2024 Magical MOAB Meetup October 4 - 11

[NinetyFour]

Thought I'd start this while folks are either experiencing the afterglow or are in a state of envy...

[NinetyFour]

Seems like the 2023 Magical Moab Meetup went pretty well (?), so.....let's try it again!

* it will probably happen during the first 20 days of October (of 2024).  More specific dates will be announced later.. Dates:  OCTOBER 4 - 11.
* it will probably definitely happen HERE


This meetup is almost completely unstructured.  This means:

* Even though the meetup will be scheduled for a week, you may arrive at/depart the meetup at any time.
* There are no organized "sessions".  Everyone is free to hike, bike, float, jetboat, canoe (eek), go 4 wheeling, nap, knit, be social, recover from being social, etc. every day.
* Most evenings, we will have a campfire at the "extra" campsite.  All are invited, but it is definitely not mandatory.  I even skipped it twice this year, choosing an early bedtime instead.
* On a typical day, small or medium sized groups of people might do a sunrise hike, or do a mid morning hike, or do a full day hike, or do a mid-day float (tubes, pack rafts, SUPs, etc.), or visit the dinosaur tracks and ancient rock art, or do some insane 4 wheeling, or browse the downtown shops, or do a mountain bike ride, or go out to lunch together, or cook a meal together at a campsite.
* We will organize a WhatsApp group chat a couple weeks before the meetup.  It has been a great way for folks to make plans for hikes, meals, car pooling, etc.
* Folks are free to do whatever they'd like to do for meals.  Some will want to buy groceries for the week (City Market is a 3 minute walk from the campground) and do meal prep at their campsite; some will want to visit some of the numerous restaurants, food trucks, and breweries; some might offer to host a pot luck at their site, cabin, etc.

Regarding the campground we have used in the past....it can be noisy, as it is in downtown Moab.  There will be 4WD vehicles of all sorts, dirt bikes, motorcycles, nearby car washes, early morning garbage trucks, and sporting events at the nearby (very nearby) high school.  However, we keep basing the meetup at this campground because of its convenient location.  Also, it just mostly works for most of us pretty well.  Keep in mind that the campground does have a few cabins, which provide some barrier between you and the various noises outside.  (Last year, this campground had a Black Friday sale.....if I see that that will happen this year, I will post the info here.)

You are totally welcome to make plans to stay elsewhere (Moab has LOTS of hotels), although I personally like the idea of most folks sharing the togetherness at the campground.  Not everyone wants to stay in a tent, or shower in a bath house, though, so feel free to stay wherever you are comfortable.

Sometimes I get busy and can't reply quickly to questions on this thread.  Veterans of other Moab meetups--feel free to chime in with answers!  :)

[NinetyFour]

Reserved.

[NinetyFour]

I just checked this thread again because I saw that there were already 2 replies!!

Clearly, I need more coffee.  And more rest.  :)

[techwiz]

I hope to join the magic in 2024.

[NinetyFour]

I hope to join the magic in 2024.

Yay!!!  :D

[10dollarsatatime]

We shall see, but by this time next year, DH and I are planning on utilizing the heck out of an as of yet unpurchased RV of some kind.

[Log]

Very interested - hope I can make it work next year!

[iluvzbeach]

Definitely in the state of envy camp. Would love to join in on the fun next year.

[Embok]

We missed it this year. Boo.  Hope to make it in 2024. Yay! 

I don’t see 2024 dates yet; did I miss them?

[Dicey]

I'm working on getting my Big Thing's date to align better with the 2024 MMM. I hate to miss a moment of the fun. Fingers crossed.

[oneday]

We missed it this year. Boo.  Hope to make it in 2024. Yay! 

Ditto

[FrugalShrew]

I'm in the state of envy camp. Would love to attend in 2024.

[Adventine]

It's too early to commit, but it's on my radar!

[314159]

I'm still experiencing the afterglow!

Edit: Just want to say that as a nonretired person I found Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day/Canadian Thanksgiving to be a very convenient 3 day weekend (plus an extra day at each end) to spend at the meetup.

