Still Time to Comment on Hydrofracking in New York

how the Marcellus Shale is located in relation to the North Country Trail. Right click the map to enlarge or follow the FLT link below to see the full-size version (graphic from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference)

based on a press release from the New York DEC

In New York City, on November 30, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation held its fourth and final public hearing on the agency's draft SGEIS, draft regulations and draft stormwater permit for high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Previous hearings were held in Dansville, Binghamton and Loch Sheldrake.

In total, approximately 6,000 people attended the hearings, which each had an afternoon and evening session, and approximately 590 people gave verbal comments. An additional 669 written comments were also submitted at the hearings.

Hydrofracking will have a strong impact on the North Country Trail simply because the Marcellus Shale bed underlies so much of the area through which the trail passes.

"The turnout of 6,000 people at the hearings demonstrates how strongly New Yorkers feel about this important issue," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said. "Nearly 600 individuals took the time to voice their opinions."

"I appreciate the public's unprecedented attendance and attention to this issue. The comments made at the hearings will be seriously considered as we move forward with developing the final rules and conditions. I encourage New Yorkers to continue to read the documents and submit their feedback to DEC before the comment period ends on January 11."

See to submit comments on High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing

This affects all FLT maps M1-M33 and NCTA map PA-01, 02, 03

See Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling and the NCT

Continuing Mineral Extraction Controversy in the Allegheny National Forest

Allegheny National Forest Hills in autumn (photo by jhy)

based on news articles in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: In Rebuttal / Two different standards and Stand up for states' rights

The problems of mineral and timber extraction in the Allegheny National Forest of Pennsylvania are an old and bitter news item. For the issues of oil and gas drilling the problem is intensified by the fact that the Forest does not own the sub-surface rights. Thus, the government has no legal right to prevent the industry from taking what is legally theirs.

Problems arise, however, due to the fact that oil wells, tanks, roads and pipelines have to be built on the surface in order to extract the minerals. This infrastructure does intrude on the landscape that belongs to the National Forest. Many law suits over these issues have been brought over the years. With the recent hoopla about the potential for the development of the Marcellus Shale, and hydrofracturing processes, the issue is hot once again.

Because there are nearly 100 miles of North Country Trail within the Allegheny National Forest, the trail is often impacted.

The legal issues surrounding the Allegheny battles are much more complex than recreation vs industry. Two-century-old laws concerning the acquisition and uses of federal land come into play. Recently the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Allegheny National Forest has almost no authority to permit (or not) the surface infrastructure needed to extract sub-surface minerals.

Those who feel that the modern recreational uses of National Forests is paramount in importance are outraged.

The battle goes on. Meanwhile, be prepared to see plenty of oil and gas rigs in Pennsylvania and Ohio along the trail.

This segment is on NCTA map PA-01

See Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the NCTA

new Clarion shelter (photo from the Clarion Chapter)

from the Clarion Chapter

The Clarion Chapter of the North Country Trail Association recently completed work on a hiking shelter near the Highland Drive trail head.

This shelter is the first hiking shelter ever built on Clarion Chapter’s section of the trail. It was paid for mostly by the chapter’s efforts selling chapter president Ed Scurry’s homemade hiking sticks. Several chapter members attended tthe geocaching event Geowoodstock IX in Warren, PA this past 4th of July weekend and were able to sell about $700 worth of Ed’s sticks and other items to the geocaching community throughout the weekend.

We decided that a good use of these funds was to build a hiking shelter.

The shelter was built during several work sessions in September and October. On October 23, 2011 Clarion Chapter held a picnic to serve as the grand opening for the shelter. Many members came out to celebrate Clarion Chapter’s first hiking shelter.

And now we will rest for the holidays and winter and plan to pick up our tools and build Clarion Chapter’s second hiking shelter in the Maple Creek area as soon as the weather breaks in the spring. Hikers next summer will have plenty of comfortable options for overnighting in Clarion County.

This segment is on NCTA map PA-03

See Clarion Chapter of the NCTA

Pennsylvania- Watts Mill Shelter

(photo by Dave Brewer)

from the North Star, by Dave Brewer

Four miles from the Pennsylvania and Ohio border, landowners Dennis and Cathy Garrett helped us build a backpackers' shelter on their land, by working with us and donating materials. Chapter President, Lee Fairbanks, planned and directed the crews, procured materials, and did as much pre-construction off site as possible. An NCTA Field Grant provided the funding to make the project possible.

