Western Regional Meet Planning

avking · Jun 12, 2003

Based on the two previous threads and discussions we have had in other places, it looks like we have a good foundation to start planning the meet.

We have it norrowed down to October 11th to 15th with an optional 3 day extension for those with the time. So far, at least 3 of us are going to do the extra days.

View the rest of the posts in this thread to get an idea of what has been discussed. Please let everyone know what you think. Ideas. Suggestions. We should start getting this together so people can plan time off and book rooms. I would be happy to setup some group rates at a particulat hotel once we get some people committed. Lets talk this up.

CONFIRMED
AVKING (1) + Moab Option
CAHIKR (2) + Moab Option
SoCalCindy (5)
HQ (4)
BareNakedYellow
Teksavy

PROBABLY
Z
DavesterD
Ghostwheel
tractman
hultzger
Sunset Z71
lightning
Steelheadchaser
UtahAV

INTERESTED
Aegis
flynhigh
brmiller

Not a bad list starting here. If you are in the wrong category please let me know and I will move you.

avking · Jun 16, 2003

Bring this to the top. Lets continue the discussion in this thread to narrow the focus a bit.

z · Jun 17, 2003

avking said:
Kanab is 37 miles from Zion, 77 miles from Bryce, 78 miles from Grand Canyon, 73 miles from Lake Powell and Grand Staircase is just down the road. Kanab is about 469 miles or 6.5 to 7.5 hours from Southern California. Here is a possible itinerary for the trip.

Saturday: Travel to Kanab from all points. Grand Staircase if you arrive early enough. Meet for dinner if you are in early enough.

At 450-500 miles from So Cal, that is very far for most folks to drive in one day. ?Nor Cal folks would probably add in another 100-200 miles.

A good nite stop is in Las Vegas. ?Zion can be reached from Las Vegas in about 2-3 hours (150 miles), so a breakfast ?in Las Vegas will still give you the whole afternoon and evening in Zion.

Most of the Western Folks and Some AZ, will have to travel through Vegas on route to UT. ?Have Vegas as meeting spot 1 and travel en mass to Zion?

For those who cannot afford to take too many days off, this could be a nice short trip. ?Meet in Vegas (Sat) travel to Zion (Sun) stay in Zion/Kanab or return back to Vegas (Sunday night), ?return home on Monday.

The additional flexibility would encourage more people to participate even if it is for only a small segment of the total trip. LV AVs can even make it a day trip.

I believe Oct 13 is Columbus day so that is both a positive and negative. ?Some people get that day off so they don't burn a vacation day. ?Negative: hotels may get booked up and cost a bit more.

avking · Jun 17, 2003

The holiday weekend is why I liked the 11th to the 15th dates the best. I don't think hotels will be to bad that time of year, it is well past the high season. Looking as of today, rates range from $84 night for hotel rooms to $150 night for a two bedroom condo or $195 night for a three bedroom condo. Availability is wide open. Of course, we need to reserve eary to keep the good rates. I personally will go for a condo and find on or two couples to share it with. A 3 bedroom condo split three ways is only $65 night. For those on a tight budget, camping and cabins are available, as well as less expensive hotels.

I think a planned stopover in Vegas for those not wanting to make the drive in a day is a good idea. It will be a long drive from Nor Cal. I think two agendas would be in order. One with a stopover in Vegas and another for those like me who want to motor through.

I think most So Cal and many AZ members could make it in a single day, easy.

From a meet point in LA or Orange county, the drive can be done in 6.5 to 7 hours. If the So Cal folks meet early, as we normally do, a 6:30AM departure would get us into the area around 2:00PM to 3:00PM with a couple rest stops and a lunch break.

I will have to look at the route from AZ to come up with aprox times for them.

For those interested in stopping, Vegas would be a nice spot to spend an evening. It is just to close for the So Cal members, IMO. That is why I suggest the two options.

