Our Stories

Jay Shutt: NCNST Long Distance Hiker

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Kate Lemon

Jay Shutt

Pennsylvania
(Previously received the central patch + Ohio, Mackinac Bridge and 1000 Miles.)

I began hiking the North Country Trail in May 2018 when I joined the Buckeye Trail Circuit Hike Group for a hike in the New Straitsville Section of the Buckeye Trail that runs concurrently with the North Country Trail. In early 2024, I applied for and was granted the NCT long-distance hiker patch along with the Ohio and Mackinac Bridge rockers.

My NCT hiking continued and in 2024 I set my sights on completing all the Pennsylvania miles. I completed that 276.4-mile challenge on April 28, 2025.

I continue to enjoy many things about hiking on the NCT including the people I have met and now count as friends; seeing and learning about areas the trail passes through; the beauty of nature observed at a walking pace; the sense of accomplishment that comes from a successful hike; and the sense of well-being that comes from a physical workout. I have hiked on beautiful spring and fall days, in the sunshine and in the rain, in the heat of summer, and in the snowy cold of winter, and have found that they are all enjoyable in their own ways.

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

The North Country Trail Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The tax identification number is 38-2423480. View the state disclosure statement at northcountrytrail.org/transparency.