Los Angeles County Events For LAFriends

2008 BAF Yosemite Trip,  Thursday - Monday, July 24-28, 2008

Please join us for the 5th Annual Bay Area Friends Yosemite Trip! This trip is a favorite event for many people, so we always get a large number of returnees. This event always SELLS OUT well in advance.

- Due to the difficulties in booking regular campgrounds, we always stay at in shared 4-bed tent-cabins at Curry Village on the Yosemite Valley Floor. Curry Village has many great amenities and is extremely convenient for hiking and group activities. There's no need for tents or sleeping bags - you will get your own bed and be able to lock your stuff up. Bathrooms and showers, swimming pool, eateries and a general store are all located nearby. For more info on Curry Village, click here.

- The age range of our group is usually 20's to 50's, with sometimes a few kids and people in their 60's. Most people are in their 30's or 40's. We all get along great, no matter how old you are.

- If you need more privacy because you are a snorer, a couple, or want to bring children, or any other reason, please make your own reservations. If you want to take advantage of our group activities, please stay at Curry Village or another place in Yosemite Village proper. Otherwise, you won't be able to get up early enough to participate in group hikes and that's one of the special great things about this trip. For specific directions about how to book separate reservations, See below.***

General Info:

- We have reserved approximately 40 spots in shared 4-bed tent-cabins at Curry Village from Thursday July 24 to Monday, July 28. This is a total of 4 nights.

- Since we expect most people to want to stay 3 nights, Prices are for a minimum 3 night stay (Thurs-Sun, or Fri-Mon.) If you wish to stay all 4 nights, there is an additional charge. If you stay only 2 nights, there is no discount. Our prices reflect a weighted average occupancy rate of 3.3 people per tent-cabin for 3 nights, plus taxes, interest for prepayment of reservations, and other group expenses. You may have more or less people in your tent-cabin. Some people may arrive a day late or depart a day early. Some people may only stay 2 nights. Logistically, this is a very hard trip to organize, so please understand that we cannot customize pricing based on your particular situation.

- We try to separate men from women, and snorers from non-snorers. It doesn't always work out perfectly. Many people don't seem to know they snore until they get to Yosemite! We sometimes ask people if they mind being in a co-ed tent, or in a tent that includes kids - especially when inquiries come in later when it's hard to get a private tent-cabin at Curry. It usually all works out in the end.

- You can mutually request specific room-mates. Please ask your preferred room-mates to specify you as well so I don't have to ask them.

- RSVP's without payment are worthless. Only pre-payment guarantees your spot. Our policy is "first-paid, first-served."

- The earlier you pay, the less you pay. The later you pay, the more you pay. See deadlines and prices below.

- Alumni of previous BAF Yosemite Trips who pay by the Alumni payment deadline, get a special price break.

- There is a MANDATORY CAMP FOODS/ACTIVITIES FEE for anyone wishing to join us for hikes and activities, whether you stay with us or not. This Fee includes camp snacks, bottled water and soft drinks, and Saturday night's group Pizza/Salad dinner, whether you attend or not. It does not include any other meals. Alcoholic beverages are also NOT included. We suggest people bring their own beer and wine and share with each other. The Fee is $20/pp for those who pay by May 1, and $25/pp for anyone paying after May 1. Kids under 12 pay $20/pp regardless of date.

- NO SMOKING OF ANY KIND is allowed in or near our tent-cabins, period. If you smoke anything - tobacco or pot or anything else - please go far away from our tent-cabins to partake.

ALUMNI PRICING: These prices are only good if payment is postmarked by May 1, 2008.

3 nights (arrive Thursday/depart Sunday, or arrive Friday/depart Monday) $99 + mandatory $20 camp food/activities fee = $119 TOTAL (not per night)

4th night? Add $33/pp.