Thanks for speaking up. It's good to get some activity in the thread. Where would you be coming from? How long might you stay? At this point, how likely are you to go?

z said:
At 450-500 miles from So Cal, that is very far for most folks to drive in one day. ?Nor Cal folks would probably add in another 100-200 miles.

A good nite stop is in Las Vegas. ?Zion can be reached from Las Vegas in about 2-3 hours (150 miles), so a breakfast ?in Las Vegas will still give you the whole afternoon and evening in Zion.

Most of the Western Folks and Some AZ, will have to travel through Vegas on route to UT. ?Have Vegas as meeting spot 1 and travel en mass to Zion?

For those who cannot afford to take too many days off, this could be a nice short trip. ?Meet in Vegas (Sat) travel to Zion (Sun) stay in Zion/Kanab or return back to Vegas (Sunday night), ?return home on Monday.

The additional flexibility would encourage more people to participate even if it is for only a small segment of the total trip. ?LV AVs can even make it a day trip.

I believe Oct 13 is Columbus day so that is both a positive and negative. ?Some people get that day off so they don't burn a vacation day. ?Negative: hotels may get booked up and cost a bit more.

z · Jun 17, 2003

I like the October 11-15 dates too. I will be comming from the So Cal area and although Kanab is a realistic drive from here, I really don't mind spending an evening in the Las Vegas area, grab an early breakfast and head to Utah from LV in the morning.

I have a hard time planning more than 1 month out but this is a trip I would love to attend.

hultzger · Jun 17, 2003

Depending on what route I plug in it's anywhere from 750-830 miles from SF Bay Area

So I still like my idea of driving through Yosemite and spending the night in Bishop and then head into Las Vegas. (At least I can sell thay idea to my wife!) Still not sure about the dates, she is really against taking the kids out of school, unless it's for an important event like going to Disneyland.

z said:
At 450-500 miles from So Cal, that is very far for most folks to drive in one day. ?Nor Cal folks would probably add in another 100-200 miles.

A good nite stop is in Las Vegas. ?Zion can be reached from Las Vegas in about 2-3 hours (150 miles), so a breakfast ?in Las Vegas will still give you the whole afternoon and evening in Zion.

hq · Jun 17, 2003

I am reposting the map I created from a previous thread. Zion is #7, Bryce is #8, and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is #9 - Total mileage for the loop is just under 1,000 miles.

pdxkevin · Jun 17, 2003

I didn't know that Pahrump was that close to Vegas!

Pahrump, NV being the home to Art Bell. That would be a cool starting place or at least a weird one.

CA_HIKR · Jun 17, 2003

avking said:
Based on the two previous threads and discussions we have had in other places, it looks like we have a good foundation to start planning the meet.

We have it norrowed down to either October 11th to 15th or October 18th to ?22nd. Either date will have an optional 3 day extension for those with the time. So far, at least 3 of us are going to do the extra days.

Most of the interest so far has been CA members, so a Saturday start date will work best. A Saturday start date will probably work best for AZ, UT, NV and NM members as well. We can move the start day to Sunday, if we get enough interest from OR, WA or TX members.

So far, it looks like Bryce, Zion, North Rim Grand Canyon and surrounding areas will be the destinations. With these destinations in mind, Kanab Utah looks like a very good place to call home base. Numerous hotels in all price ranges are available, as well as a place you can stay in a authentic TiPi. Camping without the hassles of camping. They look very comfortable. Kanab is 37 miles from Zion, 77 miles from Bryce, 78 miles from Grand Canyon, 73 miles from Lake Powell and Grand Staircase is just down the road. Kanab is about 469 miles or 6.5 to 7.5 hours from Southern California. You can estimate time a distance to you, using Mapquest.

Those doing the 3 day extension will head to Moab on Wedensday. We will then spend 3 days exploring Moab and Arches. Pack it up and head home on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

Here is a possible itinerary for the trip.

