Author Topic: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023  (Read 34381 times)

Mr. Green

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #500 on: October 11, 2023, 01:34:17 PM »
@Purple_Crayon enjoyed getting to talk to you at the meetup! Those are some rediculous quotes for a water heater install.

Exflyboy

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #501 on: October 11, 2023, 04:22:32 PM »
Eeps! I barfed on the $791 let alone the install quotes!

NinetyFour

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #502 on: October 11, 2023, 08:27:00 PM »
Quick summary of activities so far...

* Mill Creek Hike
* Professor Creek Hike
* La Sal Mountain Loop drive
* Canadian Thanksgiving Feast and Celebration
* Druid Arch hike (Canyonlands Needles)
* Arches sunrise hikes, including Delicate Arch
* Canyonlands (Island in the Sky) sunrise at Mesa Arch
* Hunter Canyon hike
* Canoeing on the Colorado
* Tubing/SUPing/Packrafting on the Colorado
* Portal Trail hike
* 4WDing at Sand Flats Recreation Area
* Taco Tuesday
* Ice Cream Sundaes on Sunday
* Cruiser biking in Moab and up 128
* Evening campfires
* Mountain biking (including Captain Ahab)

* and several other things I'm probably forgetting--sorry!

So much fun, and such wonderful folks!!

314159

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #503 on: October 11, 2023, 11:10:13 PM »
Thanks to all attendees and to our organizers! We had tons of fun exploring the area with you and we loved talking about Mustachianism with you.

@Purple_Crayon so glad to have met you at the meetup! I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations. Sorry about the water heater, but nice job saving those $$$. And I like your new new username!

While I'm posting here—somebody (I'm 90% sure it was @Le Poisson ) asked for the cranberry cake upside down cake recipe. Here it is! For the meetup I made it with boxed yellow cake mix*, but I usually follow the recipe for the scratch cake as written (though I often skip whipping the egg whites and just add the whole eggs at once). And I doubled it for a 9x13 pan instead of a single round 8" or 9" cake pan/cast iron skillet. I love this recipe! It's a delicious combo of tart and sweet and has a beautiful red color.

*We used milk instead of water in the box cake mix, and added an extra egg yolk for richer texture. I also added some orange juice since we had extra.

Being back at MegaCorp after spending time with you all definitely makes the first day back even harder than it is after any vacation!

Boy did I feel that today too!

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #504 on: October 12, 2023, 05:39:14 AM »
Quick summary of activities so far...

* Mill Creek Hike
* Professor Creek Hike
* La Sal Mountain Loop drive
* Canadian Thanksgiving Feast and Celebration
* Druid Arch hike (Canyonlands Needles)
* Arches sunrise hikes, including Delicate Arch
* Canyonlands (Island in the Sky) sunrise at Mesa Arch
* Hunter Canyon hike
* Canoeing on the Colorado
* Tubing/SUPing/Packrafting on the Colorado
* Portal Trail hike
* 4WDing at Sand Flats Recreation Area
* Taco Tuesday
* Ice Cream Sundaes on Sunday
* Cruiser biking in Moab and up 128
* Evening campfires
* Mountain biking (including Captain Ahab)

* and several other things I'm probably forgetting--sorry!

So much fun, and such wonderful folks!!

You have to one-up this list next year when DW and I attend :)

Dicey

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #505 on: October 12, 2023, 01:18:29 PM »
Quick summary of activities so far...

* Mill Creek Hike
* Professor Creek Hike
* La Sal Mountain Loop drive
* Canadian Thanksgiving Feast and Celebration
* Druid Arch hike (Canyonlands Needles)
* Arches sunrise hikes, including Delicate Arch
* Canyonlands (Island in the Sky) sunrise at Mesa Arch
* Hunter Canyon hike
* Canoeing on the Colorado
* Tubing/SUPing/Packrafting on the Colorado
* Portal Trail hike
* 4WDing at Sand Flats Recreation Area
* Taco Tuesday
* Ice Cream Sundaes on Sunday
* Cruiser biking in Moab and up 128
* Evening campfires
* Mountain biking (including Captain Ahab)

* and several other things I'm probably forgetting--sorry!

So much fun, and such wonderful folks!!

You have to one-up this list next year when DW and I attend :)
Lol. No, we don't. You will not be NOT be disappointed.

