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May 14
Renovate Assess Friendship Transform
PRE-TRIP INSTRUCTIONS
Page Last Updated: 3 May 2004
UPDATES
7 May 2004
Final Update (please print this one last time, so that you're sure to have all the up-to-date info)
1. NOT MOOCHING- In talking to one of you, it became apparent to me that I may not have communicated clearly to everyone regarding my investment in this trip. Despite the fact that this trip originated out of my 30th birthday, I am not using your money to subsidize my part in the trip. I am contributing my $440, plus I am covering the difference for everyone on a number of items that have come up since I set the $440.
2. MOSQUITOES- The word on the street is that the mosquitoes are going to be really bad at the put-in and for the first 20 miles, so make sure that you have plenty of bug spray.
3. TENTS- Because we are all likely to be going over our 25-lb weight limit for the charter flight, we need to try and minimize duplication as much as possible. Matt Henderson and I will be flying to the put-in on Sunday, and we will have 2 tents with us, so, assuming that your tents are each 2-person or larger, please pick the 3 best tents from among you and leave the remaining ones in the car. You will need to use this principle in general and work with Trent (the chief pilot) to make sure that everyone and all the gear make it on the 2 airplanes Monday morning. Trent is aware that most of us have more than 25 lbs, but we will still need to work with him to make the flight a safe one. By the way, for those of you who care (Matt O), the planes are supposed to be a 172 (4 seats) and a 210 (6 seats).
4. FORM OF PAYMENT- Someone asked me about form of payment for the trip. You can give me cash or a check, I don't care which. If for some reason one of you needs to pay with a credit card, let me know ON SATURDAY, and I will try to figure out a way to have you put a portion of the raft equipment bill balance on your card. Also, guys, I hate asking people for money, so can everyone please give it to me at the put-in so that I don't have to think about it the rest of the trip? I'd really appreciate that!
5. BEAR DANGER- In the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted to let everyone know that on Wednesday night a rafter was attacked at camp in Desolation Canyon on the Green (where we are going). The BLM has sent out 2 squads to kill the 2 black bears, so hopefully they will be gone by the time we get there. Either way, we will be taking special precautions in the set-up of our camps (placement of food, etc.) to prevent making ourselves a target. Everyone is always welcome to bail out (as long as you still pay your share). Other rafters continue to press on, and I intend to do the same. Patrick has responded, "grizzlies are one thing, but a little old black bear? Come on!" Matt Henderson has told me that he looks forward to "talking trash" to the bears if spot them. Here's the link to the Salt Lake Tribune article giving some details: http://www.sltrib.com/2004/May/05072004/utah/164106.asp
6. RECONFIRM AIRLINE ITINERARIES- We really have no room for error on our schedule, so it is of the utmost importance that no one miss their flight on Sunday. Furthermore, do everything you can to prevent your bags from being lost--if your bag doesn't make it, there's not much we can do. The best thing you can do is to make sure that you check in plenty early (I'm checking in 2 hours before my flight). Also, be sure and call the airline to confirm that your departure time hasn't changed since you bought your ticket. Finally, make sure that you PUT YOUR KNIVES IN YOUR CHECKED BAGGAGE!!! I lost 2 pocket knives this week on a flight when I forgot to remove them from my carry-on!
7. ERIC'S NEW FLIGHT ITINERARY- For Matt Henderson. Now that I know our trip schedule better, I have modified my itinerary to make life easier for everyone (including myself). Here is the new itinerary:
Saturday, May 8
United Airlines
1093 May
May
Saturday, May 15
United Airlines
718 May
15
May 15
8. 7-DAY WEATHER FORECAST- Here's the advanced forecast as of 22:00 EDT
Friday night. Not perfect (looks like we will get some rain at some point
in the trip), but all in all not bad. Anyway, I think that all of the
clothing instructions I have given you still apply, but, with a bit of luck, we
won't need our wetsuits the whole time.
