California Backpacking Club

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The California Backpacking Club is a private group of friends seeking to be, once again, one of the most active backpacking and backpack-touring social organizations in Northern California.

So why choose to be a Member of CBC?

1) We want your backpacking and backpack-touring experience to be extraordinary.

We develop and deliver backpacking and backpack-tours of America's most exquisite natural places with a special focus on our National Parks and National Monuments.

But we understand that there isn’t just one way to experience the beauty of our nation’s most beautiful places.

Yes, we backpack. But we do not want you to miss the Park because you are backpacking. So, with this in mind, with many of our planned journeys, we deliver both: an extraordinary backpacking adventure AND a full tourist-view of our parks.

We effort to create one-of-a-kind experiences that include backpacking, car-camping, day-hiking, and touring- and possibly bus tours and guided tours- so that you may fall away from the urban and enter, if just for a moment, the peace and gentle solace of the “great outdoors.”

2) We want you to backpack to beautiful places.

This is our heart. This was our beginning and, by the name of our group, this remains our continued focus. Therefore, many of our trips will be backpacking ONLY.

Setting out on the trail, we want you to leave the din of urban life behind and spend a day or two (or three or four!) wrapped into the American wilderness.

Our goal is to backpack within America’s most beautiful places and deliver to you an experience full of wonder and grandeur and soul-quieting peace.

We want you to walk along a quiet, life-affirming pathway and awaken each morning in a place so beautiful and so exemplary of place that you are awash with the understanding that you are an essential part of it all.

3) But we want you to experience the park as a tourist, too.

We do not want you to miss a full experience of the “place," whether that be a National Park or National Monument (or simply a state or regional park), just because you are backpacking.

We strive, therefore, to include into our full itinerary time to be simply a tourist, to do those “touristy things," so that you do not miss the park just because you are spending time on the trail in the wilderness.

So, we car-camp (and occasionally schedule time in park hotels and B&Bs and cabins) so that we may put on our day-packs and pack a lunch to visit that visitor center or that granite monolith or that geyser or that cavern (you get the idea). We want your backpack-touring experience to be full and extraordinary and one-of-a-kind.

4) We want to deliver easy-to-join, easy-to-schedule, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

We want to take you to extraordinary places.

And we want you to awaken each morning as you journey with us in a place so site-specific that you can be nowhere else on the planet.

5) We want you to know where you were going before you are going.

We deliver detailed, day-by-day, moment-by-moment itineraries that seek to include every trail and trailhead, every campsite and campground, every daily activity and event, as well as every alternative and back-up plan, every trip-related website and contact data, and as many maps and brochures as possible so that you (AND your friends and families) will know precisely each day’s progress.

In short, you will know exactly where you are going before you go and as you go.

6) We want you to know how much it will cost before you pay.

We deliver an easy-to-understand statement of anticipated fees and expenses up front so there are no “surprises” after you RSVP.

And we make paying for your experience easy to complete.

7) We want to bring to you one-of-a-kind experiences, regardless of your experience level.

- If you are a beginner or if you are new(er) to backpacking and wish to begin a life pathway of wilderness experiences, we are here to help.

We can help you select the right gear and equipment. We can help you sequence your journeys so you can gain experience and add confidence. Then, on the trail, we can help you develop the right skills so you can add backpacking to your life’s joys.

- If you are experienced, come join us as we do our “thing." Come enjoy the fullness of a several-night or several-park backpacking ONLY trip or be with us as we backpack-tour our parks.

You are our core. You are why we exist.

- If you are very experienced, a seasoned backpacker, we especially want you to head out on a journey with us.

You are the deep heart of our effort and the deep strength of our core.

We not only wish that you participate on our backpack-touring journeys, we encourage you to design and deliver your own trip with us!

Speak with us about becoming an Event Organizer, about how you may earn your Wilderness Backpacking Certification, about how you lead wilderness journeys, about how you can help us grow and grow with us.

We have dreams! Help us grow.

8) We want everyone who is able to participate to participate.

We want you to feel and to BE fully accepted.

We do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability (subject to your ability to perform safely and sufficiently on a trip), political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law.

And we affirmatively prohibit any behavior that exhibits discrimination of any kind.

If you are physically and emotionally able to participate, we welcome you to join us.

9) We want to keep you safe.

We are the first social media-based, backpacking and backpack-touring Meetup group that will require our Leadership Council and our Event Organizers to carry a Wilderness First Aid certification by the Spring of 2022.

10) We want to keep you COVID-safe.

In this “Age of COVID,” we require that every participant fully affirm that they are fully vaccinated and/or they are not currently infected with COVID.

And we will strive to implement the latest science-based CDC and other governmental authority best practices, recommendations, and guidance.

11) We want you to know that we have dreams.

As the new Organizer of the California Backpacking Club, my late-life goal is to backpack every western (lower-48) National Park.

So far, I’ve backpacked twenty-three of the thirty-six western National Parks. By the end of Summer 2022, this number will be, if all goes well, thirty-five of the National Parks.

To date, I've designed and led fourteen trips on Meetup. And, as I move toward accomplishing my goal, as I endeavor to grow and improve CBC, I plan to include CBC Members on every trip in the future.

I just led a beautifully exhilarating 12-day trip to Zion, Capital Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands in October.

