AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE at ZION and BRYCE

2016 AOC UTAH ADVENTURE

Join us on an exciting hiking adventure to scenic Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks in Utah. This 7-day trip features diverse hiking opportunities that incorporate stunning views … unique natural phenomena … challenging rim-riding trails … river hiking … and much more.

Our 12-member trip begins and ends in Las Vegas, an affordable and accessible gateway that’s also the closest major airport to the two parks. We will rent cars there and carpool first to Zion for four nights, make the relatively short and scenic drive to Bryce for two nights, then return to Las Vegas for flights home.

Please note that the prepaid price has increased slightly to reflect a change in our room location at Bryce Canyon National Park. Out of an abundance of caution, we secured reservations in a different section of the lodge complex to ensure our group could be accommodated together. We still have six rooms with two queen beds with similar amenities, two people to a room.

Please contact us at 2016AOCUtahAdventure@gmail.com with any questions about the event.

Special thanks to AOC trip leader Lemmy L. for his inspiration and valuable logistical insights in planning this trip.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HIKING ACTIVITIES

Planned hikes vary from 1-2 miles to almost 15 miles, with elevation gains of a couple of hundred feet to about 1,500 feet. Our pace while moving will be moderate on most of the hikes – maybe 2.5 to 3 miles per hour – but we will stop periodically to savor the scenery. The ratings on the hikes range from D1 to D5.

Planned hikes include the following:

* The thrilling Angels Landing hike in Zion that culminates with a steep climb to the summit along a slender, knife’s-edge ridge.

* The dramatic Narrows water hike in Zion that features a ramble in the Virgin River through towering, narrow canyon walls.

* A scenery-rich trek through the Pink Cliffs and famed “hoodoos” of Bryce’s Claron Formation.

* A short evening hike in Bryce to watch sunset fall over the canyon, followed by stargazing in one of only three International Dark-Sky locations in the U.S.

* Multiple scenic hikes to overlooks and special features of the two parks, including the world’s second-longest natural arch.

* Scenic drives to and from various venues, including within Zion park, the route to Kolob Canyon, and through Zion’s renowned 1.1-mile tunnel on the way to Bryce.

SUMMARY OF LODGING ARRANGEMENTS

We’ve chosen two affordable but distinctive options for our lodging; although not luxurious, both of our lodging choices are clean and comfortable and they balance location, convenience, and cost.

Our Zion home will be the Driftwood Lodge in Springdale, about a mile from the park’s main entrance, featuring views of the surrounding red-rock walls of Zion Canyon. Amenities include a complimentary hot buffet breakfast and WiFi in the common areas. Our reserved rooms are the Angels Landing Two Queens with Patio or Balcony. Each room has two queen beds, a television, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. Each participant will share a room with one other person. 

Our Bryce home will be inside the national park on the grounds of the Lodge at Bryce Canyon. The lodge is a national landmark, one of the grand western park lodges built in the 1920s. Our reserved rooms are just steps from the canyon rim, and each room has two queen beds. Amenities include a refrigerator and coffee maker. In keeping with the lodge’s quiet environment there are no TVs, but the main lodge has WiFi. Each participant will share a room with one other person.

CLIMATE

In the Spring, visitors to Zion National Park should be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. Wet weather is not unusual, but warm and sunny weather is typical. (Precipitation peaks in March.) On our travel dates, average temperatures range from highs of about 80 to lows of about 50. The Visitors Center sits at an altitude of about 4,000 feet.

Overall, Bryce Canyon National Park sits much higher than Zion, with the altitude at the rim ranging from 8,000 to 9,000 feet. Average temperatures in early May range from highs in the mid-60s to lows in the mid-30s. There’s normally not a lot of rain then, and thunderstorms peak in the summer months. There likely will be runoff from snow melt from the mountain peaks surrounding Bryce – snow is unlikely during our dates, but a possibility at these high elevations.

TRAVEL ITINERARY

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Morning flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas. (Participants are welcome to fly to Las Vegas earlier.) Meet at the Rent-A-Car Center at the Las Vegas Airport at noon and drive to Zion National Park. Check in to the Driftwood Lodge in Springdale, UT, located close to the main south entrance to Zion.

