Trail Conference to Participate in Rock the Ridge, Raise Funds for Land Conservation

December 21, 2016
Staff
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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Trail Conference to Participate in Rock the Ridge, Raise Funds for Land Conservation
Rock The Ridge. Photo by John Aylward.

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The popular, 50-mile Rock the Ridge endurance challenge through the Shawangunk Mountains takes place for the fifth year on May 6, 2017

In partnership with Mohonk Preserve, money raised for the Trail Conference “team” will help protect the Shawangunk Ridge Trail

 

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and the Mohonk Preserve announced today that the Trail Conference will participate as a fundraising partner in Rock The Ridge, the 50-mile endurance challenge that will take place for the fifth year on May 6, 2017.

“Over the last four years, Rock The Ridge participants have raised $700,000 for Mohonk Preserve’s environmental education, conservation science, and land protection and stewardship programs,” said Glenn Hoagland, Executive Director of the Mohonk Preserve. “We share the Trail Conference’s commitment to connecting people with nature, and we are delighted to welcome their members to the event in 2017.”

Rock The Ridge is a 50-mile race that takes place on the Mohonk Preserve and adjacent lands in New York’s Shawangunk Mountains, an area that the Nature Conservancy has identified as “one of the Earth’s last great places.”  The 24-hour time limit and carefully maintained carriage roads make it an endurance challenge that is accessible to a wide range of participants, including not only ultra-runners, but also hikers and walkers.  In addition to the full 50 miles, the event also offers a relay option with distances ranging from 12 to 25 miles.  Participants commit to raising a minimum of $250 in charitable donations in support of the Mohonk Preserve or other charitable causes such as the Trail Conference.

“Rock The Ridge participants who join our team will raise funds for the Trail Conference’s conservation fund,” said Trail Conference Executive Director Ed Goodell, “which has a long history of acquiring land in support of important trails and the natural environment throughout New York and New Jersey.”

Funds raised will initially be dedicated to helping the Preserve  secure a permanent route for the Shawangunk Ridge Trail—a 70-mile, regional connector trail developed and maintained by Trail Conference volunteers—which links the Appalachian Trail in High Point State Park, N.J., with the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in Rosendale, N.Y.

Runners, hikers, and walkers interested in learning more about the event may visit www.mohonkpreserve.org/rock-the-ridge.  To join the Trail Conference team, simply enter the code “NYNJTC” during the registration process.