EARLY BIRD PRICING (NON-ALUMNI) - Payments postmarked by May 1, 2008

3 nights (arrive Thursday/depart Sunday, or arrive Friday/depart Monday) $105 + mandatory $20 camp food/activities fee = $125 TOTAL (not per night)

4th night? Add $35/pp.

JUNE 1st PRICING - Payments postmarked by June 1, 2008

3 nights (arrive Thursday/depart Sunday, or arrive Friday/depart Monday) $110 + mandatory $25 camp food/activities fee = $135 TOTAL (not per night)

4th night? Add $37/pp.

JULY 1st PRICING - Payments postmarked by July 1, 2008

3 nights (arrive Thursday/depart Sunday, or arrive Friday/depart Monday) $120 + mandatory $25 camp food/activities fee = $145 TOTAL (not per night)

4th night? Add $40/pp.

LAST MINUTE PRICING - Anyone paying July 2 or after

3 nights (arrive Thursday/depart Sunday, or arrive Friday/depart Monday) $125 + mandatory $25 camp food/activities fee = $150 TOTAL (not per night)

4th night? Add $42/pp.

***Group Camp Food/Activities Fee Only:

***For those booking their own accommodations, the Mandatory Group Camp Food/Activities Fee is

$20/pp for those who pay by May 1st, and $25/pp thereafter.

The fee is $20/pp for kids 12 and under, regardless of date.

This fee includes camp snacks, bottled water and soft drinks + Saturday night group dinner (Pizza/Salad). No other meals provided.

Alcoholic beverages are also NOT provided - please BYO and bring extra to share.

CANCELLATIONS - REFUNDS -TRANSFERS:

- If you have paid for a spot through BAF for a bed in one of our shared group 4-bed tent-cabins at Curry Village and cancel BEFORE the deadline (July 14, 2008) you will receive a full refund, minus a $10 cancellation fee. That's the best option for most people.

There are NO REFUNDS after July 14, 2008. PERIOD

There are NO TRANSFERS, PERIOD. You cannot transfer your spot to someone else without going through me before July 14. Otherwise, they will be turned away. If you are thinking about not coming, best to talk to me asap! I will consider giving your spot to someone you recommend, but they have to pay me separately. Best to cancel your reservation before the deadline and let me know!

Any excess funds we collect will be put towards expenses for BAF's 10th Anniversary Weekend on August 8-10, 2008

Questions? Email: mondotravel at yahoo dot com (No, I'm not a travel agent!)

PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

1) First, please email me to tell me that you want to go. My email address is: mondotravel at yahoo dot com. At that time, please mention:

- Your first and last name

- Your sex (Your Age is optional)

- Street Address, City, State, Zip

- Preferred Phone numbers and email address

- Your preferred arrival and departure dates: (Specify exact dates between July 24-28)

- What is your Snoring status? Heavy? Moderate? Light? Unsure?

- Do you have any room-mate preferences? Name names.

- Preferred activities at Yosemite and can you potentially LEAD an activity or hike? If so, what interests you?

- Any dietary restrictions?

2) I will accept payments via regular Bank Checks. After you contact me with the above info I will email you with the amount you owe, and the name and address where to send your checks.

3) I will also accept PayPal, but ONLY if your PayPal account deducts funds directly from your bank account. If you are not sure what that means, then you probably should pay by check. I cannot accept PayPal Payments using credit cards or debit cards. PayPal won't tell you that. It will look like the payment went through. But I will REJECT those payments when they come to me, because they require me to pay additional fees to accept those payments, and that's not in our budget.

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Where can I find out more info about Yosemite?

For info on Yosemite National Park, go to:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/

For information on Curry Village, go to:

http://www.yosemitepark.com

How do I get to Yosemite? Can I join a carpool?

Yosemite is about a 4 to 4.5 hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area, depending on where you are starting from and if you encounter rush hour traffic. Over a dozen people are also driving up from Southern California (San Diego and LA), which take a few hours more.