[LifeHappens]

Moonpie and I are in for 2024.

[oldladystache]

22 and 23 were great, but I'm just too old and I don't see how I can do it again. The people were all wonderful and I felt like I was with my tribe.

Everyone (with a few exceptions) was so active and there was no way I could do most of the things they were doing. It was fun to hear about their adventures though.

It was amazing watching 94 interacting with the kids. I wish she had been in my life when I was a kid. (I know, she wasn't born yet)

If you are thinking about going, I'd say yes, go. I am glad I went when I did.

[Chaplin]

I completely agree with keeping the location where it has been. The downsides are more than offset by the upsides: easy access to town, central, variety of site types, close to offsite accommodation, etc.

To echo what others have said, especially for the benefit of those who haven't been, this is an event for everyone. Nobody has to do more or less than exactly what they are comfortable with, there are many choices, and if you want to push your limits a bit you will have people supporting you and ensuring you aren't left behind.

It was cool to see people who had attended in 2022 bring their kids in 2023 - I think that says something.

-------

I drove solo for 2022 and 2023. I quite enjoyed that approach for a bunch of reasons, but I'd like to do something different for 2024. That's partly because "why not?" but also because if I try to make the trip to Moab from BC in two days I have essentially one route to follow.  I'd like to see some different terrain and stopping to see some of the sights I've skipped along the way (Craters of the Moon park in Idaho, for example). That means a different route or taking more days, or both.

Some of the options I see:

1. Do the same drive, maybe with an extra day or two, and have my son and wife fly in. This would minimize the time taken out of school for my son, although I think a week away in order to experience the desert is a good trade-off, and would make it easier for me to feel comfortable taking an extra few days on the drive.

2. Leave my son with neighbours or have someone come and stay at our house with him and do the trip with my wife. We traveled to Moab a number of times pre-kid and she is very keen to go back.

3. Car pool down. RC, Stasher and Experimental_FIRE all know, I think, that they have standing invitations to do the trip. So far it either hasn't motivated them enough or lined-up with their schedules, but who knows for the future. Other PNW mustachians might sign-up instead.

4. Train! Although I've enjoyed the drive, I prefer a vision of the future that is more train and less car. Amtrak does go to Green River which isn't too far from Moab, but unfortunately it pretty much precludes bringing a bike. Amtrak allows bikes on most trains, but there are two complicating factors: some routes treat bikes as cargo (they hang the bike on hooks in a separate car) and some are more self-serve (you bring the bike on to your carriage yourself). The California Zephyr is the route that goes through Green River and it's a bikes-as-cargo train. The second factor is the station. Not all stations are staffed for cargo and Green River is one of those, meaning you can't load or unload cargo at Green River. This leaves me a few options:

4a: Take the train both ways and rent a bike in Moab. This is doable but does require figuring out how to get between Moab and Green River.

4b. Prior to researching the details of bringing bikes on Amtrak I had thought that maybe taking the train there, with a bike, and riding home might be an option, or the reverse. The nice thing about this is that I could ride between Moab and Green River, but since the Green River station doesn't work, I could only make this sort of option work by finding the next nearest station that does have a staffed cargo area. I still have to finish researching this option.

5. Just ride the damn bike both ways! This appeals to me a great deal although a one-way trip as described above will still be preferable overall. The main downside to this is time away from family (and my bike shop job). The time of year is pretty ideal and I could take a more northern (Washington, Idaho, Utah) route to get there and a more southern (Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington) route home. I would probably need to plan on three weeks each way plus a week in Moab, so seven weeks total. That sounds great, except for the time away from home problem. If I picked the shortest route I could probably do it in two weeks each way, but it would be a lot less fun than picking more fun and safe routes.

Riding one-way (option 4b) seems like the best compromise. I get to ride a fun route, take a train, and enjoy the meetup. I guess I need to do a little more research and figure out where the closest cargo-capable Amtrak station is located and base my route around that. (UPDATE, I just checked: it's either Grand Junction, CO or Salt Lake City, UT - I can work with either, perhaps take the train to SLC, ride to Moab, and then ride home).