In total, sixteen Wampum Chapter members and friends along with thirteen AmeriCorps volunteers contributed their cheerful labor over two days in May to haul in the material and build the shelter.

This segment is on NCTA map PA-03

See Wampum Chapter of the NCTA

Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling and the NCT

how the Marcellus Shale is located in relation to the North Country Trail. Right click the map to enlarge or follow the FLT link below to see the full-size version (graphic from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference)

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from several sources

The Marcellus Shale is a geological formation in a large part of New York and Pennsylvania. The proposals to extract gas from this layer are being scrutinized closely by New York, and less carefully by Pennsylvania.

The extraction method will be hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking. This involved boring horizontal tunnels, and injecting water under pressure until the rock fractures, releasing the gas. The Marcellus Shale is about 6000 feet below the surface. There have been reported problems with the method in Wyoming, where it is being blamed for aquifer contamination.

If drilling is allowed it is highly likely that it will impact the North Country Trail in multiple locations.

Retired Pennsylvania DCNR Policy Director, Rick Carlson, supported a temporary moratorium, and the passage of HB 2235, which will temporarily stop new leasing of State Forest land while the potentially harmful effects on land and waters are studied.

New York has prohibited the practice in the New York City watershed, essentially the Catskills.

The Finger Lakes Trail Conference has offered a position paper on Marcellus Shale drilling. It states: "The draft SGEIS [Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement] characterizes “trails” as “visual features”. However, the FLT is much more than a passive visual feature; it is a long distance, wilderness character footpath, and provides numerous benefits to people across the state and for out of state visitors. The simple application of “line of sight” and “view shed” criteria does not provide adequate protection of these benefits. Although the occasional vistas do provide long views of the surrounding countryside, much of the appeal of the trail is in the active, physical involvement with close-by sights, sounds, smells, and the overall experience of being in a natural setting." It includes a 9-point list of reasons the FLTC opposes the drilling. These are:

• Dilution of trail resources
• Loss of wilderness
• Loss of trail quality
• Loss of trail continuity
• Loss of membership
• Hiker safety
• Landowner relationship degredation
• Increased motorized use
• Reduced likelihood of permanent protection

This affects all FLT maps M1-M33 and NCTA map PA-01, 02, 03

The entire FLTC statement can be read at Comment on the [Draft] Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement

NCT News from Keystone Trails Association

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from the Keystone Trails Association, Nov 2009 newsletter

The Keystone Trails Association (KTA), a volunteer-directed, public service organization is a federation of membership organizations and individuals dedicated to providing, preserving, protecting and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania, and to representing and advocating the interests and concerns of the Pennsylvania hiking community.

KTA Consolidated Grant
Thanks to funds received from the KTA DCNR Consolidated Grant and the assistance of Moraine State Park, two successful certification trainings for nearly 30 volunteers were held at Davis Hollow in August. Dave Krueger from SOLO was the wilderness first aid and CPR instructor, and Jerry Dixon and Sheldon Winters from Allegheny National Forest were chainsaw instructors.

Student Conservation Crew
Consolidated Grant funds were used to support a 21 day Student Conservation Crew that worked on State Game Lands 285 and 95 in Beaver and Butler Counties. Local NCTA volunteers from the Wampum and Butler Chapters stepped up to host, orient, and work alongside the crew as they built new trail and rerouted trail to improve the footpath.

This segment is on NCTA map PA-03

See Butler Noonday Chapter of the NCTA

A Glance at the Student Conservation Association

SCA crew with agency and NCTA staff, and hikers (photo from JHY)

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condensed from Pathways Across America the publication of the Partnership for the National Trails System

What is the SCA?
SCA is the United States' largest youth conservation association. It provides young people with hands-on service opportunities in all sorts of outdoor pursuits. Participants might do such diverse tasks as tracking grizzlies in the Tetons, restoring desert ecosystems, or teaching environmental education. Probably best known by trail supporters is the great assistance the SCA provides in trail construction and re-construction.

