Let's get ready for a great weekend at Camp Emerald Bay! A fantastic 3-day Catalina Island vacation awaits you twenty-six miles across the ocean at Camp Emerald Bay. Camp Emerald Bay, a Boy Scout camp, is located on the undeveloped west end of Catalina Island, has secluded beaches, coves, and enjoys unparalleled access to the natural gems of Catalina's singular ecosystem. This camp is fully loaded (this is not really camping -no roughing it on this trip) with great activities --no tents are required. All meals are provided by the camp staff. The hiking trails from camp provide the perfect opportunity to spot the Catalina Island Fox or even an occasional wandering Bison. This year’s fun theme will be Country Western/Cowboys and Cowgirls! Saddle up - and dust off your hats and boots! If you like to mix endless fun activities and great people with a beautiful coastline along with crystal blue water, then look no further! This trip has been occurring annually for over 15 years and it gets better every year. Although this trip is posted on the 20s and 30s Sierra Club website – it is attended by participants of all ages 21 and over. We have participants ranging from their 20s to their 60s. Believe me, no matter your age, you will fit right in. Activities: Your weekend boasts a full schedule of both day and nighttime organized activities. Daytime fun includes: leader led hikes, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, volleyball, sunbathing, fun competitions, and plenty more. Nighttime activities include: happy hour, karaoke, and optional singles’ mixers, dance lessons with expert teachers, dancing to hip tunes played by a DJ, games, campfire hosted by a musician, or simply relaxing and stargazing. Note: Hikes will be on established trails and have a round trip distance of 2 to 7 miles with elevation gains of up to 1,200 feet. Boat Transportation: We will be chartering two boats that will depart from and return to Long Beach. The boats will depart on Saturday morning (September 2) and return Monday (September 4) late morning and afternoon. Accommodations: Option 1) Pre-assembled 2 person platform army style tents (wood floor, canvas walls/roof, 2 cots with mattress --typically the tents hold up to two persons with no setup required). Couples can push together two cots in the platform tents to make a single larger bed. Option 2) Rustic wood cabins w/electric lights/outlets with bunk beds sleep up to 8 persons. Cabins are same sex. Restrooms/showers are nearby. Arrangements can be made to share a cabin with groups of friends. If you don’t have a roommate in mind, no worries! You will easily meet people on the boat ride over or we will assign you to a cabin. Bathrooms and Showers: Emerald Bay has flush toilets and hot showers. There will be separate units for men and women. Food: Great meals are prepared daily by experienced camp staff and served buffet style in a large dining hall. Breakfast typically includes eggs, pancakes, cereal, fruit, and much more. Lunches are simple, usually either a sandwich bar or hot food. Dinners may include chicken one night and steak the other with veggie options; and of course, we always have dessert. You will not be disappointed. Vegetarian and other food requirements usually can be accommodated. No one has ever gone hungry on this trip Who should attend: This trip is open to anyone over the age of 21; singles and couples are welcome. The group size is typically around 300 people and the age range varies from the late 20s to 60s on this well-attended trip. We set-up many activities to help people make new friends. Many of our participants are first-timers who often come on their own but leave with many new friends. Other fun: Typically we have some organized competitions for those of you who wish to partake as well as some other surprises. Trip fee includes Roundtrip boat transportation, camp & landing fees, platform tent w/bed and mattress or cabins, catered food (Saturday lunch through Monday lunch- no lunch for early boat return on Monday), activities including kayaks, snorkeling equipment rental, hiking, dance lessons, and much more. Early Bird Pricing - Ends July 10, 2018 Trip Fee for Sierra Club Member • Price with platform tent accommodation - $290 • Price with cabin upgrade - $310 Trip Fee for Non-Sierra Club Member • Price with platform tent accommodation - $311 • Price with cabin upgrade - $331 Pricing after July 10, 2018 Trip fee for Sierra Club member • Price with platform tent accommodation - $315 • Price with cabin upgrade - $335 Trip Fee for Non-Sierra Club Member • Price with platform tent accommodation - $336 • Price with cabin upgrade - $356 Trip fee does not include Parking Fees for the weekend and Boat Taxi Fees (Optional). The parking charge with validation for the weekend at the Pike Parking Lot is $24 (as estimated by the boat company) –so ride sharing/public transportation/or being dropped off is advised. Additionally, on Sunday, most people choose to hike to a town called Two Harbors in the morning and catch a water taxi back; the charge for the water taxi is approximately $15 cash collected before boarding. Regular Pricing For first time/new member applicants, a one-year Sierra Club membership can be purchased for $15 prior to the trip allowing you to benefit from the Member price and get a free gift. Just click on