[NinetyFour]

We shall see, but by this time next year, DH and I are planning on utilizing the heck out of an as of yet unpurchased RV of some kind.

Exciting!  Bring it on down to Moab!!

Definitely in the state of envy camp. Would love to join in on the fun next year.

That would be great--hope to see you in Moab!

We missed it this year. Boo.  Hope to make it in 2024. Yay! 

I don’t see 2024 dates yet; did I miss them?

The specific dates have not been determined yet.  I'd like to look at Utah school calendars first, and lots of them are not yet available for next year.  And I'll try to find out when the Jeep Jamboree weekends are.  Pretty sure we want to avoid those.

In any case, I sure hope you and Mr. Embok can join us!

I'm working on getting my Big Thing's date to align better with the 2024 MMM. I hate to miss a moment of the fun. Fingers crossed.

Great!!  Remember the homework assignment I gave you??

We missed it this year. Boo.  Hope to make it in 2024. Yay! 

Ditto

I really really really hope you can make it!!!

I'm in the state of envy camp. Would love to attend in 2024.

I sure hope you can.  It would be great to meet you!

It's too early to commit, but it's on my radar!

YES!!!!!!!

I'm still experiencing the afterglow!

Edit: Just want to say that as a nonretired person I found Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day/Canadian Thanksgiving to be a very convenient 3 day weekend (plus an extra day at each end) to spend at the meetup.

I also experienced afterglow, then some sadness....but now I'm already getting excited for next year!!

Thanks for your comment about the 3 day weekend being convenient for you.  I will keep that in mind!

Moonpie and I are in for 2024.

SQUEE!!!!!!!!!

[NinetyFour]

22 and 23 were great, but I'm just too old and I don't see how I can do it again. The people were all wonderful and I felt like I was with my tribe.

Everyone (with a few exceptions) was so active and there was no way I could do most of the things they were doing. It was fun to hear about their adventures though.

It was amazing watching 94 interacting with the kids. I wish she had been in my life when I was a kid. (I know, she wasn't born yet)

If you are thinking about going, I'd say yes, go. I am glad I went when I did.

@oldladystache Thanks so much for your comments.  I love kids, especially fun ones!  :) 

I really enjoyed talking with you this year at Moab, and I'll be sad if you won't be able to join us next year.  Maybe I'll just have to go out to California and get you??  :)

[NinetyFour]

I completely agree with keeping the location where it has been. The downsides are more than offset by the upsides: easy access to town, central, variety of site types, close to offsite accommodation, etc.

To echo what others have said, especially for the benefit of those who haven't been, this is an event for everyone. Nobody has to do more or less than exactly what they are comfortable with, there are many choices, and if you want to push your limits a bit you will have people supporting you and ensuring you aren't left behind.

It was cool to see people who had attended in 2022 bring their kids in 2023 - I think that says something.

-------

I drove solo for 2022 and 2023. I quite enjoyed that approach for a bunch of reasons, but I'd like to do something different for 2024. That's partly because "why not?" but also because if I try to make the trip to Moab from BC in two days I have essentially one route to follow.  I'd like to see some different terrain and stopping to see some of the sights I've skipped along the way (Craters of the Moon park in Idaho, for example). That means a different route or taking more days, or both.

Some of the options I see:

1. Do the same drive, maybe with an extra day or two, and have my son and wife fly in. This would minimize the time taken out of school for my son, although I think a week away in order to experience the desert is a good trade-off, and would make it easier for me to feel comfortable taking an extra few days on the drive.

2. Leave my son with neighbours or have someone come and stay at our house with him and do the trip with my wife. We traveled to Moab a number of times pre-kid and she is very keen to go back.

3. Car pool down. RC, Stasher and Experimental_FIRE all know, I think, that they have standing invitations to do the trip. So far it either hasn't motivated them enough or lined-up with their schedules, but who knows for the future. Other PNW mustachians might sign-up instead.

