DatesSep 28th - Oct 4th 2008 Service ProjectTrail Construction Free DaysExplore Grand Gulch; visit arch sites AccommodationsBackpack camping Trip RatingChallenging : 10-miles off trail through steep slickrock canyon, clearing heavy brush LeadersCheryl Walczak Equipment |
Grand Gulch is both a spectacular hike through canyon wilderness and a trip through 2,000 years of history. The ancestral puebloan (Anasazi) civilization flourished in its massive red sandstone walls, hunting on the mesa tops and growing maize and beans on canyon terraces. Ancient dwellings, pottery, tools and rock art are everywhere - creating a true wilderness museum. Shiek's Canyon is a side canyon of the Gulch that starts in the pinyon and juniper forest of the mesa top, drops down gradually through the sandstone to form a draw that narrows to a slot canyon, and then opens up into Anasazi country. This will be our entrance to Grand Gulch. We'll backpack approximately 10 miles in this steep, boulder-filled Slickrock canyon, all of it off-trail, and continue working from where we left off last year. This area has had no trail work in about ten years and is heavily overgrown with brush. In addition to working and hiking in the heart of this wonderful world of slickrock canyons and giant golden cottonwoods, we will have a free day to explore the magical red sandstone ruins - one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric artifacts in a North American wilderness. Grand Gulch is unique, a place where archaeology and wilderness are intertwined.
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