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![]() In 2012 we began an effort to officially recognize those who have hiked one or more complete North Country Trail state, and/or 1000 unique miles of the trail. This is overseen by the Long Distance Hiker Recognition Committee of the North Country Trail Association. This program is an effort to preserve the information about those who have hiked a large number of unique miles on the North Country National Scenic Trail, to recognize those who have done so, to encourage others to hike more of the trail, and perhaps to eventually form an official North Country Long Distance Hikers Club. |
![]() ![]() The central patch is awarded once, with the initial application. The rockers are added as hikers complete additional states or mileages. If all parts of the trail are completed on foot the End to End Hike rocker is awarded. If some portions are legally bicycled/rollerbladed/etc or paddled (in adjacent waterways) the End to End Trip rocker is awarded. |
![]() To apply for Long-Distance Hiking Awards on the NCT:
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This list includes only those people who have applied for this patch set. No other complete hikes/trips are known, but there are a number of people who have qualified for some of the patches who have not applied. Those who hiked/followed the entire NCT before 2011 (and Sue Lockwood who is deceased) were grandfathered in without requiring an application.
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Name | Picture | States/Miles Hiked | E2E? | Date | Trail Name | journal, North Star feature, etc. |
Beattie, Don | ![]() | 4387 miles | E2E Hike (#6) | 1980-2005 | -- | no known story or journal |
Beatty, Jeff | ![]() | PA | -- | 2018 | -- | Jan 2018 North Star |
Boulee, Doug | ![]() | MI, WI, 1000 | -- | 2012 | Windigo | NCTA blog and Spring 2021 North Star |
Brag, Rachel | ![]() | ND | -- | 2019-2020 | -- | NCTA blog and Spring 2021 North Star |
Breithaupt, Steve | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2014-2021 | -- | Fall 2021 North Star |
Conrad, Judy | ![]() | MAC, 1000 | -- | 2016-2021 | -- | NCTA blog and Summer 2021 North Star |
Courtois, Bill | ![]() | MAC, 1000 | -- | 1999-2021 | -- | NCTA blog and Summer 2021 North Star |
Dorrough, Dan | ![]() | est 4600 miles, MAC | E2E Hike (#15) | 1998- 2016 | -- | Oct 2016 North Star |
Dorrough, Ruth | ![]() | est 4600 miles, MAC | E2E Hike (#14) | 1998- 2016 | -- | Oct 2016 North Star |
Eberhard, Eb | ![]() | est 4000 miles | E2E Hike (#8) | 2009 | Nimblewill Nomad | Odyssey 2009 |
Fromme, Chet | ![]() | est 3600 miles | E2E Hike (#3) | 1992-1995 | -- | End to End Journals by Wes Boyd and Oct 1995 North Star |
Geisler, Judy | ![]() | est 4000 miles | E2E Trip (#2) included bicycling | 2009 | -- | Judy and Bob's Traveling Pages |
Gruchalla, Rennae | ![]() | ND | -- | 2020 | Sunset | NCTA blog and April 2021 North Star |
Hoffman, Carolyn | ![]() | est 3200 miles | E2E Trip (#1) included bicycling | 1978 | -- | End to End Journals by Wes Boyd and cover of April 1994 North Star and Apr 2014 North Star Carolyn also shared a serial account of her hike on her Facebook page |
Holst, Ken | ![]() | PA | -- | 2017 | -- | Jan 2018 North Star |
Johnson, LouAnn (Fellows) | ![]() | NY, PA, WI, MN, ND, 1000, 2000, 3000 | -- | 1978 | -- | End to End Journals by Wes Boyd and cover of April 1994 North Star and Apr 2014 North Star |
Jordan, Luke | ![]() | est 4000+ miles | E2E Hike (#10) | 2013 | Strider | Strider's Journal and his book Thru and Back Again and Jan 2014 North Star and Apr 2013 North Star and Oct 2013 North Star |
Klein, Susanne | ![]() | PA, 1000 | -- | 2020 | -- | NCTA blog and April 2021 North Star |
Krause, Jerry | ![]() | WI | -- | 2015-2017 | -- | Jan 2018 North Star |
Lawton, Duane | ![]() | 1000, MAC | -- | 2015-2018 | -- | Jul 2018 North Star |
Learned, Al | ![]() | est 4000+ miles | E2E Hike (#11) | 2013 | -- | no known story or journal |
Lockwood, Sue | ![]() | 2800 miles | -- | 1994 | -- | End to End Journals by Wes Boyd
and A Hiker Like Anyone Else by Ed Talone and Sue Lockwood: Accepting the Challenge by her brother Gordon Smith |
Lowe, Gail | ![]() | est 4000+ miles | E2E Hike (#12) | 2014 | Chosen | Nature Nymph You Tube Channel |
Lunning, James | ![]() | est 4000+ miles, MAC | E2E Hike (#13) | 2015-2016 | Attrition | Apr 2016 North Star |
