Upcoming events.
Header photo courtesy of John Keefover
NonWilderness Trail Maintenance Trip
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — Gunflint Lake, MN
FRI - SUN May 2 - May 4 2025
Estimated Cost: $25.00
Deposit: $25.00
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
Spring is approaching quickly and so are the trail maintenance trips on the Border Route Trail (a unit of the NPS’s North Country National Scenic Trail). This trip will focus on the non-wilderness west end which is a 17 mile section near Gunflint Lake. The non-wilderness section of trail maintenance is done with the following tools: hand saws, lobbers, chainsaws (for those with NPS or USFS sawyer certification) and brush cutters. These tools are used to clear the established trail of deadfall and brush. There may also be some blazing, signage installation and/or kiosk repair. The Border Route Trail is a rugged wilderness trail on the Canadian border – come prepared for cool or wet early May weather and uneven walking surfaces which can be slick in areas if recent rain. Plan on hiking with a daypack and working with /or carrying tools an average of 5 miles a day on the BRT overlooking Gunflint Lake.
Vehicle camping (tent) possibly along the Cross River or a USFS campground if open. This will be determined closer to the date. The location will be our base for the weekend. Further details will be given to those that sign up.
Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday plus dinner on Friday and Saturday is included (two breakfasts, two dinners). Lunch and snacks are on your own. Be prepared for cool evenings and moderate day work conditions near the Canadian border.
The following is a great opportunity/benefit offered by the National Park Service/North Country Trail Association for volunteers that do trail maintenance. Highly recommended.
The Volunteer-In-Parks Program is a resource which the The NorthCountry and National Park Service co-manage and can be found here.nps-vip-form The VIP program provides important protection for volunteers. All VIPs are entitled to the same injury considerations that NPS employees receive (provided they are operating within their approved scope of duties and NPS policies). Additionally, VIPs are recognized for their contributions and earn annual recognition items based on hours of service and are eligible to attend certain skills and leadership training.
Coordinator(s):
Pam T - jrtpdk11@gmail.com - (217) 248-0072
Gary C - grc70mn@gmail.com - (651) 470-2531
NonWilderness Maintenance Trip
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — McFarland Lake , MN
FRI - SUNMay 16 - May 182025
Estimated Cost: $25.00
Deposit: $25.00
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
A spring maintenance trip is planned on the east end of the Border Route Trail Friday, May 16 thru Sunday, May 18. This is hiking and trail maintenance on the Border Route Trail, a segment of the North Country National Trail, on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. We will car camp (tents) at McFarland Lake Forestry campsite, MN, at the end of the Arrowhead trail road. This will be our base camp. There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
The trip starts Friday morning at the trail head parking lot at 8:00 am and ends Sunday afternoon by 3:00 pm. There are two and three day work options. Be prepared for May conditions near the Canadian Border and capable of hiking/working 5 miles per day on rugged wilderness trail with your daypack with your food, water & appropriate extra clothing and working with tools.
We will use hand tools such as lobbers & saws, chain saws (must be NPS or USFS Sawyer certified), brush cutters and hand work of throwing off brush and logs. Equipment and safety gear is provided by BRTA.
BRTA will provide dinner Friday and Saturday evening, breakfast Saturday & Sunday morning and potable water. Bring food for your own lunches, snacks and special beverages.
More thorough details will be provided when you sign up.
Contact info@borderroutetrail.org
BRTA Annual Board Meeting
The BRTA invites you to join our Annual Board Meeting on January 18, 2025, at 1:00 pm. This in-person event is a free event open to those interested in hiking, maintaining, promoting, and/or supporting the Border Route Trail. The meeting location is at REI, 750 American Blvd W, Bloomington, MN 55420. The business section (20-30 minutes) will include a welcome, approval of the last month's minutes, treasurer's report, upcoming trail maintenance dates, and the election of the 2025 officiers and directors. We are excited to have as our keynote speaker Joe Friedrichs, author of Last Entry Point. A brief bio follows.
