|
Post by SSO JOAT on Jul 31, 2014 21:29:08 GMT -9
Been pondering what to do's for August events as part of the 7 souvenirs of August. I just realized that I have a rafting coupon from one of the rafting companies in Cooper Landing. It allows me to fill up a boat (up to 10 people) at only $25 per person for a rafting trip from Kenai Lake down to Russian River. It's about a 2 hour float.
So, I'd like to know if there is enough interest to fill a boat. I'd be looking at August 16, 17, or 24. I personally have at least 3 bodies I can stack in the raft, so that leaves space for up to 7 more. Planning and application would have to occur rather quickly on this one, so I'm already conatacting the guide service to check on availability.
|
|
|
Post by ladybugkids on Jul 31, 2014 21:43:30 GMT -9
That's a pleasant trip that's runnable with an open canoe for those who are worried about white water. Schooner Bend is the harriest part, but in a raft, one will hardly notice the bumps.
August 16 and 17 is the Block Party and Going Ape Mega in Washington, so you'll miss a number of fairly active cachers. However, I think ten seats in a raft would be easy to fill. I say go for it if the guide has availability.
The tricky thing about an event like this is it has to be accessible to everyone. So, the event itself could be a picnic/BBQ at the beginning/end with the optional float or have a means for more than the first ten people to optain raft space (or tag along with their own boat).
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 1, 2014 0:27:25 GMT -9
It's 10 people per boat. They have lots of boats. I made it sound like it was limited to 10, but realistically it is pretty much unlimited, though it would be best to have 10 or 20 or very close to (without going over) those body counts. Based on the number of folks who have come out for the camping events we've run the last couple years, I think it would be challenging to get 10 people to show up.
They also have a lodge with cabins, guest rooms, and they hold a campfire social every evening that is open to anyone who is staying at the lodge or took a raft or fishing trip with them that day. Anyway, I have an email in to the lodge about availability, though if I don't hear back today, I'll have to give them a call due to the time constraints.
I'm actually starting to formulate an idea to hit up our park ranger in Seward about doing a Saturday afternoon CITO at Russian River campground, followed by an overnight, and then a raft trip on Sunday morning. Could provide 3 events (a CITO, a camping social, and a raft trip) over the weekend in a fairly central location that is within reach of all of SC-AK for filling their event souvenirs with plenty of the rest of the cache types available in all 3 directions to fill out the rest of the card. With just a little route planning, it should be pretty easy for anyone to fulfill all 6 cache types over the Aug 16-17 weekend.
I pinged MT about his cache on that section of river, but he hasn't checked on it since the DNF of 2 years ago. There used to be a cache on one of the islands back there, but I see it has disappeared.
The block party doesn't worry me. It's a pretty small percentage of cachers who travel out to that. All of us poor people who stay behind need events to attend as well.
|
|
|
Post by TheFirefly on Aug 1, 2014 5:55:00 GMT -9
I love the Russian River CITO - campout - float idea, but the weekend of the 23rd/24th would be much more doable for me than the 16/17th. I'm pretty sure I could get at least 2 adults for the later weekend.
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 1, 2014 6:35:33 GMT -9
I can't do the 23rd due to my dad's 70th birthday party. Could still do a float trip on the 24th and I could revert back to my first plan of a Soldotna area flash mob for the 16th with a local CITO on the 17th (the Kenai park was pretty messy this year and could really use a solid CITO clean up, so that's an easy target). Then we can continue to look at a Hobo event string a little further down the road.
While typing this, an email came back from the lodge and they have plenty of float trip vacancy on all 3 dates I listed in the OP. They suggested the 2PM departure time. We could also upgrade to the 3-hour float down to Jim's landing at $37.50 per person. The 2-hour trip takes out at Sportsman's (Russian River) and goes for $25 pp.
Maybe I can muster up a place to do a CITO in Cooper Landing area somewhere around 11AM that day. Perhaps the Resurrection Pass Trail head and first half-mile of trail or something like that. Then we break for a little lunch and meet up at the lodge at 2PM (or whatever lead time the rafting folks request).
BTW, the rafting trip is clear for ages 2 through 92, so the kids are welcome as well.
If we go to that weekend, that gives me a few more days to iron out the details. Once a plan is in place, it can be posted on FB to see how many people will actually commit to going.
|
|
|
Post by TheFirefly on Aug 1, 2014 7:15:46 GMT -9
BTW, the rafting trip is clear for ages 2 through 92, so the kids are welcome as well. Ha! I was just coming back to ask about that. In that case, if we do the float on the 24th, I'll have at least 4 bodies.
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 1, 2014 7:27:57 GMT -9
Well, we just about filled up a boat already. I have replied to the rafting folks asking about the numbers, specifically what happens if I get about 15 people, etc.
|
|
|
Post by ladybugkids on Aug 1, 2014 7:33:55 GMT -9
It's 10 people per boat. They have lots of boats. I made it sound like it was limited to 10, but realistically it is pretty much unlimited, though it would be best to have 10 or 20 or very close to (without going over) those body counts. Based on the number of folks who have come out for the camping events we've run the last couple years, I think it would be challenging to get 10 people to show up. Hard to say. 6 Miles Down attracted about ten folks and the fee for that ride was $120 each. Does the Copper Landing group run the Kenai Canyon? Also, is this a paddle raft trip (where each person gets to paddle) or a more passive ridealong float while the guide works the oars? He moved to Sitka, but has been answering e-mail. I'll push him a text.
