Our Stories

Arne Barras: NCNST Long-Distance Hiker

Arne Barras, Colorado
Central patch + 1000 miles

The NCT started for me in Milford, Ohio, and it was a delightful place to start. I learned while hiking the Ice Age Trail that I like the small towns as much as the forests – the family-owned restaurants and small stores, the conversations and discovery with curious locals, the history and years worn by the buildings, old and new. I wanted to continue hiking in the Midwest, and the NCT seemed like a supersize way to do so.

I started westward from Milford in the spring and got to see the redbuds bloom, the migrating songbirds reappear, and the broadleaf trees leaf out. I walked my way toward Michigan on a mix of easy and scenic paved bike trails, the remnants of the historic Miami and Erie Towpath, and roads along corn fields not yet planted.

By the time I reached the Manistee National Forest in Michigan, the trees were fully leafed-out and the ferns were unrolling a lush green carpet underneath. That May was a light year for mosquitoes, but a heavy one for ticks. Fortunately, by this point I had a hiking partner, and we would do a joint tick check after each break. Definitely a useful and productive practice! I’d hoped to get as far as the Mackinac Bridge, but the spring ice storm and resulting tree damage made many miles in the last couple counties impassable. I ended my spring hike just south of Thumb Lake, spent a couple of touristy days in Petoskey, and flew home to plan for the fall.

In September, I decided to hike the northern Minnesota miles. Starting in Virginia, Minnesota, I walked the paved Mesabi bike trail into Ely, road walked to the Snowbank Lodge at the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area, then traversed the Kekekabic, Border Route, and Superior Hiking Trails back to Duluth. Each was unique and interesting in its own way; the Mesabi easy, scenic, and a nice way to start; the Kek in its wild, near natural state; the Border Route Trail in its isolation and gorgeous lake views; and the SHT in all its well-maintained, social glory.

The hiking year ended for me 1,360 miles after it began, at the Fitger’s Brewpub on the shore of Lake Superior, enjoying a dinner with two other SHT hikers and a new trail angel. I can only hope all my NCT hikes end so well!

Learn more about this volunteer-led long-distance hiker recognition program at explorenct.info/NoCoLo/index.htm.