High/Low %ChancePrecip
| Mon May 10 |
|
Sunny | 87°/56° | 0 % |
| Tue May 11 |
|
Partly Cloudy | 71°/46° | 20 % |
| Wed May 12 |
|
Few Showers | 68°/43° | 30 % |
| Thu May 13 |
|
Sunny | 73°/45° | 20 % |
| Fri May 14 |
|
Sunny | 81°/49° | 20 % |
4 May 2004
Hanly Expedition Menu
5-day day Desolation Canyon trip
5/10/04 to 5/14/04
Day 1, Monday, 5/10/04
No Breakfast
Lunch: Cold cuts and cheese on wheat bread with fruit, chips and cookies
Dinner: Appetizer - Fresh guacamole with tortilla chips
Entrée - Chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice
Desert - Butterscotch pudding
Day 2, Tuesday, 5/11/04
Breakfast: Mexican scrambled eggs with bacon, fried potatoes with onions and OJ
Lunch: Chicken salad on pita with fruit, chips and cookies
Dinner: Appetizer - Shrimp cocktail
Entrée - Pork chops simmered in gravy with mashed potatoes, green salad
Desert - Brownies
Day 3, Wednesday, 5/12/04
Breakfast: French toast with maple syrup, link sausage and apple juice
Lunch: Selection of salami and cheese on crackers with fruit, chips and cookies
Dinner: Appetizer - Easy cheesy bean dip with chips
Entrée - Tequila marinated chicken fajitas with Spanish rice
Desert - Pineapple upside down cake
Day 4, Thursday, 5/13/04
Breakfast: Breakfast burritos with bacon, hash browns and OJ
Lunch: Selection of cold cuts and cheese on rye with fruit, chips and cookies
Dinner: Appetizer - Crackers and dips
Entrée - Marinated sirloins with roasted potatoes, Rice-A-Roni, broccoli and
cheese.
Desert - Raspberry cobbler
Day 5, Friday, 5/14/04
Breakfast: Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, patty sausage and apple juice
Lunch: Tuna salad on pita with chips, fruit and cookies
Notes:
1. Peanut butter and jelly will be available for each day, and s'mores for each
night.
2. Flour tortillas will be available for each day.
3. Customer has requested black tortilla chips as first choice (white then
yellow subsequent choices).
4. Beverages will include:
a. 20, 6-packs of soda: (4) diet lemonade (Minute Maid); (3) diet Squirt or
Fresca; (3) Coke; (2) Mountain Dew: (2) root beer; (3) caffeine free diet Pepsi
(Coke 2nd choice); (3) orange
b. Regular and decaf coffee will be available each day for breakfast and dinner.
Two coffee pots will be required.
c. Mixture of regular and sugar-free hot chocolate will be available.
5. Snacks will include mixed nuts and chewy granola bars.
6. In addition to standard spice box, Splenda has been requested as sugar
substitute.
7. Condiments will include: mustard, mayo, ketchup, BBQ sauce, Heinz 57 steak
sauce, powdered creamer, butter, vegetable oil, sour cream and salsa.
8. Tequila marinade and steak marinade will be pre-mixed for use on days three
and four.
3 May 2004
1. GEAR NEEDS- I have only heard from a few of you regarding items on the mandatory list that you need. We are less than a week away from departure, so I am going to assume that if you haven't emailed me, it means that you already have everything. If this isn't the case, please email me ASAP. Also, if you're not a big email fan, you are always welcome to call me on my cell (410-458-6888). Please don't leave things to the last minute and create an emergency!
2. WETSUITS- If you don't yet have a wetsuit, here are a
couple of options
A. Rent one from AAA Inflatables (www.aaainflatables.com
877-RAFT-DOC or 303-296-2444) in Denver for ~$30 for the week (Luke is
considering this option, so he might be willing to pick up suits from others who
want to exercise this option.
B. Buy one from www.diversdirect.com
(a Florida-based diving company that I found to be the cheapest on the
web). Matt Helms & I opted for this. We got "Evo 3mm Mens
Farmer John" wetsuits for $59.99 plus shipping ($7-$8 + optional 2-day
shipping for another $8)
C. Nick is looking into possibly renting/borrowing
wetsuits from work (any news on this idea, Nick?).
3. SONGBOOK- Luke has volunteered to prepare a praise song book for a trip. THANKS LUKE! So if you want us to be able to sing your favorite praise songs, please let Luke know ASAP what they are so that he can find the lyrics and include them in the book. Realistically, you're going to have to email or call him within the next couple of days if he's going to have time to compile and print these, so please respond quickly on this one (Matt Helms, I know you want some Third Day songs, so you better email Luke today!).
