Greetings fellow SP members!

IT'S AN SP GATHERING AT ARCHES NATIONAL PARK!
WHEN: Saturday, October 16th, 8:00AM
WHERE: Arches National Park Visitor's Center Parking Lot
WHO: SP Members, friends, family
WHY: A great opportunity to meet fellow SP members, make new friends, make future hiking and climbing plans

This event includes a hike of the Primitive Loop Trail in Arches National Park, and after a rest period, followed by a shorter hike to Delicate Arch at sunset. Total distance for the day is around 9 miles. It would be great to get a group photo of SP folks at Delicate Arch!


DEVILS GARDEN/PRIMITIVE LOOP TRAIL REGION and DELICATE ARCH AT SUNSET

As with the successful Colorado gatherings, the activities are designed so that just about anyone can participate and have a good time. Attendees need to be in reasonably good shape, having had some previous hiking experience, in this case, preferably in the high desert climate of Moab, Utah.

Recommended items in addition to your normal desert dayhike gear include a jacket (for cool conditions) and a flashlight or headlamp for the walk back to our vehicles from Delicate Arch, as it will be dark. Additional water is important.

The Usual Suspects Hiking Group, of which I'm a member and are also members of SP, plan on attending. If you attended an SP Gathering in Colorado, you may have already met these fine folks. SP Gatherings are such a good time! We hope to have similar success in Moab, Utah.

For further information and activity ideas, see this SP page: ARCHES NATIONAL PARK.

If you plan on attending this event, please make an entry in this thread and I'll add your name to the roster below. That way we'll know who to look for. We look forward to meeting our SP friends, old and new, at Arches National Park, one of the COOLEST PLACES on the PLANET!

A POST-EVENT DINNER WILL BE HELD, probably at PASTA JAY'S right in the center of Moab. Those in attendance will decide if the dinner takes place before or after the Delicate Arch evening hike.

(Also posted in the Southwest Forum)

CONFIRMED:
Aaron & Ellen Johnson
Cheryl Bradley
Barbara Bailey
Randy & Sharon Breunlin
Colin Pence
Janey Butterworth
chicagotransplant
Liba Hardekopf & son


MAYBE:
Gafoto
Day Hiker
shanahan96
sanjuaneer
Lubos
Tonka
Robin

Aw shucks, I'll miss this one due to being in Arizona the same weekend to try and finish up the AZ cohp's. Arches, what a great place for a gathering of SP members. I love that place.

Jeez, Aaron, I'm flying home from Grand Junction on the 15th!

Bob Sihler wrote:Jeez, Aaron, I'm flying home from Grand Junction on the 15th!

Here you go (if the link works): http://www.kayak.com/r/ORZunw

Hey May I add this event to the ideas for a MeetUp.com, a group for Moab meet ups?

Hey, i'll put this on my calendar, i've been thinking an october trip to Moab sounds like a good idea, so this might make it a lot of fun.

Alan & Ellen,

I am envious! I haven't been to Arches since I was a 22 year old punk and know I'm due for a visit. (Moab is also, incidentally, the ONLY place I have ever received a speeding ticket - from one man: County Patrolman, County Commissioner, local Mormon ward Bishop. Huh? All in one vehicle???)

I'll be either taking in another section of the deep, dark, relaxing Appalachian Trail or getting sunburned on desert peaks near Tucson, AZ.

ENJOY!

I may make this one. Leaving town on Monday. Not sure where I'll be on that date, but if I'm close, I'm in.

I could probably make this since I live in Moab.

UPDATES:

See original posting for those attending and post-event dinner arrangements.

I won't be there after all. I just bought myself a ticket to Tibet. Be safe.

So how was arches?