Description
This program is SOLD OUT. Life happens and cancellations do occur, so please add your name to the waitlist by sending an email to travel@crowcanyon.org.
Since time immemorial, Pueblo people have expressed innovation and sophistication in all aspects of their lives. Experience this for yourself with a respectful visit to Ancestral Pueblo homelands within Bears Ears National Monument. Employ your senses as we explore stunning landscapes and artforms imbued with story and memory. Hike among rock inscriptions and ancient cliff dwellings standing defiant against the forces of time. Learn ways of respectfully collecting, crafting with, and caring for locally foraged materials by creating your own cordage and seeing how sandals are made from yucca. Together, we build community and appreciation for a diversity of cultures, past and present.
Highlights
- Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of curated ancestral belongings at Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum. Jonathan will share items relating to the ancestral places we will visit.
- “I love walking mindfully through this sacred landscape in the company of old and new friends who share my deep feelings and passion for the history of these places.”— 2024 traveler
Itinerary
Registration limited to 10 participants.Meals, lodging, and transportation provided.
*(B, L, D) indicates meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Itinerary subject to change.
Sunday, October 12: Orientation at Crow Canyon
Gather in the evening for an opening celebration and dinner at Crow Canyon. This first night will set the stage as we center our hearts and minds and prepare for our collective journey of learning. Overnight Holiday Inn Express, Cortez, CO. (B)
Monday, October 13: Edge of the Cedars State Park & Museum | Westwater Creek
Learn how carefully curated artifacts offer clues to how ancestral communities relate to each other and their environment. Then head outside to see an ancestral pueblo with several kivas (“kiva” is a Hopi word for a special type of room or structure used primarily for religious and social ceremonies in present-day pueblos) connected to some of the ancient belongings we observed in the museum. When we get back to Blanding, Mary will teach us how to make yucca cordage. Overnight Stone Lizard Lodge, Blanding, UT (B, L, D)
Tuesday, October 14: Alkali Ridge
Today we venture to some lesser-known ancestral places within Bears Ears National Monument—one near a spring containing rock imagery attributed to the Archaic time period and another that is particularly well-known for its road segments. Overnight Stone Lizard Lodge, Blanding, UT (B, L, D)
Wednesday, October 15: Cedar Mesa
Road segments, pottery sherds, petroglyph panels, and a historic Navajo hogan describe the variety of encounters for this day. When we get back to Blanding, Mary will show us how yucca sandals are made. Overnight Stone Lizard Lodge, Blanding, UT (B, L, D)
Thursday, October 16: Comb Ridge
Starting in Butler Wash for our biggest hiking day, we will climb up Comb Ridge to see the Procession Panel (an extensive panel of rock imagery). Together, we investigate how Comb Ridge defines one of the most important geological features that ties together people settling here from different directions. Overnight Stone Lizard Lodge, Blanding, UT (B, L, D)
Friday, October 17: Cedar Mesa
This will be a wonderful day full of scenic viewscapes. We will walk to an ancestral place to see towers and a spring overlooking a stunning sandstone canyon. We will take the long way back to Colorado stopping to take in more breathtaking views as we drive up and around Elk Ridge, stopping at the base of the Bears Ears buttes. Overnight Holiday Inn Express, Cortez, CO (B, L, D)
Saturday, October 18: Departures from Cortez
After breakfast, we will provide shuttles to Cortez and Durango airports for departures. (B)
This program requires special permission from the Bureau of Land Management-Monticello Field Office; and Utah state SITLA lands.
Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California CST 2059347-50
Is this program right for me?
WHAT TO EXPECT This program involves van travel and hiking to access both front country and backcountry sites. Our most common van rides will vary from 20 to 40-minutes each way. Our longest van ride involves transport from Blanding, UT back to Cortez, CO which will have us in the van most of the day with several site visits to break up the sitting and gawking out van windows.
As the program progresses, we build on our hiking abilities to take us onto backcountry trails and routes. Expect some hikes to last up to 3 to 5 hours at a time on uneven, rocky, and sandy trails. One site takes us to the top of Comb Ridge, for an elevation gain of 1,000-feet. During our site visits, we may stand or sit on the ground to participate in discussion with our scholars.
ACCOMMODATIONS
We will spend the first and last nights in Cortez at a clean and comfortable hotel with a continental breakfast. The remaining four nights will be spent at Stone Lizard Lodge, a charming and comfortable Guest Lodge from which we will base our Bears Ears excursions each day. Stone Lizard Lodge is a staff favorite as each room is a bit different and has its own personality. The Stone Lizard will prepare gourmet meals for us which we will enjoy from their breakfast room and their beautiful and private courtyard.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How strenuous is the program? This program includes some strenuous hikes of up to five miles where you will carry a daypack.
How long are the hikes on the trip? The first few days involve short hikes of a mile or two. The last couple days involve extended hikes across uneven terrain in backcountry settings. Bring and carry your own daypack with water, food, and other items you may need.
How much elevation gain do the hikes have? Most hikes involve elevation gain of 100 to 200-feet. Our biggest hiking day involves hiking to the top of Comb Ridge, a 1000-foot elevation gain and descent.
What time does the program start on the first day? We will gather at 2:00 p.m. on the Crow Canyon Campus on the first day.
What time does the program end on the last day? Friday, October 17th is our last official day. It will be a very long day chock full of ancestral places, viewsheds, van travel, and a farewell dinner. Because it is such a full day, we have included a Friday night stay in a hotel in Cortez. We recommend sleeping in and departing anytime before 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 18th.
Will airport transfers be provided? For this program, Crow Canyon provides complimentary shuttle service to/from both Durango and Cortez airports.
Can I drive myself during the program? Can I bring an RV to stay in instead? You may drive your own vehicle to join our trip, though we prefer you ride in the vans with the group throughout the program. Personal vehicles (including RVs) can be parked on Crow Canyon campus or at the Holiday Inn Express for the duration of our program. RVs are acceptable to transport you to and from the program but will not be an option during our trip.
What if I have a dietary restriction? Please fill out your medical form and check with your Program Manager well in advance. We will do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions to your satisfaction.
WHAT NEXT?
Register online or contact us at travel@crowcanyon.org. Prior to the program start date, we will provide trip details, a packing list, and forms for you to complete. Please direct specific questions and concerns to the Program Manager, Adam Kackstetter at akackstetter@crowcanyon.org
Crow Canyon is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and contributions from supporters like you help fund our unique and important mission. Program tuitions cover only a portion of the cost to operate the Cultural Explorations travel programs. Generous donations support the remaining costs of designing highly customized programming such as this and enable us to provide scholarships for additional cultural advisors to attend the program and enhance the quality of your experience. DONATE HERE