Youth can get involved with SCA through programs which last anywhere from three weeks to a full year. Partners with the SCA include government agencies such as the National Park Service and National Forest Service, or with non-profits such as the North Country Trail Association.

How Do SCA Crews Help Trails?
Working in all 50 states and over 500 natural and cultural sites, SCA crews have contributed the following:

• Backcountry and wilderness patrol
• GIS/GPS Mapping
• Habitat restoration and preservation
• Inventory and monitoring
• Trail maintenance and restoration
• Visitor services and interpretation
• Wildlife and fisheries management

How Does SCA Work?
Each opportunity for a crew is initiated by an agency or organization. A description of the project is prepared and the group then collaborates with the SCA to work out the details.

SCA members come from applicants across the country who are looking for ways to serve. Once selected they are trained and supervised by SCA leaders.

Administrative oversight is provided by SCA. This includes background checks, travel and living allowances, and occasionally medical insurance.

SCA members are volunteers, and the projects are funded through cost-sharing agreements with the partners.

How Has SCA Helped the North Country Trail?
One notable project was the rebuilding of trail through Slippery Rock Gorge, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 2006. The crew removed boulders which made the trail dangerous in wet conditions, created rock steps, improved drainage, benched and graded trail, and basically worked like dogs for a week in the mud. Now hikers have now idea of the work it took to create a safe and enjoyable half-mile of trail.

Bill Menke reports that three years ago an SCA crew built a mile of trail in Iron County WI.

See Dave Brewer's comment about an SCA crew that built a mile of quality trail at PA Gamelands 285 over a period of ten days last summer.

See Student Conservation Association

Pennsylvania Annual Cherry Pie Hike

Old Stone House(photo by JHY)

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from the Pensylvania NCT

For those willing to brave the outdoors, strap on your boots and get ready to celebrate the birthday of our nation's first president with the annual Cherry Pie Hike. The free program is set for 10 a.m. Feb. 20 at the Old Stone House in Slippery Rock.

The hike will follow the North Country trail and feature a hefty helping of history and a nice slice of cherry pie.

The North Country Trail offers a walking distance of more than 4,000 miles from North Dakota to eastern New York. The Old Stone House is a pioneer wayside inn originally built in 1822 and restored in 1963. It serves as a landmark on the trail's route through Butler County.

Dr. Aaron Cowan of Slippery Rock University will give a short presentation titled "Beyond the Cherry Tree: George Washington and Early Americans' Complicated Relationship with Nature." Visitors will be fed complimentary cherry pie and coffee and have an opportunity to hike the trail. There's an optional dinner after the hike at the North Country Brewery in nearby Slippery Rock.

You must register for the Cherry Pie Hike. Contact John Stehle, stehles@yahoo.com or 724-256-0674; or Dan Mourer at 724-445-3315.

The Old Stone House is located at the intersection of Route 8, Route 173, and Route 528, 12 miles north of Butler.

This segment is on NCTA map PA-03

See Butler Chapter of the NCTA

Lynn Discovers the NCT

Clarion River (photo by Lynn Haraldson-Bering)

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with excerpts from the blog Lynn's Weigh, used with permission

"Am I, like, the last person in the northern midwest/east to know the North Country Trail existed?" Lynn asked herself after discovering the NCT near the Clarion River in Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago. She has been on a weight-loss and fitness quest for the past five years.

Lynn, we are sad to say that many people do not know about the trail. But we are very happy that you found it! Following are some of Lynn's comments. Follow the link to read her full entry and see more pictures.

"When I was obese, I didn’t seek out activities that required exertion. I even avoided sporting goods stores and bought tennis shoes online just so I wouldn’t be reminded of all the things I couldn’t – but deep down wanted – to do. Within that mindset, I definitely wouldn’t have noticed a new sign along the road for a North Country Trail trailhead. Whenever I saw or heard the word “trail” I’d immediately recoil knowing my back, knees and lungs couldn’t handle a hike, even though I longed to see the forest from a place other than my car.

NCT (photo by Lynn Haraldson-Bering)

"But we were curious about the trail and where it would lead us, so we (literally) hoisted ourselves onto the trail and started our ascent. This is what it looked like along the way

"I’m all over this North Country Trail thing and ready for the next leg, hopefully before the snow falls. I’m even considering planning a long weekend next year around the trail and hiking it for hours at a time."

