Re: BROCHURE 2012 TO 2013 (fwd)

[robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

Shangra-La ?  Again??

 > From: Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 09:09:31 -0800 (PST)
 >
 > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
 > Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2012 22:54:12 -0800
 > From: Michael Ellis <http://www.footlooseforays.com/~mjellis>
 > To: Michael Ellis <http://www.footlooseforays.com/~mjellis>
 > Subject: BROCHURE 2012 TO 2013
 > 
 > Hello everyone:
 > 
 > Here are the updated trips for 2012 an 2013. You can go to the website to 
 > register online. The brochure should be in your mailbox by the first of 
 > February. I am heading off on a retreat Friday, January 6 to 14th and out of 
 > email/phone range. Back for 2 weeks and then to Tanzania for a month. YEA! 
 > Wildebeests, lions, cheetahs, baboons, elephants, vultures,  galore.
 > 
 >   MONDAY FOOTLOOSE HIKING
 > 
 > Michael's flagship hiking series, which began in 1984, is called Footloose. It 
 > takes place Mondays 10:00 - 1:30 in two 14-week sessions, fall and spring. 
 > Discover interesting places in Marin, San Francisco and Sonoma counties, learn 
 > the natural history of the Bay Area and meet fascinating, fun people. What a 
 > good way to start the week! Warning: there is often a long wait list for this 
 > series. Current hikers get first priority; some have been hiking for 20 years 
 > in the group! There are two leaders sharing the series -- Michael Ellis and 
 > Armando Quintero.
 > 
 > COST: $455 per series
 > DATE:  Fourteen Mondays 10:00 to 1:30. Spring 2012 wait list only
 > DATE: Fourteen Mondays 10:00 to 1:30 September 13 to December 13, 2012
 > 
 > TUESDAY FOOTLOOSE HIKING - SONOMA
 > 
 > The Monday hikes are constantly oversubscribed so I added a series for people 
 > in the North Bay. The territory covered is northern and western Marin, all of 
 > Sonoma and parts of Napa. We hike from 10:00 to 1:30 and from four to six 
 > miles. Any one in moderately good shape should have no trouble keeping up. This 
 > a great gift to yourself and a great chance to discover the natural riches of 
 > the North Bay. This is a wonderful way to learn about the natural history of 
 > the North Bay and meet interesting dynamic kindred spirits.
 > 
 > COST: $425 per series
 > DATE: Fourteen Tuesdays, September 14 to December 14, 2012
 > 
 > THE MOJAVE AND DEATH VALLEY
 > 
 > The focus of this weeklong car camping adventure is the Mojave Desert. We stay 
 > the entire week at a private oasis along the Amargosa River near delicious hot 
 > springs, just outside Death Valley National Park. Here Willow Creek bubbles to 
 > the surface, attracting a plethora of wildlife. The old T and T railroad (the 
 > beds battered by desert floods and home now only to coyotes and rattlesnakes) 
 > used to run through here. We head north into Death Valley and surrounding wild 
 > lands on day trips. Here the names say it all - Badwater, Dante's View and the 
 > Devil's Palette.  These areas contain some of the most fantastic scenery this 
 > side of Mars. Dramatic sunsets, eerie tree yucca forests, rugged mountains, 
 > chuckwallas, coyotes, golden eagles, and abundant desert wildflowers are all 
 > found here.  Exploring on foot and by car we travel the backcountry of this 
 > still Wild West. It always fills immediately.
 > 
 > DATE: April 1-7, 2012 Wait list only
 > DATE: April 8 -14, 2012 Wait list only
 > 
 > COST: $525
 > DATE: March 31- April 6, 2013. Sign up early!
 > DATE: April 7 April 13, 2013. Sign up early!
 > 
 > BHUTAN = SHANGRI-LA
 > The little-known kingdom of Bhutan, approximately the size of Switzerland, is 
 > one of the last strongholds of Tibetan Buddhism in the world.  Although 
 > isolated for centuries by its geographical situation, bound, as it is on the 
 > south by dense tropical jungles and to the north by the mighty Himalayas, in 
 > the last fifteen years it has slowly opened its frontier to a few privileged 
 > visitors and tourists. Last year there were only 20,000 tourists allowed in the 
 > entire country. The only way to travel into this untouched peaceful land is 
 > with a government-sanctioned travel agency. This moderate touring trip with 
 > numerous day hikes provides a wide, nearly comprehensive overview of the 
 > Kingdom of Bhutan with a particular emphasis on the flowering plants and trees 
 > for which the Himalayan region is so well known. Few places on Earth can match 
 > the breathtaking splendor of Bhutan -- a region of incomparable biological 
 > richness and natural beauty.  Its lush, temperate cloud forests of pin!
