Moab BLM, DePaul University Alternative Spring Break, UT

Dates

Mar 18th - Mar 24th 2012

Service Project

Trail maintenance and re-construction

Free Days

Day hiking, photography, river swimming, scenic drives

Accommodations

Tent camping in established campsite

Trip Rating

Active : Digging, raking, lopping, rock moving, some lifting

Leaders

Frank MacMurray
John Washo

Equipment

Located in the heart of the Colorado Plateau, the Bureau of Land Management\'s Moab Field Office encompasses 1.8 million acres of scenic canyon country. Carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers, Moab\'s public lands include a vast variety of arches, natural bridges, mesas, and spires. These lands comprise an internationally recognized recreation destination. The extraordinarily scenic and diverse landscape, the accessibility of the great rivers, the presence of interesting cultural and paleontological resources, and the opportunities for a wide range of recreational activities have made the Moab area very popular for those seeking outdoor experiences. Recreational opportunities range from casual sightseeing and hiking to more physically demanding activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing, and river running.

Our service project focuses on Trough Springs Canyon. This remote side canyon feeds into Kane Springs, a popular recreation canyon that runs into the Colorado River a few miles further downstream, and downstream from Moab. Trough Springs Canyon is proposed for wilderness designation in America\'s Redrock Wilderness Act, a citizen\'s bill pending before Congress. We\'ll conduct regular trail maintenance, cutting back overgrown vegetation, re-building water bars and reinforcing trail tread that\'s been degraded over time. If we finish the work in Trough Springs, we\'ll move to Negro Bill Canyon Wilderness Study Area, or to other sites such as Fisher Towers trail which rock climbers use to access world-class routes. We\'ll camp right next to the Colorado River at the Big Bend recreation area in a relatively secluded group site away from other campers, and make daily drives down the river road, through Moab, and out to Trough Springs.

This is a unique Alternative Spring Break opportunity and an exclusive partnership for DePaul University students only.

Check out more photos from last year\'s Moab BLM project in our gallery.