Events

The North Country Trail (NCT) is 1 of 11 designated National Scenic Trails (NST) of our National Park System (NPS). The NCT is the LONGEST at over 4,900 miles, while the New England Trail (NET) with just 215 miles, is almost the SHORTEST. For reference purposes, our Chief Noonday Chapter manages 120 miles, so the NET is less than 2x that. BUT, those 215 miles are packed with phenomenal scenery, challenging landscape, and 30,000 feet of net elevation change! Covering Connecticut and Massachusetts, it ends at the New Hampshire border. Ryan’s photo was taken at the Southern Terminus, Long Island Sound, CT. Although the trail is rated Moderate, the logistics are rated Difficult.

In June 2024, Ryan backpacked the southernmost 60 miles of the New England Trail, one of the newest National Scenic Trails and the shortest. Ryan will share his experiences on the trail and talk about lessons he learned that apply to our section of the North Country Trail.

BIO: Ryan Bowles leads the Trail Adopter program for the Chief Noonday Chapter. He is a father of 4, a professor at Michigan State University, and an avid long-distance backpacker when he can get away from his family and job. Ryan thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1997 and has hiked many miles on other long-distance trails including the Florida Trail and Buckeye Trail. He has completed over 800 unique miles on the NCT and will finish the lower peninsula of Michigan in 2025. Ryan has been a dedicated volunteer with the North Country Trail for more than a decade. Before joining the Chief Noonday Chapter, he was president of the Chief Baw Beese Chapter and later chaired the North Country Trail committee for NORTA, the maintaining affiliate in northwestern Ohio.