Weston
Boy Scout Troop 157
Utah Canyons Trip
Escalante National Monument & Glen Canyon National Recreational Area
Las Vegas, Nevada & Escalante, Utah
April 16-21, 2002
We are traveling by air to Las Vegas, Nevada, and then in two rental cars to our trailhead southeast of Escalante, Utah. Our hike will take us down Hurricane Wash and Coyote Gulch to the junction of Coyote Gulch with the Escalante River, at about the point where Glen Canyon Reservoir meets the Escalante River (a distance of about 14 miles from our trailhead). At this location, we will likely follow the Crack in the Wall trail up a sand dune to exit the canyon, and then head west across the slick rock plain several miles to a road along which one of our cars will be placed. Alternatively, we will turn around and hike back up Coyote Gulch and Hurricane Wash back to our starting point. If time and energy permits, we may spend Friday afternoon, or Saturday morning, doing some day hikes in the same area in two interesting slot canyons known as Spooky Gulch and Peek-A-Boo Canyon. We will drive back to Las Vegas on Saturday, arriving in the late afternoon to early evening, and have dinner at a restaurant in Las Vegas. We will probably let the boys see some of the family-rated attractions in Las Vegas, but this will depend on time and cost (we will not spend anything significant on the Las Vegas entertainment aspect of the trip, as we will have already had a far superior experience, but there have been strong expressions of interest in “seeing” Las Vegas).
We have distributed a packing list that must be strictly followed. One unusual item on the list is an extra set of shoes for wading in the streams at the bottoms of the canyons. We will likely hike for long periods of time in such streams, which are typically only ankle deep. This means bringing good hiking boots, as well as an old pair of good-fitting running shoes, or the like, that can get wet. The packing list can be found on the website by clicking on the regular packing list link, and then selecting the Canyons Packing List at the top of the page. You should wear your hiking clothes at drop off on Tuesday, as there will not be a convenient place or time to change before we hit the trail late Tuesday. But you should bring along “street clothes”, in a plastic bag, that can be left in the cars and changed into after the hike is complete.
The airline flights are on Delta, and are as listed in the table below. The boys should each bring some form of photo identification, e.g., a drivers license (for those old enough) or a passport. As the airline may request such identification. The rental cars are “full-size” cars (e.g., Dodge Intrepids) rented from Dollar Rent A Car at the Las Vegas airport.
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720 mi
(1159 km) |
Providence
(PVD) |
to
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Cincinnati
(CVG) |
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1675 mi
(2696 km) |
Cincinnati
(CVG) |
to
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Las
Vegas (LAS) |
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1675 mi
(2696 km) |
Las
Vegas (LAS) |
to
|
Cincinnati
(CVG) |
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|
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720 mi
(1159 km) |
Cincinnati
(CVG) |
to
|
Providence
(PVD) |
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Adult leaders on the trip are Roger Lee, Nelia Newell, and Gail O’Donnell, and they will drive two cars to and from the Providence airport. Boy participants are: Chris Ecker, Watson Sallay, Geoff Smith, Jimmie Simmons, William Newell, and Alex Newell. Cost of the trip is expected to be about $350, and so no additional funds will be required prior to the trip (each participant has already given the Treasurer a deposit of $350). If the final cost comes in above $350, then we will let you know after the trip how much the additional payment will be, and funds can be submitted to the Treasurer (if the cost comes in at appreciably less than $350—which is doubtful—then a refund will be made). All meals and trail snacks on the trip will be paid for (food is being purchased by Mr. Lee and Mrs. O’Donnell), including dinner in Las Vegas, and meals along the highway between Las Vegas and Escalante, but inevitably the boys will want to make a snack or souvenir purchase on the trip, and so they should be supplied with some funds for such purchases.
We will meet at the Scout House at 6 pm on Monday, April 15, to drop off our packs and sign permission slips, and then return promptly at 3 am the next morning. This will allow everyone to go home and get a full night’s sleep after the pack drop-off. It is absolutely essential that you be at the Scout House promptly at 3 am on Tuesday morning, as we must leave immediately in order to be at the Providence airport 90 minutes before departure time. Our return flights gets us back to Providence at about 9 am on Sunday, April 21, and so if the flights are on time we can expect to be back in Weston at about 11 am on Sunday.
Permission/Waiver
Form
________________________________________ has my permission to go on the above described trip with members of Boy Scout Troop 157 of Weston, Massachusetts, and participate in all activities. I acknowledge that I have read the following waiver in its entirety, that I understand it, and that I agree to be legally bound by its terms.
I understand that the activities described for this trip carry the risk of personal injury. In consideration of the benefits to be derived, and in view of the fact that the Boy Scouts of America is a nonprofit, educational institution, membership in which is voluntary, and having full confidence that reasonable precautions will be taken to insure the safety and well-being of my son on this activity, I agree to and support his participation, and I waive any and all claims against the leaders and their assistants on this trip, and the officers, agents, and representatives of the Boy Scouts of America.
In case of emergency (and in the event that a parent/guardian cannot be reached) I give my permission for my child to be treated at the nearest medical facility.
Parent/Guardian Signature:______________________________________________________________
Date: ____________ Telephone where I can be reached during
outing: _______________________