Great Sand Dunes National Monument, CO. Weather great and the river runs
in early to mid-June. A great place to rest for a few days.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Davis [SMTP:SyncroHead@aol.com]
> Sent: Saturday, September 12, 1998 2:10 AM
> To:   Vanagon@vanagon.com
> Subject:      Syncro Safari '99, Where? When?
>
> Hello Syncronauts!
>
> It's time to do some preliminary planning on the Syncro Safari 1999.
> I would
> like to have a place, dates and a tentative plan in place by the end
> of
> October.
>
> I'd like to do a multi-day trek with a different resting spot each
> night with
> a couple of "off" days.  If we cannot work out this plan, we can use
> the "stay
> in one spot and take day trips" format of the Syncro Safari, Moab '98
> event.
>
> I am soliciting suggestion on where and when the event should be held.
> I
> expect it will be in the western states of CA, WA, OR, NV, AZ, NM, CO,
> ID, WY,
> or UT.
>
> Suggestions so far have included: San Juan Mountains of Colorado,
> Death
> Valley, and "many places" in Arizona.  Since location and date are
> linked by
> expected weather, please also include a suggested date range that is
> likely to
> provide good weather.
>
> I would also like to hear suggestions on the duration of the event.  I
> think
> about 3 days of off roading is plenty and we could do something like:
>
> Sun, Day 1: Arrive, meet, get acquainted.
> Mon, Day 2: Off road drive
> Tue, Day 3: Play, goof off, whatever (hopefully where there's
> something to do)
> Wed, Day 4: Off road drive
> Thu, Day 5: Play, goof off, whatever (hopefully where there's
> something to do)
> Fri, Day 6: Off road drive
> Sat, Day 7: Rest or start for home
>
> Over a 9 day period ( two weekends & 5 weekdays) we'd have 5 days & 6
> nights
> together and this would allow up to 4 days of travel to/from the
> event.
>
> Location and date priotity will be given to last year's Syncro Safari
> participant's suggestions who are planning to attend again.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> In a multi-day trek (from one starting point to one end point, over
> several
> days) there are many issues to be resolved including:  Access to fuel,
> access
> to food, food storage, medical attention, repair facilities, etc. Also
> on days
> in which we take a break from 4-wheeling, we'd like to be in someplace
> worth
> spending some time at.
>
> Another factor weighing in on the
> location is accessibility to someone who might be able to provide
> local
> information and check things out for the group.  I can do this in
> southern
> California, but certainly couldn't provide these services in New
> Mexico or
> Washington for instance.  We CANNOT rely solely on guide books.  They
> are
> often wrong, especially as the BLM, NFS, and other govenrment agencies
> continue to close off-highway routes.  It would be a bad thing to
> drive 1,000
> miles to find our route closed to access, by the govenrment or made
> impassible
> by damage from El Nino, or other factors.  Still another factor could
> be
> proximity to those who will be attending.  I wouldn't expect to do a
> Syncro
> Safari in a particular area if the average distance the event was too
> high.
>
> Another consideration is the possible attendance of a Syncronaut from
> Germany,
> Juergen Havekost, with his 16" Syncro.  He plans on doing a US tour
> from April
> to June and suggests that mid May might co-incide well with his trip.
>
> Last, don't know what a Syncro Safari is?  Check out the (admittdly
> out of
> date) information on the 1998 event at:
> http://members.aol.com/syncrohead/SyncroSafari.html
> Some photos of the event are also available at:
> http://members.aol.com/syncrohead/MoabVanagonPhotos.html
>
> Regards,
> Jim Davis
> 87 GL Syncro
> 88 GL Wolfsburg