Saturday: Travel to Kanab from all points. Grand Staircase if you arrive early enough. Meet for dinner if you are in early enough.

Sunday: Day trip into Zion. Group BBQ Dinner at local park.

Monday: Day trip into Bryce. Group Dinner at local restaurant.

Tuesday: Day trip into North Rim Grand Canyon. Maybe another BBQ for the last night.

Wednesday: Morning trip to Grand Staircase. Travel home in the afternoon. For those staying, head to Moab (about 5 to 6 hours) in the afternoon.

Thursday: Explore Moab or Arches

Friday: Explore Moab or Arches

Saturday: Explore some more or head home.

Sunday: Homeward bound.

Ok, this is just my first shot at a little detail. I have checked hotels and restaurants, and it looks like a group our size will be fine this time of year. The TiPi place is open until the end of October. I do not think it will be to cold yet for the TiPi's. I would consider it for myself, if we stay in Kanab. A little more interesting than a hotel. One final consideration is cabins. They have some that sleep up to 16 people. Those who want can bunk together. The 16 person is only $525 for 4 nights.

Here are some links:

http://www.travelwest.net/cities/kanab/lodging.html
http://www.cctownhomes.com/
http://www.deerspringsranch.com/cabins.html
http://www.parrylodge.com/
TiPi http://www.utahtrailsresort.com/

Please let me know what you think. Ideas. Suggestions. We should start getting this together so people can plan time off and book rooms. I would be happy to setup some group rates at a particulat hotel once we get some people committed. Lets talk this up.

CONSIDER THIS, IF YOU WILL: SPRINGDALE, UTAH IS MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED BETWEEN ZION AND BRYCE. THERE ARE MANY LODGING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. THIS WILL CUT DOWN THE DRIVING TIME BETWEEN PARKS. ANY THOUGHTS?

Wind4Power · Jun 17, 2003

Thanks for stepping up and getting the ball rolling on this event avking!

I like the idea of sharing a cabin or condo... splitting the costs of lodging between several parties will certainly bring the expense down.

z · Jun 17, 2003

pdxkevin said:
I didn't know that Parhump was that close to Vegas! ? ?Pahrump, NV being the home to Art Bell. That would be a cool starting place or at least a weird one.

Parhrump is also home of the world's oldest profession. ?It is legal in Parhurmp and there are several establishments in that town. ?It is about 1 to 1 1/2 hour from Vegas. ?Don't ask me how I know

. ?I guess it can be a really cool starting place for those who are interested.

CA_HIKR · Jun 17, 2003

HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO ACCOMODATIONS IN THE SPRINGDALE AREA:

www.zionponderosa.com

www.bwthunderbird.com

www.zionmountainresort.com/accomodations/

THESE ACCOMODATIONS RUN FROM ECONOMY TO HIGH-END. WE'RE OPEN TO SHARING WITH ANYONE INTERESTED. THOSE THAT INCLUDE KITCHENS GIVE US THE OPTION OF COOKING OUR OWN MEALS, WHICH WILL SAVE MONEY AS OPPOSED TO EATING-OUT.

z · Jun 17, 2003

CA_HIKR said:
CONSIDER THIS, IF YOU WILL: ?SPRINGDALE, UTAH IS MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED BETWEEN ZION AND BRYCE. ?THERE ?ARE MANY LODGING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. ?THIS WILL CUT DOWN THE DRIVING TIME BETWEEN PARKS. ?ANY THOUGHTS?

Springdale is the primary town next to Zion. I would consider the following route:

Home - Vegas (Spend Night) - Zion - Springdale (Spend Night) - Bryce - Grand Canyon (Spend Night) - Return Home

Lodging Info In Zion

CA_HIKR · Jun 17, 2003

z said:
Parhrump is also home of the world's oldest profession. ?It is legal in Parhurmp and there are several establishments in that town. ?It is about 1 to 1 1/2 hour from Vegas. ?Don't ask me how I know . ?I guess it can be a really cool starting place for those who are interested.

