Beef Basin Archaeological Area, UT Bureau of Land Management, Utah
DatesMay 3rd - May 9th 2009 Service ProjectRehabilitating off-road vehicle impacts near ancient ruins Free DaysHiking to and exploring ancient ruins AccommodationsTent or car camping Trip RatingActive : Raking, brushing, bending, shoveling LeadersHenry Whiteside Equipment |
Beef Basin is a largely unknown high desert valley sanwiched between much more famous nearby places such as Canyonlands National Park, Dark Canyon Wilderness and Cedar Mesa. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Monticello Field Office, Beef Basin is a treasure trove of ancient ruins, uniquely free-standing similar to those found in Hovenweep National Monument. The northern part of the valley is located inside Canyonlands NP boundary, but the southern portion is managed by BLM. The valley itself is really a northerly extension of the Cedar Mesa ecosystem featuring pinyon-juniper-sagebrush forest and ringed by redrock canyons. The aptly named Ruin Canyon is nearby and Gravel Canyon flows our of Beef Basin down into Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River. Mostly because BLM has less management emphasis on preservation, the area has seen much more use by off-road vehicles than similar lands within the park, where off-road vehicles are strictly regulated. Unfortunately, the sheer numbers of off-road vehicles in the Beef Basin area has led to degradation of the very reason one has to visit the remote area, the ruins themselves. Irresponsible or simply uneducated riders have created routes leading right up to many ruins, in more eggregious cases making roads completely around some ruins, significantly damaging ancient middens and fragile artifacts such as pottery and ruin walls. Our project targets rehabilitating impacts casued by vehicles. This includes work to obliterate tracks that approach ruins, brushing them out and raking away evidence of tracks. We'll also help BLM to reinforce good riding behaviors by installing educational signage and maps on bulletin boards so that people know how and where they can ride. To directly protect ruins and their associated middens, or trash piles, we'll also install thin chain barriers to cordon off those places the agency has determined should not be walked upon. The physical evidence of tracks can never be undone completely, but education combined with rehabilitation begins to get the message across that someone cares and that BLM is watching the area. This is a tent and car camping service trip, and up to four may sleep in a backcountry cabin. We'll drive out to the Beef Basin area and set up our camp nearby the cabin and worksites. BLM will provide tools and materials to complete the work, as well as provide a water tank for our use all week.
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