CENTER FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa  50614-0293
Phone (319) 273-2573
FAX (319) 273-7140

July 15, 1998

Fellow Travelers,

    Everything seems to be in order for our trip.  I have placed an order for rainfall only on those nights when we will be under shingled roofs, and have also requested daytime highs of 75, and lows of 58.  Several people recently returning from Colorado have indicated that the snow is going fast, so it doesn't look like we will be limited by the snowpack there.  August is the month for monsoon winds in Colorado and Utah, however, so we could see quite a lot of precipitation in spite of my weather request.

    For those brave enough to handle every minute of the van ride, we will be leaving the parking lot just west of Gilchrist Hall at 6 AM or before on Saturday, July 25.  My records indicate that this intrepid group includes Ben, Becky, Kristen, and Raymond.  Remember that the cars cannot be parked on campus except in a residence hall lot with the proper sticker.

    Space in the trailer will be at a premium, although it should be sufficient.  You should be able to get all your clothes and necessities into a large athletic or duffel bag.  There will be two laundry stops roughly on the middle weekends.  Since the bags are pretty much just jammed into the trailer, breakables should probably be carried in your small daypack in the van.  Keep your pack, air mattress, and sleeping bag separate, and make sure that you can recognize them in a crowd.   You might want to consider such van amenities as a water bottle, book, cards, other games, and/or a Walkman.

    Communication back to Iowa, even Nebraska, will, of course, be a little difficult at times during the three weeks, and it will be even harder for your family to contact you.  Here is the itinerary as it stands right now.  The first day is the marathon, with arrival in Salt Lake City hopefully before midnight.  We will be staying with James and Cheryl Franck whose phone number is 801-277-7837.  On Sunday we will cross northern Nevada (so everyone can get caught up on their sleep), arriving in Paisley, OR around dinnertime.  The contact person there is Sue Dwyer at 541-943-3923.  Monday, the last of the three driving days, will bring us the the Rain Forest Hostel in Forks, WA where the phone is 360-374-2270 and our hosts will be Jim and Kay Conomos.  Arrival should be in the late evening.

    The first backpack will be Tuesday through Thursday, July 28-30.   The plan is to hike south along the Pacific coast from La Push to somewhere near Toleak Point where we will spend both nights.  This area is in Olympic National Park.   After emerging from the beach Thursday afternoon we will drive to Poulsbo, WA and spend two nights hosted by Herb and Sloan Myers whose phone is 360-697-3370.  Friday the 31st will be spent on your own in Seattle, culminating in a Mariners game for most of us.

    On Saturday, August 1 we will drive to northeast Oregon, and will do a laundry stop on the way.  Our destination is the Lily White Guard Station on the southern edge of the Wallowa Mountains in the Pine Ranger District of the Wallowa Whitman National Forest.  As far as I know there is no phone at the guard station.   Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday we will pack into the Wallowas and try to see if we can get up Eagle Cap in the process.  After packing out we will drive to Caldwell, ID on August 4 and stay at the parish center of St. Mary's Church.  The number there is 208-459-3653.  Other contacts are Karen Korpi (454-2328), Christi Vernon (454-9901), and Chris Harris (454-8220).

    The next morning, August 5, we will drive to Evanston, WY and stay at the Uinta Bible Baptist Church.  Youth Pastor Mike Jager (307-789-7529) is our host.  On Thursday we will hike into the Uinta Range from the north for three days.   This pack will be in the Wasatch National Forest.  The night of the 8th will be spent at Northwestern Colorado Community College in the town of Rangely.  The contact person there is Cheryl Blackburn at 970-675-3265.  On Sunday the 9th we will drive to Aspen for some free time, and camp that night at Bogan Flats Campground south of Redstone in the White River National Forest.  We will be at sites 18 and 19, but there is no phone.  Monday we will drive over to Leadville for a quiet day with a stay at Annunciation Church.  Our host there will be Kathy Micklich at 719-486-1382 and we will do a laundry stop that day as well.

    The five day pack into the Collegiate Peaks will begin bright and early on Tuesday, August 11.  We will be going up the Pine Creek Trail and will be basecamping near Bedrock Falls.  This hike will be in the Leadville Ranger district of the San Isabel National Forest.  Here everyone will summit at least one 14er, with the opportunity to do 2 or 3 more if the weather cooperates.  It is also here where the nighttime temperatures will go below freezing and quite possibly below 20 degrees.

    Saturday morning we will explode back out of the wilderness (trust me on this, even though I will be the last one out, trying to enjoy every last minute) and charge down to fast food land in Dillon.  Then it will be on to Kearney, NE for a stop with Marty and Jan Czaplewski (308-537-2289).  Arrival will probably be quite late.  The return home will be fairly short with arrival in Cedar Falls about 5:00 pm.

    Several of our contact people may be hard to find at various times, and it is probably best for you to establish a calling plan home rather than have people try to leave you messages.  Those times we are in the wilderness are essentially free of all contact with the rest of the world.  That is part of the allure, of course, but it can be a little disconcerting in this day and age.

    Attire for the trip is obviously casual and comfortable.  It is impossible, as far as I know, to be out of style in Seattle and Aspen, but keep those two days in mind too.  The hardest part of the clothing selection right now (as we enjoy the midsummer heat) is to adequately prepare for the cold in Colorado and possibly Utah and Oregon.  Holly mentioned last night that Colorado is very dry already which will probably mean that we will not be able to have fires.  Evenings and mornings will be colder than you imagine and I usually have everything on that I have packed in at some time during the Collegiates pack.  The layered look is very chic in the wilderness.   Remember the need for a poncho, sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, whistle, ziploc bags, medicines, garbage bags, moleskin, and anything else that you think you might need.   If you have allergies keep in mind that we will be traveling through all the seasons on this trip and something will always be pollinating.

    Lynne says that she is almost certain that no one will starve during the trip.  We will be stopping at grocery stores to reprovision fairly often.   Feel free to bring along your own snack cache if you would like.  The vast majority of any cash expenditures you make will be discretionary on your part.  The days in Seattle, Aspen, and Leadville may tempt you to make some purchases and do some sampling of the local cuisine.  There may also be the odd craving for fast food along the way.  Cash machines are never far away so you won't need to carry great amounts unless you want to.

    If you have any questions, no matter how trivial, please do not hesitate, even for a second to call us at home (319-346-2737) or leave a message at the office (319-273-7357).

    I trust your fitness level is as high as Mount Harvard and that you are as eager as I am to get going.  See you in a week and a half.