Fru-Gal

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #506 on: October 12, 2023, 01:32:04 PM »
I’m so glad you all are having fun! Hope to be back next year.

Dicey

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #507 on: October 12, 2023, 01:54:43 PM »
First things first -- what a fantastic group of Mustachians! I had such a good time getting to know you, and was sad I couldn't stay longer. Y'all also convinced me to pick a name that actually means something to me, so I did.

I was planning on staying one more day, but DW called about our water heater dying. I've been dragging it along since 2006, so it wasn't a surprise. However, the quote to get it replaced was that and then some.

I got quotes from three different plumbing companies that came in anywhere from $2200 to $4100. One of them had a $700 charge just to pick up the water heater from Home Depot (that is five minutes from my house). Feeling disgusted by said quotes, I ended up yanking the old one and installing the new one myself to the tune of $791.13. I have hot water again.

Being back at MegaCorp after spending time with you all definitely makes the first day back even harder than it is after any vacation!
OMG, I consumed books like krill as a kid. I adored the Harold books! I had thought they were forgotten to the annals of time. I walked into a brand-new mega bookstore a few years ago and was utterly gobsmacked to see the entrance of the children's section outlined by a larger-than-life Harold, with his purple crayon. Obviously, I love the new name! Thanks for coming to Moab!

mm1970

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #508 on: October 13, 2023, 10:32:34 AM »
I'm still basking in the post-MOAB 2023 glow.

My DH is like "I'm trying to figure out how I can go next year, but: DS11."  Yep.  But you know, I told him that if it aligns with a long weekend at the school, then we could possibly fly instead of drive and stay at a La Casa-type place - that decreases the time spent traveling and increases the time spent having fun.  (Plus: I don't think the rest of the family enjoys the camping/ road trip aspect as much as I do.)

I don't like to pull my kids out of school, but they each missed 20, 25 days last year due to illness, and the world did not stop spinning...

FrugalZony

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #509 on: October 13, 2023, 08:07:31 PM »
It was so nice to finally meet all of you! It's always great to put a face to a forum name.
I wish I could have spent more time with the group, but considering that this was a last minute thing for us, I am very grateful for the time I got to spend at the FIRE and La Casa!
Hope you all had a safe trip home.
We are en route to Houston TX, spending the night in Muleshoe, TX
Looking forward to next year!

Exflyboy

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #510 on: October 14, 2023, 03:30:43 PM »
I'm still basking in the post-MOAB 2023 glow.

Thats good cus I just got home and realise how much I miss everyone!

I even enjoyed the 1018 mile drive. For a boy that never spent more than 3 hours in a car (maybe 5 hours if there was traffic) getting from one side of the Island to the other, thats saying something!

Sleeping at a rest stop.. new experience, didn't get murdered.. All interesting stuff!

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #511 on: October 15, 2023, 01:15:07 AM »
Quick summary of activities so far...

* Mill Creek Hike
* Professor Creek Hike
* La Sal Mountain Loop drive
* Canadian Thanksgiving Feast and Celebration
* Druid Arch hike (Canyonlands Needles)
* Arches sunrise hikes, including Delicate Arch
* Canyonlands (Island in the Sky) sunrise at Mesa Arch
* Hunter Canyon hike
* Canoeing on the Colorado
* Tubing/SUPing/Packrafting on the Colorado
* Portal Trail hike
* 4WDing at Sand Flats Recreation Area
* Taco Tuesday
* Ice Cream Sundaes on Sunday
* Cruiser biking in Moab and up 128
* Evening campfires
* Mountain biking (including Captain Ahab)

* and several other things I'm probably forgetting--sorry!

So much fun, and such wonderful folks!!

You have to one-up this list next year when DW and I attend :)
Lol. No, we don't. You will not be NOT be disappointed.

My sarcasm did not come through strongly enough =D

It's an epic list!! Can't effin wait.

NinetyFour

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #512 on: October 16, 2023, 01:29:00 PM »
States and Provinces represented this year:

AZ
CA
CO
LA
NC
NJ
OR
PA
UT
VA
WA

BC
ON

Did I miss any?

Can we do even better next year??


Exflyboy

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #513 on: October 16, 2023, 02:01:47 PM »
@NinetyFour You could argue that at least 4 foreign countries were represented as well..:)

Germany, Hungary, Peoples Republic of Canuckistan and UK..:)

Le Poisson

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #514 on: October 16, 2023, 02:23:31 PM »
I think state lines crossed would be fun to do as well.

