Hike the NCTA in Lower Michigan

Scroll down for more details. This site will be updated as more information becomes available. Last update 7/15/08

Update July 2008
You are probably wondering if this idea is dead in the water like so many good ideas. The answer is NO!. I just had no idea quite how big a project this would be. You can see all the stickers that are designed below, with just a few missing ones now. I am going to try to get info for these this fall.

The booklet itself is in a mock-up state, and I am making progress on it. There is a lot of fussy work to making this come out right. This first version of the project is being "home produced" to see how it goes. Those of you who participate in this low-tech first version will have their booklets printed with "Charter Member" and the year when we actually get it ready to go.

You Asked For It!
The number one request by chapters, when polled several years ago, was for a method by which hikers could track their hikes in Lower Michigan. You wanted something fun and easy, with some kind of rewards along the way, and a bigger reward when the hikes were completed.

Hopefully, the first attempt to meet that request will be ready for next year's hiking season. (This has turned out to be a BIG project) It will be produced as a low-budget, home-done project to see how much interest there is. Since there have already been requests for how to get the passport, based on one lonely paragraph in the January 2005 North Star, it should be a stomping great success! Each section hike is rewarded with a sticker for your passport. The prize for a completed passport is yet to be determined.

Be assured that although this has turned out to be a much larger project than I envisioned, it is not abandoned. 14 new sticker designs have been added in 2007. Unfortunately, a trip I had planned for this fall to get pictures for some of the remaining sections had to be postponed. Keep recording your miles. We'll get it finished yet!

Participate!
Right now, we still need to develop stickers for some of the sections. Look below to see how you can help with this. When the project is ready to go, send for your passport kit, and start hiking!

FAQ's
How does it work?
The peninsula has been divided into 56 section hikes. Most are 8-12 miles in length, a few are a bit shorter, or longer. Yes, even road miles are included. The object is to hike ALL of the NCT. Hike a section, get a sticker for your passport book. Hike all the sections, receive some larger reward, yet to be determined.

Does it cost anything?
Right now, no... the Lower Peninsula Trail Council will pay for all costs associated with this project to promote hiking the NCT. We'll assess this as things progress.

What are the mechanics?
Once you have your passport kit, as you complete any section(s), you send in the form for that section and you will receive a sticker to go in your passport. You may send section information by mail or submit it on line (form yet to be developed).

What if the trail route changes?
Trails do that! But whatever you hike, if it is the route of the NCT at the time you hike it, it will count.

How do I get a Passport Kit?
Even though the stickers are not all designed, you can download the Report Sheets and begin recording your hikes. We are committed to getting this project going as soon as possible, so start hiking! Passport Report Sheet (a pdf file)

I have a question that isn't answered here

Feedback is coming in! Keep it coming! I'll post the ideas. We want each sticker to be somehow indicative of a memorable feature of the section it represents. Some are easy, some we need some help with. Look at the table below and see where we could use some help.

