Best of Colorado Summer Birding
Terms, Conditions, and Sample Participation Agreement

The tour cost is $1,950 per person, double occupancy.  A $300 deposit and completed registration form will confirm participation. Final payment must be received by April 15, 2023. Registrations for which payment in full is not received by April 15 will be considered as having been cancelled by the registrant.

A single occupancy supplement  of $375 will offer a single room throughout the tour (pending availability.)  If you are traveling alone and choose to share a room, if we cannot provide you with a rooming partner although you choose to share, the single supplement will become applicable. 

Cancellation: If you need to cancel, please notify us by email.  Your cancellation will be effective using the date and time your email is sent.  If you cancel, we will refund your payments less any deduction per below:

• Prior to January 1, 2023, $100 will be deducted from your refund.
• From January 1 through April 14, $300 will be deducted from your refund.
• Beginning April 15, your payments are non-refundable.

We reserve the option to cancel the tour if there are insufficient reservations, 60 days before the beginning of the tour. If we cancel the entire Tour because of insufficient reservations or within 60 days of the tour beginning because of any other reason beyond our reasonable control , all deposits and other payments will be refunded to you by us in full.

We strongly recommend that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance upon booking your tour, to cover any financial losses due to cancellation (by us or by you) for whatever reason. Please be aware that many travel insurance policies require you to purchase a policy either at the time of booking or very shortly thereafter.

Not Included:  Air and ground transportation to and from our tour headquarters at the Fairfield Inn in Longmont, alcohol, laundry, room service, hotel-mini-bar, hotel phone changes, and other items of a purely personal nature. Overnight lodging is NOT included in the tour cost on our last birding day (June 15) as some participants will want to stay overnight near the airport and others will be departing by personal car for other destinations.  If you wish to stay at the tour hotel for this last night, please make arrangements with the hotel directly.

Air Travel:  If you are flying, you should arrive at and depart from Denver International Airport (DEN).   If you travel on June 11 (the first day of our tour), please plan to arrive in time to meet us at the Fairfield Inn in Longmont by 3:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.   On our last tour day, we will be birding all day followed by a group dinner and you will need to stay overnight and travel the next morning.   Lodging on the last full day of our tour is not included in the tour cost to allow you to select either an airport hotel, stay another night at our tour hotel in Longmont (make your own arrangements), or make other arrangements.  Please do not book your flights until your space on the tour has been confirmed by our office.

COVID-19:  Tour participants and leaders will be required to have completed the full course of their CDC-approved COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior to the start of the tour. Proof of vaccination must be provided to us (by emailing a photo or scan of your vaccination card) before departure. Please be aware that many travel insurance policies do not cover COVID-19-related illnesses or expenses. If a participant is unable to continue with their tour due to a COVID-related reason, all costs associated with isolating and/or later rejoining the tour are the participant’s responsibility.

NON-SMOKING: Smoking is not permitted during any of our group activities including van travel, group birding, or meals. The block of rooms we have reserved are all non-smoking rooms.

Altitude, Mobility, and Stamina:  Participants should be aware of the potential effects of altitude and take steps to prepare including proper hydration.  Colorado has the highest average elevation in the United States and our birding and travel will range from roughly 4,500 feet above sea level to several brief periods about 11,000 feet.  Our four overnights will be in Longmont (elevation 4,984 feet above sea level.)  Our days will be active and can include multiple walks of up to one mile on level roads or on trails with some rocky sections.  Most walks are filled with frequent pauses to observe birds.  This tour is not recommended for birders who are prone to altitude-related health issues,  have mobility issues, or who have difficulty or are unwilling to climb unassisted in and out of mini-vans.   We recommend that you consult with your physician prior to committing to this trip and if you have health conditions or concerns about your ability to undertake moderate activity at higher elevations.

Based on the above description of the physical requirements of the tour, if you are concerned about whether this tour is a good fit for you please contact us and fully explain your concerns before you register and make a deposit.  To ensure a quality experience for all participants, we may be limited in our ability to make special accommodations if you have mobility, stamina, or altitude-related limitations.

Colorado Birding Adventures does not discriminate in its tours or activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability or handicap, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression (including a transgender identity), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

———————-Sample Participation Agreement  ———————–

The text below is a sample of our Participant Agreement which you will be asked to sign electronically before your trip.  We will email you a link and every participant will need to sign his or her own agreement. Any person using our services is considered to have agreed to the terms of this agreement.

In consideration of being allowed to participate in services and activities offered by Colorado Birding Adventures (Carl Bendorf) or Hillstar Nature (George Armistead), I (the undersigned) understand and acknowledge, that:

• The activity may be hazardous and involve a risk of physical injury. I expressly assume all risks associated with participating in the trip, including but not limited to: variable weather conditions; encounters with wildlife; existing and changing trail conditions; rocks; stumps; trees; erosion; collisions with natural objects; man-made objects; or other persons; and variations in terrain. 
• I agree to assume all risk of personal injury or loss, bodily injury (including death), damage to, or loss, or destruction of any personal property resulting from or arising out of participation in the designated trip. I also release, waive, indemnify, hold harmless, and discharge Colorado Birding Adventures (Carl Bendorf) and/or Hillstar Nature (George Armistead) and/or Bill Schmoker from all claims, damages, and injuries arising out of the service or activity. I intend that this agreement shall apply to the fullest extent permitted by law to all claims, regardless of whether founded, in whole or in part, on any negligent act or omission of any of the released parties.
• I agree to abide by any rules, regulations and policies set forth by Colorado Birding Adventures (Carl Bendorf) and/or Hillstar Nature (George Armistead) and/or Bill Schmoker. I understand and agree to use any safety equipment, including but not limited to automobile safety belts, supplied and acknowledge by my signature below that I will wear the proper safety equipment and have been instructed on how to properly use such equipment.
• In signing this Release, I acknowledge and represent that I have fully informed myself of the content of this waiver by reading it before I sign it, and I understand that I sign this document as my own free act and deed; no oral representations, statements, or inducements, apart from the written statement, have been made. I further state that I am at least eighteen (18) years of age and fully competent to sign this agreement; and that I execute this release for full, adequate, and complete consideration fully intending to be bound by the same. I further state that there are no health-related reasons or problems which preclude or restrict my participation in this activity (including moderate exercise at high altitude) and that I will pay any medical costs that may be attendant as a result of injury to me.
• I understand that Colorado Birding Adventures (Carl Bendorf) and/or Hillstar Nature (George Armistead) reserve the right to use photographs or videos taken during events or activities for the purposes of education, advertising or promotion of Colorado Birding Adventures (Carl Bendorf) and/or Hillstar Nature (George Armistead).

I, the undersigned participant, affirm that I am age 18 years or older, that I have read and understand the provisions above that this is a release of liability, and that I am freely signing this agreement. I agree that my electronic signature is the legal equivalent of my manual/handwritten signature on this Agreement and I consent to the legally binding terms and conditions of this Agreement. I also agree that no certification authority or other third party verification is necessary to validate my electronic signature, and that the lack of such certification or third party verification will not in any way affect the enforceability of this resulting agreement.

Signature
Date

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The above Participation Agreement is only a sample.  Each participant will receive his/her own email with a link to provide an electronic signature to the agreement.