Hiatus

Obviously, I've been awol for a few months. Some insane work and family demands put me out of the country, away from home or simply out of time since the end of the summer. I'll be commenting more as the winter proceeds on the North Country Trail.

As of today, a large portion of the trail is bathed in a layer or snow and/or ice, after a chilly cold front made its way through the Great Lakes region this week. I am looking forward to some skiing and possibly some winter riding in the weeks to come.

If anybody gets out to the NCT this winter with a camera, drop me a line. I'm always looking for pics for the blog.

North Country Trail Weekend in Michigan

The Western Chapter of the Michigan Mountain Bike Association hosted a North Country Trail camp and ride weekend on August 24-26. The MMBA is one of the most active and well organized mountain bike advocacy groups in the Country. The Western Chapter covers the geography that includes the NCTA headquarters. Needless to say, there is little overlap between the two organizations.



It isn't for trying, however. The MMBA at the State Level has tried reaching out to the NCTA for a long time, offering to send volunteers to work on the NCT during scheduled work days. After all, cyclists helped build much of the existing trail. There are some interesting and unfortunately typical comments on the NCTA boards from members of the NCTA regarding offers from Cyclists to help maintain trail. Check it out. It gets ugly. It's no surprise that the NCTA has a hard time recruiting members when they turn away people who want to help maintain Public Trails!

Anyway, Nate Phelps of the MMBA Western Chapter has posted a brief recap of their group ride on the Marilla-Redbridge section of the NCT in the Manistee National Forest. I'll have a couple of more Pics to post after the holiday weekend.

The ride started out with a pavement warm up. We stopped 5 or 6 times before reaching Coates Highway. We lost three riders there. The rest of us took off for the trailhead at Marilla, 12 or so miles away. The first of several grinding climbs is right out of the box. In between, the descents seem to weave and roll forever. The trail was in great shape. The rain had tamed the sand and the soil had sucked up the water. In fact it was dry, but left that tack behind that grips no matter how stupid you ride. And the trail gets mach stupid in places. The rewards are always in place after the leg-busting climbs.

A couple of miles from the trailhead the forest opens up and reveals an inspiring view. The Manistee River blanketed in as far as the eye can see forest. The slow realization of where the trail came from, and where it ran, slowly creep into mind.

For anyone that hasn’t ridden the Red Bridge portion of the NCT, at times it can be hard to believe that you are still in Michigan. It’s also the only portion that I’ve been on and seen a hiker. On this trip there were 3 and friendly enough to yield the trail as we rode. Even after the dirt road ride back to the campground, it was a great ride shared by all.

Copy Cat!

Check out the new North Country Blog!

http://www.thenorthcountrytrail.blogspot.com/

Wow! The URL looks amazing like this blog's URL. Hmmmm????

The fact that there's not a single post since it started makes me feel better about the fact that I've been out of town for the past month.

Save the Continental Divide Trail!

The US Forest Service is threatening to ban bikes from the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST). If you are not familiar with the CDNST, it stretches 3,100 miles along the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. It is one of only a handfull of National Scenic trails and one of only two (including the NCT) that allows bikes in non wilderness areas.

All that could change if the Forest Service implements a draft rule that "would encourage land managers to kick bikes off existing routes, and not include us on future segments."

This action on behalf of the Federal Government does not bode well for cyclists, of whom there are 40 million in the United States. If the forest service kicks cyclists off the CDNST, what's next? How about the NCT?

The Continental Divide Trail Alliance, which coordinates advocacy efforts for the CDNST, has a lot of information online about the trail. Their site is worth checking out. The CDTA recognizes that "mountain biking is not a form of motorized travel, the CDTA believes that mountain bikers should have qualified access to the Continental Divide Trail outside of Wilderness and National Parks ..." It's interesting that the CDTA uses the moto "The Trail Unites Us."

Let's stay united and stick up for our rights. Uniting non motorized, muscle powered user groups for the interest of the whole trail means more advocates for the trail in the end.

IMBA has the skinny online now, along with info on how you can help. Don't delay. Make your voice heard!

Review: Singletrack MINDS

Singletrack MINDS is a short "documentary" covering the decades long trail access conflict between hikers and cyclists in Marin County, California. Produced by Poison Oaks Productions , the 30 minute piece includes interviews with local cycling figures such as Gary Fisher as well as trail advocates on both sides of the hiker/biker debate.

