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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The annual meeting of the Sheyenne River Valley Chapter of the North Country Trail Association was held on February 22nd at Woodland Lodge Steakhouse. A calendar of events was planned which includes two mid-week evening hikes, and a regular monthly weekend hike.
The Chapter plans to celebrate National Trails Day in June at Fort Ransom State Park with a hike, canoe trip, an evening picnic and bonfire.
Spokeswoman Becky Heise said, “we are always looking for a few good volunteers to help with our monthly workdays on the trail. Anyone of any age can contribute to the cause by mowing, pruning trees, or even just hiking a section of trail to see if it needs work! If you are a handy person, we could use help building boardwalks or maintaining equipment.
Last year the North Country Trail issued the Hike 100 Challenge to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service. It was so popular it has been carried over for another year! Starting whenever you like, keep track of your miles hiked on the NCT throughout 2017. Complete your 100 miles and you will receive an award certificate, a nifty patch and be registered for a series of drawings for amazing prizes! New this year is the Build It Challenge! Complete one activity from a list of 5 or 6 choices to Get Involved and Spread the Word, along with your Hike 100 Challenge, and you’ll be entered to win a special grand prize drawing at the end of the year.
For more details or to register, check out their website at www.northcountrytrail.org/hike100challenge.
New to North Dakota trail hikers is the Dakota Challenge! The Dakota Prairie Chapter of the Sheyenne Grassland near Lisbon is issuing a Dakota Challenge for hiking all 427 miles in ND over the coming years. There will be incentives for every 100 miles hiked and a special patch for completing the entire trail in ND. Are you up for a challenge?
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the North Country Trail Chapter Honor Award. This year’s recipient was Alicia Hoffarth. Alicia has contributed hundreds of hours to the chapter doing everything from paperwork to trail work, grant writing, finances, and even sitting on the national Board of Directors for the North Country Trail Association itself. In 2007 she was awarded the North Country Trail Association Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her exceptional volunteer service over eight or more years. She is a dedicated worker and highly deserving of the Chapter Honor Award.
For more information on the North Country National Scenic Trail visit our chapter website at www.northcountrytrail.org/srv, the national website at www.northcountrytrail.org or call Deb Koepplin at 845-2935.