4. ALCOHOL- As I indicated in the original website, I am not using the money that you are paying for food, equipment, etc. to buy any alcohol (because I know that some of you do not drink at all). However, the company who is supplying our food will purchase and pack beer, wine, liquor for us if we want. Keep in mind that space is at a premium and we will be in a very remote desert where you will already be prone to dehydration, so moderation is prudent for many reasons. But if you want something and are willing to pay for it, please let me know NTL Thursday evening.
5. OTHER DRINKS- I understand that a couple of you do not drink pop. I have asked our food Lady to try and get us some non-soda drinks in cans (lemonade, etc.) as well. Also, there will be plenty of water, so if you want to bring a powdered drink mix, you are welcome to do so (I think Nick is).
6. GARBAGE BAG- We will be sharing large dry bags on the river to carry our personal gear (clothing, toiletries, sleeping bags, ground pads, and tents. It will be 2 people per bag, which means that, in addition to 2 sleeping bags, 2 ground pads, and 1 tent, you will have room for very little other personal gear. The dry bags will meet us at the river put-in, so, with the exception of items which you have previously discussed with me (Patrick with his personal dry bag, etc.) when you get on the plane in Green River, UT, you should be carrying your clothing in a sturdy black garbage bag and your camping gear freely as individual items. This is because we will not have room to pack a backpack, suitcase or other bag into the dry bag, and we have no place to leave stuff at the put-in. By carrying your stuff in a garbage bag you can make your stuff conform to the shape of empty space in the dry bag (which a backpack does not do well) while keeping your personal items from floating freely throughout a large bag and co-mingling with your bag partner's stuff. If you own your own dry bag and want to bring it, you are welcome to do so, just realize that anything you might bring that won't fit in your large dry bag must be ready to get wet. We will have a few water-proof ammo cans available in which you can put small items like cameras, sunscreen, etc. These will be accessible for regular access throughout the trip. Bottom line: BRING A LARGE BLACK PLASTIC GARBAGE BAG!
7. GUITARS- For Kevin & Luke. I have elected to purchase a $90 guitar-shaped dry-bag that fits over 1 hard-shell guitar case. I couldn't bring myself to buy more than one. If one of you guys wants to buy another one, by all means let me know, but assuming that this is not the case, we have 2 options: 1) Just bring one guitar or 2) Bring two, and wrap the second one in multiple garbage bags realizing that it is still possible that it could get wet. What do you guys think? I'd love for you guys to be able to lead us in worship with 2 guitars, but I'll leave it up to you.
GREEN RIVER RAFT TRIP INFORMATION
Background
I turned 30 this March, and as a special gift to me, Jenn began planning a rafting trip for me out west. It was going to be a surprise, but the logistics of it got too big for her to handle, so she finally told me about it and gave the mission of planning over to me. Her vision is for me to go with a group of my friends for a rafting "birthday party" / Christian men's retreat. Thus this awesome 5-day rafting/camping trip, spiritual retreat, and reunion of sorts has been born. As you can imagine, I am very pumped.
As you all know, I had hoped for us to raft the Dolores River in southwestern Colorado. Despite what was projected in February to be a banner year for this river, the snowfall in Colorado was minimal in March, and thus virtually all of the water in McPhee Res. will be needed for farming this summer (thus the dam is not going to release enough water for the river to be passable in rafts). But God has been extremely gracious to me: at the last minute I was able to claim a launch permit for the Green River Desolation/Gray trip from a group that never paid for their permit (which they won through a river permit lottery back in the fall of 2003). This 84-mile trip (from Sand Wash to Swasey's Rapid) offers awesome scenery through 2 gorgeous isolated sandstone canyons. The whitewater consists of class IIIs with big rolling waves on a very large river. There are no class IV rapids on this trip, so it makes the trip somewhat less dangerous than the Dolores would have been.
I am really happy that you will all be able to come. I know that it is a lot to ask of you to take a whole week away from your families, jobs, schools, etc., but I anticipate this being an unforgettable week. I can't wait to see each of you again, catch up, enjoy an awesome slice of God's grand creation with you, and, most of all, open my heart to Jesus with each of you, begging Him to renew and refresh my spirit so that I can better serve Him, my family, and my community.
PLEASE PRINT OUT THIS PAGE AND KEEP IT WITH YOU SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL NEED FOR THE TRIP!!! YOU MIGHT ALSO LEAVE A COPY WITH YOUR FAMILY.
Verse
The Verse for the week will be Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of
God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to
God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will
be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect
will."
If you haven't already memorized this verse, I encourage you to do so before the trip.