A few weeks before the trip, I send out a contact list to everyone who signed up - with names, locations, email addresses and phone numbers, and people start calling/emailing each other to form carpools. Carpooling is fun, you get to know other people who are coming better, save on gas, and also split the $20 park admission fee per car.

If you are flying, the nearest airport with normal size planes is Fresno. But it might be cheaper to fly into Oakland, San Francisco or San Jose and rent a car or join a carpool.

Please note that the Highway 140 Entrance to Yosemite (from Merced) may still be blocked due to to a Landslide. This does not affect other park entrances that are closest to San Francisco, or Fresno/LA. So this road closure should not affect too many of us.

Amtrak also has train/bus service to Yosemite from most major cities in California for prices ranging from $30-$80 one way. Red-eye trains are available from San Diego and LA. For more info, go to: http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak

For more information on how to get to Yosemite, go to:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/trip/travel.htm

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What are accommodations like at Curry Village? Do I need bring a tent and sleeping bag?

No need for tents or sleeping bags! Curry Village is like a hotel, except it's outdoors. The tent-cabins have concrete floors, canvas walls/ceilings, wooden doors with a lock, windows, dressers, and real beds with blankets, pillows and sheets. You even get a towel. Bathrooms with showers are a short walk away - bring a flashlight for late-night bathroom trips. Anyhow, you don't need to bring sleeping bags, but an extra towel is a good idea. Only bring enough soap/shampoo/toiletries you need for 3 nights because these need to be locked up in a small shared bear-locker every night.

If you stay with our group, you'll be assigned to a tent-cabin with up to 3 other people. Men, women, and snorers will be assigned to different tents. Each person will have their own single bed. There may only be 2 sets of keys per tent-cabin, so you'll need to coordinate keys with your cabin-mates. Curry Village is NOISY at night, even if nobody in your tent snores. You can hear talking and snoring from neighboring tents, and people telling other people to shut up! Please bring earplugs, or just understand that you might not get that much sleep this weekend! It's a good idea to bring extra CAMP CHAIRS - something to sit on outside your tent-cabin when the group wants to hang out together before going to sleep or going star-gazing in the meadow. For more information on accommodations at Curry Village, go to:

http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_CurryVillage.aspx

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What should I do when I arrive?

- If you are staying in our group tent-cabins, then you will get an email from me several days before the trip with explicit directions and the names of the people in your tent-cabin and in everyone else's tent cabin. Make sure to print out this information and BRING IT WITH YOU!

- When you arrive at Curry Village, you will park and go to the Curry Village Front Desk to check in. Give them the reservation number that I will give you once you are confirmed. Also ask them which tent I am staying in using my reservation number, which I will also give you. Check in time is 5 PM. My plan is to pay for everyone's reservations before you arrive, so that all you have to do is check in and get the keys to your tent-cabin. There are 4 people assigned to each tent-cabin, but it's possible that you might only get 2 keys per tent-cabin. So if you arrive early, please make sure to leave a key for the people in your tent who are arriving later. And leave notes for your cabin mates about where you are if they arrive after all the keys have been taken, and if you are not in your tent! It is up to everyone staying in each tent-cabin to figure out the best way to handle the key situation. Hopefully, you'll get 4 keys. It's just not a guarantee.

- Curry Village has most of our reservation numbers and will try to assign tent-cabins which are in the same general vicinity. Outside of my tent-cabin, we will try to have a sign and some general information about group plans. Please check in with me when you arrive so that I know you made it safely!

- We will try to have a group meeting at 8 PM on Thursday and 8 PM on Friday night outside Ellen's tent-cabin, to go over the hikes and activities planned for the following days. Snacks, Water and Soft Drinks will be provided. Please bring camp-chairs and Flashlights!

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FOOD: Will we be making campfires and cooking our own food?