"Journalist and writer Joe Friedrichs lives near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. His books, Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters and Her Island: The Story of Quetico’s Longest Serving Interior Ranger, focus on in-depth storytelling from the canoe-country wilderness. An environmental and outdoor writer, he was recognized with an honorable mention for Journalist of the Year by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists in 2023. His writing has appeared in Backpacker, the Star Tribune, and Minnesota Outdoor News. In 2024, Friedrichs founded Paddle and Portage, a digital media company focused on the Boundary Waters."
BRT Fall Maintenance Wilderness Trip
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Clearing Trip!
BRT Wilderness Fall Maintenance - Clearwater Lodge
Registration is open.
FRI - SUN
Sept 20 - Sept 23 2024
Description:
Meet at Clearwater Lodge at 2:00 PM and backpack 5 miles to the Rose Lake campsite and setup base camp. Saturday and Sunday we will clear the trail of deadfall and brush using hand tool and work are way west 2.5 miles to Stairway Portage. Monday September 23 we will break camp and backpack back to Clearwater Lodge.
Group Size limit 9
$25 donation fee for Border Route Trail
Volunteer must provide their own food
No training or certification required but the North Country Trail Volunteer-In Parks (VIP) is recommended
https://northcountrytrail.org/volunteer/volunteer-resource-center/nps-vip-form/
PLEASE CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND DETAILS.
North Country Trail Celebration
2024 Celebration in St Ignace, Michigan
northcountrytrail.org
Extended Trail Clearing Trip
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Wilderness Clearing Trip!
Extended Trail Clearing Trip
This trip will be lead by John Taylor and will meet at the MacFarland Lake Campground on Thursday evening of 23 MAY 2024. We will be trail clearing the Border Route Trail as it goes into the BWCA, heading west from McFarland Lake. We hope to clear the trail from the trailhead to get to the McFarland-Pike portage.We will hike in Friday, Saturday, and Sunday leaving Monday 27 MAY 2024. Please bring your own food and water/purification systems for the event. The group is limited to nine.
Please contact John Taylor at johnwtaylor3@gmail.com to sign up.
BRT Spring Maintenance Non-Wilderness Trip
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Clearing Trip!
BRT Non-Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 2 - McFarland Lake
Registration is open.
FRI - SUN
May 17 - May 19 2024
Description:
Hiking and trail clearing on the Border Route Trail (a segment of the North Country National Trail) on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. We will car camp (tents) at McFarland Lake MN Forestry campsite at the end of the Arrowhead trail road. There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
PLEASE CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND DETAILS.
BRT Spring Maintenance Trip #2 - Wilderness
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Wilderness Clearing Trip!
BRT Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 2 - Topper Lake
Registration is open!
Please email gocbears@comcast.net for more details.
BRT Spring Maintenance Trip #1 - Wilderness
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Wilderness Clearing Trip!
BRT Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 1 - Clearwater Lake
Registration is open!
BRT Spring Maintenance Trip #1
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on Clearing Trip!
BRT Non-Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 1 - Gunflint Lake
Registration is open
November Board Meeting
Attend our November board meeting to learn more about how you can give back to your favorite trail by volunteering on our leadership team.
Midwest Mountaineering Spring Expo
We will be sharing a booth at the Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo with the Kekekabic Trail Chapter of the NCT and the Superior Hiking Trail Association. Stop by to meet our volunteers, learn about the trail, and grab a free sticker!
What is the Outdoor Adventure Expo?
Join all of your like-minded friends at the Midwest Mountaineering store, the big-top tents, and the University of Minnesota campus for over 30 Exhibitors, over 40 Presentations, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, and our biggest Sale of the Season!
Meet with exhibitors including local environmental non-profits, trail organizations, outfitters, ski areas, tourism promoters, etc. Attend free presentations about everything outdoor related – Topics include: kayaking, lightweight backpacking, adventure travel, mountaineering, etc. Get product information from manufacturers’ representatives, eat wonderful treats and meals from our food vendors.