MY GIRLFRIEND CAN VISIT HER OLD STOMPING GROUNDS! ?GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HER MOM,TOO. 20% DISCOUNT TO THE AVALANCHE CLUB. >:D

gpfahler · Jun 17, 2003

Sounds real good to me ...I would like to go ,,will have to see how the next couple of months develops

pdxkevin · Jun 18, 2003

z said:
Parhrump is also home of the world's oldest profession...?

I didn't know that there were that many lawyers in Pahrump?

CA_HIKR said:
MY GIRLFRIEND CAN VISIT HER OLD STOMPING GROUNDS! GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HER MOM,TOO. 20% DISCOUNT TO THE AVALANCHE CLUB.

Cool we need a legal discount to get out of tickets or I mean help us to straighten out missunderstandings with the legal system.

CA_HIKR · Jun 19, 2003

hultzger said:
Depending on what route I plug in it's anywhere from 750-830 miles from SF Bay Area So I still like my idea of driving through Yosemite and spending the night in Bishop and then head into Las Vegas. (At least I can sell thay idea to my wife!) Still not sure about the dates, she is really against taking the kids out of school, unless it's for an important event like going to Disneyland.

YOU MAY HAVE TO KEEP A EYE ON THE WEATHER THAT TIME OF YEAR. ANY MAJOR SNOWFALL AND TIOGA PASS WILL CLOSE FOR THE SEASON.

avking · Jun 19, 2003

Springdale looks good, but I would not want to stay the whole trip. It is 2.5 hours to Bryce. I do not think I would want to do a day trip that far. I see two options here.

1. 1 or 2 nights in Springdale then move closer to Bryce for the 3rd and 4th nights.

2. Stay somewhere more centrally located and not switch hotels.

I would rather try and keep the same hotel the whole trip, but lets see what the group wants. I will go along with the majority. I see value in both plans, I just hate to unpack, lol...

CA_HIKR said:
HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO ACCOMODATIONS IN THE SPRINGDALE AREA:

www.zionponderosa.com

www.bwthunderbird.com

www.zionmountainresort.com/accomodations/

THESE ACCOMODATIONS RUN FROM ECONOMY TO HIGH-END. ?WE'RE OPEN TO SHARING WITH ANYONE INTERESTED. ?THOSE THAT INCLUDE KITCHENS GIVE US THE OPTION OF COOKING OUR OWN MEALS, WHICH WILL SAVE MONEY AS OPPOSED TO EATING-OUT. ?

avking · Jun 19, 2003

This looks like a good plan for those who do not want to make it to the park in one day. I do not think I would want to do Bryce and Grand Canyon in one day. To rushed, and it will take us a little longer to do things because of the size of the group. It is difficult to keep so many people on track all the time. I think we need to plan plenty of slack into the trip, especially for those bringing children and/or pets. We should plan the trip for the time period the majority can attend, and those with more or less time, just go along for that part of the itinerary.

I really think most will try and do the whole drive in one day. While we have not done a drive that far yet as a group, we have done some that were pretty close. Finding a good lunch stop to stretch and maybe have a hour of fun is essential.

Finally, while driving to the meet as a group is fun and helps kill time, it is not essential we have big groups for the long haul. I think what is important are the activities at the destinations and the cruises around them. IMO.

z said:
Springdale is the primary town next to Zion. ?I would consider the following route:

Home - Vegas (Spend Night) - Zion - Springdale (Spend Night) - Bryce - Grand Canyon (Spend Night) - Return Home

Lodging Info In Zion

CA_HIKR · Jun 19, 2003

avking said:
Springdale looks good, but I would not want to stay the whole trip. It is 2.5 hours to Bryce. I do not think I would want to do a day trip that far. I see two options here.

1. 1 or 2 nights in Springdale then move closer to Bryce for the 3rd and 4th nights.