Campfires and cooking are NOT allowed at Curry Village. We will be eating most of our meals at one of Curry Village's many eating establishments - a Coffee Corner/Ice Cream Shop, a cafeteria/pavilion, a Pizza Patio, a Bar, a Taqueria, and a General Store which carries sandwiches, snacks, water, soda, beer and whatever else you need.

We will have snacks, bottled water, and soft-drinks available to the group.. If you have made your own private reservations, and have not yet paid your mandatory group camp food/activities fee before you arrive, please bring $25 cash/pp ($20 for kids 12 and under) to join us hanging out and figuring out who wants to do what. We will have some group meetings on Thursday night and Friday night @ 8 PM, and Saturday night at 7 PM for our big group dinner. Please make sure to be back at camp by then!

There are no formal dinner plans for Thursday or Friday night at the moment. However, please bring camp chairs and hang out with the group outside our tent-cabins, which should be very near each other. Bring your coolers with beverages and snacks, and hang out and share with everyone else.

There will be a GROUP DINNER on SATURDAY night at a location to be announced. Probably around 7 PM and probably until 9 PM. If you have extra camp chairs and camp tables, we may need these! Please email me to let me know what STUFF you can provide!

There are no formal breakfast or lunch plans most days, since most people will be out hiking and eating on the trail. Our big meals together are Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Sunday morning, many of of us will be eating at the Curry Village Pavilion Cafeteria. We'll just grab some tables together and hang out together. There will be early eaters and late eaters. I think the cafeteria doesn't open until 7 or 7:30 AM. The Coffee Corner opens earlier.

BEARS AND BEAR LOCKERS, FOOD, TOILETRIES AND COOLERS

DON'T bring a lot of food on this trip, except for food you need for hiking/lunch on Saturday and/or Sunday. All food must be locked up overnight in the provided bear-lockers, and NOT IN YOUR CAR! (Ron learned this the hard way 2 years ago when some bears broke into his SUV in the parking lot to take a look at his case of beer.) In the last year, Curry Village installed new bear lockers for each tent-cabin. The larger tent-cabins that we reserved have bear lockers that are: 47.5" (w) x 20.5"(d) x 23"(h). Smaller tent-cabins have smaller bear lockers, In addition, each tent cabin has a small bear-locker (15" x 16" x 22.5") with a key next to the bathrooms which will fit your toiletries but not much else. There are also bear lockers available near the parking lot on a first-come, first-serve basis. These bear lockers (17" x 48" x 17" and a few newer ones that at 24" x 43.5" x 21.5") will fit most coolers for your beer and other snacks. Please measure your coolers to know if they will fit in the bear lockers. ALSO, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN LOCKS for these bear lockers.

For more info on bears and bear-lockers, go to:

http://www.yosemitepark.com/destination_environment_bearawareness.aspx

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Socializing and Group Activities

The Yosemite Trip is a great way to meet other people in Bay Area Friends and make new friends. We're expecting about 50+ people from all over the place. Please jump in and introduce yourself to others at our campsite!

First, you'll make friends with the people in your carpool. Then, you'll make friends with the people in your tent-cabin. Depending on which hike or activities you sign up for, you'll meet those people and probably will spend several hours talking/hiking with them. And at mealtimes (especially Saturday night and Sunday morning), we'll be hanging out and eating together at the cafeteria or another Curry Village eatery (to be determined before the trip). And it bears repeating - PLEASE BRING EXTRA CAMP CHAIRS - so that we can hang out outside of our tent-cabins or somewhere else and enjoy each other's company between meals and after dinner, etc.

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What is there to do at Yosemite?

There is lots to do at Yosemite for people of all different interests and levels of physical ability. Different people in the group will volunteer to lead different activities and hikes.

"River-Sitting" is very popular among the non-hiking crowd. Or the post-hiking crowd. Bring a comfortable camp chair and towel and hang out with the gang on river that runs through the Yosemite Valley Floor! This activity was introduced at last year's Yosemite Trip and people loved it!

