DatesMay 31st - Jun 6th 2009 Service ProjectExotic plant removal - tamarisk Free DaysHiking, photography, explore rock art & ruins, wildlife viewing AccommodationsBackpack camping Trip RatingStrenuous : 4 mile backpack, lopping, sawing. Pack animal supported. LeadersPeyton Hutton Equipment |
The Dark Canyon Wilderness, designated by Congress in 1984, is a spectacular desert forest canyon wilderness covering over 47,000 acres. The greater area of the Dark Canyon complex is rich in biological, geological, archaeological, and historical significance, and is also one of the most colorful canyon systems on the Colorado Plateau. Dark Canyon begins on Elk Ridge at an elevation of 8,800 feet then cuts through Cedar Mesa sandstone formations dramatically framed amidst a forest of ponderosa pine on its 5,000-foot descent to the upper reaches of Lake Powell. Dark Canyon was the ancestral home of puebloan peoples for 5,000 years. They built cliff-dwellings and grain storage warehouses, made pottery in a variety of styles, fashioned tools from the mineral resources of the canyon, and planted the mesa tops with maize & squash. It is remote, harsh, and spectacularly beautiful. On our free day we will explore the canyons, and on the way home after the trip there are other prehistoric sites and museums to visit. Our work project consists of cutting, treating and removing exotic tamarisk plants, an invasive species that is presenting habitat and water problems across the western U.S. Tamarisk is not a high elevation plant, so it doesn't show up until we reach lower elevations, down by the scarce water sources in Dark Canyon. Trail Canyon lies on the western edge of the Wilderness Area, about three miles upstream from the Dark Canyon's confluence with it's largest tributary, Woodenshoe Canyon. We'll backpack four miles down through Trail Canyon to its confluence with Dark Canyon, establishing a basecamp near a spring from which we'll filter and treat water. This is a remote tent camping opportunity in a spectacular Colorado Plateau redrock canyon. Some group food will be carried in on our backs. Tools, kitchen gear, and the majority of food will be horse-packed in by Forest Service staff.
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