Mayer, Glee | ![]() | ND, MAC | -- | 2019-2020 | -- | NCTA blog and April 2021 North Star |
Menke, Bill | ![]() | NY PA, MAC, 1000, 2000 | -- | 1974-2018 | Onepace | Many articles in North Star over the years and his personal essay in Jul 2019 North Star |
Morgan, Richard | ![]() | OH, 1000 | -- | 2009-2019 | Pioneer Spirit | Jan 2020 North Star |
Musko, Kerry | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2011-2018 | -- | Oct 2018 North Star |
Olsen, Michelle | ![]() | ND, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2020 | -- | NCTA blog and April 2021 North Star |
Oostveen, Jo | ![]() | MI, 1000 | -- | 2011-2017 | -- | Jul 2018 North Star |
Painter, Dale | ![]() | MI, 1000 | -- | 2009-2019 | Trail Dale | Jan 2020 North Star
and Jan 2011 North Star |
Peltonen, Shane | ![]() | est 4000+ miles, VT | E2E Hike (#16) | 2016 | -- | Jan 2017 North Star |
Pisano, Frank | ![]() | PA | -- | 2018 | -- | Apr 2019 North Star |
Roberts, Randall | ![]() | OH, PA, 1000 | -- | 2010-2021 | Buckeye Commander | Jul 2018 North Star |
Sanderson, Shari | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2015-2021 | Spider Woman | NCTA blog and Summer 2021 North Star |
Schmitt, John | ![]() | est 4000+ miles, VT | E2E Hike (#18) | 1998-2019 | Design Wizard |
Jan 2013 North Star
and Apr 2019 North Star and Apr 2020 North Star |
Seaney, Doug | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2002-2020 | -- | NCTA blog and April 2021 North Star |
Shoup, Allen | ![]() | est 3000+ miles | E2E Hike (#5) | 2004 | -- | no known story or journal |
Siegel, Ben | ![]() | 1000 | -- | 2016 | -- | -- |
Siegel, Jake | ![]() | 1000 | -- | 2016 | -- | -- |
Simpson, Nathan | ![]() | est 4000+ miles | E2E Hike (#17) | 2018 | Sampson | Jan 2019 North Star |
Skurka, Andrew | ![]() | est 4000+ miles | E2E Hike (#4) | 2004-2005 | -- | Sea to Sea Slideshow
and Apr 2005 North Star |
Smith, Bart | ![]() | est 4000+ miles | E2E Hike (#7) | 2007 | -- | Walking Down a Dream, North Country Trail |
Smith, Matt | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2015-2019 | -- | Oct 2019 North Star |
Snook, Lisa | ![]() | MI, WI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2011-2021 | -- | Fall 2021 North Star |
Sootsman, Ron | ![]() | 1000 | -- | 2008-2019 | -- | Jul 2019 North Star |
Talone, Ed | ![]() | 3600 miles | E2E Hike (#2) | 1994 | -- | End to End Journals by Wes Boyd and Jan 1995 North Star |
Tanzman, Brian | ![]() | 4000+ miles | E2E Hike (#19) | 2014-2020 | Buck 30 | NCTA blog and Spring 2021 North Star |
Thompson, Jacob | ![]() | OH, 1000 | -- | 2014-2020 | -- | Jan 2020 North Star |
VanAntwerp, Glen | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2014-2021 | -- | Fall 2021 North Star |
Wegener, Amanda | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2011-2018 | -- | Oct 2018 North Star |
Wegener, Cheryl | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2011-2018 | -- | Oct 2018 North Star |
Wegener, Tom | ![]() | MI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2011-2018 | -- | Oct 2018 North Star |
Wells, Dave | ![]() | PA | -- | 2002-2012 | -- | -- |
Werderman, Heather | ![]() | 4700+ miles | E2E Hike (#20) | 2020-2021 | -- | Fall 2021 North Star |
Whittington, Barb | ![]() | MI, WI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2011-2021 | -- | Fall 2021 North Star |
Williams, Ross | ![]() | NY, PA, OH, 1000, 2000 | -- | 2015-2018 | -- | Oct 2018 North Star |
Wolfe, Peter | ![]() | 3000+ miles | E2E Hike (#1) | 1974-1981 | -- | End to End Journals by Wes Boyd and Summer 1990 North Star |
Wozniak, Merri Carol | ![]() | WI, MAC, 1000 | -- | 2016-2020 | Short Circuit | NCTA blog and Spring 2021 North Star |
Young, Joan | ![]() | 4455 miles, VT, MAC | E2E Hike (#9) | 1991-2010 | -- | two books chronicle her hike, North Country Cache and North Country Quest. See more at Books Leaving Footprints
and Oct 2014 North Star and Jul 2019 North Star and Jul 2010 North Star |
It would be welcome if you felt inclined to make a small donation. Please donate to the North Country Trail Association and mark it for Long Distance Hiker Recognition. | This page was overhauled in 2021, but visits since any kind of recognition was begun in April 2009 are |
Learn more about the trail at North Country Trail Association Additional information at Explore NCT |
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