be a Class A Feller. Like many members in Wisconsin, he does not live near the trail, so each work trip requires a two hour drive each way. Despite the distance, Dennis made a preliminary scouting trip in order to plan more efficient work parties. He noted the location of each large downed tree using GPS. When the crew of 16 people went to clear the trail it was easy to zoom right in on the spots that needed attention with the right size crew, thanks to the advance work done by Dennis. His greatest satisfaction is to see the trail being kept open and useable. He also commented on the idea of making connections with people who are enthusiastic about the trail. "Somebody new shows up all the time, but they always have similar interests," he noted. We've heard from another chapter member that the reason new people show up is often because Dennis has brought them. "He's out there recruiting members right now!"