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Spring E-Newsletter, 2009
Our Community Supports Dafur
In late December I sent an email to our Canyon Calling customers inviting them to join me in buying a stove for women in refugee camps in Dafur. I’m thrilled to report that 33 of you joined me in this effort! A seventeen year-old Marylander learned that these women were risking rape and death each day in the mundane task of collecting firewood. He started a campaign to ship $30 fuel-efficient stoves to these women and you and others across our nation responded. Thank you. Who knows how many lives have been saved. What a wonderful reminder of the “Power of One.”
New On-line Trip Payment Option
In the last E-Newsletter we announced removal of the $1000 limit on credit card payments for Canyon Calling trips. Today we are pleased to announce a new secure shopping basket feature on our web site giving you the capability to pay trip deposits, installments and final payments on-line. Canadian customers are thrilled with this improvement in our service as it saves them having to get money orders to pay for trips. Here is the link - easily found under the “Book Now” section on our web site tool bar: http://www.canyoncalling.com/pages/booking.html
2009 Discount Opportunity for Alums
In these tough economic conditions we want to help out and the addition of the on-line payment option was a move in that direction. Just a reminder that if you’ve traveled with Canyon Calling previously and you bring a new customer with you on a 2009 trip then you receive a 20% discount.
Upcoming Trip Deadlines
Sedona Sojourn (April 6 - 10)
Sedona is often a “last-minute sign-up” destination for Canyon Calling customers and this year is no exception. There is still time for you to join us hiking in sunny, blue-sky red rock country. A jeep trip, ancient ruin exploration and a massage round out a week of fabulous but moderate hiking. Inexpensive flights into Phoenix are available right now!
Peruvian Andes (May 15 – 25)
Our inaugural Peruvian Andes trip is a go and there are four spaces left. Join us as we hike, horse-ride, sea kayak and white water raft our way through one of the quintessential travel destinations on our planet. The deadline has passed for you to get a permit to hike with us on the one-day Inca Trail hike into Machu Picchu but the good news is that that will allow you an extra half day to explore the ruins and maybe even hike up to Huayna Picchu, the peak towering behind the famous ruins. The highlight for me on our site inspection last year was visiting the people of Uros who live on floating reed islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca – absolutely fascinating.
Meet our New Alaskan Guide
Connie Faipeas LOVES Alaska and has lived there for 36 years. She’s quite the outdoorswoman and has hiked and canoed each summer all over Alaska from the Gates of Arctic National Park to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She also loves to explore in her sea kayak and on her mountain bike. Connie is now retired after years of running her own business and is having fun doing small remodeling projects. She’s great fun and has a wicked sense of humor. She’s also making a difference in this world: Outraged that domestic partnerships were not recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska she recently took on the company – and won a policy change for all! Connie and I will soon be developing a summer adventure trip in Alaska. She will lead this in addition to our Aurora Alaska trip each year. I’m thrilled to welcome Connie to our Canyon Calling staff.
Notes from the Trail
New Zealand
Our 2009 New Zealand tour happened to coincide with the Treaty of Waitangi celebrations where on Feb 6 each year New Zealanders honor the day where the Maori and European became one nation. At the event, on our first day in New Zealand, we walked just six feet away from the Prime Minister! The next morning we experienced the magic of watching 18 Maori war canoes paddling across the harbor to the treaty grounds for the ceremonies. It was such a great experience that we’re going to commit to including these celebrations in each of our future February New Zealand trips. Waitangi Day was just one of the highlights this year! While out sailing a pod of over 100 dolphins surrounded our yacht for about 15 minutes. What a thrill! And in the South Island we experienced the magic of an ice cave while hiking the Franz Josef Glacier. These caves are created from the huge pressure of the ice moving down the mountain and form for just a few days and then collapse. You can imagine from this picture what a great experience that was.
Aurora Alaska
The good news was that we saw the aurora borealis – the bad news was that climate change delivered an unseasonably-low MINUS 67 degrees that evening!! Thank goodness our resort supplied arctic suits and bunny boots! Ours was a magical trip to Alaska and the highlight was our clear sunny day on the Alaska Railroad. We soaked up all-day views of Denali. It was great fun to soak in the hot springs while the mist turned frosty in our hair. Our sled dogs didn’t mind the cold one bit and we rode along cozy under caribou skins. Alaska in spring is sensational!
2009 Trips
Happy trails,
Cheryl
funtrips@canyoncalling.com
928.282.0916
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