Sea of Cortez Kayaking
Andrea Deaton / none
Last Revision July 2008
The following pages contain the application to lead an AMC Major Excursion. Please complete the form with as much detail as possible, and attach additional sheets if necessary. Also include a detailed budget/costing sheet that clearly shows all costs associated with your planned excursion. The trip proposal form and budget are due two weeks prior to the MEC meeting in which it will be reviewed. Deadlines will be posted on the MEC leader website (
) and sent to you on the MEC leader listserv well in advance of the meeting. The MEC will not accept late proposals unless the chair is notified in advance with a compelling reason.
Incomplete applications will be returned to you and not reviewed until complete, so please make sure to fill in all applicable sections.
The application was created in a Microsoft Word protected document. To fill in each section click on the check box and/or on the grey text box and start typing. The boxes will automatically get larger as you fill in text. If you find that you need a lot of space to explain a section, please say “see additional attachment” and attach a separate page.
In addition, the following are helpful during the review process, but need only be submitted after your proposal is accepted:

50 and 150 word notices for the AMC Outdoors and
. Please see the current rules -
and schedule for submitting notices for the AMC Outdoors .

Trip prospectus – without the application forms attached – in Microsoft Word or PDF format
Finally, we need to have on file at Joy Street, the following documents:

A completed confidential medical form for the leader and co-leader (after approval is given)

Copies of first aid and CPR certifications for leader and co-leader (before or after approval is given)

A completed application to be a co-leader if the co-leader is new (before proposal is submitted)
We will accept snail mail applications, but electronic forms are preferred. Please save and forward your electronic document with the following naming convention:
 Leader’s last name, trip destination, year of trip and what type of document it is (application, budget,
Outdoors listing or prospectus)

For example, Smith-New Zealand-2007-Application.doc or Smith-New Zealand-2007-Budget.xls
Applications should be sent electronically to the MEC Chair, Stacia Zukroff, at
and to cyout@outdoors.org. They can be mailed to: Travel Programs Coordinator, 5 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108. If you have any questions, please contact Stacia at: 781-648-5503 or
.
Sea of Cortez Kayaking Title of trip
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 1 of 6 Revised 4/14/2020

Sea of Cortez Kayaking
Andrea Deaton / none
Leadership
Location(s)
Dates
Type of trip check all that apply
Leader Andrea Deaton
La Paz, Baja Peninsula, Mexico
Nov 7-13, 2009
Hiking
Co-leader none
Total # of days 7
Downhill skiing Kayaking
Backpacking Cultural Road biking
Nordic ski Mountain biking Snorkeling
Other – please describe
Max 15 Number of participants
(excluding leaders)
Advertised cost
Min 9
$ Approx. $2200 plus airfare
$ 1000-1200
Does it include airfare? Yes No
Airfare range if not included
Do you wish to have your trip listed online before it is published in The Outdoors?
Yes No If yes, please list the approximate month (max is one year in advance of trip)
Dec 2008
Is this proposal for a small group trip – i.e., less than 14 participants and 2 Smaller trips and leader subsidization leaders or 7 participants and 1 leader?
Yes No
If yes, why is a small group proposed?
If a participant fee increase of more than 15% is proposed, please explain why?
Leader name Andrea Deaton
Leader address PO Box 2952, Jackson, WY 83001
Leader email andrea.deaton@gmail.com
Leader phone Home 267-738-8048 Work 307-732-8869
Wilderness first aid training

WFA AWFA WFR Expiration: 06/2009
CPR training

CPR BLS Expiration: 05/2010
Prior leading experience Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Feel free to list additional trips you have led, particularly if they demonstrate experience related to the trip you are proposing.
Trip one New Zealand Backpacking and Kayaking, Dec-Jan 2007/08
Trip two Yosemite Backpacking, August 2007
Trip three Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari Dec/Jan 2006/07
Other related trip experience Dec/Jan 2008-09 Backpacking and Sea Kayaking Chilean Patagonia
Co-leader name
Co-leader address
Backup leader is Robin Melavalin
11 Cuthbert Road, West Roxbury, MA 02132
Co-leader email
Co-leader phone
Wilderness first aid training* rmelavalin@rcn.com
Home 617-780-5362
WFA AWFA WFR
Work
Expiration:
617-323-3374
4/2010

To lead a major excursion you must have current CPR and WFA at the time of your trip (or AWFA for all backcountry trips). If you do not have the required level of certification at the time you submit your proposal or it will expire before the date of your trip, you will need to make arrangements to recertify in a timely manner.