Historically, many people in the group like to do the hike to Half Dome, which is 20 miles round trip from Curry, with a 4000 foot elevation gain and then loss, and takes all day. Usually, a few different arties head out between 5:30-7 AM, and return by dinner time. Bring at least 3 liters of water, food/snacks for all day, salt/electrolytes, hats, layered clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen, and cameras! You should be in good physical condition and have good hiking/trail shoes. The last part - climbing/descending the wire cables to the top of Half Dome - is the scariest part for some people. But it's really worth the trip! Clouds Rest is another hike that takes all day and requires driving by car 45 minutes RT to the trail head/finish. It's about 14 miles RT on foot with spectacular views of Half Dome and the Valley! Again, take 3 liters of water plus lots of snacks.

Most other people will organize shorter and less strenuous hikes -such as a hike to Vernal Falls or Bridalveil Falls or maybe drive the car to Glacier Point for another day hike. If you're doing one of these other hikes, then you can sleep in a little later - no need to get up at the crack of dawn! There is a good description of the many hikes available at: http://www.nps.gov/yose/trip/valleyhikes.htm

Everyone in the group is expected to volunteer to help the group out with various responsibilities such as:

- Organizing a hike or another group activity on Friday or Saturday or Sunday for other attendees to enjoy. This is where we need the most volunteers. What would you like to do? Organize it and I'll promote it and you'll have friends who want to share the same activity with you! "Leading" is not quite the right term. It's more like "organizing". You don't have to be totally knowledgeable about whatever you are doing, except to know where and what time you are meeting, how to get where you are going and how to get back, and so forth. You might just be going on a walk around Yosemite Village, or going to the swimming pool and having lunch. Or horseback riding or bike riding. Or you might be hiking to Half Dome or Glacier Point or Upper Yosemite Falls or Bridal Veil Falls or Vernal Falls or Cloud's Rest. Or a combination of other things. Then we'll be able to post more activities here. In the meantime, just know that all of the aforementioned activities are popular with this group and you'll have many options!

- Saturday evening group dinner - food planning and purchasing (we'll give you the money), dinner set-up, dinner clean-up

- Sunday morning breakfast volunteers to reserve our tables at Curry Pavilion.

- Camp set up and clean-up for group meetings.

GROUP ACTIVITIES - SCHEDULE

THURS. JULY 24

- Check in at Curry Village front desk is 5 PM. Some tent-cabins may be ready earlier, but don't count on it. Ask the Front Desk to give you Ellen's Tent-Cabin Number. White Board and Blue Balloons will be in front of her tent. Use your free time to walk around Yosemite Village and Valley Floor. Relax by the Curry Village Pool. Please bring camp chairs and coolers and food and feel free to hang out in front of Ellen's Tent and meet others in the group. We have no formal group dinner plans on Thursday since people are arriving all day/evening.

- Thursday Group Meeting? Meet at Ellen's Tent-cabin @ 8 PM to discuss plans for Friday and Saturday.

FRIDAY, JULY 25

- Daytime hikes and activities TBD - need volunteers to organize.

- Friday Day - Check in at Curry Village front desk is 5 PM. Ask the Front Desk to give you Ellen's Tent-Cabin Number. White Board and Blue Balloons will be in front of her tent. Please bring camp chairs and coolers and food and feel free to hang out in front of Ellen's Tent and meet others in the group.

- Friday 7-9 PM - Group Meeting in front of Ellen's Tent-Cabin. Refreshments start at 7 PM, Meeting starts promptly at 8 PM. We'll go over group activities for the next day, introduce activity leaders, and people can ask questions, mingle, etc. We may update group activity times and meeting places at this time. The White Board will hopefully reflect any changes.

- Friday at 9:30 PM - Stargazing in the Meadow. Usually led by Sue. Meet at Curry Village Amphitheatre at 9:30 PM. Bring camp chairs, binoculars, blankets, food and drink, flashlights, etc. Walk over to meadow together. Don't be late!

