ETC Grand Canyon 2012. woot woot!
ttfn. talk to y'all again on the "flip side"...
:)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
into the big ditch we go!
smiling faces all around. can't wait to get on the water.... and float!
ETC Grand Canyon 2012. woot woot!
ttfn. talk to y'all again on the "flip side"...
:)
ETC Grand Canyon 2012. woot woot!
ttfn. talk to y'all again on the "flip side"...
:)
...on our way to the grand canyon!
everyone arrived in flagstaff as planned today, and we all met up this evening for our pre-trip meeting to start getting to know each other, and get the download on all our gear and trip logistics. it was an extraordinary amount of information for all to absorb, but making sure you have everything you need for this kind if trip is essential!
after the meeting, we wandered around the hotel checking in on each other, and helping to cram everything into the three dry bags we will be living out of for the next 14 days. it was a long night, with lots of piles of gear and ziplock baggies, but I think everyone is in good shape.
me, i am mostly packed, and I need to get this blog up to date (last thing on the to-do list), then get to sleep! we are rolling out at 6:30 tomorrow am! yikes.
I'll try to post one more time tomorrow, but as I am the "ETC trip leader" for this adventure, I am sure I'm going to be dragged in 15 directions from the moment I leave the room.
we will be rafting through the grand canyon blissfully for the next 14 days, and I will have ZERO access to phone, email, etc.
I can't wait to hand myself over to being completely offline, and 100% in the moment. :)
after the meeting, we wandered around the hotel checking in on each other, and helping to cram everything into the three dry bags we will be living out of for the next 14 days. it was a long night, with lots of piles of gear and ziplock baggies, but I think everyone is in good shape.
me, i am mostly packed, and I need to get this blog up to date (last thing on the to-do list), then get to sleep! we are rolling out at 6:30 tomorrow am! yikes.
I'll try to post one more time tomorrow, but as I am the "ETC trip leader" for this adventure, I am sure I'm going to be dragged in 15 directions from the moment I leave the room.
we will be rafting through the grand canyon blissfully for the next 14 days, and I will have ZERO access to phone, email, etc.
I can't wait to hand myself over to being completely offline, and 100% in the moment. :)
changing gears - connecting with river people
back in flagstaff, it was finally time to immerse myself in the upcoming grand canyon trip. i have come so far, and still have such a huge piece if my journey in front of me.
myself and two other etc guides, Elena and barbara, came out here early to meet with the outfitter guides to do a mini "disability awareness training", and get on the same page for adapting our trip to the needs of our group. this particular trip is a coming together of 2 canyon outfitters, and ETC to bring a group of folks with mixed abilities on this amazing journey. for this particular trip, we have 24 people, 4 of whom have visual impairments, and 2 who have mobility impairments and use wheelchairs. everyone who signed up to go on this trip brings a ton of enthusiasm, and collaborating with the outfitters, we bring extra gear and techniques to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone.
it was awesome to sit down with the guides before the trip and go over everything, something we have never done before, and should definitely do again! combined, we have a lot of accessibility gear, and we all practiced getting used to it together, and discussing how it could work for each individual. this is going to make transitioning to the river trip and adapting to whatever we encounter so much easier! :)
myself and two other etc guides, Elena and barbara, came out here early to meet with the outfitter guides to do a mini "disability awareness training", and get on the same page for adapting our trip to the needs of our group. this particular trip is a coming together of 2 canyon outfitters, and ETC to bring a group of folks with mixed abilities on this amazing journey. for this particular trip, we have 24 people, 4 of whom have visual impairments, and 2 who have mobility impairments and use wheelchairs. everyone who signed up to go on this trip brings a ton of enthusiasm, and collaborating with the outfitters, we bring extra gear and techniques to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone.
it was awesome to sit down with the guides before the trip and go over everything, something we have never done before, and should definitely do again! combined, we have a lot of accessibility gear, and we all practiced getting used to it together, and discussing how it could work for each individual. this is going to make transitioning to the river trip and adapting to whatever we encounter so much easier! :)
back to flagstaff
i said bye to the SF friends in Vegas, and changed direction to head back east to flagstaff. I managed to keep pace with the torrential downpours, and had to pull over twice along the way because I couldn't see a thing!
I was happy to make it back to flag in one piece!
I was happy to make it back to flag in one piece!
viva las Vegas!
from Moab, I made my way down to las Vegas to meet up with some SF peeps who were in town for the national APA Pool league tournament. the team I play on went to the "citywide" tournament, but did not win a spot for the Vegas national competition. it was a lot of fun to hang out with ned, and poke around to watch the sf teams and players compete. I was really surprised at how big of an event it was... there had to be 250 pool tables running rounds of competitions from 9am till 2am+.
after being on the road for so long, it was also really nice to spend time with people who exist in my SF life. made me a little homesick to be back in the bay area, and home again. but, soon enough... I still have things to do.
I can't believe that I managed to stay in Vegas for four days, a new personal record! the time went by quickly relaxing by the pool, wandering the strip, and watching the tournaments.
the day I had to leave to drive out to flagstaff, az, it was pouring rain, and monsoon thunderstorms. everything in Vegas flooded!
after being on the road for so long, it was also really nice to spend time with people who exist in my SF life. made me a little homesick to be back in the bay area, and home again. but, soon enough... I still have things to do.
I can't believe that I managed to stay in Vegas for four days, a new personal record! the time went by quickly relaxing by the pool, wandering the strip, and watching the tournaments.
the day I had to leave to drive out to flagstaff, az, it was pouring rain, and monsoon thunderstorms. everything in Vegas flooded!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)