Message from Trails Chairman Colin Campbell

We (NYS DEC and the Taconic Hiking Club) have been alerted that the Massachusetts Cystic Fibrosis Chapter will be holding its annual fund raising hiking event on the Taconic Crest Trail on June 22! The good news is more publicity for our trail, which may help combat ATV problems, and we do NOT have to handle the logistics as if it were our End-to-End. No water runs up Mattison Hollow, no 35-mile sweeps organization, no medical worries, etc, etc. They are doing it all ! You can hang out on Petersburgh Pass and drink a cold one, watching 50 + hikers trudge, dash, sweat on by.

However, they are doing this as a 25-mile one day event, starting at the north end. Yes, Route 346. And right now the first 3/4 mile needs a lot of clean-up work resulting from last year's ATV destruction. We will need at least 5-6 people (more are welcome) ready to dig mud, spike planks, move old displaced bridge sections, replace earlier broken bridging and generally get down and dirty. We also can use loppers cutting back briars/branches and bushes.

I am scheduling this for Saturday, May 11. Meeting at Route 346 at 0930 hours. Yes, I know Mother's Day is Sunday but we are working around the availability of a DEC truck/Ranger and this way you can rest on your laurels/blisters the next day. The truck will lug the heavy stuff up the hill and then it's up to us. Joe Hess and I will sketch out the work there and what we don't get done that day we can work at on following weekends since the heavy stuff will already be up there.

The Union hiring hall number here is 518-438-9629. Ask for Colin. All prospective applicants who become perspiring appointees will earn a beer at the summer picnic. Plus a loud "attaboy !".

 

And "thank you, thank you very much !" ..........................Colin