 >  e and rhododendron provide sanctuary to for a great variety of flora and 
 >  fauna.  Bumthang, located in the geographical heart of the Kingdom, is 
 >  comprised of four high valleys covered in forests that embrace small 
 >  monasteries, chortens, traditional stone houses and markets. Few places on 
 >  Earth can match the breathtaking splendor and unique botanical and 
 >  ornithological diversity of Bhutan.  While this is not a trek you must be in 
 >  moderately good shape to participate. We will be hiking at elevations that 
 >  range between 4500 and 11000â?? on steep trails that may not be well 
 >  maintained.
 > 
 > COST: $6400 land costs. Non-refundable deposit $500
 > DATE: May 10 to May 27, 2012
 > 
 > THE LAKES BASIN
 > 
 > This unique biological region (the boundary of three major ecosystems â?? the 
 > Sierra, the Cascades and the Great Basin Desert) is tucked away in the northern 
 > Sierra Nevada and I can take you there. While most people are crowding into 
 > Lake Tahoe or Yosemite Valley, the Lakes Basin area of the Feather River is 
 > virtually empty. Located near Yuba Pass along Highway 49 this area is home to 
 > over 23 lakes. From our comfortable group campsite we are right in the center 
 > of numerous streams, lakes and waterfalls. The summer wildflowers literally 
 > spill from lake to lake. We hike through the montane meadows and open forests 
 > to high mountain vistas. We will visit the nearby Sierra Valley; one of the 
 > premier birding spots in Ca It is the largest alpine valley in North 
 > America, part of the continental crust that was dropped by the same faulting 
 > that raised the Sierra Nevada. Here are abundant Sandhill Cranes Yellow-headed 
 > Blackbirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Black Terns, and a host of !
 >  ducks and other marsh-birds.   Another great highlight is a tour of the 
 >  Plumas-Eureka State Park, Jamison Mine and historic Johnville. Some of us can 
 >  take the challenging hike up the Sierra Buttes. Evenings are spent stargazing, 
 >  sitting in front of the big fire and at least one night hike. We will spend 
 >  nearly a week thoroughly discovering this wonderful part of the world.
 > COST: $500 Wait list only
 > DATE: July 22- July 28, 2012
 > 
 > GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK
 > 
 > This is one of my favorite trips and it has been years since I last offered it. 
 > The Great Basin National Park is in eastern Nevada but travel time from the Bay 
 > area is less than that to Death Valley! I have spent several months thoroughly 
 > exploring every nook and cranny of this magnificent wilderness. It's very 
 > similar to the Sierra but without all the people. Gentle streams cascade 
 > through alpine fields and meadows are bursting with wildflowers.  We will have 
 > the option of climbing the second highest mountain in Nevada, Wheeler Peak at 
 > 13,063'. We can taste a remnant from the last ice age, an honest-to-goodness 
 > glacier. Ancient bristlecone pine forests cling to the scree slopes. In fact 
 > the Forest Service cut the oldest living tree in the world down here in 1964 (
 > your government at work). With the park's naturalists we'll explore Lehman 
 > Cave. As an added delight is the nearby town of Ely, where steam trains still 
 > ply the historic Northern Nevada Rail line. This is a car cam!
 >  ping trip but there are motels nearby.
 > COST: $500
 > DATE: July 30 to August 4, 2012
 > 
 >   MONO LAKE IN THE AUTUMN
 > 
 > The eastern Sierra Nevada is glorious in the fall, the air is crisp, the sky so 
 > blue. The aspen groves will be shimmering in brilliant shades of burnished gold 
 > and orange as we explore the wonders of Mono Lake and environs. This body of 
 > water is over 1 million years old - a remnant of a much larger inland lake. Its 
 > wildlife, unearthly scenery, and life-sustaining streams were recently released 
 > from hostage to the water needs of Los Angeles. Bizarre tufa towers, fantastic 
 > cinder cones, spooky lava caves, gurgling hot springs, and dramatic mountain 
 > canyons are its backdrop. We will get intimate views of Ca gulls, 
 > coyotes and the nearly two million eared grebes that stop here in the fall. 
 > American Avocets, Western and Least Sandpipers, Snowy Plovers, White-faced 
 > Ibises, and Dowitchers are stopping to feed on their journey south. While this 
 > is not an official photography seminar, bring your camera because the photo 
 > opportunities are incomparable. A list of accommodations!
 >   is sent upon registration.
