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Archeology in Canyonlands National Park, Utah Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08335A Price: $525 Deposit: $100 Capacity: 9 Leader:
The Trip Canyonlands National Park is classic red rock desert canyon country with arches, slickrock, wide vistas, excellent hiking, amazing sunsets, and many archaeological ruins. The Needles District is located south and west of Moab, Utah, a world-class destination for mountain bikers, rafters, off-road, and canyoneering enthusiasts. We will be working with the park archaeologists documenting known sites in Salt Creek Canyon and walking search grids to locate new sites. While there is usually some down time in the evening we will not likely be taking a day off during the week due to the remoteness of our location, with the possible exception of a hike to All American Man.. The Project Every year the Sierra Club assists the park archeologists with a continuing systematic survey of the archeological resources in Canyonlands National Park. The first year we discovered over 10 new sites, documented several known sites and located several occupational areas. In one occupational area a willow and yucca basket in nearly mint condition was discovered and excavated from under an overhang. Every year we find many new sites and fully document many multi-room pueblo structures and granaries (photos, GPS, measurements, condition assessment etc.) On this trip we will continue our systematic survey of Salt Creek Canyons by starting our exploration of the upper section of the canyon. This area is closed to motor vehicles and will require a strenuous backpack to access our work area. The National Park Service Archeologist is expressing a strong preference for participants who have prior archeological experience with Ancestral Puebloan (Anansazi) structures, rock art and artifacts. This experience can come from other Sierra Club archeological trips or formal archeological training or experience. The leader would strongly prefer participants who are experienced
backpackers who can handle steep trails and fully understand the unique challenges
inherent in desert backpacking and camping in canyon country for a week at
a time.
Please be at the Visitor Center in the Needles District, ready to leave, no later than 10 a.m. on day one. We will do the final packing of our backpacks, distribute group gear for participants to help carry, arrange parking permits for our vehicles, fill water bottles and prepare for a 45 mile trip up North Cottonwood Creek to the trail head near Cathedral Butte. Park entrance fees will be waived. We will drive to the trail head and then hike to our base camp, setup camp, do our general trip orientation and introductions. The leader may ask for volunteers to arrive a day early to help carry some
of the group gear into the base camp the day before. If you have the time and
energy for this extra day in the field, please indicate that when you sign
up for the outing. On the final day, we’ll be hiking out, driving back to the visitor’s
center and departing for home by mid to late afternoon.
Unlimited water is available from Salt Creek for cooking, cleaning, and filling shower bags. The water will have to be treated for cooking and drinking. We will be backpack camping so there will be a limited amount of space for luxury camping items. The food will be vegetarian but will include cheese, eggs, and other dairy products and soy products. Several of the dinners can be prepared with meat products if participants indicate in advance their interest in having meat available. If you have special dietary needs you'll need to plan on providing your own food and cooking equipment accordingly. Each participant will be asked to volunteer to assist with preparation of several group meals. All group cooking utensils, food and instruction for meal preparation will be provided.
This outing should be considered “vigorous and strenuous” and
will be enjoyable if you are physically fit and have good solid, recent backpacking
experience. It’s important to understand the challenges and hazards of
hiking, camping and backpacking in the desert. It’s very different than
hiking well maintained trails in the shade of a forest. The process of walking survey grids over uneven terrain in hot weather all day is physically challenging. Occasionally the sites we seek are located on cliff sides where steep climbs on loose rock and soil is required to observe and document the site. You will not be asked to climb anything you are not comfortable with. Please give serious considerations to the above factors before signing up. The leader will interview all participants by phone and expect you to be very specific about your actual recent desert camping and backpacking experience as well as your archeological background before approving you for this outing. The desert can be hot or cold, windy or calm, wet or dry at any time of the year and often all six in the same day. You can prepare for these conditions by bringing the correct clothes, shelter and drinking adequate quantities of water during the trip. Each participant will be asked to volunteer to assist with preparation of
several group meals. All group cooking utensils, food and instruction for meal
preparation will be provided.
The equipment list below spells out nearly everything you will need for this
location at this time of year. CAMPING EQUIPMENT:
If you do some reading and research before coming you will better know how to spend your free time. Good books to check out include:
Conservation In years past, Salt Creek Canyon was open to any motor vehicle at any time with no limit on the number of vehicles per day or on how far up the canyon they could go. Currently, only ten permits per day are issued to visitors to the canyon and the road has been closed to motor vehicle traffic above Peek-a-Boo Spring. When the NPS gated access to the canyon and limited the number and distance vehicles could travel in this environmentally and archaeologically sensitive area, a number of suits were filed by groups seeking continued free access. This is a chance to help protect this unique and archaeologically sensitive area while getting to see it before any changes in the regulations preclude access or limit it further.
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.
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Jim Geltz has spent over 20 years trekking, mountain biking, and leading a wide variety of trips in the West, including vision quests and Sierra Club service trips. Jim’s background includes leadership positions in corporate life, local Sierra Club outings, experiential learning outings, Outward Bound, and aboriginal arts and life skills trainings.