We did:
ON
MI
IN
IL
IA
NE
CO
UT
CO
KS
MO
IL
IN
OH
MI
ON

iluvzbeach

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #515 on: October 16, 2023, 02:44:08 PM »
I want to join next year.  It sounds like SO MUCH FUN!

Exflyboy

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #516 on: October 16, 2023, 02:49:27 PM »
I want to join next year.  It sounds like SO MUCH FUN!

Yes and our Honda Passports are SOOO comfy on a long drive. It even steers round the corners by itself..:)

iluvzbeach

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #517 on: October 16, 2023, 02:54:36 PM »
I want to join next year.  It sounds like SO MUCH FUN!

Yes and our Honda Passports are SOOO comfy on a long drive. It even steers round the corners by itself..:)

We took my Passport on a drive to Glacier National Park last year and it was a very nice upgrade from my previous beloved Honda (a 2005 Pilot with 200K+ miles.)

We could find a meet up spot somewhere along the way and have a little Honda Passport caravan for the remainder of the drive.  :)

Dicey

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #518 on: October 16, 2023, 02:58:03 PM »
I think state lines crossed would be fun to do as well.

We did:
ON
MI
IN
IL
IA
NE
CO
UT
CO
KS
MO
IL
IN
OH
MI
ON
We were slackers:
CA, NV, UT, CO. Of course, the CO part was an add-on (pre-amble?) but if we're keping score, I'm counting it.

NinetyFour

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #519 on: October 16, 2023, 03:54:59 PM »
@NinetyFour You could argue that at least 4 foreign countries were represented as well..:)

Germany, Hungary, Peoples Republic of Canuckistan and UK..:)

And Romania!

And I forgot to say that I'm not sure which state/province/country @Cannot Wait! and @FrugalZony call home!

Le Poisson

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #520 on: October 16, 2023, 04:26:56 PM »
Our poor guest on the drive back to Denver is likely re-evaluating their life choices right now. At one point I joked that hitching a ride with us was like being trapped in the back of a polka band's truck for a trek across America on Christmas. And then our playlist (we listen to a few spotify playlists that we've downloaded since we don't have a US data plan) kept playing song after song that could be interpreted as targeted... (Both sides now, Life after love, 50 ways to leave your lover, etc.) until the goofy songs came up on the play list wherewith our guest was serenaded by J1 singing about stuck trucks and half crazed Mississippi squirrels, and Potatoes.

I'm sorry. And none of it was intentional. But also, we are almost out of Salted Caramels and Nut Bars. If you need another ride...

Cannot Wait!

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #521 on: October 16, 2023, 04:34:27 PM »
@NinetyFour You could argue that at least 4 foreign countries were represented as well..:)

Germany, Hungary, Peoples Republic of Canuckistan and UK..:)

And Romania!

And I forgot to say that I'm not sure which state/province/country @Cannot Wait! and @FrugalZony call home!

Home is where we park it... presently on a beach in San Felipe, Mexico...

deborah

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #522 on: October 16, 2023, 05:32:55 PM »
I think state lines crossed would be fun to do as well.

We did:
ON
MI
IN
IL
IA
NE
CO
UT
CO
KS
MO
IL
IN
OH
MI
ON

This had me looking at how many different states I crossed last year when I went to Moab. More than half.

lhamo

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #523 on: October 17, 2023, 12:16:24 PM »
Our poor guest on the drive back to Denver is likely re-evaluating their life choices right now. At one point I joked that hitching a ride with us was like being trapped in the back of a polka band's truck for a trek across America on Christmas. And then our playlist (we listen to a few spotify playlists that we've downloaded since we don't have a US data plan) kept playing song after song that could be interpreted as targeted... (Both sides now, Life after love, 50 ways to leave your lover, etc.) until the goofy songs came up on the play list wherewith our guest was serenaded by J1 singing about stuck trucks and half crazed Mississippi squirrels, and Potatoes.

I'm sorry. And none of it was intentional. But also, we are almost out of Salted Caramels and Nut Bars. If you need another ride...

For the record, this hitchhiking guest was much amused by the musical selections.  And pleased to not have been on a greyhound bus for 8-9 hours. 

