Our Stories
2024 Volunteer Awards: Lifetime Achievement
The Thomas L. Gilbert Lifetime Achievement Award is presented in recognition of 15+ years of true dedication, exceptional service, and outstanding contributions toward the dream of the North Country Trail, or the success and growth of the NCTA – not just local service. Service may be performed in a voluntary or paid capacity.
Gary Carlson
The Border Route Trail was planned and constructed in the early 1970s by a group called the Minnesota Rovers Outing Club. Around 1976, Gary joined that group and started volunteering. The trail was completed in 1993; the Border Route Trail Association was incorporated in 2004; and the trail officially became part of the North Country National Scenic Trail in 2019. Gary is mentioned in some of the earliest meeting notes; he became an official board member in 2011. Over the decades, he has been a leader in trail building and maintenance activities. Each spring, he organizes and leads a clearing trip in the non-wilderness section, during which he provides meals in appreciation for the volunteers who drive hundreds of miles to participate. Gary opens up his home to monthly board meetings. His vast knowledge of construction, woodcraft, signage, and agency collaboration, as well as his friendly and supportive demeanor, have helped make the Border Route Trail what it is today.
Deb Koepplin
Deb has been actively improving and promoting the North Country Trail for the past two decades at the Chapter, state, and national levels. She has made many, many contributions from time and mileage to philanthropic gifts and beyond. Deb has served on multiple NCTA committees and has held a variety of leadership roles within the Sheyenne River Valley Chapter, including President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Membership Chair. She also regularly volunteers for trail maintenance, and is often a trail representative at events across North Dakota. During the pandemic, alongside Regional Trail Coordinator Matt Davis, she hiked nearly the entire Sheyenne River Valley Chapter segment along Lake Ashtabula to perform a much-needed trail assessment. As if that wasn’t enough North Country Trail in her life, Deb has participated in multiple Hike 100 Challenges and annual Celebrations. In fact, she was instrumental in planning two of those Celebrations (then called conferences) and, just this year, made a Chapter-level hike challenge a reality.
Tim Mowbray
When Tim first joined the Brule-St. Croix Chapter, it’s unlikely he foresaw the leadership he would shoulder for decades to come. He was a trail adopter for a particularly challenging section; Chapter President for six years; and he served on both the Chapter’s Executive Committee and the national Board of Directors. When a land parcel or easement is up for consideration to further protect the trail, Tim is often the one to approach the landowner, due to his abundance of friends and contacts. He led the Trail Town designation for Solon Springs, Wisconsin, then purchased and installed the signage at his own expense. He still maintains contact with area businesses that provide essential services to North Country Trail hikers, providing a local face for the trail in his community. Following Tim’s service to the national board, he returned to the role of Chapter Treasurer. Whenever there is a need to table an event, transport equipment, or contact a local official, Tim is always ready to pitch in to advance the trail.
Learn more about how the you can honor NCTA volunteers for their service on and for the North Country National Scenic Trail, and submit a nomination at northcountrytrail.org/volunteer-awards.
