River Permit Party for 2010 - ver1

This will be one of the most important Meetups of the year for Rivers, Trails, and Spokes. It is so important, we'll have at least two Meetups to better accommodate people's schedules. This Meetup will be to explain the river permit process and to help you to apply for river permits for the 2010 river season. It is only with river permits that RTS will have trips to offer, and the more people that take part in the process, the better chance we have. Most multi-day wilderness river trips require a permit. For most rivers, this is done well in advance, with deadlines for applications either January 15th or January 31st. This includes the Salt, San Juan, Middle Fork, Main Salmon, Selway, Rogue, Yampa, Gates of Lodore, and Desolation - Gray Canyons. Most permit applications are paper forms, but some have moved to online applications for 2010. Some applications are quite restrictive allowing only one date to choose. I will go over each of the rivers that I would like to try to do trips on and the dates. The fee to submit applications ranges from $6 to $25 per application depending on the river. RTSÂÂ' policy is those that are part of the permit application process will have first chance to join the trips we are able to do before it is opened up for other RTS members. Guest spots will be limited so if you want to have a friend/partner do a trip with you, it would be better if they are part of the permit process. All trips will be work and cost sharing. They are NOT commercial trips done through outfitters ÂÂ- we are doing the trips with gear supplied by experienced individuals. It will be up to the participants to plan and shop for the meals, load and unload the boats, cook and clean up. Those that are supplying the rafts (which are very expensive), will be credited approximately 50% of the cost for sharing their gear so we can go down the river. Even so, the cost of the trips will come to well less than half of what a commercial outfitter would charge. Alcohol consumption will be in moderation and no recreational drugs will be permitted. IÂÂ'll schedule a second permit party in January before the 15th, and in February, weÂÂ'll have a permit party for the Grand Canyon lottery for 2011 (yes, the GC is done that far in advance). Please let me know if you have any questions. Paul My experience ÂÂ- commercial river guide for over 20 years on rivers in California, Oregon, Idaho, and Grand Canyon.