For seniors Audrey Kumpula and Evie Cliff, adventure is in their own backyard.

Their off-campus home, “Trailhead,” is located along the North Country Trail, a 4,800-mile hiking route that runs from North Dakota to Vermont. A portion of it crosses through Hillsdale.

The trails and bike paths by Walmart, Oak Grove Cemetery, Baw Beese Lake, and Sile Doty’s Cave all connect to the North Country Trail.

Kumpula and Cliff learned about the trail from Head of Security Joe Kellam, who teaches outdoor courses each semester.

“I highly recommend taking the backpacking course with Joe Kellam,” Kumpula said. “I have always loved hiking and camping, but I never had the opportunity to go backpacking. The course was a super fun way to step into the world of backpacking. It was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken.”

Kellam, who grew up in Jonesville, has spent thousands of hours on Michigan trails. His first introduction to the North Country Trail was the nine-mile segment in the Lost Nations State Game Area in Pittsford, Michigan during the 1980s, when the system was first established by an act of Congress. Before working at the college, he served as a state trooper and became familiar with the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids segments.

“The trail is what we consider moderate rating, so it’s an easy trail to get out and start,” Kellam said. “It’s really well marked, so there should be no problem getting lost. There is a downloadable app from the North Country Trail Association, as well as other apps that are really easy to stay on trail that allows students, faculty, and staff just to get out there and experience some of what nature has.”

The Hillsdale County part of the trail is maintained by a group of volunteers, known as the Chief Baw Beese Chapter of the North Country Trail Association. According to Richard Katuzin, the chapter historian, the number of active members greatly fluctuates.

“We had a general meeting in January, and they had about 60 members, but we never get 60 [on the trail], right?” he said. “I think the busiest group we had show up would be in the summer. You know, very rarely do I see 20. And then in the cooler months, it is always less.”

The NCTA chapter meets for both work and play. Katuzin first became involved in 2022 as a part of a bridge repair project, but also partakes in monthly group hikes.

“The best hike to do is in April, and it’s called the brewery-to-brewery hike,” Katuzin said. “We hike from the Hillsdale Brewing Company on Hillsdale Street, along M-99 that the trail parallels, up to Jonesville’s Ramshackle Brewing Company.”

The chapter historian credits his interest in hiking to his former career as a postman. One day he met chapter members repairing a historic bridge and decided to help. When he realized he enjoyed hiking while working with them, he joined the club shortly after.

“It was like 12 miles every day for six days a week [as a postman],” he said. “It was healthy for me, and I wanted to stay with that. And then when I started helping out the guys on the bridge, they said ‘Come on a hike with us, do a short one.’ I met some great people with common interests.”

While most locals stick to day hikes, some members of the national NCTA have hiked the entire trail. Considered the longest scenic trail in America, it runs from Lake Sakakawea State Park in North Dakota to the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont. The journey takes months. This is where Katuzin and his “Angels” come into play: volunteers who drive hikers and deliver them food.

“We have this function called Angels, where a hiker would call from Ohio and would like to hike halfway through the Baw Beese trail community, and then want a ride back.” Katuzin said. “So, you would take your vehicle and drive down to where they’re at.”

For students looking to connect with nature, Kellam recommends his introductory wilderness survival and backpacking courses, as well as the YouTube channel “Darwin on the Trail.” Kumpula and Cliff also encouraged students to check out Kellam’s courses.

“One of the coolest and most memorable ways I’ve gotten involved is by taking the Leadership in Hiking course led by Joe Kellam, which prepped us all semester for an awesome backpacking trip in the Adirondack Mountains over spring break,” Cliff said. “It was definitely challenging, but such a cool opportunity. I would also highly recommend the backpacking course to anyone who loves hiking and is looking for a tougher challenge.”