You will want to open the photo too!
JBK
>>> Jeff Schmidt <jeff.schmidt(a)sierraclub.org> 4/1/2011 12:47 PM >>>
Happy April Fool’s Day!!
Exploring Appalachia's Enchanted Flatlands
April 1, 2012
Photo: Alice McKeown
Trip Number: 124001a
Price: $4,111 (12-15)
Deposit: $400
Capacity: 15
Leader: Don Blankenship
Highlights:
· Explosions
· Toxic rubble
· Buried streams
· Monster trucks & exhaust
Includes:
· Guides, cooks, lobbyists, and all equipment for the ride
· Ride in stretch Hummer
· Non-local, factory-farmed food
Itinerary | Accommodations | Equipment | References | Leader
The Trip
Photo: Alice McKeown
This exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime foray will take you into the
ripped-open heart of some of the most recently exposed scenery in
Appalachia. Your friendly trip leader will provide nonstop tutorials on
the hidden beauty (and intense profitability) of a once-lush mountain
that's just been blown to smithereens. In your two days amid the
magnificent rubble, you will experience the awesome silence of a newly
buried stream. Gaze in disbelief as a toxic rainbow slick dances atop a
sun-dappled waste pond. Playfully dive for cover as a herd of monster
coal trucks rumbles past. And then, just when you think you've seen it
all, witness the wonder of an explosion lofting ancient and precious
forest habitat into the bright Kentucky sky. The shockwave will
reverberate forever in your soul.
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Itinerary
Day 1: We meet you at the airport in our special stretch Hummer and
travel directly to the site of a thriving mountaintop-removal coal mine.
The drive itself is often a thrill as we plow through a line of hippie
protestors at the gate. Some of them are pretty smelly, so keep those
windows rolled up! Once inside, no lollygagging. We immediately don our
hazmat suits and wade into the waste pond, a rich stew of heavy (we
prefer "precious") metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium. The
day ends with a long, hot shower and scrub-down in our relaxing
decontamination chamber.
Day 2: We journey to the site of a stream that's been forever preserved
beneath the rich overburden produced by ripping apart pristine forest
habitat. It's not an arduous journey, because such waterways abound:
more than 2,000 miles of degraded streams in Appalachia alone! Many
people weep with joy at the sight of this cornucopia of environmental
destruction.
Getting There
The trip begins with pick-up from Frankfort, KY. The leader will
provide guidance and contact information for a recommended travel agent
who can arrange flights from your home city once you are approved for
the trip.
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Accommodations and Food
Photo: Alice McKeown
Double-occupancy rooms are included with the trip. Our hotel features
rooms with private baths, hot showers, and decontamination facilities.
It's centrally located within walking distance of formerly hilly
terrain.
Up to Top
Trip Difficulty
If you're not much of a hiker, don't worry: All mountainous terrain has
been repurposed and horizontally optimized for retail and commercial
development.
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Equipment and Clothing
A detailed equipment list will be sent to approved trip participants.
Hazmat suit will be provided, but you will need to bring your own
waterproof and chemical-resistant footwear as we will be fording some
seriously degraded waterways.
Up to Top
References
Books:
The following books should give you a feel for what the trek will be
like. Your local library is also a good resource.
a.. Barton, Joe, Cry, the Beloved Mountaintop Removal
b.. Donahue, Tom, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Guide to Winning
Friends and Influencing Politicians
c.. Gingrich, Newt, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Mercury
in My Water
Maps
a.. Available at any service station. Be sure not to get a
topographical map -- it will be out-of-date after the first dynamite
blast.
Conservation
Coal is not yet critically endangered in America, but failure to
destroy the mountain habitats that shelter it could lead to its
extinction. Already, many majestic old-economy power plants on which
coal depends have been shut down because they were unable to adapt to
clean-energy standards. Coal extraction is also seriously threatened by
clean-water standards, public-health concerns, and common sense.
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Trip Price
This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of
$300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International
trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or
group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be
available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any
questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on
registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and
Cancellation Policy.
The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip.
Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for
this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval
materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability
Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must
fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The
leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your
acceptance in a timely manner.
The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips.
However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to
other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international
providers may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every
effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is
necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel
without penalty.
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