 > COST: $340
 > DATE: Tuesday, September 25 to Thursday, September 27, 2012
 > Friday, September 29 to Sunday October 1, 2012
 > 
 > BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS
 > 
 > The return of the waterfowl to Ca's Great Central Valley has been 
 > described as one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth, and it happens 
 > every winter. We'll visit the famous Gray Lodge Refuge to see thousands of Snow 
 > Geese joining Canada and White-fronted Geese. Around the defunct volcanic 
 > Sutter Buttes we'll see aerial displays of the sandhill cranes and tundra 
 > swans. We'll hike around the Colusa Wildlife Refuge and then to the Sacramento 
 > Refuge for more avian delights  - ruddy ducks, pintails, shovelers, bitterns, 
 > night herons, mallards, harriers, rough-legged hawks, gallinules et al. Not 
 > only will we learn how to identify these birds, but also we'll learn about 
 > their evolution, behavior and physiology. Discover why so many people make this 
 > an annual trip. It's fun! You'll need to arrange your own lodging for Saturday 
 > night after you receive a list of the area's accommodations.
 > 
 > COST: $275
 > DATE:  November 27-28, November 29-30,  December 1-2, 2012
 > 
 > GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH: THE SERENGETI
 > 
 > I hate to say it but if you ever plan on going to this part of the world you'd 
 > better do it soon. Tanzania, not Kenya, has the best wildlife show left on the 
 > planet. And we will be there at the peak of the wildebeest calving season -- 1 
 > million animals giving birth in a 3-week period! Giraffes, elephants, lions, 
 > gazelles, oryx, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, dikdiks and zebras; and more birds 
 > than you can possibly imagine -- flamingos, storks, pelicans, white-crowned 
 > shrikes, bee-eaters and ostriches --- all make their home in the parks we'll 
 > visit. Comfortable tent camping combined with cozy lodges make this a perfect 
 > trip.  Resident Tanzanian naturalists accompany us throughout the trip while we 
 > visit Arusha National Park, the Serengeti Plain, Tarangire National Park, 
 > Olduvai Gorge and the Ngorongoro Crater. This is truly the trip of a lifetime; 
 > you owe it to yourself. I have been leading trips to the Serengeti every 
 > February since 1992! It remains my favorite all time natural!
 >   history experience. Every visit is superb and perfect in every way. No one 
 >   ever regrets going to Tanzania, they just wonder what took them so long and 
 >   when can I return?
 > 
 > COST:  $8550 land cost Non-refundable deposit $500
 >   DATE: January 27- February 14, 2013 nearly full
 > DATE: February 12 to February 27, 2013 nearly full
 > 
 > AN EXPLORATION OF EASTERN TURKEY
 > 
 > This trip explores a part of Turkey that The Turquoise Coast (see below) does 
 > not cover, and is a grand opportunity to begin your exploration of this 
 > fascinating region.  We tour some seldom-visited parts of Istanbul; then we fly 
 > east to Urfa and drive to Gobleki Tepe, a mysterious religious center that 
 > scholars believe to be the earliest example of monumental architecture yet 
 > discovered. Another highlight is seeing the unusual northern bald ibis, which 
 > nests in a protected sanctuary near the Euphrates River.  We will visit Mt. 
 > Nemrut National Park and see the huge statues of Antiochos, the King of 
 > Commagne. Further east, at Lake Van, we will explore Akdamar Island, home to 
 > the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross. On this leg of the trip we will visit 
 > two wetlands that are home to numerous species of birds.  Then we visit Ani, 
 > once the capital of the old Armenian Kingdom. It was a city of 100,000 
 > inhabitants and a legendary 1,000 churches. Of course, since our local guide 
 > -Yas!
 >  emin - has written and photographed an extensive book on the wildflowers of 
 >  Turkey, we shall be constantly looking at the diversity of plants on our 
 >  journey as well. After Kars we will spend some leisurely days driving 
 >  northwest through the Pontic mountains towards the Black Sea, stopping for 
 >  Georgian churches, magnificent wildflower displays, and hikes through 
 >  beautiful mountain passes. When we arrive at the Black Sea we will go for a 
 >  hike to visit the Monastery of the Black Virgin of Sumela, built on a edge of 
 >  sheer rock, and later spend the night in Trabzon, a favorite vacation 
 >  destination for both Turks and Russians. Then we fly back to Istanbul for a 
 >  day and then onward to home (or maybe the next trip in Turkey.)