SATURDAY, JULY 26

- Daytime hikes and activities TBD - need volunteers to organize.

- 7 - 9 PM - Group Dinner in front of our main group of tent-cabins. Please bring camp chairs to sit on and camp tables if you have any. Please bring extra camp chairs for out of town visitors. Dinner will likely include: pizza, salad, dessert, bottled water and soft drinks. Since cooking/BBQ'ing is not allowed at Curry Village, we have few other hot food options besides pizza. If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know.

- 9:30 PM - Stargazing in the Meadow Saturday Night after dinner. Led by Sue. Meet at Curry Village Amphitheatre @ 9:30 PM with camp chairs, blankets, food and beverage, binoculars and walk over to meadow together. Don't be late! Other BAFers might be at Glacier Point, flashing their lights down to the Valley Floor, hoping to find BAF life. Let's coordinate!

SUNDAY, JULY 27

- Sunday morning - Breakfast at Curry Village Pavilion. We're just going to push a few tables together and have a blue balloon. Need some early risers to volunteer to set up tables.

- Curry Village check-out by 10 AM for those departing on Sunday.

- Sunday hikes/activities for those staying an extra night? Need volunteers to organize.

- Group gathering Sunday night? Need volunteer to organize.

MONDAY, July 28

- Check out by 10 AM.

For more info on what there is to do at Yosemite, go to: http://www.nps.gov/yose/trip/todo.htm

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Phones and Cell Phones

Many cell phone services don't work at Yosemite. Sprint does not work. Verizon might. Not sure. There are pay phones at Curry Village. Ellen's cell phone does NOT work at Yosemite. Leave notes for her at her tent-cabin.

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***Can I stay somewhere else, camp out, or book my own private accommodations and join you?

Yes. However, keep in mind that accommodations on the Yosemite Valley Floor usually sell out well in advance of summer weekends, so you should BOOK NOW if you want to get your own private tent-cabin at Curry Village or stay at the Ahwannee Hotel or the Yosemite Lodge or somewhere else in Yosemite Valley. All of the regular campgrounds for Yosemite Valley sold out months ago, although there are some walk-in campgrounds that don't take advance reservations. Curry Village usually SELLS OUT for the weekend we are going, although there might be some cancellations if you check with them regularly. There is no guarantee that you will get a spot, but you never know. If you decide to make your own reservations or camp out on your own, please make sure to tell me so that I can keep you in the loop about planned group activities so you can join us. Note that we will not have any room at Curry Village for drop-ins who expect to stay the night with us. Please note that WE DO NOT RECOMMEND STAYING at the Tenaya Lodge or the Wawona Lodge. These are about a 1-hour drive from Curry Village, which makes them very inconvenient unless you don't plan on spending much time with the group!

To participate in any of our group activities, you MUST pay our Mandatory Group Camp Foods/Activities Fee mentioned above.

If you make your own reservations, please email Ellen with your Confirmation Number and your arrival/departure dates. This is especially important if you are staying at Curry Village so that we can request that you are assigned a tent-cabin near the rest of us! Ellen's email is: mondotravel at yahoo dot com

For more information on how to make your own private reservations at Yosemite (not with our group), go to: http://www.yosemitepark.com/

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WEATHER

The weather at Yosemite Village at this time of year has been pretty good in past years, with daytime HI's in the 80's and night-time LOW's in the 50's. It might be hotter or colder in different spots. It can also be partly cloudy during the day, and thunderstorms do happen occasionally - and may happen in one part of the park and not another. Rain is not predicted for this weekend, but you never know.

Bring layers of clothing - especially if you're on an all day hike, since you're likely to be cold in the morning, hot in mid-day and afternoon, and things cool off again at night.

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PACKING: What should I bring?

