2012 Annual TRASH Picnic & Campout

Our TRASH annual campout/picnic has been scheduled for Friday June 15 thru Sunday June 17. For those of you who don’t know, or are new to TRASH, this is a flagship event for our group and this year we are doing it big and right! You certainly will not want to miss this weekend. We have reserved The Trillium Lodge, which is a private lodge on 40 acres in OhioPyle!   Want more details?  Read on ... 

The article is a bit long, but trust me, you do want to read the whole message. This event will be different than past years and will involve new procedures for reserving rooms or tent spaces. We will also have optional side events if interest is sufficient. The process of selecting rooms in the lodge is simple, but again, you will need to follow the rules, and that means reading this post! Room selections for this weekend are on a first come first served principle based upon when your deposit is received. Simply, your place in the room selection queue is based upon when I receive your deposit! (High incentive to get your deposit in quickly!)

Before we get into the details, there are some changes this year that I want to bring to everyone’s attention. Everyone who attends will pay a fee towards the lodge/picnic. Rates will vary depending upon the length of time you stay, the number of people in your group, the room you select if staying in the lodge, or camping. Day picnickers who do not stay the night will also pay a fee for this picnic. Trust me, that our picnic is worth it and this lodge and location will make this year’s picnic the best ever. Finally, we believe that by adding the option of being able to stay either in your tent or in a bed with a fully furnished modern kitchen and bathroom/shower rooms, will overcome any objections you or your significant other might have had about staying overnight. There is no reason to go home – especially with your good friends here and after drinking. This has been and will continue to be the best weekend of the year!

Let me tell you a bit about the lodge and this weekend before getting into the details on the lodging reservations process. As noted above The Trillium Lodge (http://www.trillium-lodge.com/) sits on 40 acres of land in the Laurel Highlands and can accommodate 23 people inside. The lodge includes two large common areas: a living room upstairs with a full kitchen and dining room, along with another large common area/game room on the ground floor with a full kitchen. In addition, upstairs, there is a back deck that spans the length of the building with plenty of comfortable chairs, 2 grills for all our bar-b-que needs. The lodge is set upon a hilltop and the deck overlooks an amazing vista and offers views of both sunrises and sunsets. Downstairs there is a large patio with picnic tables, and a 4 person hot tub. Off the back patio, there is a large area with a fire pit that is stocked with wood for our bonfires and perfect to make your mountain pies and s’mores. In addition to the 23 people who can sleep inside, the 40 acres are ours for tent camping and can accommodate 25 more people.

Optional events:   This weekend coincides with Ohio Pyle’s annual Beer N Gear Weekend at the Wilderness Voyageurs Outfitters which is just 2 minutes down the road. The Beer N Gear is a a 3 ½ hour event that includes some of the region’s best craft brewers, a little blue grass, country music and a commemorative pint glass; all for just $20.00. It is the area’s best valued and one of the most fun, craft beer festivals. Last year they had Erie Brewing, North Country Brewing, Fat Heads, Voodoo Brewing, Rivertowne Pourhouse, Rock Bottom Brewing, Otto's, Penn Brewing, Mountain State Brewery, Full Pint Brewery, Morgantown Brewing, Duquesne Brewing, Blue Canoe, All Saints, and Christian Clay winery in attendance and beers from Victory Hop Devil, Stoudts,Great Lakes Brewing, Otter Creek and Dog Fish. We also have the option of scheduling an early morning WW rafting or duckie trip for those interested.

So with that out of the way, let’s talk about Trillium Lodge reservations: The lodge offers a variety of rooms, from private bedrooms to dorm style rooms. If demand is high, we can also assign a limited number of “couch” and “floor camping” spots. The style of the room along with the number of occupants will determine the price per person – logically, the nicer rooms with private bath will have a small premium over the dorm style rooms. Selections for the rooms will be offered upon a first come, first served system based upon when deposits have been received. Since we have reserved the entire lodge for the entire weekend, the prices will be very inexpensive per person. The total cost will be split based upon the number of people attending. This means that you will pay a deposit, and the final price per person will be determined after we know how many people will attend. I estimate that the total price for two nights in a private room will be about $80 person, with dorm room styles about $50, campers $25 and day picnickers $10. These costs are estimated and will change slightly based upon final participation numbers.

As in past years, we will have a BBQ contest, raffle, keg toss, etc. and most people bring food to share. We will be organizing a picnic committee which will be responsible for additional details. We welcome you to volunteer to help! In a side note, the back patio is an expansive level concrete pad with running water and electric and is well suited for home brewing if you are so inclined.

Friday night we arrive starting at 5PM. This will allow you time to set up camp and get settled in, make some dinner and just hung out enjoying the amenities of our beautiful lodge along with everyone’s home brews. Saturday morning, you are welcome to get up and go rafting, biking, hiking, walking, rock climbing, fishing or just hang out at the lodge. Beer and Gear usually starts around 3:00 and you will want to be in line no later than 2:30 with your valid photo ID. One of the unusual aspects of this festival is they do not pre-sell tickets or take reservations. They always sell out and they always turn people away fairly soon after the doors open. So if you want to go to the festival, it is advised to be there 30 minutes early to get your spot in line to avoid being disappointed.

We will plan our BBQ contest for after the Beer N Gear. Just so there is no confusion, Beer and Gear IS NOT a requirement for the weekend. It is however a darn nice event and I think our group is uniquely qualified to enjoy it. If you would prefer to enjoy all that OhioPyle has to offer, you are certainly free to do that! Each room comes with a key to the lodge and your own room so you are free to come and go as you please. Sunday morning, gather all your stuff, help clean up the lodge, and be out of the lodge by 11 and heading home!

Finally, in summation, this is a first come first serve basis for lodging accommodations. In order to secure your position in the lodge we require a deposit of $45. Please mail your deposit to me with the number of people attending and the dates you will stay overnight (Friday and Saturday or just Friday or just Saturday)Please note: If the requests for lodging exceeds rooms available, preference will be given to those who will stay both nights. After we receive your deposit, you will be sent an email to confirm your reservation in the lodge. After we receive enough deposits to fill the lodge, an email will be sent out with room descriptions and you will be allowed to make your room selections – on a first come first served basis based upon when we receive your deposit. These room selections will determine your final cost and balance owed.

Start now! If you wish to attend the picnic, camp or stay at the lodge, fill out the form on the attachment below, attach the appropriate deposit and mail it to me at the address below.

John Rozborski
8490 Remington Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
412-736-2131