Marin County is known as ground zero for mountain biker and hiker trail conflicts. It sits adjacent to one of the continents largest metropolitan areas and includes a very large area of protected wilderness land. Look north from the Golden Gate bridge and you are looking at Marin County. That beautiful green mountain looming over the bridge is what everyone is fighting over. Marin is where mountain biking as we know it was started three decades ago. And it is also where groups like The Sierra Club first worked to protect public lands from developers.

That's Marin County in the background.

Singletrack MINDS uses interview clips as well as shots of local Marin trails to present a brief history of how and why things got to where they are today (which continues as something of a stand-off between two user groups). Many of the interviewees, such as Gary Fisher, offer candid commentary as to what went wrong in the early days of mountain biking to turn off the local trail advocates.

The documentary doesn't directly take sides. But there is a message. Mountain bikers made a lot of mistakes in the early days of mountain biking, which included an in-your-face attitude that turned-off land managers and reinforced negative stereotypes of cyclists that were being propagated by the hiking community. On the other side of the conflict there is an unwillingness to share public lands and a feeling that "hikers built these trails."

That unwillingness on the part of the anti-cycling crowd to "share the trail" comes up again and again in Singletrack MINDS. What may be insightful for multi-use advocates is the fact that the elitist arguments of hiking groups do not necessarily play well with all land managers and public officials. Hikers often present themselves as the "moral" and "righteous" side of the conflict. Cyclists might be able to overcome that argument by knocking down the stereotype of the Mt Dew drinking adrenaline junky and showing public officials and the public in general that cycling is a healthy, environmentally conscious activity .

The standoff in Marin County continues to echo across the United States. Singletrack MINDS is a great documentary that offers a starting point for education and conversation on the subject of trail access. Poison Oak Productions offers DVD copies of Singletrack MINDS through their web site. In exchange for a $5 donation, they'll snail mail you a copy promptly. I got mine in about one week.

"Spread the Good News!"

Velo Tracts is an in your face answer to people who want exclusive and special rights to public trails. Located somewhere in the Great Lakes region, the mysterious creators of Velo Tracts have borrowed a familiar tactic from evangelicals. Their tactic is described on their web site:

A tract is a leaflet or pamphlet containing a declaration or appeal, especially one put out by a religious or political group. An individual tract's message can be conveyed in words, pictures or both.

Perhaps the most world-renowned tracts are the awkward pen and ink stylings
of the unintentionally zany fundamentalist Christian crusader, Jack Chick. Chick
began drawing miniature comic book tracts over 30 years ago to evangelize and proselytize his faith. Over 500 million of these little books have been passed out on street corners from Amsterdam to Zambezi in almost 100 different languages. Whether you agree with Chick's message or not, his tracts captivate you with their blunt delivery and often surreal dialogue and illustrations. Described as lacking nuance and charity, they often leave both their 'believer' and 'non-believer' readers with an unintentionally creepy feeling.

Feeling unbreakable? Jack Chick will take care of that feeling. If you’ve got a strong stomach and non-malleable mind, check out his stuff at www.chick.com.

In addition to "preaching" an anti-elitist message of multi-use trail advocacy, Velo Tracts also utilizes some hip artwork in their pamphlets and their web site.

Don't be surprised to run into a Velo Tract evagelist one day out on the North Country Trail. Advocates have been known to pass them out to backcountry travelers, especially those who react in a confrontational manner to people who wish to do nothing more than ride their bike.

Mythbusters

If you've ever been to the Finger Lakes region of New York you can appreciate just how many opportunities exist for all types of backcountry experiences. From kayaking and canoeing to mountain biking, hiking and camping, Finger Lakes is a backcountry jewel. It also contains the Eastern end of the NCT.

It's good to know that the region has multi use trail advocates in the Western New York Mountain Bicycling Association. WNYMBA works to protect trail access for mountain bikers in the area. Their web site has plenty of great information on local trails and access issues, as well as an extensive set of bulletin board forums. The site also offers this little list of NCT myths along with the truth that busts them.

NCT Myths

The North Country Trail designed for hiking, not biking Trails designed for hiking and biking are essentially identical.

