On April 8th, 2018 the first SoCal Spring Round-up kicked off with nearly 100 canyoneers, sunshine, and a sampling of SoCal’s best canyons. The SoCal community made a strong showing and others even traveled from Norcal (Northern California), Utah, Nevada, and Oregon to partake in the fun! The event was hosted at Bonita Ranch Campgrounds in San Bernardino, California and included a large BBQ, potluck, and raffle fundraiser. The weekend was spent running local canyons and showcasing our team and community spirit. Everyone had a good time, no one was injured, and no ropes were lost!
Said one participant from Oregon:
“This weekend was a blast, so happy to meet all of you!
You guys opened my eyes to what a large community of canyoneers looks and feels like.”
The Round-up event organizers, Freddy Unger, Chase Mueller, and Danielle Monroy partnered with the Coalition of American Canyoneers (CAC) to include a raffle fundraiser and a presentation about the CAC by Sonny Lawrence. The raffle raised nearly $900.00. Items won included gear from Tom Jones of Imlay Canyon Gear: new ropes, books, scuttlebutts, fiddlesticks, and descenders. In addition there were donations from: REI, In We Go Canyoneering (thanks to Brad Marshall and Sandy Hendricks), CAC t-shirts, and various items from the Monroy’s and Diana Ramirez-Saki.
Freddy Unger was the creator of this event, putting months of planning and networking into making it happen.
“That was a great weekend. Thanks to everyone who made it out – that potluck was out of control. Thanks again to my co-organizers Danielle Monroy and Chase Mueller; couldn’t have happened without your hard work. To all the leader’s who put canyons together, thank you kindly for your time and dedication to bringing our community closer. It was great to meet new friends and look forward to future adventures. Great to have Sonny Lawrence and the CAC out to enlighten us on all you do for all the communities. Please don’t forget to register with the CAC if you haven’t done so. It’s free and benefits us all. Brad Marshall and Sandy Hendricks – great to have you out and In We Go Canyoneering. Special Thanks to Imlay Canyon Gear for the donations to the raffle.”
Chase Mueller was the technical brains behind the event:
“I’ve been to a number of canyon rendezvous and the canyons are always the highlight of the trip. Yes, getting to reconnect with old friends and make new ones is always the bonus, but the canyons are where those friendships are cemented. For me, that wasn’t the case at the SoCal Spring Round-up. Instead, I couldn’t walk 10 feet without bumping into an old friend or making a new one! Or in some cases, finally meeting those Facebook friends.
There was so much food! Tons of excitement! You could feel the energy walking through camp. It all culminated in the much anticipated raffle. The prizes were cool and I can’t thank all the donors enough for their contributions, but what was way cooler was the amount of money raised that evening for the CAC, an organization that works quietly on our behalf.
It was a great weekend with some great people and a fantastic first year to build off of.”
We don’t know how this event will top itself, but organizers say they will be planning for an even bigger event next year!
Danielle Monroy
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