Read the full entry at Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes

Annual Community Fall Hike - Wampum, PA

The Gateway Commerce Center Reroute is officially opened (photos by Bob Cody and G. Warren Smith)

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submitted by Bob Cody

The Wampum Chapter of the NCTA October hike began with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate a recently rerouted section of the NCT near Wampum, PA on land owned by the Gateway Commerce Center, Inc. The reroute offers hikers several scenic views of the Beaver River Valley. With fall foliage in full color hikers were able to see the valley at its best.

At least 60 people attended the ribbon cutting. Chapter President Lee Fairbanks introduced Wampum Borough Mayor Jeff Steffler, Borough Councilman James Ferrante, and representatives form Gateway Commerce Center, Inc. Co-Owner Mr. Dan Bruce, Vice President and Chief of Operations Officer Mr. Tom Roth and Office Manager Ms. Deborah Sudano who cut the ribbon to officially open the Gateway Commerce Center, Inc. Reroute.

Once the ribbon was cut, 39 hikers took off into the woods following Hike Leader Bob Cody who is also Wampum’s Co Trail Work Coordinator. The trail traversed land owned by Gateway Commerce Center, Inc., Mines and Meadows, Inc., the PA Game Commission- SGL #148 and the Edwards Family. John Edwards served as Sweep and faithfully maintains his family’s section of the NCT.

Wampum’s Gail Blakeley organized the event. Gail has always organized our hikes and, as usual, everything ran smoothly. There were drawings for two NCT T-shirts. Snacks and hot beverages were served before the hike and at the 3-½ mile stop. Car shuttles were available at the 1 ½, 3 ½ and 4 ½ mile stops. JoEllen Sokoloski, Joyce Abels and Tom Snarey staffed the registration and refreshments tables and placed directional signs, balloons and ribbons where needed. Ron Justi was in charge of parking and helped shuttle hikers to their cars. Terry Jones permitted us to use his property for registration and parking.

scenic view of Chewton, PA (photos by Bob Cody and G. Warren Smith)

Special thanks go out to Wampum Police Officer Terry Bush who did an excellent job of directing traffic and protecting hikers on the road walk portion of the hike. And, we thank Wampum Borough Council for their help and cooperation.

Good fellowship and fine weather made for a great day on the NCT!

Plans for next year’s hike are already underway and will include a newly opened 2-mile section of the NCT in the Darlington, PA area.

See Wampum Chapter of the NCTA

Davis Hollow Cabin History Program

Davis Hollow Cabin (photo by JHY)

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from the Davis Hollow Cabin Committee

The Davis Hollow Cabin Committee of the North Country Trail Association will have a potluck dinner and program on the history of the North Country Trail's Davis Hollow Cabin starting at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 at the former restaurant at the Davis Hollow Marina in Moraine State Park.

The cabin is just one of two belonging to the Association along the 4,600-mile trail. The other is the former Birch Grove Schoolhouse at White Cloud, Michigan.

Chuck Book will present "A History of the Cabin" and its owners, including many photographs of the Davis family. Meat, beverages and rolls will be provided; guests should bring a dish to share. Space is limited, and reservations are required by calling 724-654-4918 before Friday.

North Country Trail

Farmers May Be Surprise Ally for Hikers in Pennsylvania

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based on a news article in the Patriot News

Pennsylvania, for years has had a "no Sunday hunting" law. In March 2009 State Representative Ed Staback introduced HB 779. This law would not of itself allow Sunday hunting, but it would give the Pennsylvania Game Commission the authority to decide whether it wants to allow Sunday hunting.

Proponents say that Pennsylvania loses revenue to neighboring states which allow hunting. They argue that hunters leave the state on Thursday for hunting weekends, so more than just one day of hunter spending is lost. Sales of hunting licenses in Pennsylvania have declined steadily in recent years.

Most landowners, farmers in particular, oppose the bill. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the largest farm organization in the state says they have 46,000 families that oppose the bill. Their largest concern is that they will need to spend the time policing their farms the extra day. Individuals have mentioned several reasons for maintaining the status quo. Examples include wanting to have a day they can ride their horses without concerns about people in the woods with rifles, and wanting to continue to have one day a week when they could relax slightly from concerns for livestock.

