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New chapter in the works in NE Minnesota

At a meeting last week, a group of Grand Rapids Area Hiking Club volunteers decided to form a new NCTA chapter – the Arrowhead Chapter – in northeastern Minnesota.  Certainly ambitious, the group decided to tackle the eastern 28 miles of the NCT within the Chippewa National Forest (MN-200 crossing east).  This is in addition to developing new trail across far eastern Cass, all the way across Itasca and St. Louis, and into Lake County a short distance to meet up to the western end of the Kekekabic Trail, a distance of approximately 150-200 miles.

The group must obtain commitments from 10 paid NCTA members before being able to write a chapter charter (which would hopefully be approved by the NCTA Board at its December 2009 meeting) and becoming officially a chapter.  In the meantime, the group will be focusing on trail development (route ID, scouting, layout, and working with landowners to obtain permission), planning 2010 events, and organizing communication and outreach functions.  The “chapter’ will be led in the interim by Doug Baker of Grand Rapids who spearheaded the effort.  Doug can be reached at (218) 326-4030.

They willhave their first trail workday this Saturday (10/3) within Bass Brook WMA in Cohasset and their next meeting will be on 10/28 from 7-9pm at KAXE studios in Grand Rapids.  For updates, visit the Club’s / Chapter’s website or their Facebook page.