Revised 4/14/2020 Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 2 of 6

Sea of Cortez Kayaking
Andrea Deaton / none
CPR training*
Prior leading experience
CPR BLS Expiration: 4/2010
She co-led with Phil Mecagni on the Bavarian Alps trip summer 2008. She will colead the Morocco trip in Feb 2009 and has led non-AMC trips (through her job) to
West Africa and Cuba.
If you are a new co-leader you must submit an application to be a major excursions leader or co-leader prior to submitting this application.
Scouting
Have either of you led this trip before or traveled to this area?
Languages
Does either the co-leader or leader speak the local language?
Couples
Do the leader and co-leader have a significant personal relationship?
Private trips
Do either of you lead trips that are private - not sponsored by the AMC?
Yes No If yes, please describe below:
Co-leader: Yes No
Leader: Yes No
Not applicable:
Yes No If yes, please list who has agreed to be your back-up in case one or both of you need to drop out. This is required for approval!
Yes No If yes, please note that you cannot advertise AMC and private trips together unless there is a clear distinction between the two in any marketing materials you send out.
Executive summary
Please provide a brief description of the trip and the activities planned.
Accommodations
Please describe your plan for accommodation(s)
Participants will enjoy the warm turquoise waters and pristine beaches of the Sea of
Cortez while exploring by kayak Espiritu Santo and San Jose Islands off the shore of La
Paz, Mexico. Each morning our group will kayak at a moderate level for the 3 to 4 hours . Afternoons we have options to relax at camp, snorkel or hike. We will spend 4 nights and 5 days kayaking by moving to 3 different campgrounds on islands and on the peninsula coast. We will have the opportunity to kayak and swim among a colony of sea lions on one day.
The first and last nights we will spend in moderately priced hotels in La Paz. The 4 nights of kayaking we will spend in campsites on the island beaches. One campsite, the
Espiritu Santo campsite offers large canvas tents and cots. The other campsites we will have regular backpacking tents and sleeping bags provided by the outfitter.
All meals are provided by the outfitter while kayaking. The first and last evenings, while in La Paz are not covered and participants will be expected to purchase their own meals.
Meals
Please describe your plan for providing meals
Permits or permissions
Does the trip require special permits or permissions?
(required on many U.S. federal lands and national parks)
Special equipment
Does the trip require special equipment?
Special experience
Does the trip require special skills on the part of the
Yes No
If yes, please describe below what you will need to do to obtain them:
There are conservation permits that the outfitter will acquire for us.
If no, please describe the process you went through to find out that they were not required:
Yes No If yes, please describe below what type of equipment and how you will ensure that people know how to use it:
Kayaks and all related kayaking equipment. I will require previous kayaking experience and we will have a pre-trip in the late summer or early fall of 2009 to make sure everyone knows how to kayak.
Yes No If yes, please describe below what type of experience? Also describe how you will ensure that the participant has this experience?
Kayaking.
Revised 4/14/2020 Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 3 of 6