Special events include the Boat Auction (Spring only), Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour (Fall and Spring), and the Paddlesports Demo (Spring only).
When is the Outdoor Adventure Expo? (Dates + Hours)
Admission is FREE!
April 28 – 30, 2023
Fri: 2 to 8 (Thrifty Outfitters open 10 to 9)
Sat: 10 to 6
Sun: 11 to 5
Details: www.outdooradventureexpo.com
Don’t miss out on our presentation “Trail Need You: Volunteer Opportunities on Hiking Trails in the Region” on Saturday, April 29th, 1:00 pm, U of M - Hanson Hall, Room 1-105
Did you know that there is a great chance that volunteers - people just like you - are responsible for stewarding your favorite hiking trail?
This program will highlight how hikers can make a huge difference by volunteering on their favorite trails in the region in a variety of ways.
Leaders from trail organizations in the region will be on hand to talk about their trails, how volunteers build and maintain them, and specific volunteer needs they have. Specific trails to be covered include the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), Border Route Trail (BRT), Kekekabic Trail (KEK), North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT), Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT), and other BWCAW hiking trails.
Chainsaw & Crosscut Saw Training
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2023 (Chainsaw training) and Sunday, April 23, 2023 (Crosscut saw training) - these are two separate trainings and volunteers are not required to attend both days.
Location: Rum River North County Park, 23100 Rum River Blvd NW, St Francis, MN 55070
Description: Chainsaw and crosscut saw training in the Twin Cities area has been set! The training is currently open to NPS VIPs with SHTA, BRTA, and two NCTA chapters (ARW and KEK). Because seats are limited, depending on the number of individuals who sign up, I may reach out and ask you to prioritize those who are attending from your group.
Prerequisites to attend training:
Completion of the NPS VIP volunteer sign-up process. Information about the sign-up process can be found on NCTA's website: https://northcountrytrail.org/volunteer/volunteer-resource-center/nps-vip-form/. If you have any questions about the process, please reach out and I'm happy to walk you through it.
Completion of Trail Safe!, an online self-paced safety training. At the bottom of the website, instructions are provided on how to receive credit by emailing daniel_watson@nps.gov.
Up-to-date first aid and CPR training. There must be an in-person component to the training, whether it's 100% in-person or blended (part online, part in-person.) American Heart Association and American Red Cross are the most recognized organizations for first aid and CPR training. When completed or if you are already certified, please email me a copy of your certificate.
Sign Up Link: https://forms.office.com/g/EpayKVJsBf
Deadline to Sign Up is February 6 - after that, remaining seats will open to other NPS VIPS on a first come, first served basis.
Contact:
Nicole Loiseau, Volunteer Program Manager
North Country National Scenic Trail, National Park Service
616-302-9842
BWCAW Trails Kickoff
We are invited to attend and participate in an event planned by the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) called the BWCAW Trail Alliance Kickoff. In past events, each BWCAW trail organization (BRTA, Kek, NCTA, and BWAC) have had the opportunity to present on their respective focus and plans for the upcoming year. Rod Markin, BWAC President, would like to add an opportunity for round table discussion on mutual issues across trail organizations, such as crew leader training, land manager relations, volunteer recruitment methods, etc. They’ve lined up a keynote speaker at the event - BJ Kohlstedt, former Emergency Management Director for Lake County. And they will be serving PIZZA. Please register on BWACs Meetup to allow an accurate number for the food order!
CPR & First Aid Training
There will be a one-day basic first aid & CPR training with a “wilderness emphasis” available to our volunteers this upcoming March in the Twin Cities. This course will cover the requirements for the Basic First Aid & CPR certification but also cover info that volunteers are likely to encounter out in the woods where calling 911 isn't the best option. The NCTA is prioritizing the first ~ 20 VIP sawyer/swamper volunteers and will cover the cost directly.
Email us for additional details and the sign up link at info@borderroutetrail.org.