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View Full Version : Community work and PATC cabins and work crews


ToBlave
07-05-2006, 06:48 PM
Cabins

The deal is that PATC has two categories of cabins, those rentable by the general public and those rentable by members only. PATC membership is $35. PATC offers Leave No Trace Trainers Courses. $35 for PATC members, $50 for non-members.

Cabins are available to rent (reserve) a month in advance. Some cabins go extremely fast. Any person who has participated on an official PATC work outing can reserve a cabin a month and X days in advance (think it is a week). Work Crews have first priority for rentals.

Volunteering

It is work at your own pace labor so bring the kids and pets if you wish. For someone just getting involved there are already established work crews that are very welcoming to new faces. Some of the crews do a day outings of 9 to 4 Saturday and 9 to 12-1 Sunday. They'll rent a cabin close by for the overnight and there is usually a potluck or a planned dinner and breakfast with some lively conversation, drinking and card playing in the evening. There is a listing of all planned events (hikes, meetings, work outings) on the PATC Forecast page (http://www.patc.net/activities/forecast.html). During the summer months most of the crews only do one outing a month, other seasons two a month.

Ones of interest if you want something local are:
Rock Creek Park work trip July 8th
Potomac Heritage Trail (McLean Va.) July 22

Not so local (down near 33 and Skyline Drive):
Argow Cabin work trip, South District, Shenandoah National Park, VA July 21 -23

Stonewall Brigade is a great crew, North District Hoodlums look like a fun group, I have heard interesting stories about Shenandoah Bartenders and I have personally done work on the Cadillac Crew (laid back but hard working group).

ToBlave
07-05-2006, 06:50 PM
Beltway Jeepers Group Opportunities:

PATC is looking for overseers for Blackburn Trail Center, overnight stay at the center, maintenance on the center and greeting and assisting through hikers on the AT.

Trail Overseer vacancies available (adopt and maintain hiking, biking, horse and OHV trails).

Get members involved in Shenandoah Mountain Rescue (access to gated FRs).

Good will ambassadors, assisting hikers and other recreationers on the trails. Corollary" would be sweet to work out a deal with the Postal Facility to have permission to be posted as a presence to provide first aid and other emergency services to the people dirt biking and ATVing off 606.

Stowe63
07-05-2006, 07:02 PM
ALot of that seems like a great times in the woods. What kind of time requirements? (time isnt something I have much of lately).

ToBlave
07-06-2006, 09:30 PM
Time commitment is subjective on what you are doing. No one is going to think ill of you if you show up at noon to a weekend work trip and leave a couple hours later. Typically on the weekend work trip I am only there Saturday and the last one I showed up and did about 2-3 hours of work on Sunday.

If it is a commitment like manning the door at the Blackburn center to assist through hikers (medical, lodging, food, etc) then more time might be demanded.


Here is my thought from this morning. There is a Beltway Jeepers picnic on the books for the 15th or 16th. I am not trying to commandeer those plans but it got me thinking that some time this Summer I am going to plan another picnic. My spin on this theme will be that it will be an open picnic at the Blackburn Center or some other location along the AT and we'll welcome through hikers and other distressed looking people to join us for a hot dog, hamburger and other vittles. Maybe put up a big Beltway Jeepers banner so they know which group is feeding them.

I have to check dates but us getting out there and handing out stuff on Trails Day would be a really good PR move.