Sea of Cortez Kayaking
Andrea Deaton / none
participant?
Pre-trip activities
Do you plan to get your group together before the trip for an activity or social event?
Conservation, education and recreation
How will this major excursion meet the mission of the AMC?
mission.cfm
Yes No If yes, please describe below what you will do:
I will organize a sea kayaking weekend for a late summer (August) or early Fall
(September) trip.
There are many educational opportunities--cultural, conservation, aquatic ecology during our trip. I will research and provide participants with details about Leave No Trace principles for water activity and beach camping, as well as cover these details with the outfitter prior to the trip to ensure they are practicing the best low-impact strategies. We will also teach participants about the various aquatic life in the Sea of Cortez and especially the sea lion habitat and the fish we will see while snorkeling. La Paz is a growing city and there will be time to explore its culture and people on our first and last days.
Will this trip require a tour operator or guide service during part, or the entire trip?
Name of tour operator/guide service
Yes No
Please describe their services. If you are using a tour operator for the entire trip, please describe why you will be using them rather than doing this trip on your own:
Sea kayaking in a location with which I am not completely familiar with the water charts nor the weather patterns is best led by professional and local guides who do this every day. The guides are experienced kayakers and naturalists. Additionally, the outfitter will provide all the equipment that is needed for this expedition (most importantly kayaks) that we will not be able to bring ourselves. The outfitter will also provide us with backup safety through a support boat. This particular trip is considered a private charter and is not one that an individual could sign up for directly through the company on their own.
We are doing kind of a hybrid of a couple of trips they offer--by moving to 3 different camps. The only trip they offer that is 5 days of kayaking is at a base camp. The other trips they offer are a minimum of 10 days. Also, all their trips are with 16 persons and going with a smaller group is not an option (which also makes the trips booked directly through them cheaper). Our trip cost will also go down in price with the number of people who participate. The trip free also includes tips.
Baja Expeditions--they have been used by former Major Excursions leader Kathy Didier on two AMC trips in the past. I have spoken with Kathy about the outfitter in detail and she still uses them for her privately run trips (she is going with them in March 2009) and has always had excellent experiences with them and fills her trips. Therefore, I am requesting that this be a one-leader trip. They provide a minimum of two guides who paddle with us on the water. There is a skiff that follows the group (often out of sight) with an additional crew of 2-3 persons who serve as emergency back up and also are the camp crew for us.
www.bajaexpeditions.com
They have never had a major accident nor death on one of their trips
Tour operator website
Safety record
Please provide information about their safety record.
Insurance
Do they have liability insurance?
Emergency response
Please describe the outfitters’ response plan in the case of an emergency.
Liability? Yes No
Are they willing to list AMC as an additional insured?
Maximum amt: $ 3 million US dollars
Yes No
*I am currently in the process of determining whether they will list the AMC as additionally insured. It appears that they have done this in the past for other non-profit organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, which means they might be willing to do it for us.
Baja Expeditions currently has an Emergency Response Plan in place (of which I have a copy of) and it outlines the details in various scenarios including a missing participant as well as if first aid is needed. They have an emergency phone number document that outlines 5 different contact numbers of staff, the VHF radio call and 066 (emergency number) as well as the phone numbers for area hospitals. The backup boat plays a vital
Revised 4/14/2020 Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 4 of 6