Sunday, May 1 thru Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Hiking inside Zion National Park, via both the south entrance and the Kolob Canyon entrance.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Scenic drive to Bryce Canyon National Park and check-in at the Lodge at Bryce Canyon. Afternoon and evening hiking inside Bryce.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Hiking inside Bryce Canyon National Park.

Friday, May 6, 2016

Drive to Las Vegas in the morning to return cars and catch afternoon flights back to Atlanta. (Participants are welcome to stay longer in Las Vegas.)

PREPAID PRICE

A prepaid price of $627.45 for the trip covers negotiated group rates for lodging for four nights at Zion (Springdale) and two nights at Bryce, including taxes. Reservations at both places are for rooms with two queen beds. There will be two people to a room, so participants will be sharing a room with one other participant. By booking early and as a group, we were able to secure a significant discount of about 12.5% for our Zion accommodations. Participants are responsible for any increases in the lodging taxes, or any new lodging-related fees that are implemented between now and our arrival.

Lodging payments are being made by the trip leader directly to the facilities, so no monies are being handled by the AOC and all participant payments will be made to the trip leader. Handling the reservations this way will save participants about $30 per person; half of that amount, or $15 per person, is included in the prepaid price of $627.45 and will be donated to the AOC. Paid trip events are one of the primary sources of funding for the AOC, and even though the trip payments are not being processed by the AOC, we are still benefiting greatly from the club's infrastructure and website.

For each person on the attendee list, a payment of $627.45 is due by January 15, 2016; a valid check payable to Joyce Taaffe for that amount must be received by her by that date or the person will be subject to removal from the attendee list. Potential refunds will be handled as follows:

* If a paid participant cancels on or before January 15, 2016, a full refund will be issued.

* If a paid participant cancels after January 15, 2016, a refund can be issued only if time allows and a suitable replacement pays the full prepaid price.

All of the above presumes 12 participants. In the event we have fewer, we may have to adjust the prepaid price to reflect actual changes in our lodging costs. We should have certainty about group size by January 15, 2016. We recommend that those on the attendee list not make any non-refundable reservations for individual costs, such as airfare, until we advise that it's safe to do so.

OTHER PARTICIPANT EXPENSES

In addition to the prepaid price for lodging, other estimated costs that participants will need to pay on their own include:

* Airfare: A recent check of published roundtrip airfares on Delta from Atlanta to Las Vegas for our dates found fares of about $500. It’s likely there will be airfare sales between now and the trip, but that can’t be guaranteed and it’s possible that airfares will rise as the trip gets nearer.

* Rental Car: We plan to rent three cars, each shared by four participants. Estimated cost of the rental car plus gasoline is roughly $125 per person – which is the total cost split by four. This is based on the rental of a standard full-size sedan with all mandatory taxes & fees but no insurance waivers or other options.  Rentals of SUVs, premium sedans, as well as optional accessories and the addition of Loss Damage Waivers, will likely increase the rental cost and may increase gas costs as well. Gas prices were determined by a recent check of average current prices in Nevada and Utah. Both rental car and gas prices fluctuate a lot, so actual costs of both might be higher. In addition, if there ends up being less than 12 people making the trip, the costs in some or all of the cars might be split by less than four people.

* Park Passes: The published fee for 2016 for both Zion and Bryce is $30 per car for a 7- day pass. If split four ways, the cost to each participant would be $7.50 per park or $15 total.

* Meals: Our itinerary is designed to provide participants with flexibility on food expenses. We have scheduled only a couple of group meals at restaurants, both of them inside Bryce before and between hikes. (There also probably will be a couple of quick meal breaks while driving on our two travel days.) We will stop on the way to Zion to buy food, drinks, snacks, etc., and these can be replenished in the town of Springdale and at the General Store inside Bryce. We plan to pack lunches a few days, and pack dinner one evening for our sunset/stargazing hike. Our Zion accommodations in Springdale include a complimentary hot buffet breakfast each morning, and both of our accommodations have in-room refrigerators. For dinner, Springdale has a wide choice of restaurants at different price points; options are limited inside Bryce, but there is only one unscheduled dinner there.