4. Train! Although I've enjoyed the drive, I prefer a vision of the future that is more train and less car. Amtrak does go to Green River which isn't too far from Moab, but unfortunately it pretty much precludes bringing a bike. Amtrak allows bikes on most trains, but there are two complicating factors: some routes treat bikes as cargo (they hang the bike on hooks in a separate car) and some are more self-serve (you bring the bike on to your carriage yourself). The California Zephyr is the route that goes through Green River and it's a bikes-as-cargo train. The second factor is the station. Not all stations are staffed for cargo and Green River is one of those, meaning you can't load or unload cargo at Green River. This leaves me a few options:

4a: Take the train both ways and rent a bike in Moab. This is doable but does require figuring out how to get between Moab and Green River.

4b. Prior to researching the details of bringing bikes on Amtrak I had thought that maybe taking the train there, with a bike, and riding home might be an option, or the reverse. The nice thing about this is that I could ride between Moab and Green River, but since the Green River station doesn't work, I could only make this sort of option work by finding the next nearest station that does have a staffed cargo area. I still have to finish researching this option.

5. Just ride the damn bike both ways! This appeals to me a great deal although a one-way trip as described above will still be preferable overall. The main downside to this is time away from family (and my bike shop job). The time of year is pretty ideal and I could take a more northern (Washington, Idaho, Utah) route to get there and a more southern (Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington) route home. I would probably need to plan on three weeks each way plus a week in Moab, so seven weeks total. That sounds great, except for the time away from home problem. If I picked the shortest route I could probably do it in two weeks each way, but it would be a lot less fun than picking more fun and safe routes.

Riding one-way (option 4b) seems like the best compromise. I get to ride a fun route, take a train, and enjoy the meetup. I guess I need to do a little more research and figure out where the closest cargo-capable Amtrak station is located and base my route around that. (UPDATE, I just checked: it's either Grand Junction, CO or Salt Lake City, UT - I can work with either, perhaps take the train to SLC, ride to Moab, and then ride home).

Thanks so much for your comments about the meetup.  I'm glad you see more ups than downs about the campground location.  And I agree that there is something for everyone in Moab--I hope most attendees feel the same way.  And yes to kids joining in the fun!!

Your options for getting to Moab next year (first, let me say that I'm thrilled you plan to return!!!!  And maybe with your family!!!!) look amazing--fun to think about!  Let me be the first to offer to pick you up and/or take you back to Green River if you end up there and need a ride (if I am available).  There has been some chatter about joining with a Crazy Canadian Caravan from Ontario to Moab next year, so if you arrive at Green River before I get to Utah, I won't be able to help you.  But hopefully it will all work out!

[LifeHappens]

Chaplin, Moonpie and I would also be happy to pick you up in Green River if you decide to use that route. Your plans look very fun and I'm just a little jealous :)

[Chaplin]

Your options for getting to Moab next year (first, let me say that I'm thrilled you plan to return!!!!  And maybe with your family!!!!) look amazing--fun to think about!  Let me be the first to offer to pick you up and/or take you back to Green River if you end up there and need a ride (if I am available).  There has been some chatter about joining with a Crazy Canadian Caravan from Ontario to Moab next year, so if you arrive at Green River before I get to Utah, I won't be able to help you.  But hopefully it will all work out!

Thanks NinetyFour! I appreciate the offer, although I do hope for your sake that you get to do the caravan option. Bringing the family would be fun, and I think you and my son would have a lot of fun chatting.

Chaplin, Moonpie and I would also be happy to pick you up in Green River if you decide to use that route. Your plans look very fun and I'm just a little jealous :)

Thank you! My plans are very theoretical at this point but it's great to know that there are ways to make them work. I think the whole group missed having you and Moonpie at this year's event.

[NinetyFour]

I think the whole group missed having you and Moonpie at this year's event.

Yes--I know this!!

@LifeHappens I hope I can twist your arms to play some tunes for us again!!  That was a highlight for me last year, for sure.

[NinetyFour]

A few random thoughts about next year's meetup...

1)  It would be nice to have a convenient "corridor" in the campground so that we can walk through each other's sites (assuming we'd all be OK with that) in order to visit the "Comfort Station" and the MMM HQ site...