Fish and Wildlife services report that Pennsylvania Wildlife Watchers spent a Total of $955,903,000 last year and hunters Spent a Total of $936,459,000. The number of resident and non-resident wildlife watchers was reported as 4,688,000, while 926,892 hunting licenses were sold.

See PA HR 779 official information

A Pleasant Pennsylvania Hike

(photo by Dave Schmude)

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submitted by Dave Schmude

Pennsylvania NCT miles include many pleasant forest walks. Dave Schmude enjoys hiking the trail in and near Cook Forest State Park, which is about 32 miles from his home. It's always good to find trail that is marked, and mileages noted. Dave says this is where the trail crosses Route 66 near Marienville.

Whenever Dave and his family get the chance, they check out the woods. This photo was taken in July.

(photo by Dave Schmude)

Feel free to submit text and pictures of your adventures on the North Country Trail to jhy@t-one.net

In Depth Training Offered in Pennsylvania

from the NCTA

NCTA volunteers are invited to Wilderness First Aid and Chainsaw Certification trainings at no charge, thanks to the National Park Service and Moraine State Park. Those who complete the Chainsaw Certification course will be provided with a complete set of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for chainsaw work.

Wilderness First Aid 2-Day Training
August 15th-16th
"Old Moraine Restaurant" at Davis Hollow
Moraine State Park

Chainsaw Certification 2-Day Training
August 29th-30th
Davis Hollow Cabin--and project locations TBD [Davis Hollow Cabin and tenting area available to participants for overnight stay]
Moraine State Park

Contact Andrew Bashaw
NCTA Regional Trail Coordinator OH/PA
PO Box 5, Shawnee, OH 43782
740-394-2008

NCT in Clarion County Greenway Master Plan

Cook Forest State Park (photo by JHY)

based on a news article from the Clarion News

Clarion County (Pennsylvania) commissioners were presented this week with a 160-page document outlining a greenway plan for their county.

The plan combines towns and villages with the natural resources such as rivers, streams, lakes, trails, roads, hunting lands, boating access sites, historic sites and parks. "The Greenways plan is designed to connect everything together in a way that protects natural resources, provides for recreational opportunities and enables economic development opportunities though tourism and recreation."

The plan includes 14 potential greenways-- most are waterways. The land-based trails include the historic Baker Trail, and the newer hiking trail, the North Country Trail. Several former rail lines have been identified as possible trail corridors. "The plan ranks the county’s natural greenways on these criteria, and lists the Clarion River at the top, followed by Mill Creek, the Allegheny River and Cook Forest State Park in the “exceptional priority” category."

For economic development to occur, trail towns are important. All too often, land or water trails end outside of town at a trail-head parking lot with no easy route to businesses in the town. But it must be easy for hikers, bikers, canoeists, etc to gain access to businesses for them to spend money on their visit.

"Trail towns must provide at least three of four elements to qualify for trail town status: food, lodging, fuel and a main street shopping district. Other factors are optional attractions but they help: entertainment, recreation, historic attractions and other attractions."

"The plan lists five potential trail towns in Clarion County : Clarion, Cooksburg, East Brady, Foxburg and New Bethlehem. All have three of four major elements, but not all are exploiting the potential for tourism-based economics."

The county commissioners will consider adding the plan to the county's comprehensive plan on April 28.

See Clarion Chapter of the NCTA

Wampum Says Thank You with Big Cleanup Day

some of the tires pulled from the woods (photo by Wampum Chapter)

submitted by Dave Brewer, co-trail work coordinator, Wampum Chapter

Removed from the woods over the course of the morning of March 28th were over 180 discarded tires, two couches, numerous other pieces of furniture including two television sets, hundreds of feet of canvass hose, a bathroom sink, and sixty garbage bags of assorted small trash items. It was one of the dirtiest trail work sessions that Chapter has ever conducted, with all of the volunteers becoming intimately familiar with what "tire mud" smells and looks like as it covers clothing, hands, and faces. But, as a result, the infamous "mosquitoes of Watt's Mill" will find a lot fewer breeding places this spring and summer.