Costco would not let me inside with my luggage, though -- I was supposed to have a car to put it in and they did not like my explanation that the one I just got out of was on the way to Canuckstan and the one that was picking me up was stuck in traffic.  They did let me sit next to the big Toyota in the entry way and play sudoku while I waited, though.

Note to the wiser than me:  do not attempt to have your friends pick you up between 4-5 pm on a Friday at the busiest Costco in the greater Denver area.  Especially when the parking lot design is so poorly thought out that it takes them 30 extra minutes to make it back after they missed one of the two entrances....

BicycleB

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #524 on: October 17, 2023, 06:09:07 PM »
States and Provinces represented this year:

AZ
CA
CO
LA
NC
NJ
OR
PA
UT
VA
WA

BC
ON

Did I miss any?

Can we do even better next year??

Yes. Planning to rep IL. :)

Le Poisson

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #525 on: October 17, 2023, 06:57:03 PM »
I have been thinking a lot about @vector and his brother. I'd like to nod in their general direction for being amazing on the trail and around camp.

Whenever someone was struggling on this camp - whether with a hike or setting up a tent, or pretty much anything they were right there.

Momma is a slow hiker, but these two always had her back, without being put out, with endless patience, with energy to be leading, but with the caring to stay back.

And when things went sideways (oh man, did I make things go sideways!) they never complained - instead they were right there to get things back on track, do their part to make things right again, and to move on without blaming anyone or moaning about the situation.

Guys, I think you're both super classy. Thanks for everything you did all week long.

FrugalZony

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #526 on: October 17, 2023, 09:48:06 PM »
@NinetyFour You could argue that at least 4 foreign countries were represented as well..:)

Germany, Hungary, Peoples Republic of Canuckistan and UK..:)

And Romania!

And I forgot to say that I'm not sure which state/province/country @Cannot Wait! and @FrugalZony call home!

Yep, what Cannot Wait said! Home is where we park it!

But I also feel adequately represented by AZ and Germany.
Changing to TX in the next few weeks though...so we can add that to the list next year.

Purple_Crayon

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #527 on: October 18, 2023, 11:02:59 AM »
Hi Friends. I've been talking (bragging) about the meetup ever since I got back home. I was trying to figure out why I enjoyed it so much (apart from the obvious). This is where I landed:

  • No one wanted or needed anything from anyone else other than shared experience -- this makes it pretty natural to be at ease
  • Almost no phones -- I made mental notes of this a lot because it's something I ask of my family and friends with little success
  • No whininess -- Most places I find myself are perpetuated with complaints. I found that most people were often complimenting one another, laughing, and sharing stories. Even when hard times were recounted, they were done from a place of gratitude or perspective.
  • Camaraderie and cooperation -- It seemed every time drivers or food preparers were needed, many people raised their hands. During hikes or other outings, people were happy to help those with less experience or ability.
  • General impressiveness -- I'll be honest: It's really refreshing to be around a group of people who have their shit together. Everyone I got the pleasure of chatting with was bright, humble, easy to laugh, and seemingly self-sustaining (independent, accountable for one's own self-actualization, willing to work).

Just wanted to send out a second thanks to the group for putting a bit of wind in some sails and giving me reason to brag about my vacation.

Exflyboy

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #528 on: October 18, 2023, 03:36:16 PM »
Hi Friends. I've been talking (bragging) about the meetup ever since I got back home. I was trying to figure out why I enjoyed it so much (apart from the obvious). This is where I landed:

  • No one wanted or needed anything from anyone else other than shared experience -- this makes it pretty natural to be at ease
  • Almost no phones -- I made mental notes of this a lot because it's something I ask of my family and friends with little success
  • No whininess -- Most places I find myself are perpetuated with complaints. I found that most people were often complimenting one another, laughing, and sharing stories. Even when hard times were recounted, they were done from a place of gratitude or perspective.
  • Camaraderie and cooperation -- It seemed every time drivers or food preparers were needed, many people raised their hands. During hikes or other outings, people were happy to help those with less experience or ability.
  • General impressiveness -- I'll be honest: It's really refreshing to be around a group of people who have their shit together. Everyone I got the pleasure of chatting with was bright, humble, easy to laugh, and seemingly self-sustaining (independent, accountable for one's own self-actualization, willing to work).

Just wanted to send out a second thanks to the group for putting a bit of wind in some sails and giving me reason to brag about my vacation.