Theme
The theme for the trip will be: Renovate Assess Friendship Transform
We will first Assess the state of our hearts and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to each of us what portion of the world has crept into our person (this will include a time of confession). We will then call on Jesus to Renovate our hearts and minds--tearing out those worldly cabinets that have taken residence in us and replacing them with beautiful, new, Godly ones. We will then identify, discuss, and practice practical ways through which we can partner with God to Transform our lives and accomplish his work for us in this world. Throughout the trip we will enjoy each other's Friendship and will exhort one another to Godly living.
Our group consists of 9 guys, and the devotional schedule will consist of 9 sessions, so I would really like each guy to share with us from his relationship with Jesus. Therefore I am asking each of you to guide us through the following topics in one of the 9 slots. The format of the devotional time should include time for Prayer, Worship, Scripture, and Teaching and should be approximately 30-45 minutes in length. The "meat" of your teaching can be delivered however you'd like: from as formal as a sermon to as informal as a testimony or the reading of a printed devotional. I have assigned you to a topic based on my perception of your giftedness and strengths, but you are welcome to switch with one of the other guys if I've got it wrong. If you're really uncomfortable doing this, let me know now, and I'll find someone else to fill in for you. Assessment might include introspection, confession, consequences of sin, etc. Renovation might include what it means to surrender to God, what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, how to know God's specific plan for your life, what a living sacrifice is, etc. Transformation should be very practical and might include what the "spiritual disciplines" are, how to practice them, and testimonies about practicing them; how to become God's friend, how to have victory over sin, etc. You are welcome to run with this however you'd like. If you need help, just let me or one of the other guys know.
|
|
Morning |
Evening |
||
|
Day 1 |
Assessment 1 |
Luke |
Assessment 2 |
Matt Ostrander |
|
Day 2 |
Renovation 1 |
Eric |
Renovation 2 |
Nick |
|
Day 3 |
Renovation 3 |
Vance |
Transformation 1 |
Kevin |
|
Day 4 |
Transformation 2 |
Matt Henderson |
Transformation 3 |
Matt Helms |
|
Day 5 |
Transformation 4 |
Patrick |
|
|
Kevin and/or Luke will be bringing guitars and will lead us in praise and worship each day. If you have specific songs that you want to sing during your slot, please make sure that Kevin and/or Luke know them ahead of time. If you can prepare (ahead of time) a one-page handout for your devotional, that would be great. Otherwise we will all take careful notes!
River
The following BLM website tells you just about everything you need to know about the Green River through Desolation and Gray canyons. Please make sure that you go to this page and print out the entire 13-page document to have with you at all times. Among other things, this document contains a map, important phone numbers, regulations for the river, and a number of great pictures.
http://www.blm.gov/utah/price/riverinf.htm
Cost
$440 per person + incidentals: Motel 6 in Green River, UT (<$15 per person), gas to get to Green River, meals while traveling to and from the river, etc.
The $440 includes:
$95 per person for charter air transportation from Green
River to the put-in
$182 per person for all rafting gear (2 16-ft rafts, 2
inflatable tandem kayaks, paddles, oars, life jackets, river toilet, stove,
lantern, pans, plates, utensils, etc.)
$75 per person for all food while on the river
$20 per person to have all food purchased, FROZEN, and packed
$50 per person to have all the gear transported by truck from
Vernal to the put-in (100 miles / 3 hrs), rigged at the put-in, de-rigged &
cleaned at the take-out (including disposal of the river toilet goodies!), and
transported from the take-out to Vernal (180 miles / 3 hours).
$18 per person for the River permit
While the flight costs $95 per person, we are avoiding the $450 ($50 per person) charge for having our 3 vehicles shuttled from the put-in to the take-out (a 10-hour ordeal). In other words, the fight is only costing us an additional $45 per person. The big advantage of the flight is that it only takes 30 minutes instead of the 5-hour, 125-mile drive over rocky/dirty/muddy roads from Green River to the put-in. The flight will follow the river, flying us right over the rapids that we are going to concur.
I know that the cost of this trip has grown quite a bit from the $200-$300 that I had originally projected. I want everyone to know that I really am trying to find ways to keep costs down. For instance I had originally planned to ship my own personal rafting equipment out from Maryland, but in the end, the costs involved in doing this made it cheaper to simply rent the second raft. For comparison sake, the raft company that I used to work for currently charges $1,060 per person for this same trip.