Sea of Cortez Kayaking
Andrea Deaton / none
role in any emergency response. Their head trip leader is certified as a Wilderness First
Responder.
Please assess the risks and hazards of your trip. Carefully consider each area of risk and how it may affect your trip.
Devise a plan to prevent each hazard and to respond to it if it becomes necessary. Please be very specific for each section if applicable.
Climate/terrain
Potential hazards
Response
Trail conditions, river crossings, weather, wildlife (bears, snakes, etc.)
In any open water situation, weather plays the most significant factor for safety.
Our trained guides will be familiar with the weather patterns and storms that might come through. We will do most of our paddling in the mornings which is usually better weather. Also, the backup skiff will provide an emergency safety backup for participants to get to land quickly and safely should a large storm roll in fast.
Foreign Country
Potential hazards
Response
Transportation
Potential hazards
Response
Political concerns, crime, language translation, terrorism
Mexico has its regular issues of petty theft and women getting cat-calls but this shouldn't be any major issue.
Participants will be told to keep their valuables in safe places on their bodies and to not bring any items of high value (ie jewelry) that would not be replaceable.
Road conditions, drivers, insurance
Although we will not be doing much driving, there is a short drive from the airport to the hotel and the hotel to the coastal put-in. Any driving has some level of risk associated with it.
The drivers will be from the kayak outfitting company and used to driving vans and groups of people. They are experienced local Mexicans who are familiar with the roads
Participants
Potential hazards
Response
Other
Potential hazards
Response and traffic rules.
Level of fitness, screening concerns, experience with equipment or activity
Not being able to paddle to keep the pace of the group or being able to manage high winds/ bigger waves
There will be a minimum of 3 leaders on the water with our group (two of them and myself) who will be
Conditions unique to this type of trip
Please describe your plans for dealing with emergencies. Use as much detail as possible, and list any special communications equipment you may need to ensure the safety of your participants. DO NOT LEAVE THIS SECTION
BLANK
Emergency communication
Phone contacts, language, documentation, distance from emergency services
I have a five-page document that outlines their emergency plan. The guides carry VHF radios and there is a support skiff to carry out participants quickly, if needed. They list the phone numbers of 5 employees of the outfitter as well as the 066 number for emergencies.
The outfitters will have two-way VHF radios, first aid kits, cell phones, tow ropes, extra paddles, paddle floats as well as the backup skiff.
Emergency equipment
What sort of emergency first aid or communication equipment (satellite phone, two-way radios) do you plan to use, if any?
Evacuation
Please describe your plan for evacuation from the backcountry location if applicable?
The primary plan for evacuation is to use the skiff to get the injured or all persons needed to get out of the water and taken to shore. If definitive medical care is needed, the person will be transported back to La Paz where an ambulance will be waiting to take the person to the hospital.
Revised 4/14/2020 Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 5 of 6

Sea of Cortez Kayaking
Andrea Deaton / none
Medical care
Please describe the medical care available in the area(s) where you will be traveling and list names and telephone numbers for these facilities.
The two hospitals in the area are Hospital Especialidades Médicas, at Km 4.5 on the highway toward the airport (tel. 612/124-0400), and Hospital Juan María de Salvatierra
(tel. 612/122-1497), Nicolás Bravo 1010, Col. Centro. Both are open 24 hours and the former offers access to emergency air evacuation.
Foreign currencies
For int’l trips list each foreign currency, the current $US dollar exchange rate and what contingencies you have if that rate changes. If a tour operator or agent is being used, what currency is the agent to be paid in?
Deposits
What deposits will be required by airlines, hotels, tour operators, etc., and when?
Refunds
What is the latest date you can cancel and still receive a full refund?
Participant deposit
What are the initial deposit and your schedule of payments?
Cancellation policy
What will your cancellation policy be for the participants?
The exchange rate does not have too much impact on this trip because the trip fees are being paid in US dollars. The company has offices based in La Paz and in San Diego,
CA. While in Mexico, tourists typically purchase items using US dollars, which are widely accepted, therefore reducing the need to exchange foreign currency.
I have negotiated a special cancellation policy with Baja Expeditions. The first deposit of $1000 is due by March 2009. They require an additional $1000 by May 7 (6 months prior to trip departure). The final payment is due 60 days before trip departure
(September 7).
The deadline for registering for the trip by June 1 in order to determine whether we have our minimum number of participants and receive a refund. As of June 1, if we do not have 9 participants (and 1 leader) they will give a 100% refund.
I will require a deposit of $500 with application. A second payment of $800 will be due
May 1 and final payment of approx. $200-$800 due August 1.
If a replacement participant is found after a participant cancels, the cancelling partcipant will be refunded their full amount paid minus $50. If no replacement is found, the participant will be expected to pay all costs/ fees that would be required to not raise the cost of the trip for the other participants.
Minimum numbers
Will you still run the trip if you do not get the minimum number?
Reference web links:
MEC Home Page:
Forms:
Deadlines:
E-Mail Addresses:
Yes No If yes, please describe conditions:
No. The outfitter is not willing to offer us a per person rate, which makes the cost of running the trip prohibitive for any number less than 10 persons.
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/ http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/application/ http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/listings
Club House:
MEC Chair:
mecchair@amcboston.org
Revised 4/14/2020 Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 6 of 6