2)  Does anyone remember which G sites have power?  I think G1 - G6?  I think the HQ designated site should have power.  It would help with the twinkly lights, and also when people hang out there, they could charge devices--especially if yours truly remembers to bring a power strip* for multiple devices.

3)  One of my favoUrite Canadians gave me the blessing to, once again, have our Meetup during Canadian Thanksgiving.  But only if I can procure Maple Fluff.  Lots of Maple Fluff.  Hmmm...

4)  Some folks might have noticed that there is a "pavillion" at the campground.  I inquired about it, and there is a not insignificant fee to reserve it.  However, I was also told that it's rarely used.  So I wonder if we might want to make use of it sometime next year.  It's pretty big, there is a grill, I believe there is a fire ring, and there is the game of horseshoes.  Could be fun to use it for a dinner/game night* one evening?  Just a thought.  There is a picture of it on the campground website.

5)  @Cherry Lane @FIFoFum I know I asked you this, but forget what you told me--which cabins are pet friendly?  Thanks.

6)  Back to the Convenient Corridor idea.....or the Magical Mustachian Mile...if we were to grab G6 for the HQ site (preferably with good sport MMMers on either side?), the sites between it and the Comfort Station would be something like 99, 100, 77, and 78, and Cabins 89 and 90.  It would be awesome if we could occupy those.  Not sure how anyone would feel about camping right next to the bathroom, though.....  Certainly open to other thoughts!  (And this scheme is definitely not a high priority, but it could make things more convenient for people--and it could be fun to have little (big?) enclave of MMMers--kind of like a cult?  Nope nope not a cult.)


I'm open to other ideas....as long as we stick with the idea of having no structure or obligation.  I really like the idea that folks can do whatever they please whenever they please with whomever they please and join the evening campfires if they like.  And other things can organically happen--with the help of the WhatsApp group chat and other spontaneous meanderings and connections.  I think that works well for this particular meetup.  :)


* Just added power strips and games to my list of things to bring next year.  And extra extension cords any anyone needs one.

[Dicey]

Pretty sure G-6 does not have power. Mr. Dicey used yours and our extension cords to cobble it to the group site from G-5. Since power is included and we presumably won't be hauling as much crap next year (hahaha), I have a bunch of outdoor party lights in the attic that I can bring along.  We also have plenty of power strips.

We did lose one of the canopies to a gust of wind. Thankfully, it was a freebie. I really liked having them. Next year, I'd still like to have two, but the kind with straight legs, to minimize the potential trip hazard. Of course, the budget is still $0. I'm just tossing it out to the universe to see what happens.

Our rig is pretty soundproof, so I'll raise a hand to take a bath house adjacent site, to help with the "flow", so to speak.

We should also create a blackout list of undesirable sites. G-1, for starters.

Another observation: most nights, @Cannot Wait! parked their van to create a "fourth wall" at the group site. I think it was very effective and saved them the hassle of finding/paying for a place to park. It was kind of accidental the first night, but it worked so well, I hoped they would continue to do it, so I cleared it with park management. They were so pleased with our efforts to contain our group so that we didn't annoy other campers that they readily okayed it. Sweet!

One thing about having a group site that was close by is that it was easy to run back and forth for supplies. The Pavillion is really nice, but it's of kind of far away. It's also BIG. I love the coziness of our group site. One of my favorite things to do each night was to observe all the different conversations that were happening spontaneously. I took delight in the lack of cell phone use, except to share pictures of the day's activities.  We might lose the coziness at the Pavillion. Just a thought, because you know I'll figure out a way to make whatever we do work to the best of my ability.

Related random thought: buffering the Group Site with members of our group accidentally worked really well. Can we choose the largest G site with power and then fill the sites on either side of it with mustachians?