As of today (27 April 2004) I have committed almost $2,000 in deposit money on my credit card for the trip (for the gear, food, air travel, and permits), so if you back-out from this point forward, I would ask that you still pay the trip cost. If you can manage to send me the $440 now (21 Winterberry Ct., Hunt Valley, MD 21030), it would help, but if you need to wait until we are together, I understand.
Itinerary
Eric & Matt Henderson: Matt will pick me up at the Denver airport on Saturday morning (8 May). We will spend Saturday night at the Green River Motel 6, and will fly to the put in at 8am on Sunday (9 May) where we will take possession of the gear and make sure that everything is ready. Our car will be shuttled from the airport to the take-out (15 miles 1-way, $25--Eric will pay). We will camp at the put-in Sunday night.
Luke, Kevin, Patrick, & Matt Helms: Luke will pick up the other 3 at the Denver airport on Sunday (9 May). Once they are all together, they will drive to Green River and spend the night at the Motel 6 where they will meet Nick, Vance, & Matt Ostrander (Luke's crew will get to Green River very late--at around 1am). On Monday morning (10 May), all 7 will drive to the airport for the 8am charter flight.
Nick, Vance, & Matt Ostrander: Vance will pick Nick up at the Phoenix airport on Saturday evening (8 May). Matt Ostrander will either fly to Phoenix on Saturday evening (8 May) or Sunday morning (9 May) ($139 round-trip on Southwest) and then drive to Green River with Nick and Vance on Sunday, or he will drive from Albuquerque on Sunday and meet Nick and Vance somewhere along the way (Flagstaff, AZ and Monticello, UT are possibilities). These 3 will meet Luke's crew at the Green River Motel 6, spend Sunday night there, and then fly to the put-in at 8am on Monday morning (10 May).
At the end of the trip on Friday afternoon (14 May), the Eric/Matt Henderson car will be at the take-out and will be used to shuttle us to the airport where the other 2 cars will be. From there, Nick, Vance, & Matt Ostrander will head south (if Matt Ostrander, and the rest of us will head back to Denver. The Denver crew may stay at my parents' condo in Dillon Friday night on the way back.
Mandatory Packing List (every person needs every item on this list)
PLEASE E-MAIL ME ASAP WITH: 1) ANY ITEMS THAT YOU NEED & 2) ANY ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE EXTRA OF SO THAT WE CAN "distribute to anyone as he had need" (Acts 4:35).
1. Small Bible that you don't mind getting wet
2. Wetsuit--a "Farmer John" is adequate (unfortunately, I only have one extra one, and it is Jenn's so I doubt anyone is going to fit in it)
3. Wet shoes: Neoprene booties or wool socks and old tennis shoes. Your feet will be wet for 5 days and the melted snow (aka water) WILL be very cold! You can bring sport sandals (no flip-flops), but it may not be warm enough for them.
4. Winter fleece/jacket for use in the evenings at camp
5. Wool, pyle, fleece, or polypropylene sweater to wear on river
6. Waterproof splash jacket (Gortex or similar) or rain coat (the thick yellow ones are reasonably cheap)
7. Swim suit (nylon or other non-cotton material--you want it to be quick-drying!)
8. Baseball cap w/ visor for sun protection
9. Securing strap for prescription glasses and Sunglasses with securing strap (must be secure enough to not come off even if you dumped into the river during a rapid)
10. Sunscreen and lip balm with sun sunscreen
11. Screw-top water bottle (must be water-tight) with carabiner
12. Dry shoes: Lightweight boots or extra tennis shoes for camp
13. Warm sleeping bag!!! (I recommend a bag rated to 20 degrees Fahrenheit or better)
14. Ground pad
15. Small tent or rain shelter (best to do 2-3 people per tent to keep warm and save room--if it's TOO warm, we can always sleep outside).
16. Wool/fleece hat (like you'd wear in the snow)
17. Warm gloves (or mittens)
18. 1 or 2 T-shirts (no room or need for more)
19. Wool or fleece pants
20. Toiletries (you're not going to shower, so some deodorant and a toothbrush are nice)
21. Pocket knife (for cutting your steak & other outdoor use)
22. Flashlight (or headlamp) w/ extra batteries
23. Biodegradable soap and small towel
24. Insect repellant
DON'T FORGET ANY PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS THAT YOU TAKE.