I agree especially about the people being bright. I suspect the group average IQ (if such a thing actually is measurable) is well above the national average. The diversity of backgrounds was very interesting although I really enjoyed the odd "nerdfest" with the engineering types.. Youngs Modulus.. Heaven!..:)

314159

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #529 on: October 19, 2023, 12:10:08 AM »
Great list @Purple_Crayon, I agree on every point. And with Exflyboy's too, it was quite enjoyable to chat with people I would never have met otherwise and who have totally different backgrounds.

I also thought it had the perfect blend of daytime activity (hiking etc) and evening socializing around the fire. Everyone could spend their days as they wanted, yet we were all here together and could enjoy each other's company.

You mentioned wind in your sails, appropriate given your username:


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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #530 on: October 24, 2023, 10:54:15 PM »
Well said @Purple_Crayon - totally agree. We immensely enjoyed the experience and hope to be back in future years!

Dicey

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #531 on: October 24, 2023, 11:04:34 PM »
Well said @Purple_Crayon - totally agree. We immensely enjoyed the experience and hope to be back in future years!
Ooh, two new names that I quite like, lol!

NinetyFour

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #532 on: October 26, 2023, 05:40:37 PM »
Won't be at campsite or anything but will be riding navajo rocks mtb trail (~~3hr ride from the road going up to canyonlands, woul consider it a blue square rating) if anyone wants to join tomorrow morning

I don't think I got to meet you--hope you had fun on the trails!  See you at next year's meetup??  :)

Have fun, ya'll!

We did!  See you next year??  :)

I am here and with bike. Monday morning ride?

Sorry I didn't get to talk with you much in Moab.  Hope you enjoyed your time in Canyonlands.  Would love to have you back next year!

First things first -- what a fantastic group of Mustachians! I had such a good time getting to know you, and was sad I couldn't stay longer. Y'all also convinced me to pick a name that actually means something to me, so I did.

I was planning on staying one more day, but DW called about our water heater dying. I've been dragging it along since 2006, so it wasn't a surprise. However, the quote to get it replaced was that and then some.

I got quotes from three different plumbing companies that came in anywhere from $2200 to $4100. One of them had a $700 charge just to pick up the water heater from Home Depot (that is five minutes from my house). Feeling disgusted by said quotes, I ended up yanking the old one and installing the new one myself to the tune of $791.13. I have hot water again.

Being back at MegaCorp after spending time with you all definitely makes the first day back even harder than it is after any vacation!

I'm so very glad you joined us and enjoyed it!  Sure hope you come back next year.

And nice mustachian move with the water heater DIY!!  I'm impressed!

Thanks to all attendees and to our organizers! We had tons of fun exploring the area with you and we loved talking about Mustachianism with you.

So glad you and your fiancée joined us!  Would love to have you return next year for more fun!

Quick summary of activities so far...

* Mill Creek Hike
* Professor Creek Hike
* La Sal Mountain Loop drive
* Canadian Thanksgiving Feast and Celebration
* Druid Arch hike (Canyonlands Needles)
* Arches sunrise hikes, including Delicate Arch
* Canyonlands (Island in the Sky) sunrise at Mesa Arch
* Hunter Canyon hike
* Canoeing on the Colorado
* Tubing/SUPing/Packrafting on the Colorado
* Portal Trail hike
* 4WDing at Sand Flats Recreation Area
* Taco Tuesday
* Ice Cream Sundaes on Sunday
* Cruiser biking in Moab and up 128
* Evening campfires
* Mountain biking (including Captain Ahab)

* and several other things I'm probably forgetting--sorry!

So much fun, and such wonderful folks!!

You have to one-up this list next year when DW and I attend :)

YAY--so glad you are planning on it!!  I already know that it is going to be awesome.  :)

I’m so glad you all are having fun! Hope to be back next year.

I'll keep pestering you until you commit.  :D

NinetyFour

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #533 on: October 26, 2023, 06:16:35 PM »
I'm still basking in the post-MOAB 2023 glow.

My DH is like "I'm trying to figure out how I can go next year, but: DS11."  Yep.  But you know, I told him that if it aligns with a long weekend at the school, then we could possibly fly instead of drive and stay at a La Casa-type place - that decreases the time spent traveling and increases the time spent having fun.  (Plus: I don't think the rest of the family enjoys the camping/ road trip aspect as much as I do.)

