Magpie (left) and Constantine (right). Teamwork is a good thing. They’re showing me how to open a flavorful, though not really to my taste, beer using a lighter. Andy and I would spend an enjoyable evening chatting with the duo who are attempting a Fastest Known Time thru-hike of hte North Country Trail. Constantine will, after completing the NCT, have hiked all 11 National Scenic Trails. Andy went into Kalkaska, from the Sand Lakes Quiet Area, to fetch pizza, beer, and other snacks and drinks. Between the food and stories shared everyone had a great time.
--August 13, 2021 at 9:47 PM. Sand Lakes Quiet Area, Whitewater Township, Mi., United States.
Trails require maintenance. Many, if not most, have the maintenance performed by volunteers. This is true for the North Country Trail (NCT). Andrew Mytys and I have been taking care of a 6.5-mile stretch of NCT for well over a decade. Most people take care of shorter sections of trail but since we have a long drive to get to the NCT we’ve alway felt it worth tackling a lengthier section. This year we managed to time our summer maintenance with a chance to meet Magpie and Constantine who are attempting a Fastest Known Time thru-hike of the NCT. Additionally, after they complete the NCT Constantine will have hiked all 11 National Scenic Trails.
This is a substantial set of downed large trees. Way beyond our capabilities with unpowered tools to deal with. It’ll take her crew I sawyers with chainsaws to deal with this. Photos by Andy Mytys
--August 14, 2021 at 6:12 PM. N Country Trail, Bitely, MI, United States
Trail maintenance can be a lot of work and it does require you, sometimes, to learn some new skills. However, if you have ever wanted to give back to trails you love this sort of work is certainly a great way to go about it. For the NCT you can learn more at the North Country Trail Association’s website.
You can watch Magpie and Constantine’s progress on their YouTube channel HikingAmerica
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