Optional Packing List
1. Neoprene gloves--really nice since you'll be paddling all the time and your hands WILL get wet
2. Disposable waterproof camera
3. Camp chair (must be compact--like a Crazy Creek)
4. Fishing gear (& Utah Fishing License) -- but unfortunately, the fishing will NOT be very good on this stretch of the river at this time of year because there will be so much silt in the water. Luke & I do not plan on fishing.
5. Climbing Equipment: Webbing, carabiners, rope, etc.
6. Portable Emergency Radio (2-way) [We only need one of these for the whole group]
What Not To Bring
1. Clothes made of cotton (sweatpants, athletic socks, underwear, jeans, etc.). These make you COLD when they get wet (which they will)!
2. Electronic equipment (walkmans, etc.)
3. Anything bulky
4. Pets
KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU HAVE A 25-LB PER PERSON GEAR WEIGHT LIMIT FOR THE FLIGHT FROM GREEN RIVER TO THE PUT-IN SO TRAVEL LIGHT!!!
Where to Buy Gear
For those of you who need to buy gear, here are some useful links.
WHITEWATER GEAR:
Northwest River Supply (Idaho)
CAMPING GEAR:
Weather
The first thing Luke said to me when I invited him on this trip was, "Don't you remember what happened to us the last time we went rafting in May?!" Luke makes an excellent point. On this disaster trip on the North Platte a few years back in Wyoming, it literally snowed on Luke, Kevin, and me (about 6 inches one morning, as I recall). We had to hike out from the river because: 1) My dad had parked our exit car in the wrong location (further down-stream), and 2) We were about ready to freeze to death. We eventually got to a phone and called Steve Tyser who came and rescued our sorry frozen butts. Fortunately, the Green is in eastern Utah, so it should be warmer. But it will still be May, so it could be really cold, and snow is not completely out of the realm of possibility. That's why I've made such a big deal about bringing the right equipment/clothing.
Here is the historical average temperature data for the first 2 weeks of May in Green River, UT:
| Day |  |
Sunrise | |
Sunset | |
Avg. High | |
Avg. Low | |
Mean | |
Record High | |
Record Low |
| 1 | 6:22 AM | 8:14 PM | 75°F | 43°F | 59°F | 94°F (1981) | 27°F (1962) | |||||||
| 2 | 6:21 AM | 8:15 PM | 75°F | 43°F | 59°F | 90°F (1986) | 26°F (1951) | |||||||
| 3 | 6:19 AM | 8:16 PM | 75°F | 44°F | 59°F | 88°F (1996) | 24°F (1953) | |||||||
| 4 | 6:18 AM | 8:17 PM | 76°F | 44°F | 60°F | 89°F (1996) | 31°F (1964) | |||||||
| 5 | 6:17 AM | 8:18 PM | 76°F | 44°F | 60°F | 89°F (1966) | 30°F (1953) | |||||||
| 6 | 6:16 AM | 8:19 PM | 76°F | 44°F | 60°F | 92°F (1989) | 23°F (1975) | |||||||
| 7 | 6:15 AM | 8:19 PM | 77°F | 45°F | 61°F | 95°F (1989) | 27°F (1968) | |||||||
| 8 | 6:14 AM | 8:20 PM | 77°F | 45°F | 61°F | 96°F (1989) | 26°F (1950) | |||||||
| 9 | 6:13 AM | 8:21 PM | 77°F | 45°F | 61°F | 93°F (1974) | 28°F (1990) | |||||||
| 10 | 6:12 AM | 8:22 PM | 78°F | 46°F | 62°F | 94°F (1984) | 29°F (1950) | |||||||
| 11 | 6:11 AM | 8:23 PM | 78°F | 46°F | 62°F | 94°F (1984) | 24°F (1953) | |||||||
| 12 | 6:10 AM | 8:24 PM | 78°F | 46°F | 62°F | 96°F (1996) | 30°F (1953) | |||||||
| 13 | 6:09 AM | 8:25 PM | 79°F | 47°F | 63°F | 98°F (1996) | 33°F (1963) | |||||||
| 14 | 6:08 AM | 8:26 PM | 79°F | 47°F | 63°F | 96°F (1984) | 33°F (1967 | |||||||
Disclaimer About Safety
As I get older (and perhaps a little wiser), and collect more and more responsibility (beautiful wife, 2 lovely children, etc.), I find myself becoming more and more risk averse. Hopefully this comes as some comfort to you. However, as Kevin, Steve, Matt, and Luke (who have all been rafting with me on trips that have gotten out of hand) can attest to, this is an inherently dangerous sport. If you decide to come with us, you need to be fully aware that YOU ARE placing yourself at risk. It is an absolute guarantee that at least one of you will fall into the river at some point during the journey and will end up swimming through a rapid. This can be fun, but it can also be terrifying. I don't know the exact