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 1, 2014 7:56:25 GMT -9
No, it doesn't do the canyon. I believe it is just a ride.
I already hit him with email last night and he hasn't checked on it since it was placed. No need to beat a dead horse on that one. If the opportunity to pull out and take a look presents itself, we can give it a try.
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 1, 2014 19:49:23 GMT -9
OK, after thinking about it for a day, here is my plan...
August 16 - International Geocaching Day flash mob event in Soldotna August 17 - CITO event at Kenai Municipal Park
August 21 - BoD Meeting & EduVent broadcast from Anchorage to remote sites (details pending)
August 24 - CITO event at Resurrection Pass Trailhead in Cooper Landing at 11AM August 24 - Kenai River Rafting event at Kenai Drifters Lodge at 2PM
There is a CITO event and 3 social events in Anchorage, but the rest of the state is pretty quiet so far. They need to get some events & CITOs booked up for the 7 Souvenirs of August.
I'm going to plug away at building some event listings tonight so I can get things published.
|
|
|
Post by TheFirefly on Aug 2, 2014 6:26:36 GMT -9
Looks great! You'll be a busy geocacher that week. :-)
With this rafting trip as my event, I'll just have to pop up to Exit Glacier near Seward to get a virtual cache to get all 7 souvenirs! (The others I'll get in Soldotna on the 21st.) Yahoo!
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 2, 2014 7:57:22 GMT -9
Soldotna needs a letterbox hybrid and a series of wherigo caches. I was jotting down wherigo cache ideas last year. I think I could make some really cool tours. It was a dying cache type, but now that they have a fully functional wherigo player for the iPhones, it's back to a type that most people can go find.
|
|
|
Post by TheFirefly on Aug 3, 2014 5:09:31 GMT -9
I have the whereigo app for iPhones, thinking I'd get to try it out when I was in AZ, but I never had a chance to get over to where the caches were. Some in Soldotna would be great. (Some in Homer even better...hhmmm.) :-)
Scott - when do you need to have exact head counts for the float? I've got a few other folks who may be interested.
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 4, 2014 6:11:02 GMT -9
I need numbers ASAP. I have to pay to hold the reservation. The gal at Kenai Drifters has been nice to work with, so I need to come through on my end right away. August is still a fairly busy time for them as there is a lot of fishing going on. They only have 2 open boats for the 2pm float, so it will be important to nail down the numbers soon. coord.info/GC5A71R
|
|
|
Post by NorthWes on Aug 4, 2014 8:05:35 GMT -9
OK, after thinking about it for a day, here is my plan... August 16 - International Geocaching Day flash mob event in Soldotna August 17 - CITO event at Kenai Municipal Park August 21 - BoD Meeting & EduVent broadcast from Anchorage to remote sites (details pending) August 24 - CITO event at Resurrection Pass Trailhead in Cooper Landing at 11AM August 24 - Kenai River Rafting event at Kenai Drifters Lodge at 2PM There is a CITO event and 3 social events in Anchorage, but the rest of the state is pretty quiet so far. They need to get some events & CITOs booked up for the 7 Souvenirs of August. I'm going to plug away at building some event listings tonight so I can get things published. Good stuff, Scott! I've got a quick event happening on Sat Aug 16th at 2pm just a few miles north of Seward at CohoFive's Great Land cache site pullout. I figured 2pm to give locals & visitors in Seward a chance to quickly squeeze north out of town (it's the last weekend of the Seward Silver Salmon Derby), or for SouthCentral (Anchorage) cachers to mosey on down the highway on a Saturday to grab an International Geocaching Day / 7 Souvenirs of August event cache. I'm camped nearby for the weekend, for possibly my last camping run of the summer. I need to push my event on the Facebook page too.
|
|
|
Post by barnacle9 on Aug 4, 2014 10:46:25 GMT -9
Looks great Scott - wish I could participate!
|
|
|
Post by SSO JOAT on Aug 4, 2014 19:29:09 GMT -9
Have no fear Seth, we may still get a last hoorah in before winter. When I pinged Alex at the Forest Service about doing the CITO at Resurrection Pass, I asked him about the winter shut down schedule. He tells me that most gates will remain open until the first snow. As of September 15, they will no longer charge camping fees at any of the Chugach NF sites, though they may shut down some of the camping loops as they decrease staffing for the winter. So, that leaves a decent window between Sept 15 and end of October-ish first snowfall.
Unfortunately for me, I will be in Cordova working from Sept 18 to 27, then Valdez from Sept 28 to Oct 7, and then doing my annual medical recertification class in Anchorage Oct 10-13. I return to work on Oct 20. So that just leaves the one weekend of Oct 17-19 open for me to play Hobo. We have 2 months to come up with a plan, so I'm not too worried yet.
|
|
|
Post by barnacle9 on Aug 9, 2014 10:40:33 GMT -9
OK Scott - that sounds like an expanded fall training schedule in Cordova - they must have switched a number of boats over from the spring schedule, or has it always lasted that long? October 17-19 MAY be a little late for me, as I have tentative plans in Washington at that time. The weekend of September 12-14 may work better on my end, but sounds like it might be a little early so far as things go. Let's keep this on the radar for sure - I really enjoyed last year's fall Hobo events!
|
|