 > 
 > COST:  TBDâ??land costs and internal air.  Refundable deposit $500
 > DATE:  May 13 to May 28, 2013
 > 
 > THE TURQUOISE COAST AND EXOTIC TURKEY
 > 
 > The Eastern Mediterranean was the cradle of civilization almost 10,000 years 
 > ago. The alphabet and our numerical system originated here as well as most of 
 > the great religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To travel in Turkey is to 
 > explore the roots of modern day civilization itself. This exotic country, at 
 > the crossroads of Europe and Asia, boasts magnificent Greek and Roman 
 > antiquities as well as the extraordinary legacies of the Byzantine and Ottoman 
 > Empires. Now it is a dynamic, modern, democratic nation with friendly people, 
 > delicious cuisine, fantastic shopping and beautiful scenery. In addition to 
 > visiting Turkey's most important historical and archeological landmarks, we 
 > will spend five days sailing the famed Turquoise coast. The sea is crystal 
 > clear and the coast is lined with pretty fishing villages and pristine beaches. 
 > Our local guide is my dear friend, Yasemin. She is currently finishing a guide 
 > to the wildflowers of her remarkable country. She is also one of!
 >   the cultural highlights of this trip!
 > 
 > COST: $TBD land cost. Refundable deposit $500
 > DATE: May 29 to June 14, 2013
 > 
 > MADAGASCAR
 > 
 > The worldâ??s fourth largest island is home to an increasingly threatened 
 > population of unique, rare and endangered plants and animals. This 600 mile 
 > long island has been separated from the African continent for the last 165 
 > million years and 80% of the plants and animals that evolved in this isolation 
 > are found no where else in the world. Madagascarâ??s most famous mammals are 
 > its lemurs â?? 14 species of primates that range in size from the tiny 
 > nocturnal mouse lemur to the huge black and white Indris.  Lonely Planet says: â
 > ??Madagascar's forests are a shimmering, seething mass of a trillion stems and 
 > dripping leaves and slithering, jumping, quirky creatures out of nature's bag 
 > of tricks: lemurs, periwinkles and baobabs, aloes, geckoes, sifakas and octopus 
 > trees. Sadly, they are threatened by aggressive deforestationâ??
 > 
 > This deforestation is from humans that only arrived in Madagascar 1000 years 
 > ago. And they did not come from Africa but rafted west from Malaysia! I spent 
 > the entire month of July 2007 exploring this country. Our itinerary includes 
 > most of the best-preserved areas where our chances of seeing the diversity of 
 > bizarre baobabs, changeable chameleons, leaping lemurs, and bodacious birds are 
 > best. This trip is limited in number, which makes wildlife spotting (lemurs!) 
 > in the dense forest much easier for everyone.
 > 
 > COST:  about $6400. Refundable deposit $500
 > DATE: September 16 to October 2, 2013
 > 
 > PALAU AND YAP
 > 
 > Micronesiaâ??s thousands of high volcanic and low sand and coral islands are 
 > interspersed with low-lying atolls and coral reefs encircling still blue 
 > lagoons.  Just north of the equator, this is the remote unspoiled Pacific, with 
 > palm-thatched huts, outrigger canoes and coconut trees.
 > 
 > Harboring more species of marine life than any similar-sized area in the world, 
 > Palau is one of the best snorkeling sites on the planet.  The abundance and 
 > diversity of its marine life, shallow water accessibility, and clear water 
 > visibility reveal a dazzling array of rainbow-colored fish and breathtaking 
 > corals.  The famous Rock Islands are a maze of unsurpassed beauty, tropical 
 > gardens atop limestone ridges set in glass-clear waters. In addition to its 
 > great marine biodiversity, Palau is also renowned for Jellyfish Lake where 
 > visitors can swim with non-stinging jellyfish in a landlocked marine lake.  
 > Another aspect of Palau is its historical role in WWII. Remnants of the war 
 > remain prevalent especially at sites such as Peleliu, which was a major 
 > battlefield.    Culturally, Micronesia is fascinating and a visit to Yap will 
 > bring us to the most traditional corner of Micronesia where Yapese continue to 
 > practice their traditional lifestyle.  Yap is also known as the best place!
 >   for seeing manta rays on a consistent basis, and in recognition of the areaâ??
 >   s importance, the government recently established the Yap manta marine 
 >   sanctuary.
 > 
 > COST: Refundable deposit $500. TBD.
 > DATE: November 2013
 > 
 > Sincerely,
 > 
 > Michael Ellis
 > Footloose Forays
 > 1275 4th St. #311
 > Santa Rosa, CA 95404
 > 707 570-2187
 > http://www.footlooseforays.com/~mjellis
 > www.footlooseforays.com
 >