High Adventure Trips

Howdy Scouters

The high adventure trip for 2010 will be to BSA Seabase in summer 2010. We won't know the exact date until after the BSA holds their lottery on Feb 15th, 2009 (but we have asked for early to mid June dates). A deposit of $100 per person is needed right after the lottery is held.

This is an amazing trip. The boys will operate a 40+ft sailboat. Navigation, anchoring, sail handling, are just a few of the skills they will learn. We will navigate through the Florida Keys and explore coral islands, reefs, and do some serious fishing.

We have asked to reserve space for 2 crews of 8 people each. If we are oversubscribed and cannot form an additional crew, we will give Venture Crew scouts/parents priority, followed by Troop 261 scouts/parents in a 1st come - 1st served order.

Cost : Estimated to be about $900 per person in total, including travel expenses. You won't need much gear for this beyond snorkling gear, swimsuits, tee-shirts, and sunscreen :-) See attached flyer for payment due dates. All monies are generally non-refundable, but if extenuating circumstance occur (job loss, etc), please contact us asap. We will try and do some fund raising for this trip to help with the expense.

Eligibility :

Generally, the eligibility for High Adventure trips is the same as the eligibility for the Venture Crew.

The scout must be 14 years of age by Sept 1st of the summer in which the trip is taken (insurance requirement) and must have graduated from the 8th grade. Our Venture Crew adds the requirement that the scout must be Life or Eagle Rank by Sept 1st in addition to the age and grade limit. If your scout is not Life or Eagle, but will work hard and reach that rank by the deadline (Sept 1st), you may sign up your son now. Please follow through on the commitment to rank advance and not place us in a rather awkward situation.

Last ... the scouts, adults, and siblings must be physically and mentally able to handle rigorous trips in the opinion of the Venture Crew Advisors and to get along well with the crew members. This is for the safety of your scout and their crew mates. For example, once we enter the Ponderosa Gorge/Canyon in Colorado, extraction is not possible for 3 days.

Best Regards,

Steven Bartling and Michael Johnson

(Sea Base Flyer)

 

Hi Folks, The high adventure trip this year will be whitewater rafting. Dolores River, Ponderosa Gorge, Colorado : June 5th - June 11th, 2009 Steep Alpine River ... starts at 7,000 feet.  Very wild, no civilization. Class III and IV rapids.  This is not for the faint of heart. We will spend three days rafting. To break up the 913 mile trip,  we will take a couple of days to travel each way and camp overnight  in scenic alpine national forests in upstate New Mexico or  Southern Colorado. Parents and siblings that meet the age and weight requirements  are also welcome to attend. Generally, the eligibility for High Adventure trips is the  same as the eligibility for the Venture Crew. The scout must be 14 years of age by Sept 1st of the summer  in which the trip is taken (insurance requirement) and must  have graduated from the 8th grade. Our Venture Crew adds  the requirement that the scout must be Life or Eagle Rank by  Sept 1st in addition to the age and grade limit. If your scout  is not Life or Eagle, but will work hard and reach that rank  by the deadline (Sept 1st), you may sign up your son now.  Please follow through on the commitment to rank advance and  not place us in a rather awkward situation. The whitewater trip also has a minimum weight limit of 90lbs.  This is for safety on the class IV rapids and helps ensure  the scout has the body strength to hold onto the raft and to  prevent being launched out of the raft. The outfitter normally  requires an age limit of 18 years old for class IV rapids,  but waives this for BSA high adventure crews. Last ... the scouts, adults, and siblings must be physically  and mentally able to handle rigorous trips in the opinion of  the Venture Crew Advisors and to get along well with the crew members.  This is for the safety of your scout and their crew mates.  For example, once we enter the Ponderosa Gorge/Canyon in Colorado,  extraction is not possible for 3 days.  Cost : $650 (estimate). $175 paid into scout account due on 2/2/2009 (at  Troop261 meeting). The remaining $475 is due on April 13th. 2009. All  monies are generally non-refundable, but if extenuating circumstance  occur (job loss, etc), please contact us asap. We will have some planning meetings in the next couple of months. Don't  worry ... you won't need to buy a bunch of stuff for this trip. Basic  camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad) is all that is needed.  We will provide tents for the scouts, adults can rent them from the  outfitter by making prior arrangements. Best Regards, Steven Bartling & Michael Johnson