Our Stories

NCT sections in MN need adopters!

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Andrea Ketchmark

The North Country Trail Association’s Itasca Moraine, Star of the North, and Arrowhead Chapters along with the Chippewa National Forest are looking for some new volunteer trail adopters for the NCT within “the Chip” in 2011. The specific sections that need adopters include:

FR2687C to FR3790 – about 1 mile, near Hackensack, MN
FR3790 to FR2108 – about 2.5 miles, near Whipholt, MN
FR2108 to 3rd crossing Woodtick Trail (FR2107) – about 3.5 miles, near Whipholt, MN
FR2850A (Hazel Lake) to FR2100 – about 2 miles, near Longville, MN
FR2100 to Co. 125 – 1.5 miles, near Longville, MN
FR2321 (3rd crossing) to FR3705 – about 1.5 miles, near Remer, MN
FR3705 to St. Hwy 6 – about 1 mile, near Remer, MN
FR2101 to FR2492 – about 1 mile, near Remer, MN
FR2492 to FR2743 – about 1.5 miles, near Remer, MN
FR2743 to FR2101/Co. 132 – about 3.5 miles, near Remer, MN

For maps, click on 2011 CNF OPEN Trail Adoption Sections (PDF, 612k). The NCTA and Forest Service provide all the tools and safety equipment volunteers need to maintain their trail section. If you are interested in more information on adopting any of these sections please contact Matthew Davis at (701) 388-1883 or davis@northcountrytrail.org. We will be hosting a volunteer trail adopter training session in Walker, MN on Saturday, May 21st from 10am – 4pm.

For more information on trail adoption, check out some of these resources…

NCTA’s Trail Adopter handbook (PDF, 5.1 MB)
Chippewa National Forest 2011 North Country Trail Adopter Info sheet (PDF, 184k)
NPS’ Job Description library, Job Hazard Analyses, and Tailgate Safety Series cards are available online.
Other volunteer resources are available online, including blazing info, NPS Trail Design, Construction, and Maintenance book, etc.

Al Mitton of Hackensack was a long-time trail adopter in the Chip

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The Laurentian Lakes Chapter is also currently looking for adopters for five trail sections in Becker County north of Greenwater Lake Scientific Natural Area and south of Elbow Lake Rd. For more information, contact Ray Vlasak or Chuck Church at llc@northcountrytrail.org.

The Itasca Moraine Chapter is also looking for an adopter for the following section:

Steamboat Forest RD to Hubbard Co. Hwy 4

The Chapter is also in need of trailhead kiosk adopters. These folks visit trailhead kiosks on a regular basis to make sure that the brochure holders are full of Chapter, NCTA, and NPS brochures and that the trail register book is still there with a pen. They may also choose to read through the register to identify any problems reported by trail users. For more information, contact Jerry Trout, trail adopter coordinator at jbtrout@tds.net or (218) 675- 5448.