Right now I would say a tentative dates for Wild West 2003 in Moab, Utah include:
June 23 - June 26 with early arrival on June 22
April 14 - April 17 with early arrival on April 13
These dates should fit with many school schedules for those with kids (hey - let me know NOW!) and give people like myself the weekend to drive to Moab (about 1,100 miles from Seattle). My goal for Wild West 2003 - 30 Avalanches minimum with a stretch goal of 50. YES - I'm going to need logistical help - NO - I don't plan to do it all by myself.
Personally I like the end of June dates better. It's a little toasty that time of the year but it is far enough away not to interfere with a national event in August and also keeps us out of the summer moonsonal flow that floats across the area.
Another possibility is that Moab may be the END destination due to its remote location. I'm thinking that the very bland town of Hurricane, Utah right off of US I-15 is probably a better starting point. The route as it stands would go from Zion to Canyonlands to Arches with of course activities sprinkled along the route.
For those interested in extending the vacation if you go from Moab to Hurricane you're not too far from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. If you go from Hurricane to Moab then you're not far from Mesa Verde and Monument Valley.
It's time to start kicking around some dates and ideas because I want to get registration going on this by January. Also the pricing structure will be different - although I never planned Wild West 2002 to be a money maker for the club, the club had to cover a lot of expense, much was due to the learning curve of the enterprise. This is what I'm kicking around right now:
$150 per Avalanche up to two people with NPS Pass
$100 per Avalanche up to two people with no NPS Pass
$125 special rate for full-time high school and college students under 24 years of age with no adult passengers includes NPS Pass
$25 for shipping and handling of materials (waived for full-time high school and college students)
$30 to $50 for each additional passenger over six years of age
So for a family of four with a 2 year old and an 8 year old the cost to attend would be roughly $180 to $200. However for some of our younger members where cost becomes a real issue a break is still available. This will really help cover the flexible costs and allow for deeper discounts on special activities and meals.
For those who did not attend Wild West 2002 I'm sure that those who did will tell you - the cost of admission is money very well spent. The only hitch on our entire trip was piss poor quality USGS topo maps used by Microsoft that I was using for GPS guidance. We did some wandering in the Modoc National Forest and the Modoc Backcountry Highway is utterly, totally, completely unmarked. However we zigged, and we zagged and between the GPS data and keeping the Avalanche compass on south and west we did make it out. Considering we started out over 30 minutes late, our 1 hour 15 minute late arrival wasn't horrible.
That leads to the other change I would make for Wild West 2003. I would probably insert a little more time into the travel schedule. There were several stretches of road where the speed limit was 55 MPH or 60 MPH but because of the twists and turns we as a group couldn't go much faster than 40 to 45 MPH. So more time padded in the schedule on travel. One thing I'll keep is a day in the middle similar to Sunday. Easy drive, lots of free time, a number of activities to split off to.
Well - that's my story and I'm sticking to it. So lets here it - it's time to plan the Western US Regional Meet for 2003.
Wild West 2003!
June 23 - June 26 with early arrival on June 22
April 14 - April 17 with early arrival on April 13
These dates should fit with many school schedules for those with kids (hey - let me know NOW!) and give people like myself the weekend to drive to Moab (about 1,100 miles from Seattle). My goal for Wild West 2003 - 30 Avalanches minimum with a stretch goal of 50. YES - I'm going to need logistical help - NO - I don't plan to do it all by myself.
Personally I like the end of June dates better. It's a little toasty that time of the year but it is far enough away not to interfere with a national event in August and also keeps us out of the summer moonsonal flow that floats across the area.
Another possibility is that Moab may be the END destination due to its remote location. I'm thinking that the very bland town of Hurricane, Utah right off of US I-15 is probably a better starting point. The route as it stands would go from Zion to Canyonlands to Arches with of course activities sprinkled along the route.
For those interested in extending the vacation if you go from Moab to Hurricane you're not too far from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. If you go from Hurricane to Moab then you're not far from Mesa Verde and Monument Valley.
It's time to start kicking around some dates and ideas because I want to get registration going on this by January. Also the pricing structure will be different - although I never planned Wild West 2002 to be a money maker for the club, the club had to cover a lot of expense, much was due to the learning curve of the enterprise. This is what I'm kicking around right now:
$150 per Avalanche up to two people with NPS Pass
$100 per Avalanche up to two people with no NPS Pass
$125 special rate for full-time high school and college students under 24 years of age with no adult passengers includes NPS Pass
$25 for shipping and handling of materials (waived for full-time high school and college students)
$30 to $50 for each additional passenger over six years of age
So for a family of four with a 2 year old and an 8 year old the cost to attend would be roughly $180 to $200. However for some of our younger members where cost becomes a real issue a break is still available. This will really help cover the flexible costs and allow for deeper discounts on special activities and meals.
For those who did not attend Wild West 2002 I'm sure that those who did will tell you - the cost of admission is money very well spent. The only hitch on our entire trip was piss poor quality USGS topo maps used by Microsoft that I was using for GPS guidance. We did some wandering in the Modoc National Forest and the Modoc Backcountry Highway is utterly, totally, completely unmarked. However we zigged, and we zagged and between the GPS data and keeping the Avalanche compass on south and west we did make it out. Considering we started out over 30 minutes late, our 1 hour 15 minute late arrival wasn't horrible.
That leads to the other change I would make for Wild West 2003. I would probably insert a little more time into the travel schedule. There were several stretches of road where the speed limit was 55 MPH or 60 MPH but because of the twists and turns we as a group couldn't go much faster than 40 to 45 MPH. So more time padded in the schedule on travel. One thing I'll keep is a day in the middle similar to Sunday. Easy drive, lots of free time, a number of activities to split off to.
Well - that's my story and I'm sticking to it. So lets here it - it's time to plan the Western US Regional Meet for 2003.
Wild West 2003!