numbers, but I believe that more than 100 people DIE in river-related incidents in Colorado every year. Many of them are alcohol-related, or little kids playing on the bank who fall in and drown, or middle-aged men who fall out of a raft into cold water, swim to shore, and then have a heart attack on the bank, but there are always some young sober adults like us who die. One of the good things about becoming a doctor in our litigious society is that it has taught me how important it is to make sure that people know the risks associated with the activities in which they participate. Our number one concern on this trip needs to be each other's safety. If, by some remote chance, someone is killed or seriously injured (you will all be mildly injured) on our trip, I want to be absolutely certain that that person participated of his own free will without coercion of any sort (machismo or otherwise). Furthermore, for those of you who are married (+/- children), before we embark on the trip, I want to hear from each of you that you have discussed this section with your wife, and that your wife has given you her blessing to participate. Furthermore, you should all be aware about my experience whitewater rafting. I have approximately 1,500 river miles under my belt on a number of rivers with class III, class IV, & a little class V water over the course of the last 15 years (the vast majority of these miles were obtained during a single summer as a raft guide during college). I have rafted the section of the Green that we are going to do twice--both in 1993. I have made mistakes before (just ask Steve)--I have learned from them, but I will likely make more. I have never been on a trip where someone was killed or seriously injured, however, there are many other rafters out there with a great deal more experience than me. Hopefully you are at least a little bit scared now. You should be. Whitewater rafting is scary. But as long as no one is killed or seriously injured, it is an absolute blast. Unfortunately, I cannot give you a number that accurately represents your risk of being killed or seriously injured on this trip, but if forced to speculate, I'd guess that it is less than 1%. But remember, less than 1% is still not 0%. What you need to do is sit down and seriously think about what you perceive the benefits of this trip to be to you and weigh that against the risks that I have discussed. I hope that the benefits will outweigh the risks for each of you, but if this is not the case, you should not come. I will still love and respect each and every one of you regardless of the decision you make.
Note about the Desolation/Gray Green River trip. As you all know, we had planned on doing the Dolores River which does have some class IVs on it. The trip we are actually doing is limited to class IIIs. This trip is considered a good "family trip" (we used to use this trip to teach east-coast city-slickers how to kayak), so it IS less challenging than the Dolores would have been. But your risk is still not zero, so you should still take this disclaimer seriously.
Participants
Eric Hanly DrHanly@ChristianSurgeon.com 410-458-6888 (cell) Maryland DEFINITE
Kevin Hanly HanlyKevin@aol.com 978-646-4509 (home) Massachusetts DEFINITE
Matt Helms MattHelms@hotmail.com 228-239-6275 (cell) Mississippi DEFINITE
Matt Henderson matthewehenderson@hotmail.com 706-340-2620 (cell) Colorado DEFINITE
Patrick Melder pcmelder@yahoo.com 240-426-4704 (cell) Maryland DEFINITE
Matt Ostrander matthew.ostrander@kirtland.af.mil 505-417-6090 (cell) New Mexico DEFINITE
Luke Raczykowski lraczy@juno.com 307-760-3444 (cell) Wyoming DEFINITE
Nick Thiel nicholas.thiel@bently.com 775-450-6890 (cell) Nevada DEFINITE
Vance Collins vance@bendedknee.com 480-241-2325 (cell) Arizona DEFINITE
I've listed cell phone numbers for those of you who have them (everyone except for Kevin) to facilitate finding each other at airports, on the road, etc. If you are going to be taking a different cell phone with you, please let me know the number so that I can put it here.