I will have one readied for March/April 2022 to include White Sands, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and Big Bend.

And I hope to complete all but the Grand Canyon (this will include, in sequence, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Wind Cave, Badlands, Teddy Roosevelt, Glacier, North Cascades, Mount Rainier, and Olympic) by the fall of 2022.

Keep an eye out for my postings coming soon!

So why choose to be a Member of CBC?

Because backpacking, car-camping, hiking, touring, and simply sleeping beneath the starry canopy has dramatically changed our lives.

Perhaps it's your time for you to fall in love with the outdoors.

We want to help.

Join us.

Let’s grow together.

Read what our members are saying about CBC!





LEGAL DISCLAIMER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY

By joining this Meetup group, you certify that you have read, understand, agree to, and will comply with all Member rules hyperlinked and written below:

http://www.meetup.com/CBC-California-Backpacking-Club/pages/CBC_Member_Rules_and_Regulations/

DISCLAIMER

California Backpacking Club ("CBC”) is not a company, but a co-op of friends who share the same passion of adventure trekking together. CBC does not certify the qualifications of the Event Organizers or any of our Members who lead or participate in these events. We may, however, solicit the services of professionals on many of our Events.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Some CBC activities ("Events") posted on this website will be more physically demanding than others. Only you, the Participant, know how much you can handle - so make very sure you have read the complete trip description and are fully aware of the the physical requirements before you sign up (or you might be putting yourself and others into a dangerous situation). Should you have questions about the physical requirements of the trip, please contact the Event Organizer. By signing up and participating in any CBC Event, you represent that you are qualified, in good health, and in proper physical condition to participate in the Event. If you are at all unsure of your physical abilities for an Event, you agree to not participate. Periodically, we may ask you for a full disclosure, in advance of attending an Event, of any medical condition, physical disability, or physical ailment/injury resulting in limitations of the feet, toes, back, spine, hips, knees, shoulders, neck, joints, etc., that may hinder your ability to complete an Event or that may become inflamed/re-injured during the normal, anticipated physical "wear and tear" of the Event.

ACCEPTANCE OF RISK

As a Participant in any CBC Event you, the Participant, acknowledge that the nature of the Event is adventurous and may involve a significant amount of personal risk. By attending any CBC Event, you acknowledge the inherent dangers of participating in the Event and hereby voluntarily assume the responsibility of all such risk which may result in personal injury, permanent disability, illness, and death. Therefore, by attending any CBC Event, you voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to yourself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that you may experience or incur in connection with your attendance at any CBC Event. By attending any CBC Event, you hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless the CBC, its Organizers, Members, volunteers, and program participants, of and from all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto. You understand and agree that this release includes any claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of the Organizers, Members, volunteers, and program participants, and do hereby release the CBC, its Organizers, Members, volunteers, and program participants, from all claims and causes of action arising from any damages, financial loss or injuries or death resulting from these inherent dangers before, during, or after attending any CBC Event.

COVID-19

The novel Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is highly contagious, has a high mortality rate when compared to other respiratory illnesses, and is believed to spread primarily from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, state, and local governments, as well as, federal and state health agencies have strongly recommended that individuals are vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and that social distancing practices be implemented and enforced. Additionally, many businesses have implemented preventative measures to seek the reduction of the spread of COVID-19; however, no government nor business can guarantee that you will not become infected with COVID-19. Further, attending any Meetup could increase your risk of contracting COVID-19.

THEREFORE, WE REQUIRE EVERYONE ATTENDING A CBC EVENT BE FULLY VACCINATED WITH BOOSTER(S) AND PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF THOSE VACCINATIONS BEFORE ATTENDING THE EVENT.

COVID-19 ACCEPTANCE OF RISK

By attending any CBC Event, you acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID-19 and voluntarily assume the risk that you may be exposed to or infected by COVID-19 while attending the Event and you acknowledge and assume the responsibility that such exposure or infection by COVID-19 may result in illness, permanent disability, personal injury, and death. You understand that the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID-19 at any Event may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of yourself and others, including, but not limited to, the Organizers, Members, volunteers, and program participants of such CBC Event. You voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to yourself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that you may experience or incur in connection with your attendance at any Event. Therefore, by attending any Event, you hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless the CBC, its Organizers, Members, volunteers, and program participants, of and from all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto. You understand and agree that this release includes any claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of the Organizers, Members, volunteers, and program participants, whether a COVID-19 infection occurs before, during, or after attending any CBC Event.

Additionally, to protect others, you attest that:

- You have not been diagnosed with COVID-19.
- You are not experiencing any symptom of COVID-19 illness, such as cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, muscle pain, sore throat, headache, or a loss of smell or taste.
- To the best of your knowledge, you have not been exposed to or been in contact with someone afflicted with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.
- You have not traveled internationally or to a highly impacted area within the United States within the last 14 days.
- You shall follow any and all governmental Orders, laws, ordinances, and guidelines pertaining directly to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, as well as any and all individual COVID-19-related preventative practices set by any Meetup.

COPYRIGHT

This document may not be copied or duplicated in whole or part by any means without express prior agreement in writing from Michelle Renée Mozell. Any disclosure, copying, distribution, reproduction, transmission, or use of the contents without authorization is strictly prohibited.

Copyright 2021  Michelle Renée Mozell  All Rights Reserved.