As always, I will have to juggle my other big event. Much as I love our group, my Other Thing is also close to my heart. I'm co-chair of the entire event, but my day-of task is to run the collection point for our city-wide food drive. Three days after we left Moab, my group collected over 5 tons of non-perishable food, plus at least $1500 (the cash alone translates to 3,000 meals). Before Moab, we arranged for the distribution of 12,000 bags/letters throughout the city and worked out the logistics for donation booths at four grocery stores. It is always a gloriously gratifying day, no matter what obstacles are thrown in our path, such as smoke, fires, or a little pandemic.

We've also been told by the Food Bank that because of our ongoing efforts, awareness of the FB in our city is very high. When regional agencies, such as the Mail Carriers, run drives, our city consistently has far higher response rates than all the others. That's something that makes me very happy.

That was a lot of words. I just want y'all to know that you're such an amazing group, it really is a super-hard decision.

Final thought: I think we should all pitch in to cover the cost of the group site, and Thanksgiving dinner. There was a hat passed at Thanksgiving, but to formalize it and do it up front is more transparent and would come closer to a fair reimbursement rate. Opinions/suggestions on this are welcome.

[Cherry Lane]

Pet friendly cabins are 89 and 90. This year we had 90 and lhamo had 91.

[Tass]

We weren't able to make it this year. Hoping for 2024.

[FrugalShrew]

I'm in the state of envy camp. Would love to attend in 2024.

I sure hope you can.  It would be great to meet you!

Wow, I am impressed by your welcoming leadership already! It would be great to meet you, too! :)

[LifeHappens]

I'm pretty sure we can be persuaded to play some tunes - especially if others want to join in. We'll figure the logistics out in the future.

We are going to reserve a cabin, so we can be part of the MMM corridor if needed. Just waiting for final dates and the Black Friday(?) sale.

And of course we're happy to pitch in for the group site and contribute to shared meals.

[Dicey]

I'm pretty sure we can be persuaded to play some tunes - especially if others want to join in. We'll figure the logistics out in the future.

We are going to reserve a cabin, so we can be part of the MMM corridor if needed. Just waiting for final dates and the Black Friday(?) sale.

And of course we're happy to pitch in for the group site and contribute to shared meals.

Seconding that your music was missed, but I think there were so many first-timers that they didn't know that an important element was not present. Your gifts are something for all of us to look forward to next year, indeed! IMO, music, and singing, and campfires are greatly enhanced when they happen together, surrounded by cool people. ❤️

[NinetyFour]

Pretty sure G-6 does not have power. Mr. Dicey used yours and our extension cords to cobble it to the group site from G-5. Since power is included and we presumably won't be hauling as much crap next year (hahaha), I have a bunch of outdoor party lights in the attic that I can bring along.  We also have plenty of power strips.

We did lose one of the canopies to a gust of wind. Thankfully, it was a freebie. I really liked having them. Next year, I'd still like to have two, but the kind with straight legs, to minimize the potential trip hazard. Of course, the budget is still $0. I'm just tossing it out to the universe to see what happens.

Our rig is pretty soundproof, so I'll raise a hand to take a bath house adjacent site, to help with the "flow", so to speak.

We should also create a blackout list of undesirable sites. G-1, for starters.

Another observation: most nights, @Cannot Wait! parked their van to create a "fourth wall" at the group site. I think it was very effective and saved them the hassle of finding/paying for a place to park. It was kind of accidental the first night, but it worked so well, I hoped they would continue to do it, so I cleared it with park management. They were so pleased with our efforts to contain our group so that we didn't annoy other campers that they readily okayed it. Sweet!

One thing about having a group site that was close by is that it was easy to run back and forth for supplies. The Pavillion is really nice, but it's of kind of far away. It's also BIG. I love the coziness of our group site. One of my favorite things to do each night was to observe all the different conversations that were happening spontaneously. I took delight in the lack of cell phone use, except to share pictures of the day's activities.  We might lose the coziness at the Pavillion. Just a thought, because you know I'll figure out a way to make whatever we do work to the best of my ability.

Related random thought: buffering the Group Site with members of our group accidentally worked really well. Can we choose the largest G site with power and then fill the sites on either side of it with mustachians?