Airline Itineraries
Eric Hanly
Saturday, May 8
United Airlines
1093 May
May
Saturday, May 15
United Airlines
718 May
15
May 15
Matt Helms
Sun, May 9: DELTA AIR LINES
INC, DL 4623
From: GULFPORT/BILOXI, MS (GPT) map Departs:
10:24am
To: DALLAS FT WORTH, TX (DFW) map Arrives:
12:07pm
Sun, May 9: DELTA AIR LINES INC, DL 4937
From: DALLAS FT WORTH, TX (DFW) map Departs:
1:30pm
To: DENVER, CO (DEN) map Arrives: 2:37pm
Sat, May 15: DELTA AIR LINES INC, DL 4937
From: DENVER, CO (DEN) map Departs: 4:00pm
To: DALLAS FT WORTH, TX (DFW) map Arrives: 6:50pm
Sat, May 15: DELTA AIR LINES INC, DL 4606
From: DALLAS FT WORTH, TX (DFW) map Departs:
7:30pm
To: GULFPORT/BILOXI, MS (GPT) map Arrives: 9:03pm
Kevin Hanly
AMERICAN AIRLINES
1673 BOS Boston 05/09/2004 02:51 PM ORD Chicago 05/09/2004 04:33 PM S80
AMERICAN AIRLINES
1513 ORD Chicago 05/09/2004 05:05 PM DEN Denver 05/09/2004 06:46 PM S80
AMERICAN AIRLINES
1526 DEN Denver 05/15/2004 12:47 PM ORD Chicago 05/15/2004 04:09 PM S80
AMERICAN AIRLINES
820 ORD Chicago 05/15/2004 04:51 PM BOS Boston 05/15/2004 08:14 PM S80
Patrick Melder
Sun, May 9:
AMERICAN AIRLINES, AA 0405
From: WASHINGTON REAGAN, DC (DCA)
Departs: 7:33am
To: DALLAS FT
WORTH, TX (DFW) Arrives:
9:49am
Sun, May 9:
AMERICAN AIRLINES, AA 2807
From: DALLAS FT WORTH, TX (DFW)
Departs: 10:43am
To: DENVER,
CO (DEN)
Arrives: 11:41am
Sat, May 15:
AMERICAN AIRLINES, AA 0520
From: DENVER, CO (DEN)
Departs: 3:02pm
To: CHICAGO
OHARE, IL (ORD)
Arrives: 6:26pm
Sat, May 15:
AMERICAN AIRLINES, AA 1988
From: CHICAGO OHARE, IL (ORD)
Departs: 7:35pm
To: WASHINGTON
REAGAN, DC (DCA)
Arrives: 10:25pm
Nick Thiel
May 08 Sat N/S RNO-PHX Southwest 2759
Depart Reno (RNO) at 4:40 PM
Arrive in Phoenix (PHX) at 6:20 PM
May 16 Sun N/S PHX-RNO Southwest 185
Depart Phoenix (PHX) at 8:30 AM
Arrive in Reno (RNO) at 10:20 AM
Matt Ostrander, if you elect to fly, please email me your itinerary.
Motel Information (Meeting Place)
MOTEL 6 - Green River
Hwy Locator: I-70 at Business Loop 70
Phone: (435) 564-3436
National Reservations: 800-4-MOTEL6
Directions from I-70 Westbound:
Take Exit 162 (I-70 business loop) and “Look for the big red
6”
8 May 2004, 1 night,
1 non-smoking room w/ 2 DB
Confirmation # 159451
$35.99 ($40.13 w/ tax)
2 People (Eric & Matt Henderson)
9 May 2004, 1 night,
2 non-smoking rooms w/ 2 DB each:
Room #1 “Luke’s Room”
Confirmation # 159446
$41.99 ($46.82 w/ tax)
4 People (Luke, Kevin, Patrick, Matt Helms)
Room #2 “Nick’s Room”
Confirmation # 159447
$38.99 ($43.47 w/ tax)
3 People (Nick, Vance, Matt Ostrander)
All rooms are in my name (Eric Hanly) under my credit card,
so, if for some reason you’re not going to use one of the rooms, please call
them and cancel by
If for some reason Matt Ostrander ends up driving all the
way to
Charter Flight Info
Green
River Aviation Flight Service
877-597-5479 (toll free call)
435-564-8383
www.greenriveraviation.com
POC: Trent
Travel Dates:
Sunday, May 9, 8AM: 2 Persons (Eric & Matt Henderson)
Monday, May 10, 8AM: 7 Persons (Kevin, Matt Helms, Patrick, Matt Ostrander,
Luke, Nick, & Vance)
ALL CHARGES PAID FOR ON ERIC'S CREDIT CARD
Raft Trip Outfitter Info
River Runners Transport
Vernal, Utah 800-930-7238
www.riverrunnerstransport.com
POCs: Melanie & Ed