As permission is granted for new sections of the North Country Trail to be built across public and private land and construction begins, illegal trash dumps are sometimes encountered. The Wampum Pennsylvania Chapter found itself looking at piles of garbage and dozens of discarded tires as it added three-tenths of a mile of new hiking trail through the woods at PA Gamelands 285 and the Dennis and Cathy Garrett property at Watt's Mill last summer and fall. To pay back for the gift of being able to take the trail off of a road walk and into the woods, the Chapter decided to do something about all of that trash littering the landscape.

a volunteer carries tires from the woods (photo by Wampum Chapter)

Saturday morning, sixteen volunteers from the Chapter, the Independence Conservancy, Pittsburghcares.org, and the local community spent four hours cleaning up that section of new trail, the hillside between it and Watt's Mill Road, and along the banks of the North Fork of Little Beaver Creek. Trash bags, work gloves, and safety equipment were provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation free of charge as the clean up was registered as a Great American Clean Up of PA event. PennDot is also picking up the trash that was retrieved from the woods and piled neatly along the road, and will haul it away free of charge.

At noon, after the troops were retrieved from the woods and hands and faces were cleaned somewhat, a light lunch was provided for all. The morning was capped off by a local resident stopping and thanking the group for all the hard work done to get the area cleaned up. A rewarding finish!

See more about the Wampum Chapter
See more pictures from the work day

Pennsylvania Tour de NCT in PA

Pennsylvania hillside on the NCT (photo by JHY)

from John Stehle

Come Join us for a series of monthly hikes on the North Country Trail in Pennsylvania. It's called the "Tour de NCT in PA". We will cover all the non-road portions of the NCT in PA, working alternately from the Ohio border and from the New York border. The typical hike will be between 7 to 12 miles. We may do some car camping and maybe some backpacking. At the end, there will be a special "Tour" patch for everyone who did all the sections during that time period. To be on the regular email for times and places, send your email address to stehles@yahoo.com.

Stages completed:
Stage 1: On Sunday March 15, 2009 we hiked the first section from the Ohio State line at State Gamelands 285 for 4.1 miles. For those of you who would want to do a make up of that section we will be doing that section again on the Butler Outdoor Club Extravaganza on the Memorial Day weekend. If you want directions and a map for doing this section on your own, let me know.

Planned stages:
Stage 2 of the Tour de NCT in PA is the section from the New York state line in Allegheny National Forest. It will be on Sunday April 19. We will meet at Tracy Ridge Campground on Route 321 at 9:00 AM. We will hike the 11 mile section from Rt's 321 & 346 to Rt 321 to the South. Some of us will be camping at the Tracy Ridge Campground the night before so that we will be ready for a solid day of hiking. There is a one mile section from Rt 321 up to the NY State line which we plan to do the day before to "get our card punched" and so as not to add 2 more miles to the 11 miles already planned for Sunday. If possible, RSVP for planning purposes. If you want to camp with us, or to back pack half way on Saturday or if you want to stay at a local motel let me know so that we can coordinate our activities.

Stage 3: We will soon be planning for the sections near Wampum for May 2009.

John Stehle
Cell 724-256-0674

Butler Outdoor Extravaganza Includes NCT Events

from the web site of the Butler Outdoor Club

The Butler (Pennsylvania) Outdoor Club is once again planning a huge Extravaganza for Memorial Day Weekend. The North Country Trail will be featured for some events, and will benefit from the Gear/Rummage Sale.

Base camp is at Breakneck Campground near Moraine State Park and McConnells Mill State Park. Camping an food are optional. There are a variety of outdoor trips, fun workshops, excursions, and gear exchange / flea market planned for the weekend, along with evening entertainment. There is something for all ages and all interests. Both of these parks are on the North Country Trail (NCTA map PA-03)

NCT Events are:
Hike the North Country Trail in PA from the Ohio State line on State Game lands 285. 4.1 miles going through woods and fields. Much of the trail is along a ridge with several nice overlooks. If we're feeling strong, there's a possible 2 mile extension along a beautiful stretch of the North Fork of the Little Beaver Creek.