2. Stay somewhere more centrally located and not switch hotels.

I would rather try and keep the same hotel the whole trip, but lets see what the group wants. I will go along with the majority. I see value in both plans, I just hate to unpack, lol...

O.K. I THINK I SAID SPRINGDALE WHEN I MENT GLENDALE OR MT. CARMEL. NOT THE GLENDALE THAT IS A BURB OF PHOENIX. THERE IS A GLENDALE UTAH. IT'S ABOUT 20 MIN. TO ZION, AND 1 HOUR TO BRYCE. MUCH CLOSER THAN KANAB, TO THESE TWO PARKS. NORTH RIM AND GRAND STAIRCASE CAN BE DONE AS SIDE TRIPS IN ABOUT TWO HOURS.

z · Jun 19, 2003

avking said:
This looks like a good plan for those who do not want to make it to the park in one day. I do not think I would want to do Bryce and Grand Canyon in one day.

I was thinking Zion during the day, spend a night in Springdale, depart in the morning to Bryce, spend afternoon in Bryce, leave to Grand Canyon in the evening and stay overnight in the Grand Canyon area. There are pleny of hotels in that area. Spend the following morning/afternoon in the Grand Canyon and depart.

Hope I didn't make it too confusing.

CA_HIKR · Jun 19, 2003

z said:
I was thinking Zion during the day, spend a night in Springdale, depart in the morning to Bryce, spend afternoon in Bryce, leave to Grand Canyon in the evening and stay overnight in the Grand Canyon area. ?There are pleny of hotels in that area. ?Spend the following morning/afternoon in the Grand Canyon and depart.

Hope I didn't make it too confusing.

THIS IS IN THE EARLY PLANNING STAGES, YOUR INPUT IS APPRECIATED. WE CAN WORK OUT THE DETAILS WHEN WE KNOW WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW MANY. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO GET AS MANY AV'S AS POSSIBLE. GLAD YOUR AS INTERESTED AS WE ARE. STAY TUNED.

Wind4Power · Jun 20, 2003

We have a good start going here...

To help "PUMP UP THE VOLUME" for this event, I'll fix up a nice sig for us all to use to help advertise. A "Western Regional" sig. What do you think? I think it might help us get the word out.

Or should I wait until we have a firm date?

That should be the first thing we all decide on... A date.
Once that is settled, it will be much easier to decide and plan an itinerary.

CA_HIKR · Jun 20, 2003

SoCalCindy said:
We have a good start going here...

To help "PUMP UP THE VOLUME" for this event, I'll fix up a nice sig for us all to use to help advertise. A "Western Regional" sig. What do you think? I think it might help us get the word out.

Or should I wait until we have a firm date?

That should be the first thing we all decide on... A date.
Once that is settled, it will be much easier to decide and plan an itinerary.

I THINK A WESTERN REGIONAL SIG IS A GREAT IDEA. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT DECIDING ON A DATE, SO THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED CAN DECIDE IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND OR NOT. I REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT DATE IS CHOSEN AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE KIND OF TURNOUT LIKE THE EAST COAST REGIONALS HAD.
(I KNOW WISHFULL THINKING).

Wind4Power · Jun 20, 2003

CA_HIKR

[I THINK A WESTERN REGIONAL SIG IS A GREAT IDEA. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT DECIDING ON A DATE, SO THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED CAN DECIDE IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND OR NOT. I REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT DATE IS CHOSEN AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE KIND OF TURNOUT LIKE THE EAST COAST REGIONALS HAD.
(I KNOW WISHFULL THINKING).

Good... I'm glad you think so. I hope everyone else does too. I'll start working on it.

"Wishful Thinking"... nothing wrong with that!

Last year's western regional had 14 Avalanches if I remember right.
I'll be happy if we can just improve on that number.

BY ALOT!

But, we sure have our work cut out for us...
I emailed over 80 people about this event asking for feedback.... and so far... not much response.

But that could change.