As always, I will have to juggle my other big event. Much as I love our group, my Other Thing is also close to my heart. I'm co-chair of the entire event, but my day-of task is to run the collection point for our city-wide food drive. Three days after we left Moab, my group collected over 5 tons of non-perishable food, plus at least $1500 (the cash alone translates to 3,000 meals). Before Moab, we arranged for the distribution of 12,000 bags/letters throughout the city and worked out the logistics for donation booths at four grocery stores. It is always a gloriously gratifying day, no matter what obstacles are thrown in our path, such as smoke, fires, or a little pandemic.

We've also been told by the Food Bank that because of our ongoing efforts, awareness of the FB in our city is very high. When regional agencies, such as the Mail Carriers, run drives, our city consistently has far higher response rates than all the others. That's something that makes me very happy.

That was a lot of words. I just want y'all to know that you're such an amazing group, it really is a super-hard decision.

Final thought: I think we should all pitch in to cover the cost of the group site, and Thanksgiving dinner. There was a hat passed at Thanksgiving, but to formalize it and do it up front is more transparent and would come closer to a fair reimbursement rate. Opinions/suggestions on this are welcome.

Thanks for these thoughts Dicey!

Thanks for being agreeable to take one of the sites near the Comfort Station!

Yes, we should advise folks to avoid certain sites.  G1 for sure.  And was it G10 that @Chaplin didn't much care for?

Oh, and on the topic of sites, I forgot to mention the "Site Lock Fee".  If we really want to get certain sites, we'd have to pay that darned fee, which I hate.

I thought @elledub was in G6, and that's where we plugged in?  Maybe I'm wrong.

I was only thinking of using the Pavillion for one late afternoon/evening.  We can be cozy at the HQ site all the other evenings.  One advantage of the Pavillion is the tables.  Easier to eat food, especially if you are playing a game.  Just and idea.

While I appreciated the contributions people made towards the HQ site (and $$ will go towards the HQ site next year), I'd really prefer to cover it myself.  I do SO little (truly!) to "organize" this meetup (start a Forum thread, monitor it when I have time, answer questions, reserve my own campsite, and show up) that I would like for the HQ site to be my contribution.  Thank you.

Pet friendly cabins are 89 and 90. This year we had 90 and lhamo had 91.

Thanks!

We weren't able to make it this year. Hoping for 2024.

Yay--hope it works out for you!  :)

[NinetyFour]

I'm in the state of envy camp. Would love to attend in 2024.

I sure hope you can.  It would be great to meet you!

Wow, I am impressed by your welcoming leadership already! It would be great to meet you, too! :)

I'm only on this thread right now because I am procrastinating.....what I really need to be doing right now is prepping to visit 15 classrooms next week to do Math activities......

But yes, I do aim to welcome everyone to this meetup!  :)

I'm pretty sure we can be persuaded to play some tunes - especially if others want to join in. We'll figure the logistics out in the future.

We are going to reserve a cabin, so we can be part of the MMM corridor if needed. Just waiting for final dates and the Black Friday(?) sale.

And of course we're happy to pitch in for the group site and contribute to shared meals.

Great--I can bring both my guitars (for you!), and maybe @Fru-Gal will bring something, too!

Thanks for being willing to be in the HQ-to-Bath House route!

[Dicey]

Ooh, maybe we can combine Ice Cream Social and Game Night at the Pavilion! I just want to be careful not to plan so much that it interferes with the spontaneity of our days.

Luckily, we have plenty of time to think about options.

I hate the site lock fee in advance when I'm paying it, but when we get there, I'm always glad I forked it over.

I also wondered if we submitted a list of our reservations to the office once we've booked them if they might be willing to group some of us together at no extra cost? Unfortunately, by the time I had the brainstorm, they were completely booked and couldn't change much. They were super appreciative of our efforts to minimize the impact of a large group.

[Chaplin]

Yes, we should advise folks to avoid certain sites.  G1 for sure.  And was it G10 that @Chaplin didn't much care for?

I don't have anything against G10....