the "Join Sierra Club Now!!" link at the bottom of the 20s and 30s website. Payment Options • Check: make payable to SIERRA CLUB, ADDRESS TO BE PROVIDED IN SEPARATE EMAIL. You must register online on sc2030.org before sending in your check. We prefer checks so we don't have to pay the PayPal Charge. • PayPal: Please use the PayPal button in your Reservation Status area to submit your payment. Your reservation will be finalized when your payment is received. For reservation questions, email Justin Bruno at catalina.registrar@gmail.com and general inquiries to Ron Domash at campron22@hotmail.com. All trip information will be transmitted to participants via email about 30 days from the trip date. Check out our Catalina Island Camp Paradise Facebook page [click here to join the FB page: http://on.fb.me/2011Catalina] and post your favorite Catalina picture. This trip is a fundraiser; net proceeds will go to the Sierra Club Inspiring Connections Outdoors (formerly Inner City Outings), Angeles Chapter and 20s & 30s Section. For the last several years, proceeds from this trip have sponsored a kids’ camp at Camp Emerald Bay. Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment of any trip participants, volunteers or others who participate in Club-sponsored activities is prohibited. All complaints of sexual harassment will be treated seriously. Please report any such incident of sexual harassment to any trip leader. Drug Use: Marijuana and other recreational drugs are not permitted in camp. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Reservations and Payment: How do I make a reservation for this trip? You need to log on to www.sc2030.org. If you have not registered for this website before, you will need to register for the website before signing up for this trip. Once you have registered, to make your reservation first click on the Calendar tab, then click on multi-day trips and select the Catalina Trip. Scroll down the page until you see the "Make Reservation" icon; click on that to make your reservation. Once you do this, you will then get an email that you are awaiting approval – we will approve you shortly. Once approved then you can make your payment. Please note that you cannot make a payment until you have been approved. How do I make payment for the trip? You can make your payment by check (until 3 weeks prior to the trip), or by PayPal. We prefer checks so we don’t have to pay the extra Paypal charge. To pay by check: make your check out to Sierra Club (there are several price options with other payment details listed on trip description page at sc2030.org). To pay by Paypal (after approval): log on to our website, go to the My Membership tab at the top of the page and select Event participation. Click on Reservation Status, click on Awaiting Payment, and then you will see the Paypal button next to the Catalina Trip. How do I join the Sierra Club? Do I get a discount for the trip if I join? To join the Sierra Club go to sc2030.org, click on the tab at the very bottom of the main page titled Join Sierra Club Now!!! Right now there is a special $15 membership offer with which you get a free daypack. For first-time new member applicants, a one-year Sierra Club membership can be purchased for $15 prior to the trip allowing you to benefit from the Member price and a free gift. Do I need to be a member of the Sierra Club to attend this trip? No. Everyone is very welcome. Note: Please be patient with our website as it is a bit old and tired - and we know it needs updating. Also, be patient with all of us volunteers because we all have other jobs and may not always be able to answer your questions at the moment. Can I pay at the discounted rate for a family member or friend if I am a member and they are not? No, each person must be a member to receive the discount. Can I sign up my friend or family under my reservation (+1)? No. Each person must sign up individually. This is the only way we can keep track of everyone. Both the boat company and the camp need a list of everyone in attendance. When does the early bird discount end? How much will the price go up? The early bird price ends on July 10. What is the cancellation policy? You may cancel 60 or more days prior to start date and receive a full refund. Cancellation 14-59 days prior to trip start date, you will receive 50% refund. 0-13 days or missed boat, no refund will be given. All exceptions to this policy shall be reviewed by Trip Organizer/Leader Ron Domash after the completion of the trip. How do I cancel my reservation? Log on to sc2030.org, go to My Membership tab, then click on the Event Participation tab, and select the Reservation Status tab. At this point click on Delete Reservation to change your reservation status. What times do the boats depart and return? Boat 1: Departure from Long Beach to Emerald Bay/Catalina Island - Saturday, September 1 Registration: by 6:30 am; Boards 7:00 am; Departs 7:30 am. Return from Emerald Bay to Long Beach -Monday, Sept 3 Boards 10:00 am; Departs 10:30 am (estimate time back to Long Beach is noon) Boat 2: Departure from Long Beach to Emerald Bay/Catalina Island - Saturday, September 1 Registration:7:15 am; Boards 8:00am; Departs 8:30 am. Return from Emerald Bay to Long Beach - Monday, September 3 Boards 3:30 pm; Departs 4:00 pm (estimated time back to Long Beach is 5:45 pm) Note: