Businesses Prove They’re Trail Tough

July 29, 2020
Heather Darley
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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Businesses Prove They’re Trail Tough
Campmor adapts during COVID-19. Photo by Campmor.

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The local outdoor community has shown its incredible perseverance and resiliency throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We checked in with a few of our favorite trailside businesses to see how they have been weathering the quarantine storm. 

Hudson North Cider Co. 

In February, Graft Cider launched a new cider brand with the focus of protecting Hudson Valley trails: Hudson North Cider Co. Their mission is to protect, maintain, and preserve the parks, trails, and waterways of New York State and New Jersey by partnering with organizations such as the Trail Conference. They also work to support local agriculture by sourcing their apples from local orchards and farms in the Hudson Valley. 

When stay-at-home orders hit, Hudson North turned to online sales to help recover some of the loss from the closure of bars and restaurants and having limited contact with people in independent beer stores and grocery stores. The Hudson North crew is looking forward to the day when they can open their tasting room doors and resume their Taps for Trails events. 

In the meantime, we highly recommend you try out their Standard Cider. It’s just apples and all delicious. It tastes like the cider you get right off the orchard! Grab yourself a six-pack at hudsonnorthcider.com. Get 10% off your first purchase with the code STAYHOME. 

Valley Rock Mountain Market 

If you’re hiking in Harriman State Park, a visit to the Valley Rock Mountain Market: Café & Provisions located at 27 Mill Street in Sloatsburg, N.Y., is a must. Dishing up wood-fired pizza and a delicious variety of prepared foods, it’s the perfect place to fuel up before or after your trail adventures. 

As part of their mission and through the pandemic, Valley Rock Mountain Market supports and invests in local organic farmers. The market’s parent company, Valley Rock Inn, has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy farmland, then lease it to young farmers, ensuring a steady supply of organic produce for the local community. So when you support the Valley Rock Market, you are supporting local farmers, local businesses, and the future of our local food supply.  

The market was offering online ordering only with curbside pickup and delivery available Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To learn more and place your order, visit valleyrockmountainmarket.com

Campmor 

Since 1978, Campmor has been inspiring a love for the outdoors by preparing the public for great adventures with the gear they sell. The Paramus, N.J.-based retailer was hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19; they've had to let go of more than half of their staff. Their remaining team is working hard to ensure the outdoor community is ready for safe and responsible recreation by fulfilling orders through curbside pickup and shipping. Some of their current bestselling items are the BlackStrap facemask and bandanas available in multiple colors. Their online store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and their contact-free curbside pickup can be scheduled Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Campmor is currently offering $20 off $100 with the code SPRING20. The company is also generously extending their 10% Trail Conference member discount to online purchases. Just use the code NYNJTC10 at checkout and be sure to use your email registered to your Trail Conference membership. Contact Brendan at [email protected] with any questions. 

Dottie Audrey’s 

A Tuxedo, N.Y., favorite, Dottie Audrey’s opened their doors in 2015 with the mission of nourishing and entertaining the community with scratch cooking and baking. Their claim to fame is their nice people in a clean environment with welcoming vibes and excellent coffee and desserts. 

But since the start of the quarantine, owners Jen and Pat Jenkins said, “We feel like a dancing bear.” They’ve adapted in real-time to retool their business, including shifting to 100% takeaway with curbside delivery, adding ordering technology to speed up the process, developing over 50 new recipes for family-sized meal offerings, including flatbreads to help families feed kids inexpensively, and working with the community to help feed the healthcare workers at Good Samaritan Hospital. 

"Get outdoors and get some vitamin D, then stop by for some vitamin Dottie Audrey's," Pat and Jen recommend. They're open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Treat your family to one of Dottie Audrey's weekly special family meals or any of their innovative menu items that are healthy for you and the planet.