I don't like to pull my kids out of school, but they each missed 20, 25 days last year due to illness, and the world did not stop spinning...

Great to meet you in Moab!!  So glad you are planning to return and are trying to find a way to bring the family!  :)

It was so nice to finally meet all of you! It's always great to put a face to a forum name.
I wish I could have spent more time with the group, but considering that this was a last minute thing for us, I am very grateful for the time I got to spend at the FIRE and La Casa!
Hope you all had a safe trip home.
We are en route to Houston TX, spending the night in Muleshoe, TX
Looking forward to next year!

Meeting you was definitely one of the highlights of the meetup for me.  You are even more wonderful in person than I had imagined!!  Sure hope to see you next year in Moab, and perhaps earlier if we cross paths at some point this winter!

I'm still basking in the post-MOAB 2023 glow.

Thats good cus I just got home and realise how much I miss everyone!

I even enjoyed the 1018 mile drive. For a boy that never spent more than 3 hours in a car (maybe 5 hours if there was traffic) getting from one side of the Island to the other, thats saying something!

Sleeping at a rest stop.. new experience, didn't get murdered.. All interesting stuff!

I'm so very glad you joined us this year, EFB!  And not only because spent hours fixing things on my camper!!  Hopefully we will see you next year, and maybe your DW, too!!

I want to join next year.  It sounds like SO MUCH FUN!

YESSSS!!!  It is fun.  But also relaxing.  Really, it's whatever you want it to be.  In a beautiful place.  :)

I want to join next year.  It sounds like SO MUCH FUN!

Yes and our Honda Passports are SOOO comfy on a long drive. It even steers round the corners by itself..:)

We took my Passport on a drive to Glacier National Park last year and it was a very nice upgrade from my previous beloved Honda (a 2005 Pilot with 200K+ miles.)

We could find a meet up spot somewhere along the way and have a little Honda Passport caravan for the remainder of the drive.  :)

Hmm...it could be that two caravans to Moab are in the works:  one from BC/PNW and another from Ontario.....very cool!!

I have been thinking a lot about @vector and his brother. I'd like to nod in their general direction for being amazing on the trail and around camp.

Whenever someone was struggling on this camp - whether with a hike or setting up a tent, or pretty much anything they were right there.

Momma is a slow hiker, but these two always had her back, without being put out, with endless patience, with energy to be leading, but with the caring to stay back.

And when things went sideways (oh man, did I make things go sideways!) they never complained - instead they were right there to get things back on track, do their part to make things right again, and to move on without blaming anyone or moaning about the situation.

Guys, I think you're both super classy. Thanks for everything you did all week long.

Glad you took the time to write this up, Mr. Fish.  These guys are both awesome.  Watching them was a great reminder to me of how people should treat each other.  :)

Hi Friends. I've been talking (bragging) about the meetup ever since I got back home. I was trying to figure out why I enjoyed it so much (apart from the obvious). This is where I landed:

  • No one wanted or needed anything from anyone else other than shared experience -- this makes it pretty natural to be at ease
  • Almost no phones -- I made mental notes of this a lot because it's something I ask of my family and friends with little success
  • No whininess -- Most places I find myself are perpetuated with complaints. I found that most people were often complimenting one another, laughing, and sharing stories. Even when hard times were recounted, they were done from a place of gratitude or perspective.
  • Camaraderie and cooperation -- It seemed every time drivers or food preparers were needed, many people raised their hands. During hikes or other outings, people were happy to help those with less experience or ability.
  • General impressiveness -- I'll be honest: It's really refreshing to be around a group of people who have their shit together. Everyone I got the pleasure of chatting with was bright, humble, easy to laugh, and seemingly self-sustaining (independent, accountable for one's own self-actualization, willing to work).

Just wanted to send out a second thanks to the group for putting a bit of wind in some sails and giving me reason to brag about my vacation.

That's a great list, PC.  Thanks for sharing those thoughts with us.  It really was a wonderful group of people.

Great list @Purple_Crayon, I agree on every point. And with Exflyboy's too, it was quite enjoyable to chat with people I would never have met otherwise and who have totally different backgrounds.

I also thought it had the perfect blend of daytime activity (hiking etc) and evening socializing around the fire. Everyone could spend their days as they wanted, yet we were all here together and could enjoy each other's company.

This is great feedback, Pi!  I'm glad that blend worked well for you.

