Trail Buddies

• Registration with the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy is required, which opens on March 1. If you sign up for this event, please be sure to also register with the Conservancy. Additional information for sign up can be found here: https://rachelcarsontrails.org/events/challenge/challenge-registration

If you’re a Rachel veteran, no further reading is necessary. Just sign up with us and be sure to register with the RCTC as well. If you’re new to Rachel or the challenge, here’s a few things to consider.

This event isn’t for the faint of heart… but if you’re looking for a physical challenge, please continue reading. The RCTC is a 37 mile long, one day endurance hike from sunrise to sunset. Because of this, the challenge always takes place on the Saturday nearest the summer solstice to offer hikers the best odds of completing the course by hosting it near the longest day of the year.

The Rachel Carson Trail is not known for having beautiful vistas or picture worthy scenery. Instead, the trail traverses through a variety of dense woods, open meadows, streams, steep bluffs, power line clearings, and skirts the boundaries of local farms and suburban areas. The trail contains hazardous terrain and is steep, rising 8,151 feet and dropping 8,214 feet.

There are four checkpoints throughout the challenge which you must pass within a defined threshold. This is to ensure no hiker is left on the trail after dark. Each checkpoint will offer water, Gatorade, snacks and basic first aid to keep you replenished throughout the day.

Because this event is so challenging, Trail Buddies will host some conditioning hikes leading up to the day of the challenge. These hikes will start in different sections of the trail and increase in length and difficulty over time, which will ultimately cover the entire course to give you an idea what the trail and conditions are like. If you’ve never participated in the RCTC before, we highly recommend you attend several of our conditioning hikes.

MEETING LINK: https://goo.gl/maps/utcXKWGxvX3upVa38

This event is classified as Experienced

Buddy Points: 61.1

Qualifying Badges: Rachel Carson 100 Miles, Hike 500 Miles, 52 Hike Challenge

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Are you new to Trail Buddies or the outdoors? Read our Mission Statement

Did you know there’s s'more to Trail Buddies than dirt, mud, snow, campfires, and cold hard miles? Learn of s'more ways you can become involved with our amAzing tramily off the trail.

Check out our previous newsletters

Trail Buddies Terms: We've updated our membership agreement, click here for the latest update.

Why pay for a campsite when you can lodge with us for free? Join us for a fun tramily weekend at our beautiful and relaxing campground!

Please read this entire event description for important information before signing up. Since this is a private campground, I kindly ask that only members who’ve met me in person register for this event. This event coincides with our weekend ride on the GAP, which is a great event to sign up for if you haven’t met me yet.

To help us better manage activities at camp, we have an additional sign up sheet which must be filled out prior to attending.

The itinerary for this event is as follows:

Friday (6/27):

• Arrive at camp anytime after 6:00 PM

• Ingredients will be provided for hot ham and cheese and vegetable/pepperoni pizza mountain pies

• We will of course be offering a bonfire in true Trail Buddies fashion

Saturday (6/28):

• For those participating in our main event, we will depart from camp promptly at 8:20 AM

• Dinner will be prepared and served (sign up required) once we return from our main event

• We will of course be offering a bonfire in true Trail Buddies fashion

Sunday (6/29):

• Breakfast will be served around 8:00 AM (sign up required)

• We will of course be offering a bonfire in true Trail Buddies Fashion

* The Crapper and Shiney Hiney will be available for all guests. You may bring your own towels and soap/shampoo for the shower or you’re welcome to use ours.

* The posted location for this event is Mount Davis, which will get you close to camp (for trip planning purposes). As the event draws near, our website will message registered folks with a pin for camp. If you don’t register on the additional sign up form, you will not receive the pin for camp.

MEETING LINK: https://goo.gl/maps/LDvSu547vZu6QR8A7

This event is classified as Beginner

Buddy Points: 17

View this event on our website or preview a printer friendly report

Are you new to Trail Buddies or the outdoors? Read our Mission Statement

Did you know there’s s'more to Trail Buddies than dirt, mud, snow, campfires, and cold hard miles? Learn of s'more ways you can become involved with our amAzing tramily off the trail.

Check out our previous newsletters

Trail Buddies Terms: We've updated our membership agreement on 3/21/2025, click here for the latest update

Now that we’ve endured enough punishment on the Rachel Carson Trail to last a few weeks, I’d like to give my feet a rest and return for another relaxing ride on the GAP. This event will coincide with a camping event at our campground near Mt. Davis, so be sure to check that out as well if you’d like to get the full Trail Buddies experience and the best we have to offer.

This will be an out and back ride from Meyersdale PA to Cumberland MD, then returning to Meyersdale. We’ll be passing by popular attractions during our ride such as the Eastern Continental Divide, the Big Savage Tunnel, and the Mason Dixon Line. We’ll stop for a relaxing lunch in Cumberland at the Baltimore St. Grill before returning to Meyersdale. Speed/pace will not be the primary objective of this ride. This event will either conclude once we return to the parking area or continue on to our campground if you’d like to join us for extended quality tramily time.

MEETING LINK: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8cEr61EBQFJExqKU7

This event is classified as Experienced

Buddy Points: 69.6

View this event on our website or preview a printer friendly report

Are you new to Trail Buddies or the outdoors? Read our Mission Statement

Did you know there’s s'more to Trail Buddies than dirt, mud, snow, campfires, and cold hard miles? Learn of s'more ways you can become involved with our amAzing tramily off the trail.

Check out our previous newsletters

Trail Buddies Terms: We've updated our membership agreement on 3/21/2025, click here for the latest update

Join us for a fun and relaxing July 4th holiday weekend. We’ll spend a few hours hiking the NCT / Glacier Ridge Trial and take a dip in the lake afterwards to cool off. I also plan to bring a grill and cooler for some afternoon grillin’ and chillin’, so don’t forget a swimsuit and towel if you plan to swim and sign up for the cookout if you'd like to participate in the BBQ.

We’ll meet at the bicycle rentals and carpool to the parking area underneath the Route 528 bridge. The hike will take about four hours and then we’ll head down to the beach. I'll also bring a frisbee and if anyone wants to bring something else like bocce ball would be great too.

A map of our hike can be downloaded here

Important Links to Note:

Bike Rentals: https://goo.gl/maps/VfEudZiSb1CMwmpz5 (40.974245, -80.128855)

Carpool / Route 528 Parking: https://goo.gl/maps/Ewrqub6NTkk4uzfx7 (40.952096, -80.041218)

MEETING LINK: https://goo.gl/maps/WkJP1gcnBvv4f4L89

This event is classified as Beginner

Buddy Points: 14.2

Qualifying Badges: North Country Trail 100 Miles, Hike 500 Miles, 52 Hike Challenge

View this event on our website or preview a printer friendly report

Are you new to Trail Buddies or the outdoors? Read our Mission Statement

Did you know there’s s'more to Trail Buddies than dirt, mud, snow, campfires, and cold hard miles? Learn of s'more ways you can become involved with our amAzing tramily off the trail.

Check out our previous newsletters

Trail Buddies Terms: We've updated our membership agreement on 3/21/2025, click here for the latest update