Both use the same design standards set forth by groups like the Forest Service, AMC, and IMBA. The only significant differences are (1) mountain bike trail designs need to consider transitions between open-and-flowing and tight-and-technical sections; and (2) switchbacks are often problematic for hiking trails because foot traffic cuts the corners.Mountain bikers want access to the entire North Country Trail.No. Groups like WNYMBA are not asking for sections of the NCT on private land in New York to be opened to bicycles. If Individual landowners allow access to bicycles, however, this would be welcome.

Congress modelled the North Country Trail after the Appalachian Trail, which is hiking-only.

Among all trails created by the National Trails System Act, only the Appalachian Trail is restricted to be "administered primarily as a footpath." Other National Scenic Trails are open to more than foot travel, including the Pacific Crest Trail equestrians) and Contintental Divide Trail (mountain biking, equestrians.) The Act states that "National scenic trails... will be extended trails so located as to provide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities of the areas through which such trails may pass."

Congress never envisioned mountain biking on trails when passing the National Trails System Act in 1980.

They may not have and we'll likely never know. However, the current Act states that "potential trail uses allowed on designated components of the national trails system may include, but are not limited to, the following: bicycling, cross-country skiing, day hiking, equestrian activities, jogging or similar fitness activities, trail biking, overnight and long-distance backpacking, snowmobiling, and surface water and underwater activities."

The NCT was built by hikers so it should only be open to hikers.

Mountain bikers and equestrians have contributed to building and maintaining the NCT. Because of the maintenance efforts of WNYMBA, the NCT section south of Ellicottville is one of the best maintained sections in in Cattaraugus County. In Michigan the Harbor Springs NCTA chapter was formed primarily by mountain bikers.

I especially like the last myth. Because it gets to the heart of what a small number of people out there want to do, rewrite history. Many sections of trail that today make up the NCT were opened and continue to be maintained by people who never intended that their efforts would only be enjoyed by one small set of users.

Where to begin?

From the horses mouth:

WHAT IS THE NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL?
In March 1980 Federal legislation authorized the establishment of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NST) as a component of the National Trails System. It is one of only eight trails authorized by Congress to be National Scenic Trails. National Scenic Trails are long distance, non-motorized trails.

In many ways, the trail is similar in concept to the more widely known Appalachian Trail--both are NST's. In other ways, it is uniquely different as it crosses a more diverse geographic area. The North Country NST will extend from the vicinity of Crown Point, New York, to Lake Sakakawea State Park, on the Missouri River, in North Dakota, where it joins the route of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.As work on the trail has progressed, it appears that the final length will approach 4,200 miles, instead of the originally estimated 3,200 miles.

HOW LONG IS THE NORTH COUNTRY TRAIL?
The best current estimate is that the North Country National Scenic Trail will be between 4,200 and 4,500 miles long when completed.

WHAT USES ARE ALLOWED ON THE
TRAIL?
The North Country Trail is built primarily for pleasure walking and hiking. However, in places other uses such as cross-country skiing, nowshoeing, horseback riding, and bicycling are appropriate and are allowed. On all public lands, local managers determine the uses that will be allowed in accordance with their management objectives and the capability of the land to accommodate the various uses without damaging the natural resources.

Over the past three decades the North Country Trail has slowly grown from an idea into a patchwork of trail segments stretching form New York to North Dakota. To date, many sections of the NCT utilize existing local trails that were/are already in place. In some places the NCT overlaps public rail trails. In other areas, such as lower Michigan, the NCT follows multiuse public trails.

While the NCT grows, it is also under attack. Not by loggers or developers, but by the people who would claim to protect it. The North Country Trail Association, a private group headquartered in Lowell, Michigan, acts as an advocacy group for the trail. But the NCTA has a myopic agenda. Their focus is not only to complete the trail and help to maintain it through volunteer support. The NCTA explicitly seeks to ban all other users from the trail. In areas where the NCT has overlapped local mountain biking and hiking trails, the NCTA is working to exclude everyone except hikers.

Imagine biking on a public trail your whole life, and even putting in volunteer trail work to keep it maintained, only to find-out one day that bikes have been banned from your local trail! That is exactly what the NCTA is trying to do.

This blog is intended as a place to present a view and opinion of the NCT that includes access for human powered locomotion where the terrain and trail can sustain it. The backcountry does not belong to one small clique. Like those trees in the forest, it belongs to all of us.