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Kevin A. Boyce
06-05-2006, 14:23
Announcing The Bascom GrillMasters
6th Annual Hiker Trash Work Party
July 7-8-9, 2006
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WHERE:
At The RPH Cabin, on the AT in Hopewell Jct, NY
If you are driving, take the Taconic State Parkway to the Miller Hill Rd exit, this is the exit south of I-84, go west off the exit, go down the steep hill, take your first left, at the end of the farmer's field on the left-hand side of the road is a small parking area you can use, we will also have the gate to the shelter property open for more parking as well.

WHEN:
July 7-8-9, 2006 (rain or shine) Food & Beverages will be provided all 3 days (or until it runs out…)

WORK :
There will be a variety of work activities from finishing the turnpiking installed last year, some waterbars and stone steps installed south of the
shelter, repairing the decking on the bridge out behind the shelter, as well as general maintenance in and around the shelter.

If you can bring any tools or supplies, please do so, we will need shovels, picks, stone/pry bars, buckets, and other assorted hand tools for trail work. Please remember, only hand tools, no powertools.

DETAILS:
We’ll be camping out, working, and cooking all weekend!

All are welcome to stay for the full weekend or just come in for a day or two, or even if it is just a couple of hours. Please contact us so we can plan the menus, we don't want to run out of food! We can support up to about 30 people.

For more information, please see Bascom's website: http://timtrek.mikentim.com or email: [email protected]

Come show your support for the Trail and have a great time with your fellow hikers... Don't be shy Stop on by!

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Kevin's comments...
This year we have plenty of work activities planned that will keep us busy all weekend. For Trails Day, Tim had organized a work day on the AT near Longhill Road, we will be going back there to finish up some stone steps and install a bunch of waterbars. We will be doing plenty of projects right at the shelter as well, mainly finishing up the turnpiking, and fixing some items that were damaged this past winter.

There will be plenty of food available, besides our normal meals we have served; blueberry pancakes and egg sandwiches and cereals for breakfast, burgers and dogs for lunches, and steaks, chicken, and pork chops for dinner, we are adding more meals for our fellow veggie hikers and workers...
And it looks like we are going to do a little Tex-Mex theme as well for some of the meals with tacos, chili, and fajitas... YUM YUM... Lots of eats!!!

This work weekend is not associated with any one trail group, Tim puts in a lot of his own sweat and dollars into this project over the course of the year to make this weekend top notch for all involved.

See you on the trail!
KevBoy (Kevin A. Boyce)
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Kevin A. Boyce
06-30-2006, 11:11
Just a friendly reminder to anyone that wants to come and help out! Also here is an article from yesterday's Poughkeepsie Journal that two time AT Thru hiker Ralph 'Elvis-Trailsey' Ferrusi wrote about the upcoming weekend.
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http://www.pojonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/SPORTS06/606290318/1002/NEWS

Thursday, June 29, 2006
Grillin' and (not) chillin' on the AT: Get ready for maintenance weekend
http://www.pojonews.com/graphics/main/spacer.gif
By RALPH FERRUSI

Hike name: Tim Messerich's 6th annual Appalachian Trail Work Party, July 6-9.
Location: Ralph's Peak Hikers' (RPH) Cabin Appalachian Trail Shelter, Hortontown Road, East Fishkill.
Length: Short walks to work sites.
Rating: Strenuous trail work.
Map: Follow the leaders.
Features: A great chance to do some volunteer work on the Appalachian Trail. Rub elbows and Talk the Talk with several Appalachian Trail 2000-Milers and long-distance hikers who have Walked the Walk. Expect the usual suspects, that smattering of good souls who have figured out that it's not what the Trail can do for you, but what you can do for the Trail: "Skeeter Bait," "Wally Gator," "Slider," "Winks at Wildflowers," "Woodchuck," "Bascom Grillmaster," "Elvis Trailsley," Mike, Lalita, George and the several bona fide "all the way from Georgia" northbound thru-hikers that show up and pitch in every year.
Watch out for: Deer ticks, poison ivy, blisters.
Background: Wappingers Falls resident Tim Messerich is an all-around good-guy. For the past five years, he has organized work parties/feasts at the Ralph's Peak Hikers' Cabin. A lot of work gets done, and Tim and cousin Mike keep the grill going from dawn to dusk — they've promised that this year's menu will include even more vegetarian specials. Tim puts a lot of time, energy and his own cash into these gatherings. In 1997, Tim walked 1,437 miles from Springer Mountain, Ga., to the cabin, where he left the Trail to attend to a family illness. He worked the grill for several years at the AMC's Bascom Lodge on the AT on Mount Greylock, Mass., hence the unusual Trail Name "Bascom Grillmaster."
Hike description: Every year Tim plans a big project or two at or near the cabin. The trail in front of the cabin often turns into a muddy stream in early spring or during long heavy rains: last year 100 feet of trail was raised using logs and stone. This year another 70 feet of the trail will be raised — much digging/stone-moving. The rained-out National Trails Day stone work on Shenandoah Mountain will be completed, and water bars will be constructed just south of the Cabin. Rocks, rocks, rocks, digging, digging, digging — gotta love that Trail volunteering! Pitch in, and have some good burgers afterwards! Bring tools: shovels, picks, pry bars, handsaws, etc. No power tools of any kind —we work the old-fashioned way!
How to get there: Taconic State Parkway south to Miller Hill Road. Right at end of exit onto Miller Hill Road. Left onto Hortontown Road. Cabin is about a half-mile down Hortontown on the right.
Contact information: Details call Tim, 845-297-9573, Work 845-463-3207. Website: timtrek.mikentim.com.
Ralph Ferrusi of Stormville writes Hike of the Week each Thursday in Players. Ferrusi has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail twice and maintains a section of the AT. For comments or to contribute a hike idea, call 845-437-4848 or send e-mail to players@pough keepsiejournal.com.

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Hope to see some of you there!
KevBoy

dreamhiker
06-30-2006, 11:22
Is there anything like this in MA,VT or NH?

Kevin A. Boyce
07-10-2006, 15:11
Just a note to all those that helped us out this past weekend, THANKS!

While the overall numbers of thrus that came by were down from last year, we still had a few dozen stroll on in and roll on out. We were worried that we would start finding folks napping along the way under the Taconic underpass in the shade after the meals we served.:D

We had a very strong crew of locals helping out, including more then a fair share of past thrus, thanks to WoodChuck, Skeeter, Elvis Trailsley, Slider, Lo-Jack, amongst many many others. We even had a few folks from other trail groups swing through all three days to help out. All total upwards of 30-40 people either stay the weekend, a day, or just a few hours to lend a hand.

Work that was completed included about 40 feet of puncheons/boardwalks through some more muddy sections behind the shelter, new stone steps installed next to the bridge, waterbars installed leading to the bridge, a new deck installed on the bridge, and some new waterbars and stonestairs installed on the northside of Shanandoah Mountain.

A great weekend weatherwise, little heat and humidity, no rain...

The end result was lots of well fed and happy people, and lots more work done to keep the trail in top notch shape for everyone!

Thanks to all who helped. See you all on the trail!
KevBoy

fishinfred
07-10-2006, 15:33
Thank you KevBoy for what you have done and continue doing ! AWSOME! Wish I could have been a part of it.Maybe next time .
See you up the Trail!
Fishinfred