Ideas for 2007 FOT48

[Stephen]

#47468 |

This thread is for suggestions for the 2007 event! Let us know what can be better, or different for the next event!

EDIT: Please only make suggestions here… discussion will be held at a later date. Consider this a suggestion box only, not a soapbox. Thanks SherpaJohn for pointing this out!

-Stephen

[Sherpa John]

#53262

Is this a thread STRICLTY for suggestions?? Or will debate over suggestions made be involved as well??

In any case here are two that I have in my mind now.

1.) No pre-registration of peaks for ANYONE including the Boy Scouts. Preference should ONLY be given to those with disabilities who wish to take on a “reserved” peak for them specificly (ie. Washington, Cannon, Wildcat D)

2.) Web adjustments to the Gallery should be made in enough time prior to the event, so that folks can have as easy and quick a time as possible in uploading pics post event.

I hope others will take the time to bravely post their suggestions as well. Remember, it only gets better through feedback!

Thanks again for the steering committees hard work!

[Chris]

#53263

@Sherpa John wrote:

2.) Web adjustments to the Gallery should be made in enough time prior to the event, so that folks can have as easy and quick a time as possible in uploading pics post event.

SJ, our challenges with the Gallery were related to a bug in the code, not any lack of forethought. There is a new version that fixes the bug that will eliminate any further problems with permissions. And with that in mind, there is a newer version of phpBB that is in Beta right now, which I anticipate we’ll incorporate here once it’s stable. The newer version may eliminate the need for the Gallery because you can post photos right in your thread. We evaluate it and keep everyone informed.

Thanks for posting your thoughts!
:beer:

[Sherpa John]

#53264

Oh ok… cool. :flag:

[vpalango]

#53265

@Sherpa John wrote:

1.) No pre-registration of peaks for ANYONE including the Boy Scouts. Preference should ONLY be given to those with disabilities who wish to take on a “reserved” peak for them specificly (ie. Washington, Cannon, Wildcat D)

No objections here, if this is implemented, however, I’d suggest that the peak selection start MUCH earlier than in previous years allowing youth groups like the Boy Scouts to be able to plan calendars effectively prior to the end of thier previous year. In July, our troop is already in its summer prorgam (in fact durring the registration time last year we were camping for a week, and completely isolated from all electronics).

Ideally, if there is no pre-registration (and I don’t want to re-start that argument 🙂 ) It would be ideal for us if the selection were complete before mid-June.

Other Suggestion….

If there are more than enough people to cover all the 48, start registration for secondary (less than 4000 ft) peaks so that people who want to raise a flag can hike somewhere else in the area and raise one as part of the event.

Great job everyone who organized the event, we had a great time with our boys, and look forward to participating again in the future.

[Chris]

#53266

There are some difficulties with opening registrations much earlier (if anyone is interested in what they are, PM me). Now if this has been covered and I’ve forgotten, please feel free to correct me, but why can’t the scout troops plan on attending the event, then have one of the leaders sign up when registrations open? Can’t the troops plan on attending without knowing what specific peak they’ll be climbing? Or do you all need to get permission slips with specific locations (like where you’ll be staying) before you can plan the event?

In general, I’m inclined to shy away from the pre-registration idea because it is inherently unfair to give anyone early access to their choice of peaks, however I do want everyone to be able to participate in the event and the scouts do have special needs here. If we can get the specifics of those needs figured out, hopefully we can find the solution.

[New Hampshire]

#53267

Perhaps set up a couple of people for the express purpose of being back-ups, just in case. I know last year there was some last minute cancellations that were thankfully filled, and can only assuem it has happened before. This way there is no scrambling at the last minute and the back-ups can have poles and flags ready to go with very few problems.

Brian

[SilentCal]

#53268

Filling last minute cancelations is always a concern. Thankfully the last couple of years, people have stepped forward and helped out the cause. The first couple of years we had trouble with this but I think that the event has recieved more exposure across the hiking boards than it ever has.

Cancellation is one of the Q+A questions. It’s a little vague on what to actually do but we are in the process of tweaking the Q+A as a whole to answer this and a few other questions that have popped up over the years. Not everyone has the time to go through the forums to find answers and the quick reference of the Q+A is what we hope will keep everyone on the same page.

[vpalango]

#53269

@Chris wrote:

There are some difficulties with opening registrations much earlier (if anyone is interested in what they are, PM me). Now if this has been covered and I’ve forgotten, please feel free to correct me, but why can’t the scout troops plan on attending the event, then have one of the leaders sign up when registrations open? Can’t the troops plan on attending without knowing what specific peak they’ll be climbing? Or do you all need to get permission slips with specific locations (like where you’ll be staying) before you can plan the event?

Sure, we can plan on attending without knowing what peak we will be climbing. It’s more that we need to know before summer hits us that we will get a peak. If I don’t know the actual peak until late July, that’s not a problem. I just need to get my boys, and parents, committed to the trip before we shut down normal troop meetings for the summer.

Yours In Scouting,

[ken]

#53270

@Chris wrote:

2.) The newer version may eliminate the need for the Gallery because you can post photos right in your thread.:

i think the gallery is good the way it is – it is laid out nicely and is easy to navigate…

[Chris]

#53271

Thanks for the feedback Ken! We’ll keep that in mind as we plan out the future of the site.

[SilentCal]

#53272

Should anyone happen to be browsing the gallery and you notice any Spam posted as comments, please forward me or Chris a pm. Somehow spammers have found a way to post there. Thanks

[Feldmrschl]

#53273

@vpalango wrote:

Other Suggestion….

If there are more than enough people to cover all the 48, start registration for secondary (less than 4000 ft) peaks so that people who want to raise a flag can hike somewhere else in the area and raise one as part of the event.

Any more thoughts on this suggestion? I discovered this event in 2003 when hiking up Cannon and have gone up twice as a visitor in 2005 and 2006. I’m hoping to organize a crew for this year’s event.

Given that the 48 peaks get snatched up quickly now, I’m hoping that some consideration gets made for the unofficial 4000-ers and, possibly, sub-4000-ers. Frankly, flying flags on such peaks as Little Haystack and Hight would only add to the event, imho.

[Chris]

#53274

Hi Feldmrschl,

We have talked about this suggestion a bunch, I even made it myself once or twice and at this point we’re pretty well set on keeping it the flags on the 48 🙂

The most compelling arguments so far are that we haven’t yet had all the peaks completely full (10 hikers in every group for all 48 peaks) and that last year it took right up to the last week before the event to get the last peak covered.

We wholeheartedly agree that peaks like Little Haystack and Hight (two of my favorites!) would look great with flags atop, so we encourage people to put flags there even if they’re not part of the official event (I may even do that this year vs. taking a peak myself). We may reconsider changing this in the future, but for now I think the subject is considered addressed.

[New Hampshire]

#53275

Id like to add my .02 cents to the issue as well, Chris, since Jim and I have talked about this exact subject before. The way I see it the FOT48 is a memorial hike and is done in a respectful way. Expanding past the 48 peaks, I fear, would take the event from a memorial hike into a, for lack of better wording, circus stunt. I think the Steering comitee has done right by currently keeping it Flags on the 48. And as you say, it may change in the future. For now I don’t think anyone can argue this event needs something more to spice it up…..its hot hot hot!

Brian

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