Segment	Miles	Description	Sticker theme	Sticker graphic if done (you can see the sticker with better resolution if you right click the graphic and choose View Image... or whatever your browser calls it)	Feedback
1	10.0	Ohio border to Pittsford Rd. TH	MI/OH border		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
2	10.6	Pittsford Rd TH to Black Bridge	Lost Nation		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
3	10.5	Black Bridge to Jonesville	Baw Beese		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
4	9.8	Jonesville to Litchfield	Rose Hartwick Thorpe		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
5	8.1	Litchfield to Homer	Grist Mill		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
6	13.8	Homer to Marshall	Honolulu House		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
7	9.7	Marshall to Bridge Park	Bridge Park		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
8	11.1	Bridge Park to Arboretum	Battle Creek		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
9	9.6	Aboretum to Kellogg Bio Forest Farm	Fort Custer		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
10	10.7	Kellogg Bio Forest Farm to Osborne Rd	Kellogg Bird Sanctuary		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change. Photo by David Kenyon, used with permission.
11	11.4	Osborne Rd to McKibben TH	Prairieville Cemetery- My Dog Ben		For explanation of this sticker, go to Chief Noonday Chapter. You will have to walk about 700 feet off the trail to see this. Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
12	10.8	McKibben TH to Yankee Sp Rd TH	Chief Noonday		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
13	8.4	Yankee Sp Rd TH to Middleville	Route of the Beeliner, Paul Henry Trail		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
14	13.8	Middleville to 76th St	Middleville Stagecoach		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
15	8.7	76th St to Headquarters	HQ, Robert E Lee		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
16	9.1	Headquarters to 3 Mile Road	Fallasburg Bridge		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
17	11.1	3 Mile Road to Wabasis Park	PM RR crossing		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
18	10.8	Wabasis Park to the White Pine Trail jct	Chief Wabasis- White Swan		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
19	9.9	White Pine Trail jct to Solon St. TH	White Pine Trail, Grand Rapids & Indiana RR		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
20	9.3	Solon St. TH to 128t St.	Howard Christensen Nature Center		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change. (Permission granted by Howard Christensen Nature Center to use their logo.)
21	11.6	128th St. to Croton Dam	Croton Dam		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
22	9.7	Croton Dam to 40th St. TH	Karner Blue Butterfly as a symbol of Prairie Restoration		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
23	11.1	40th St TH to M-20 TH	Old Manistee Trail		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change. (Permission to use logo from former Michigan Trail Finders Club)
24	10.0	M-20 TH to 7 Mile Rd	NCTA Schoolhouse		New connector trail to the Schoolhouse has been built. Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
25	10.2	7 Mile Rd to Nichols Lake North TH	Nichols Lake		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
26	9.2	Nichols Lake north TH to 96th St.	Cedar Creek Bridge		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
27	10.1	96th St. to Bowman TH	Sterling Marsh		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
28	8.3	Bowman TH to Timber Creek TH	Bowman Lake		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
29	8.3	Timber Creek TH to McCarthy Lake	McCarthy Lake		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
30	11.0	McCarthy Lake to Freesoil TH	Vince Smith Bridge		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
31	8.2	Freesoil TH to 9 Mile Bridge	Boardwalk		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
32	12.8	9 Mile Bridge to Highbridge	Udell Hills		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
33	11.1	Highbridge to Upper River Road TH	Highbridge (Pere Marquette RR)		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
34	8.6	Upper River Road TH to Marilla TH	Eddington Creek or Manistee River view	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
35	13.2	Marilla TH to M-37 TH	N boundary Manistee NF- old trail marker		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
36	12.3	M-37 TH to Highbanks	Old Indian Trail		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
37	8.7	Highbanks to Townline Rd	Highbanks Rollway		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change. (Photo by John Heiam- isn't it gorgeous?)
38	10.2	Townline Rd to Walton Rd	Manistee & Northeastern RR		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
39	11.0	Walton Rd to Sheck's Place	Valley of the Giants		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
40	13.2	Sheck's Place to Boardman River Rd	Sand Lake, Boardman River	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
41	12.9	Boardman River Rd to Wheeler Lake Rd	we need an idea!	we need an idea!	we need an idea!
42	9.3	Wheeler Lake Rd to SF Campground	Manistee Lake	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
43	10.8	SF Campground to C-38	Starvation Lake	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
44	9.2	C-38 to Alba Hwy (C42)	Five Lake		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
45	8.6	Alba Hwy (C42) to Big Marsh Rd	Jordan River Valley		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
46	10.6	Big Marsh Rd to Dobleski Rd	Warner Creek, Dead Man's Hill	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
47	10.3	Dobleski Rd to Thumb Lake Rd	Boyne Mt, morels	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
48	13.7	Thumb Lake Rd to Maxwell Rd	Cherry Valley	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
49	10.9	Maxwell Rd to NCMC Parking	Emmett Co high point,NCMC, Whitetail deer, Bear River	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
50	10.2	NCMC Parking to Kipp Rd	Petoskey Stone		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
51	9.3	Kipp Rd to Larks Lake Rd	Trilliums	I have a better idea	I have a better idea
52	11.8	Larks Lake Rd to Co Rd 66	Beckon Road		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
53	6.8	CO Rd 66 to Lakeview	Lake MI shore at Sturgeon Bay		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
54	9.5	Lakeview to Co Rd 81	Wilderness State Park		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
55	9.9	Co Rd 81 to Mackinaw City	Carp River Bridge		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.
56	5.0	Mackinaw City to St. Ignace	Mackinac Bridge		Comment on this idea Comments on completed stickers will be considered, but unless your idea is a wild improvement, the design will probably not change.

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