* Special Gear: The hike in the Virgin River can be slippery – and wet of course. Water depth varies greatly depending on local conditions – some parts where we intend to hike might be dry at the river’s edges while spots further upriver might be ankle or knee deep. Hiking in the river sometimes is prohibited if the water is too deep or the current too strong. Hiking poles are strongly recommended. There are a couple of local outfitters who rent wet hiking packages for $20-$25. Some participants might want to bring their own wet shoes, neoprene socks, or other items from home – and some participants might decide that a pair of old hiking shoes is just fine.

Keep in mind that these cost estimates are just that – estimates. We believe these are realistic numbers but actual costs could be higher. We are aware of no separate fees or permits required for any of our scheduled hikes, but it’s possible that could change. Participants also are likely to have other personal expenses common to any trip.

SHOULD YOU SIGN UP?

This trip requires physical suitability as well as an ability and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in a group setting. While this will be a fun, social event – and we plan to take time to enjoy the environment around us – this is a hiking trip with lots of hiking! It won’t be a series of grueling all-day hikes, but the length and elevation gains of some of the hikes, the high altitudes of both parks that can affect the body, multiple special circumstances (such as hikes at high elevations on narrow paths near canyon rims, hiking in a river for potentially an extended period, and hiking at night), and back-to-back hikes over several days make this trip suitable only for AOC members in excellent shape with good agility and no fear of heights. Participants should be active hikers with some D5-level or equivalent experience.

This is a group event with lots of shared time together, some shared expenses, and lodging that is shared as well. Sharing a room and spending that much time with 11 other people for a week might not be for everyone. We will try to accommodate roommate requests, but we can’t make any guarantees. In addition, we do have an itinerary that we generally plan to follow and we will hike as a group; if you prefer to do your own thing and/or hike at your own pace then this event probably isn’t a good match. If you sign up, you are committing to the full trip, including joining us on the drives to/from the national parks and staying in the accommodations we have chosen.

Our destination is pretty far from Atlanta, so this trip includes a couple of long travel days – getting there and coming home. We didn’t want to lengthen the official event, or add mandated group lodging costs, by breaking up one or both of the travel days. Although the trip begins and end in Las Vegas at specified days and times, participants are welcome to go to Las Vegas earlier or stay longer. If you haven’t experienced it, there’s some great hiking very close to Vegas. (Not to mention fabulous shows, world-class restaurants, casinos … you get the idea.)

Finally, keep in mind that that despite our best planning efforts, things happen. Weather, park conditions, and unexpected events may require us to make changes on the fly. That includes potentially altering our planned hikes after we arrive to accommodate our schedules or other factors.

If you have any questions about the trip, or if you are unsure whether it's an appropriate match for you, please contact Joyce or Jeff at 2016AOCUtahAdventure@gmail.com.

Being flexible is essential.

PROCESS FOR PARTICIPANT SELECTION

Anyone interested in joining this event should sign-up after it opens for registration. All sign-ups will initially be placed on a waiting list, and then moved to the attendee list based on the trip leader’s assessment of suitability for the hike. Although suitability relates first and foremost to the physical abilities and hiking experience of the individual, at the discretion of the trip leader suitability may also take into account a member’s social history, roommate considerations, and other factors.

The Trip Leader(s) for this event has (have) elected either to personally collect the funds that event participants are required to pay, or to require participants to pay funds directly to a third party. No funds will be paid to the Atlanta Outdoor Club for this event. Therefore, by registering for this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following: (1) the monies paid by registrants will not be monitored, managed, or otherwise accounted for by the Atlanta Outdoor Club; (2) that the Atlanta Outdoor Club bears no financial responsibility for this event; and (3) you waive any and all claims against the Atlanta Outdoor Club, and hold the Atlanta Outdoor Club harmless for the loss of any monies you paid for this event.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any paying registrant may request directly from the Trip Leader, prior to the event, a breakdown of funds collected, estimated expenses, and deposits made in anticipation of the event. Following the event, the Trip Leader must complete his or her financial accounting for the event, with supporting documentation, within 30 days of the completion of the event, and a paid registrant may request a breakdown of funds collected, money spent and supporting documentation after that time. If you are unable to obtain requested documentation, please contact the Director of Paid Events.

* The prepaid price of $627.45 is fully refundable if written notification is received by Joyce Taaffe by January 15, 2016.

* After January 15, 2016, a refund will be possible only if time allows and a suitable replacement pays the full prepaid price.

* Partial attendance is not available on this event.