Canyon survey

[sonnylawrence]

The CAC and Southern Utah University are fielding a U.S. Canyoneering 2015 survey. It's the first ever research on canyoneering practices and attitudes in the U.S. Anyone who has been canyoneering in the U.S. in the past two years is requested to complete the 10-minute survey, which goes live on Tuesday, February 17th. All CAC members will get an invitation. Others can request an invitation by emailing survey@americancanyoneers.org or getting the link on February 17that http://www.americancanyoneers.org/survey/.


Results will be published on the CAC website. All canyoneers please participate and help spread the word by forwarding this message.

[Mudcat]

The U.S. Canyoneering 2015 survey is now live, sponsored by the CAC and Southern Utah University. We humbly request that EVERY CANYONEER take a few minutes to complete the survey. Results will be shared with land managers and the canyoneering community. Here's the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/canyoneering2015

[hank moon]

Done !

[Iceaxe]

The one big flaw I can see in that survey right from the start is "rate your skills". I'll wager a month's salary the advanced and expert categories receive far more checks than they should. And the beginner category will not receive the checks it deserves.

The "trailhead parking" question I didn't exactly know how to answer. Trailhead parking sucks in Zion, but is not an issue just about everywhere else.

There was another question on ghosting that listed the Sandtrap as an option... personally I don't consider the Sandtrap, or any tool that disturbs a large patch of earth as ghosting. YMMV

I wish there was a way to look at the survey, and maybe there is, so I could comment more. I tried to review the survey using the link I was sent and it wouldn't let me, it just said thanks for playing when I tried to go back in.

Anyhoo... those are questions I remember that I didn't care for or didn't like how they were worded.

[hank moon]

Here's a crude pdf of the survey


Attachment 77875

[Bootboy]

...

There was another question on ghosting that listed the Sandtrap as an option... personally I don't consider the Sandtrap, or any tool that disturbs a large patch of earth as ghosting. YMMV

...

Oh please. Disturbs a large patch of earth? No more disturbing than your group's own foot prints. Certainly less disruption than an average rainstorm.

How many Sandtrap rappels have you done, honestly?

I suppose you have a better tool...

We don't set sandtraps up in crypto for crying out loud.

I suppose if you like limiting your experiences to canyons with litter (bolts, webbing, deadmen, etc), you can continue to knock an effective and valuable tool with which you have little to no experience.

It seems a pretty narrow minded approach to me.

[Iceaxe]

-insert eye roll here-

Please note I never said a Sandtrap was not an effective tool, I just said in my humble opinion its not ghosting. You are welcome to your opinion, but there is a reason tools like Sandtraps were recently banned in Arches NP, which proves others agree with my observation. So I'm happy to stick with my belief that a tool that requires farming and/or mining materials is not ghosting.

[Kashmire]

ghosting to me means that when someone comes behind you they cant tell you were there... right?, Right???

[Iceaxe]

That's my opinion. When I follow you down a canyon and I can only guess at how you solved a problem you are a ghost, which is where the term came from.

[Mudcat]

Thanks for the feedback, Ice. The survey definitely isn't perfect and we always welcome those that are willing to get involved and help us get better.

The self-rating of skills is what it is--self-rating. Certainly grade inflation is a factor to consider in the analysis. But it seemed like useful information to put some of the other answers into context. Also, some of the questions were requests made by land managers, particularly those in the national parks. I agree that the trailhead parking might be ambiguous in some contexts, but when cross-tabbed against, say, DVNP it might be more relevant.

[Mudcat]

Only a few days left to take the Coalition of American Canyoneers and Southern Utah University U.S. Canyoneering 2015 survey. Thank you to all that have and please (please, please, please) if you haven't yet, please take a few minutes and fill it out. The survey closes this weekend, March 1st. It's brief, fun and will benefit the canyoneering community. Be counted!!! https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/canyoneering2015

[Mudcat]

Thanks to everyone for the tremendous response on the U.S. Canyoneering 2015 survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/canyoneering2015). We will close the survey tonight and then begin the analytical process. A report will be published on the CAC website. Thank you again to all who participated.
Bill