If you are staying with us at Curry Village, here is a good basic list:

DO BRING:

- Soap, Shampoo, Toothbrush/Toothpaste, Wash cloth, Extra Towel (1 is provided by Curry Village)

- Sunscreen (SPF 30?), Hat/Cap, Sunglasses, Bug Repellent.

- Flashlights/Headlamps, especially for night-time visits to the bathrooms

- Water/Hydration Pack + Water Filters for long hikes. If you are hiking to Half Dome, you'll need a minimum of 3 Liters of water for the round trip. If you don't have a 3-liter hydration pack, then you'll need a) a serious water filter for back-country hiking and/or b) iodine tablets or another water purification method to use on water from streams. REI has a good selection of hydration packs, water filters and iodine tablets. Read up on water filters and iodine tablets before you come and be prepared!

- Food/Snacks for your Saturday hike/activities - depending on time and intensity of the activity. Hiking Half Dome takes 10-12 hours for most people, so you need to bring enough food to last all day. Energy Bars and Gels, Energy Drinks, Apples, Oranges, Sandwiches, Bread, Cheese and Sausage/Jerky, Nuts, Dried Fruit, Trail Mix - all are good ideas for trail nutrition.

- Layered clothing. Daytimes may be very sunny and hot, while night-times might be very cool. Pack items so that you are ready for daytime temps in the 70's-90's and night-time temps in the 50's. Rain-storms have been known to happen, although rare, in late July. Bring a rain-jacket if you want to be extra prepared.

- Locks for Bear Lockers

- Small to medium size COOLERS for cold drinks and snacks for Friday night and Saturday night and in-between depending on what hikes/activities you are doing. Coolers that have food in them MUST fit into the BEAR LOCKERS which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You will need to bring your own locks for the bear lockers. Dimensions of the bear lockers are limited, so some large coolers may not fit. See above for bear locker dimensions.

- NOTE: All food and toiletries, including canned and bottled beer and soft drinks, must be put in BEAR LOCKERS overnight. Bears are attracted to a variety of smells, including soap and shampoo, and any food open or unopened, including unopened beer and soft drinks, is something which attracts them. Clean out your cars of any stray snack bars or food or drinks stashed in your trunks or glove compartments - because bears might break into and damage your car in pursuit of what they suspect they smell and/or see (Just Ask Ron!) . They may also break into tent-cabins that have food, drink or toiletry smells. This happens less often, but we don't want to test the bears, do we! So make sure your stuff fits into the bear lockers and don't leave bear-attracting items in your car or tent overnight. Clear?

DON'T BRING:

- Tents or sleeping bags, since Curry Village has covered tent-cabins, with real beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows and blankets. It's OK to bring an extra blanket or sleeping bag for extra warmth, however.

- Cooking equipment for campfire-cooking - we are NOT allowed to have campfires or to cook our own food at Curry Village! We will be eating all of our meals at one of Curry Village's many eating establishments, or else on trail or during or daytime activities.

- Don't bring pets. Pets are NOT allowed anywhere at Curry Village. Board your pet somewhere or get a pet-sitter.

How do I reserve my spot? When and where do I send my money?

The only way to reserve your spot is to send me your money! The policy is "first paid, first served." It's not enough to tell you are coming. Show me the money! I will hold your spot if you tell me that you've sent me the check on a particular day, so I know to expect it. But if your check is more than a few days late and someone else wants your spot and pays for it, you're out of luck. With your check, also give me your full name, address, phone number, email address, and tell me whether or not your snore, your room-mate preferences if any, and anything else you want to share.

To get the address on where to send your money to reserve your spot, you must EMAIL me first at mondotravel at yahoo dot com and I will send you my mailing address and cell phone number, etc.

Again, to reserve your spot, email me at mondotravel at yahoo dot com and I'll tell you where to send your check.

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Any questions?

Please email me at mondotravel at yahoo dot com

Cheers! Ellen

Saturday, August 9, 2008 - Bay Area Friends 10th Anniversary Weekend

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