Our Stories

Larry Bell: NCNST Long Distance Hiker

Larry Bell

Central patch + 1000 Miles and Mackinac Bridge

In 2024, I achieved the milestone of 1000 unique miles on the North Country Trail. While I had been on the trail here and there over time I started hiking in earnest in the fall of 2020 with the goal of completing the trail through Michigan.

In July of 2020, I was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on my left kidney and had surgery to remove it. At the height of Covid, I spent four nights in the hospital starting my recovery. Many people do not live after getting kidney cancer and my doctor said that I had an angel on my shoulder. (I also had prostate cancer in 2007.) While recovering in the hospital, I had time to reflect and think about what comes next in life. What things did I still want to accomplish? Well, one of those things was hiking the NCT across Michigan, my home state, and in October of 2020 I took my first hike towards my goal by hiking the first 11 miles of the trail in southern Michigan.

When I started on my quest I questioned whether I would be able to overcome the logistics of accessing the trail for hikes, especially in the more remote locations. Fortunately, I have a lot of friends and acquaintances across the state I made during my working days who have been more than happy to spot me for hikes. And I have been able to tap into the trail angels of many of the NCTA Chapters to assist me.

I have hiked in every month of the year. My longest hike has been 19 miles (the heinous road walk at the western end of the UP, now partially off road), with my average being about 11 miles. When I have had trouble finding a spotter, I have learned to use my bike to self spot.

The trail has been a haven for me. It has helped me improve both my physical and mental well-being. I am very appreciative of all of the staff and volunteers who keep this trail up and running, and I hope one day to be able to contribute my time to trail maintenance.

I am planning on finishing Michigan in 2025 and then…?

Learn more about long distance hiker recognition at explorenct.info/NoCoLo/index.htm.