Excursion – Tour of Four Historical Structures. First stop is McConnells Mill, nestled amidst striking scenery and the deep gorge of the Slippery Rock Creek, a national natural landmark, the 19th century gristmill is the centerpiece of McConnells Mill State Park. Our guided interpretive tour will bring to life the working grist mill, its history and the historic covered bridge. Next stop will be the old historic oil pump at Moraine State Park, where you will see a demonstration and learn the history of the pump. Then make our way to the 200 year old log cabin house near the North Country National Scenic Trail. We will have lunch hear while we learn who lived here etc., now leased by the North Country Trail Assoc., used by hikers and backpackers. People like you can also rent it with facilities inside and camping outside. One more stop at the Old Stone House, a stagecoach stop, north of Butler. Find out how this historic structure was used other than a stagecoach stop and how George Washington used the old Venango Trail that goes right past this house.

For a donation, one can set up a table or gazebo for the whole weekend. “Set-up” donations will be going towards a good cause. The Davis Hollow Cabin, leased by the North Country Trail Assoc, is in need of repair at Moraine State Park. This old historical structure sits along the NCT for hikers or a weekend getaway. This Gear Exchange/ Flea Market will be on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Extravaganza from afternoon to dusk. It will also take place under a large covered carport in the campground.

The Annual event is always a real Extravaganza! This year is no different, with road, trail & mountain biking, canoeing or kayaking on lakes & streams, sailing, rock climbing, rafting, caving, horseback riding and various levels of hikes. Also pontoon boat tour, historical excursions, fun workshops such as: Backpacking, Glass Blowing, Providence Plantation, GPS Geocaching, Yoga, Historical Buildings Tour and Kids Activities. Breakneck Campground is base camp. Workshops and trips begin 9:00 AM. each day and leaders take you to where trip takes place. Breakfasts, bag lunches, dinner and camping provided, but optional. Friday evening is a Weiner Roast Picnic, Guitar and campfire songs with Nancy Dickson. Saturday evening is a Pig Roast followed by Reenactment with George Washington himself by Carl Roberetson. Birds of Prey is the Sunday presentation by Tamarack Rehab Center. Around the campfire will be telescope viewing and of course smores. Throughout the weekend a gear exchange/flea market will be set up, so join us to buy or sell. This weekend is a must!

Registration, and complete information about events can be found at Butler Outdoor Club

Cherry Run Suspension Bridge

Cherry Run suspension bridge, Pennsylvania

condensed from the North Star, the magazine of the North Country Trail Association, by Karen Klos

The Baker Trail carries the North Country Trail southward from Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, and there has always been a need for a bridge across Cherry Run near Crooked Creek Lake. Previously the trail went right through the creek, normally about a foot deep, and sometimes flooding to over six! Two other bridges had been located here, but each was washed out by hurricane waters. This new suspension bridge is six feet higher, and flexible.

The bridge was designed and built by Keith Klos, President of the Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the NCTA. Keith constructed the bridge at home, and then transported the pieces to the site. The upright posts were set in concrete on June 14, 2008. In July the cables were installed. 235 bags of Sackrete were used for the foundation. Four strands of 5/8" cable were strung between the posts with the anchor points 20 feet behind the posts. On August 2, the decking sections were hoisted and set into place using a trolley strung on an overhead cable.

stairs to the bridge surface

U-bolts were used to secure the decking to the lower cables. 36 support cables were then strung to the upper 5/8" cables. On August 3, railings were bolted to these support cables with a top handrail, a middle rail, and bottom kick rail.

The bridge was funded by the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy and the work performed by a network of volunteers from the Baker Trail, North Country Trail and Butler Outdoor Club, totaling over 500 hours. The bridge is on US Army Corps of Engineers land, and their permission was easily secured for the project.

Waymarking.com and the NCT

NCT Waymark

from Waymarking.com

Waymarking is a way to mark unique locations on the planet and give them a voice. While GPS technology allows us to pinpoint any location on the planet, mark the location, and share it with others, Waymarking is the toolset for categorizing and adding unique information for that location. Groundspeak's slogan is "The Language of Location" and our goal is to give people the tools to help others share and discover unique and interesting locations on the planet.

You do not need a GPS unit in order to browse the categories and waymarks on the web site. Sometimes even a postal code is sufficient to find waymarks near your location. Waymarking is like a worldwide scavenger hunt, without the boxes and prizes of geocaching or letterboxing.

"North Country Trail - State Route 59, Pennsylvania" Waymark
Related Post: Wacky for Waymarking Finds the NCT