18th Annual Appalachian Trail BBQ, Trail Work & Camp Out at Mile 1,424 Set for July 14-16

May 05, 2017
Tim Messerich, Trail Work Crew Leader, RPHCVC
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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18th Annual Appalachian Trail BBQ, Trail Work & Camp Out at Mile 1,424 Set for July 14-16

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The Appalachian Trail BBQ and trail work weekend at RPH Shelter in Dutchess County, N.Y., is sponsored by Ralph’s Peak Hikers Cabin Volunteers Club, a Trail Conference maintaining club.

For the last 17 years, even before Ralph’s Peak Hikers Cabin Volunteers Club was a maintaining club of the Trail Conference, we held a BBQ on the second week of July. The food is just bloody GREAT! (Breakfast, lunch, dinner, on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and sometimes even into Monday morning. Holy SMORGASBORDS! Need I say more!) We accomplish lots of work on the Appalachian Trail and the RPH Cabin, too.

 

All trail restoration work is near the cabin site or within 10 miles of it.

Projects on our schedule this year include:

  1. Cabin ceiling hole needs to be patched up (sheet rock).
  2. Water dam repairs north and south of the cabin.
  3. Vines have moved back in. They need removal again.
  4. Paint cabin floor.
  5. General clean up of cabin grounds and flower garden.
  6. Seth Lyon Memorial Bridge needs a complete paint job (80 percent finished as of May 2016).
  7. Repair/replace steps at Miller Hill Road crossing.
  8. Stone steps project in Fahnestock State Park.
  9. Food preparation and serving for BBQ.

Tools will be provided, but please email Tim Messerich, RPH Cabin Crew Leader, if you can bring any of your own. Your help would be most appreciated.

Details of the Day

Trail Work
Ralph's Peak Hikers Cabin Volunteers Club mission is to service the RPH Cabin, support Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, and assist A.T. trail maintenance through the method of teaching and training members in necessary skills. All volunteers at all skill levels are more than welcome. For those who don’t have any tools for the projects, we the club members have them. We are more than happy to teach all volunteers.

Camp Out
Camping is right on the mowed lawn of RPH Cabin and on tent platforms south of cabin. We have spots for about 20 campers or so. Off site camping is also not a problem. If you need to be picked up from the train station we can work that out all to.

Location
Appalachian Trail mile 1,424

Address for Google Maps or Mapquest: 753 Hortontown Road, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Directions
Taconic State Parkway to exit for Miller Hill Road. Go west. Turn left on Hortontown Road. The cabin is on the right after the large open field. There is no longer parking allowed on  Hortontown Road, near or opposite the cabin. There will be parking available on the cabin grounds for a limited number of vehicles. If you park at the cabin, please leave your name and cell phone number in the window of your vehicle. Additional parking is permissible on Miller Hill Road underneath the Taconic Parkway overpass and at a local church. Call Tim at 845.401.8817 for parking and shuttle information.

About Ralph’s Peak Hikers Cabin Volunteers Club
Throughout the season (March through September) RPHCVC does trail restoration projects on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., depending on the weather. But the weather never stops us that much.

During the nicer weather the club will go on some hikes along the Appalachian Trail. Please see our website for updated details.

Remember, folks—the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is right in your backyard. We are the club maintaining a national park. Just think how cool that is. Our club, RPH Cabin Volunteers, gives the long-distance hiker, the local hiker, or just the easy-stroll-in-the-park folks the chance to get away from it all.

Please contact me if interested in joining. Our membership is only 20 bucks for one year! I look forward to hearing from you soon. Come out and meet us July 14-16!

For more information, contact Tim Messerich at 845.401.8817 or [email protected], or visit http://rphcabin.org.