G1 isn't great because it's relatively high-traffic and extra noisy due to the car wash and the garbage bins. In 2022 the car wash was brutal, but it wasn't so bad in 2023. The garbage truck was still a problem. I booked 113 for 2023 to be far away from the car wash, but that site was even worse (no shade, no power, too small to share, no shelter) so when I asked if other sites were available and G1 was the only one, I took it. The car wash has toned it down a lot, so it wasn't anywhere near as bad, but sleeping in my car cut a lot of the noise anyway. G1 does have power and an extra-large shelter so it's not all bad. We had a day of rain this year so the big shelter was a real plus that day. It's not the ideal shape for sharing, but @ToTheMoon and fam made it work.

If I convince someone to carpool down with me I might book another of "G" sites since the fences and shelters are big plusses. If I take the bike/train option I might book a cabin or look to split the costs with someone on whatever site they choose. My bike and one-person tent don't take a lot of space.

[NinetyFour]

Thanks for those comments, Chaplin.  Not sure why I guessed G10--I knew it wasn't a G site that you were originally in!


Thought it might be helpful if I posted a map of the campground:

[Dicey]

Our kids stayed in G14 or G15. They loved the proximity to the playground and the size of the site. No power, though.

[2Birds1Stone]

In!

[NinetyFour]

In!

It was the campground map, wasn't it. 

Just kidding--so glad you're planning to join us!!  :D

[Chaplin]

In!

Slickrock, here we come!

[shadowmoss]

Posting to follow the thread.  I plan to be there and to lock in my usual site if/when they have the Black Friday sale.

[elledub]

Excited to see a 2024 thread already!

I was in G-6 and it did have power. We ran an extension cord from G-6 to power the G-8 group site.

G-6 is a small site and would be a very cosy group site. G-8 was twice the size.

[elledub]

Hi [mention]Chaplin [/mention]If you took the train to Grand Junction, you could ride Kokopelli Trail from Grand Junction to Moab then Rim Rocker trail back. That would be an adventure!

https://www.blm.gov/visit/kokopellis-trail

https://rimrockertrail.org/

[Dicey]

Excited to see a 2024 thread already!

I was in G-6 and it did have power. We ran an extension cord from G-6 to power the G-8 group site.

G-6 is a small site and would be a very cosy group site. G-8 was twice the size.

Huh. My mistake. Thanks for clearing that up. Can we write that down somewhere permanent, lol?

[Chaplin]

Hi Chaplin if you took the train to Grand Junction, you could ride Kokopelli Trail from Grand Junction to Moab then Rim Rocker trail back. That would be an adventure!

https://www.blm.gov/visit/kokopellis-trail

https://rimrockertrail.org/

That would definitely be an adventure - thanks for the suggestion! It looks challenging for a bunch of reasons, not least of them being water and food. My bikepacking setup will need some tweaking to go four days unsupported, but it looks like a great option.

[SmartyCat]

Count me in for 2024!

[NinetyFour]

Count me in for 2024!

YAY!  And I love that this was your NinetyFourth post!!  :D

[SmartyCat]

Count me in for 2024!

YAY!  And I love that this was your NinetyFourth post!!  :D

Best possible use of my 94th post!

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[mm1970]

Oh, I'm def planning on coming again.  DH wants to come, but what to do with DS11 (who will be 12 and in junior high).  We can miss some school and get the nasty letter, but honestly, we've already gotten that this year due to illness (for both kids) and last year they missed 20 & 25 days (due to illness).  I was looking at flying like @314159 did this year, but I'm not sure it's much faster when you factor in layovers and rental car.  Hmmm... Also, I think spouse and kid would prefer a cabin to a tent.  I'm keeping my options open, also 'cuz the dog...she's old.  We cannot really leave her anymore, even with our sitter.

I think having the group site was great.  G8 was a good location.  I was in G9, it wasn't bad except for the lack of power.  I often charged my phone at the jury-rigged extension cord in G8 while I made my morning coffee.

I also liked the mellowness of the group chat.  Who's doing what tomorrow?  What do I feel like doing tomorrow?

[Glenstache]

PTF since apparently there is a need for a geologist next time. ;) Looks fun and hopefully October 2024 will line up better than 2023 didn't.