09/08/2026
Student Conservation Association Helps Build Canthook Reroute
By Mel Baughman
From August 31 through September 4 the Chequamegon Chapter was blessed with a crew from the Student Conservation Association. Three young people in their twenties plus an experienced crew leader worked with Chapter members to move beaver-cut trees, dig out tree roots and rocks, clear surface vegetation, and build a smooth tread on the Canthook Lake Reroute. They arrived with clean, sharp, well-oiled tools and three days of prior trail-building experience. By noon on the first day SCA members needed little further instruction on how to build the trail.
Starting at Canthook Lake on Monday, Karen Katz from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Headquarters in Rhinelander gave a brief overview of the National Forest’s origin and mission. Katie LeMoine from the Great Divide District Office led us through a hazard analysis so we would understand personal safety issues and mitigation strategies. Mel Baughman briefly described the North Country Trail Association and our role in building and maintaining the trail. We then collected hand tools and hiked a half mile to begin trail building. We completed about 100 yards of new tread and began removing small tree stumps from the next section. SCA crew members included Eden Fox, Kai Morgan, Westwood Sutherland, and leader Joe Lentino. Karen Katz and Katie LeMoine represented the USFS. Mel Baughman, Jeff Laney, and Derek Ogle were volunteers from the Chequamegon Chapter.
On Tuesday we continued onward building two more short sections of tread interspersed with sections of old road that needed little work, then finished by removing tree roots on a third section. We hiked out at least 1 ½ miles at the end of the day. The only incident occurred when Mel disturbed a ground nest of yellow jackets or hornets while operating a backpack leaf blower. He endured at least nine stings and hiked out in early afternoon with no significant after-effects. Besides the SCA crew, volunteers included Mel Baughman, Clair Morud, and Derek Ogle.
On Wednesday Derek Ogle led the SCA crew to another section of trail where earlier this summer Chapter members removed tree stumps and surface vegetation. On this day the SCA crew continued benching and flattening the tread along a steep, rocky slope. This is the most difficult section of tread work we’ve encountered.
Thursday was a repeat of Wednesday--continuing to bench and level the tread on a steep, rocky slope. We were relieved to complete this section—YEA! Derek Ogle and Mel Baughman again joined the SCA crew.
On Friday we built the last section of tread needed on the southern half of the Canthook Lake Reroute! Using a brush saw borrowed from the USFS, Derek Ogle cut small trees along 0.2 miles of an old roadbed, then mowed that section and finally blew loose vegetation off the trail. Meanwhile other crew members moved cut materials off the trail and dug up stumps. Then we built about 130 yards of tread from Canthook Lake Road downhill to a previously built section of trail adjacent to Canthook Lake. Besides the SCA crew and Derek, other Chapter volunteers included Mel Baughman, John Ipsen, Kevin Schram, and Kris Wegerson.
We were grateful to have the SCA crew this week; they were fun to work with and significantly helped our progress with the re-route
More Chapter workdays are planned on September 19 and 20. Returning to Canthook Lake, volunteers will improve the first half-mile of hastily-built tread by benching, removing edge berms, and removing matted vegetation in scattered locations. Spur trails also need to be constructed to two campsites if time permits.
Photos by Mel Baughman.