Well said @Purple_Crayon - totally agree. We immensely enjoyed the experience and hope to be back in future years!

So glad you enjoyed it--really hope to see you next year!!  :)

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #534 on: October 28, 2023, 12:55:23 PM »
2024 Days?

Dicey

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #535 on: October 30, 2023, 04:04:29 PM »
2024 Days?
Not yet. We try to avoid masses of people on Fall Breaks. It's a bit of a dice throw, but @NinetyFour's gotten pretty good at it over the years.

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #536 on: November 06, 2023, 08:30:07 AM »
Thought I'd attempt a bit of a recap of our 2023 Magical Moab Meetup.  Other esteemed alums, please chime in with your reflections and/or pictures (as long as people's faces or other identifiers (name tags!) aren't visible...

I arrived on Friday, October 6th.  Was able to greet some folks, eat a couple of sandwiches, and chat a bit before I succumbed to exhaustion and leftover jet lag from my recent return from Portugal.

Was still tired the next morning, but managed to rally and join the Mill Creek Trail hike--organized by @Cherry Lane .  It was a great hike, which involved some surprise swimming.  :)  We also managed to get to an arch (what was it called??) which I had never seen, so that was awesome.  A few pics:





Cool rock.  (We really need a geologist to join our meetup!!  @Glenstache ??)







On Sunday, about 10 of us hiked up the Portal Trail.  I was excited to go farther on this trail than I had before.  We got up to the "top" and intersected with the Poison Spider Trail.  We tried to find "Little Arch", and we probably could have with more time.  I hope to get out there and find it before the next meetup so that I'll be able to take people to see it.  A few pics:
















If you look closely, you can see our group perched at an overlook:




We were rewarded later that afternoon/evening with an Ice Cream Social, thanks to @Dicey and @deborah !!




On Monday, I got to do some surfing!  In a canoe!  On the Colorado River!  I don't have any pictures of the trip...maybe @Le Poisson or @vector do? 

And we got to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving that evening, thanks to @meadow lark and Stingray and a bunch of other helpers!

This is the only picture I have of the holiday. :)  Can you find the poutine??




On Tuesday, two cars full of us drove to the Needles District of Canyonlands to hike out to Druid Arch.  It was awesome.  A few pics:

















To be continued....
« Last Edit: November 06, 2023, 08:45:22 AM by NinetyFour »

NinetyFour

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #537 on: November 06, 2023, 09:21:36 AM »
We were a bit late returning to the campground on Tuesday after our big hike at Needles and our quick stop at Newspaper Rock.  But happily, we did not miss Taco Tuesday, as Dicey made sure that lots of food remained for us.  :)

On Wednesday, I was able to add a little diversity to the 4WD outing.  :)  Specifically, I was in a vehicle with The Fish and the two J's.  We followed (mostly successfully) @ToTheMoon 's DH and his crew.  It wasn't something that I will take up as a hobby, but it was actually quite interesting to see what the vehicles and the operators could do!  A few pics:










On Thursday, all of us who were still there (sadly, some folks had already left us) did the Bowtie and Corona Arches hike...and we also did the spur trail over to the lovely Pinto Arch.  Seemed like everyone enjoyed the hike and the amazing arches.  Nice way to wrap up the week.

Here are a couple pics of Bowtie Arch, and one of part of Corona Arch.





« Last Edit: November 06, 2023, 09:23:50 AM by NinetyFour »

NinetyFour

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Re: Magical MOAB Meetup 2023
« Reply #538 on: November 06, 2023, 09:53:22 AM »
By the way, I was googling Mill Creek Hike and I found this one.  Looks pretty neat, as it has LOTS of rock art!

https://www.gjhikes.com/2023/04/lower-south-mill-creek.html


Also, next year, I want to take people to see one of my favoUrite arches in Arches NP.  It's one that I have been to only once, and it's awesome.  I don't want to give away the surprise here...

All in all, for me, this was the best Magical Moab Meetup yet!  And that's saying a lot, because they have all been excellent!  I counted 43 people and one very good dog.  That's our biggest meetup yet.  I was a little nervous that that would be too many people, but it worked out perfectly, from my perspective anyway.  It was large enough so that people could join in different activities each day, and not so big that people got "lost" in the crowd.

In case you haven't seen it yet, there is a new thread, because YES we are on for next year!!  :D

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!