Volunteer for a National Trails Day work day June 1 with the North Country Trail in the Allegheny National Forest chapter.

Crews will be start work at 9 a.m. at Chappel Bay near Route 321, south of the Bradford Ranger Station, along the Kinzua Arm of the Allegheny Reservoir. Workers will build a short bog bridge of native material and reroute a small section of the trail away from a wet area.

Work should be completed in one day. Tools and hard hats will be provided, but volunteers should pack lunch and water. Gloves and sturdy footwear are recommended.

If you or your organization or business would like to get involved, contact Mike or Tina Toole  at (814) 723-4714 or e-mail nct001@verizon.net.

Officials from the Allegheny National Forest chapter of the North Country Trail Association got to meet Joe LaFont from the History Channel show “Swamp People” during the Erie Sport & Travel Expo March 2 at the Bayfront Convention Center.

Contributed photo

From left are Keith Klos, chapter president; LaFont; and Karen Klos, chapter communications liaison, PR & fundraising coordinator and organizer.

The nation’s longest hiking trail is just miles from Erie, but I wonder how many Erie County residents ever have stepped foot on it.

The North Country Trail enters Pennsylvania at State Game Lands 285 in Beaver County and arcs northeast, as the crow flies, until it reaches the New York state line near Willow Bay in the Allegheny National Forest. I wrote this about the trail in 2011:

“The NCT stretches 4,600 miles — more than twice the length of the more celebrated Georgia-to-Maine Appalachian Trail — through seven states, from Lake Sakakawea in western North Dakota to Lake Champlain in New York. That includes  300 miles through Pennsylvania in an arc roughly describing the northwestern corner of the state. Step into McConnell’s Mill State Park, Moraine State Park, Cook Forest State Park or the Allegheny National Forest, among other public lands, and you’re never far from the trail.”

The Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the North Country Trail Association is particularly active in helping hikers discover and utilize the trail. If you’re in the market for an introduction to opportunities on the ANF chapter’s stretch of the NCT, visit them at the Erie Sport & Travel Expo March 1-3 at the Bayfront Convention Center.

Chapter officials Keith and Karen Klos also will give a presentation, “All about the North Country Trail,” March 1 at 4:30 p.m., March 2 at noon and March 3 at 1 p.m. Stop in and say hi to them.

The fourth annual Allegheny 100 is scheduled to take place June 7-9 on the Allegheny National Forest Chapter’s stretch of the North Country Trail.

The Allegheny 100 Challenge is an endurance event in unsupported backpacking. It’s not a race, but an attempt by all entrants to finish the course in 50 hours. There also are 25-mile, 50-mile and 75-mile challenges on the same trail for those of differing skill levels or those who don’t want to commit to the longest course.

The coursewill extend from just south of Marienville, at Vowinckel, to Willow Bay near the New York border. The hike’s direction rotates every two years, giving short-distance hikers a chance to complete all 100 miles of trail over time; in 2014 it will run north to south.

Entry donation is $40, which includes membership in the North Country Trail Association, trail shuttle service and a T-shirt. Preregistration is limited to the first 100 hikers and closes May 31 at noon for shuttling service and T-shirts. Walk-ins are welcome the day of the event until 5 p.m. if spots remain open.

The challenge will start June 7 at 6 p.m. and continue until June 9 at 8 p.m. Hikers must bring their own food, drinks and gear. Leave-no-trace principles and safety will be discussed before the hike. U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, of Howard Township, Centre County, R-5th Dist., will release the hikers June 7.

There were 82 hikers who participated in the Allegheny 100 in 2012, a 382 percent increase in participation since the inception of the event in 2010. There were 33 hikers who attempted the 100 miles a year ago; 31 chose to hike the 50-mile option and 18 hiked the 25-mile challenge.

The 2012 Allegheny 100 Challenge participants. Contributed photo

For event or sponsorship information, contact Karen M. Klos at 8320 Route 337, Tidioute, PA 16351-4318; (814) 484-7420; or nct001@verizon.net.

For hiking strategy questions,contact three-time 100-mile participant Michael Merry at michaelmerry@rocketmail.com.

For information on the North Country Trail, contact the North Country Trail Association, 229 E. Main Street, Lowell, MI 49331; call toll-free at (866) 445-3628; e-mail hq@northcountrytrail.org.; or visit northcountrytrail.org.

For information on the ANF chapter, contact chapter president Keith W. Klos at 8320 Route 337, Tidioute, PA 16351-4318; (814) 484-7420; or nct001@verizon.net.

The Clarion Chapter of the North Country Trail Association will have its monthly hike and a picnic Oct. 13.

Meet at 9 a.m. at the Uni-Mart at the intersection of routes 66 and 36 in Leeper. The hike will go from the trailhead on Route 66 to the north end of Forest Drive in Cook Forest State Park, approximately 4.5 miles. Halfway through the hike will stop at the North Country Trail’s newest overnight hiking shelter in the Maple Creek area for a picnic. Clarion Chapter will supply hot dogs, beverages and other light picnic food.

If you plan to attend, contact Devin Callihan at (814) 319-5058 or cla@northcountrytrail.org.

Michael Merry, a fire claims reinspector from from Newburgh Heights, Ohio, became the first person to finish the Allegheny 100 Backpacking Challenge twice.

Merry was one of 33 hikers who elected the 100-mile, 50-hour endurance challenge on the North Country Trail through the Allegheny National Forest. He was one of just six people to complete the challenge, in 45 hours. He was the first person to complete the through-hike in 2011, the second year of the event put on by the Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the North Country Scenic Trail.

Eric Chapman, a third-time participant like Merry, complete the hike in a little over 45 hours. Amanda Debar and Kevin Skilskyj were the first couple and Debar the first woman to make it through, in 46 hours. Jennifer Aradi became the first solo female to finish, in a little more than 46 hours. John Schmitt from Scottsville, N.Y., finished in 47 hours.

An additional 31 hikers elected the 50-mile hike and 18 opted for the 25-mile hike.

The 2012 Allegheny 100 Backpacking Challenge participants.

The public is invited to attend the North Country Trail of Pennsylvania summer council meeting July 14 at 10 a.m.

The meeting is hosted by the Wampum Chapter and will take place at Kings Restaurant at the Barkeyville Exit on Interstate 80.

The Clarion Chapter of the North Country Trail will have a grand opening of the Wild Flower Walk feature of the North Country Trail June 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A table with information about the North Country Trail and the Wild Flower Walk section will located where the North Country Trail crosses Route 322 near the Clarion River Bridge at the bottom of River Hill. Hike leaders will be available to give guided tours of the Wild Flower Walk.

The Wild Flower Walk is a three-quarters mile section of trail made possible by donations of topsoil and flowers from area residents.

Get in on National Trails Day June 2 with the help of the Clarion Chapter of the North Country Trail Association and the Clarion County Trails Association.

The organizations will host a hike from the Cook Forest Fire Tower in Cook Forest State Park to the trail head on Highland Drive. Meet at the Cook Forest Fire Tower/Seneca Point parking lot in Cook Forest State Park at 9 a.m.for the 6 1/2-mile hike over varied terrain.

Want to attend? Call Devin Callihan at (814) 319-5058 or call him at cla@northcountrytrail.org.

Take a hike Saturday with the members of the Clarion Chapter of the North Country Trail Association.

Meet at 9 a.m. at the Country Fair at the intersection of Routes 322 and 66 at 9 a.m. The designed hike is from Van to Fern Road.

Interested in hiking? Contact Devin Callihan at (814) 319-5058 or cla@northcountrytrail.org.