Service Among Ancestral Puebloan Ruins, Utah

The Trip

The Grand Gulch Primitive Area is a series of spectacular desert canyons that host the largest concentration of ancestral Puebloan ruins and some of the finest ancient rock art in all of southeastern Utah. We’ll be car camping near the Kane Gulch Ranger Station, the main entry point to Grand Gulch, which extends 52 miles to the San Juan River. On our days doing trail work and our days off, we will have numerous opportunities to experience these archaeological sites and learn more about the people who left them behind.

Eroding water created these canyons with so many twists and turns that from a bird's-eye view the canyon is snake-like. Here, water falls from the mountains at over 6,500 feet to the San Juan River at around 3,600 feet. Desert varnish streaks the canyon walls, while brilliant yellow foliage of Fremont cottonwoods stands in contrast to the blue sky and multi-colored sandstone cliffs.

September to October is one of the best times to visit this area, with cooler temperatures and the cottonwoods turning a brilliant gold. It can be a photographer's heaven.

The Project

In the past few years, visitation to Grand Gulch has increased exponentially. Trails within the canyon need constant upkeep.

We will drive part way and then hike to a different work site each day. Although the exact nature of our work project will be determined at a later date, the work will be largely trail maintenance and may include clearing brush, building trail tread, and possibly doing some trail closures at archaeological sites. We might also build water bars for erosion control and re-route trails around sensitive areas.

Getting There

It is probably most economical to fly into Salt Lake City or Albuquerque and carpool with other trip members. It’s about a six-hour drive from either city. Flights are also available into Cortez, Colorado -- about a 2.5-hour drive -- but they are much more expensive. Please allow extra time on both ends of the trip to get to your flight. The leader will provide participants with further information and detailed directions for the trip. Some of our work projects may entail driving on rough, off-highway roads; if you have a high-clearance vehicle please bring it and we'll carpool together.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will be car camping at the rustic group campsite near the Kane Gulch Ranger Station on the rim of a beautiful side canyon. The road going into the campsite is short (less than 1/4 mile) but rocky; low-clearance vehicles will have to drive slowly. There are lots of individual camping places near the main group campsite and there's a rock ledge on the canyon rim where participants can park (and sleep in) their vehicles.

Come with the attitude that food is part of the adventure. While we try to surprise our trip members with the variety and quality of our meals, trip menu planning considers that there may be no refrigeration and food must be protected from animals. We serve a delicious, nutritious, vegetarian-friendly menu with various meat, nut, dairy, and soy products to provide ample protein. Before applying for the trip, we strongly encourage people with food allergies and/or strong food preferences to contact the cook to see whether reasonable accommodation can be made.

We have a group commissary with everyone taking turns assisting in food preparation and cleanup. All meals are included in the trip price, beginning with dinner on day one and ending with breakfast on the final day.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is considered moderately strenuous. Trail maintenance is very physical work, but it usually includes a range of tasks to fit varying abilities. Our daily hikes to and from the work project can also add to the challenge.

Weather conditions can be extremely variable this time of year. Be prepared for everything from 80 degrees and sunny to below-freezing and snowy. Nights are guaranteed to be chilly. A warm sleeping bag is a must!

Health and safety are high priorities on our outings, and we find that self-awareness and preparation by everyone involved can go a long way toward ensuring a successful and enjoyable week.

Equipment and Clothing

The Bureau of Land Management will provide the tools and training for the work project. In addition to your regular camping gear, come prepared to work with sturdy boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and leather work gloves. You will need a day pack to carry your lunch, water, rain gear, sunscreen, etc.

We will provide food and the equipment for cooking it. You will need personal eating utensils, such as a bowl, cup, and spoon. A plastic food container with a tight-fitting lid is necessary to carry your lunch to the work site daily.

We will also provide a first-aid kit for emergencies, but you should bring your first-aid kit with any personal medications you require. A full list of needed equipment will be sent to you after you've been accepted onto the trip. If you have questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with the trip leader.

References

• Blackburn, Williamson, Cowboys and Cavedwellers: Basketmaker Archaeology In Utah's Grand Gulch.
• Hillerman, Tony, A Thief of Time. A novel.
• Mcnitt, Frank, Richard Wetherill -- Anasazi, Pioneer Explorer of Southwestern Ruins. A biography.
• Muench, David and Polly Schaafsma, Images in Stone.
• Roberts, David, In Search of the Old Ones -- Exploring the Anasazi World of the Southwest.

• The Bureau of Land Management's Monticello website: http://www.blm.gov/utah/monticello
• You can purchase maps, books, and other informative materials on hiking, and the natural history and archaeology of the area at the Canyonlands Natural History Association: http://www.cnha.org

Conservation

All Sierra Club domestic trips are conducted on land originally inhabited by Native Americans. Our Grand Gulch service trip is within the Bears Ears National Monument in an area currently administered by the BLM. Many Native American people have long-standing ties to the Bears Ears cultural landscape. Several southwestern tribes (Ute Mountain Ute, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah Ouray) trace their ancestry to the peoples who populated the region since time immemorial, building ancient roads, shrines, pit houses, pueblos, great houses, kivas, and cliff dwellings – the remains of which still grace the landscape today. Bountiful rock paintings and petroglyphs also decorate cliffs and boulders throughout the region.

We will be discussing the significance of the Native presence in this area and the ongoing controversy over the establishment of the national monument. For a recent history of the creation of Bears Ears National Monument and how Native people were instrumental in the original creation and administration of the national monument, visit Friends of Cedar Mesa. The Bears Ears Coalition has been one of the major organizations supporting the reestablishment of the original boundaries of Bears Ear NM. The Native American Rights Fund has been also involved with the legal battle for Bears Ears NM. 

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.