Boat times are subject to change. How do I sign up for the boat? You must make full payment before you will be able to sign up for a boat. Once you have made payment, you will receive an email with a link. Simply click on the link to sign up for your boat. Also, after your payment is made and logged, the next time you log into the site - you will be prompted to the boat sign up page. Please note that there are two departure times on Saturday and two return times on Monday, both of which are listed on the boat sign-up page. If you don’t click on the link in the email, the next time you log into sc2030.org you will be directed to the boat sign-up page. You can also use this link: http://www.sc2030.org/my_membership/reserve_boat.php?url_event=OD0EI1LST2 Can I switch boats once I have signed up? Yes, but once a boat is full you will have to sign up for the other boat by just going back to the link above. There will also be an opportunity to switch boats for the return trip home. We will post a sign-up board and waiting list to switch boats outside the mess hall. Where do I catch my boat? Details about where to check-in and boat loading will be provided in the trip information package; in general, the boat departure is very close to the Long Beach Aquarium. Do I have to carry my luggage a long way at camp? No. Just a little way. Also, you will want to drop off your luggage at the check-in location prior to parking your car. I get seasick, what should I do? You might want to bring seasickness pill with you. We suggest using the non-drowsy type so that once we get to the island you can partake in all the fun activities without being sleepy. How much does parking cost for the weekend? Our boat vendor has indicated Parking at the Pike parking lot with validation with cost $40. Although most years - they actually charge $24 (strange). If you don’t want to pay the full price, consider finding someone to carpool with. How do I arrange for a Carpool? The Sierra Club does not arrange for carpools and is not responsible or liable for those arrangements. However, you can use meet up messaging or other social media to arrange for carpools. There is a carpool tab on the trip information page. You can enter your information and people can email you directly. Additionally, you can also use the comments section of the Catalina Island’s meet up page to arrange for carpool. Accommodations and food: Is this camping? No, we are staying at a summer camp – you will not need a tent for this trip. You will be staying in either a cabin or a platform tent. What is the difference between a Cabin and a Platform Tent? Platform tents have a wooden base, green canvas sides, and two cots with a mattress on each inside (think the TV show Mash). The platform tents typically hold 2 persons, but you can have one to yourself if you choose to. Rustic wood cabins w/electric lights/outlets with bunk beds sleep up to 8 persons. Cabins are the same sex. There is one central restroom with private shower stalls for each set of cabins. Arrangements can be made to share a cabin with groups of friends. If you don’t have a roommate in mind, no worries! We will randomly assign you to a cabin. We have male only and female only cabins. We do not have coed cabins. The cabins are located in the front area of the camp, while the tents are in the rear. Both cabin and platform tents have one mattress per bed. However, you will need to bring your own sheet(s), pillow, and sleeping bag. If privacy is an issue for you and you do not want to share a cabin or a tent, you have the option of staying in a platform tent by yourself. Does the camp have showers? Yes, there are free hot showers at camp. But you must bring your own soap and shampoo. Can I upgrade to a cabin after I have signed up? Yes, the cost is $20. You can go directly to Paypal.com or send us a check to the address on the Trip Description. For Paypal: Log on to Paypal.com and enter in the following address: sc2030acct@gmail.com and pay the $20. Or send a check for $20. Refunds for switching from a cabin to a tent after payment is made are not available. Do I have to make advanced arrangements for a roommate? No. We will make the arrangements when we arrive. If you have 6 or more people in your group of friends, you can get your own cabin. Otherwise, you will likely have to share. You don’t need to tell us in advance who you are rooming with as we handle this when we get to the island. Our leaders will handle cabin check-in once we get to camp. How do I get a roommate? If you are staying in a cabin, you can let us know if you have some friends you would like to share with, otherwise, we will assign you to a cabin. If you are in a tent, you can stay in your own tent or pick a roommate. Should I come on the trip if I am not coming with a group of friends? Yes, you will meet lots of people quickly, so please join in. We also have lots of social activities to meet other people. What is the Cancellation Policy: You may cancel 60 or more days prior to start date and receive a full refund. Cancellation 14-59 days prior to trip start date, you will receive 50% refund. 0-13 days or missed boat, no refund will be given. All exceptions to this policy shall be reviewed by Trip Organizer/Leader Ron Domash after the completion of the trip.
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