Page 19 - 2017 AMA Summer

Before the burning sun at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Plan for everything including water and lost comms. If you are ‘out West’ it is not uncommon for there to not be showers, or even water at some campsites. If you stick to the National Park campsites (which are great!), information will at least be available on their websites and so planning can occur prior to arrival. As for comms it might be a first world country but it’s a big place and sometimes it’s just not worth putting a mast up!
Rangers are a wealth of information. Most National Park campsites also put on Ranger talks in the evening. These tent to be good entertainment when out in the wilderness and they are often experts in their field.
Check your travel insurance. The USA and Canada are often excluded by low cost providers as healthcare is expensive on the North American continent.
Sales tax. It is irritating at first but the sales tax is different in every state and is added at the checkout rather than on the advertised price. This is worth thinking about when putting together a budget for an expedition or just to avoid being shocked when buying flights, accommodation etc.
If anyone’s planning a trip ‘out west’ and needs an instructor then call. Indian Creek anyone!
The river is the path; also colder than expected! The Virgin Narrows Gorge, Zion NP, Utah
Dead Horse State Park, Utah
If you’ve been somewhere different recently and think others would want to go, why not let us know about it? Contact the Journal Editor for details.
ARMY MOUNTAINEER 17