101 Main St / P.O. Box 118 Bluff, Utah 84512-0118 Fax (435) 672-2365 Toll Free (800) 422-7654 |
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 The 2008 Great San Juan Slickhorn Adventure
Location: San Juan River, Slickhorn Canyon 
OverviewWild Rivers Expeditions and Far Out Expeditions are proud to team up again to offer one of the finest canyon expeditions on the Colorado Plateau in 2008. This 11 day trip combines a 5 day, 67-mile San Juan River section with a 6 day, 18-mile back packing section to the top of Slickhorn Canyon.Focusing on human prehistory and wilderness exploration, both legs of the journey will explore some of the Southwest's most intriguing archaeological sites--including Butler Wash and Desecration petroglyph panels , River House cliff dwelling, and the much less explored and archaeologically-rich Slickhorn Canyon. A collaboration between two of the Colorado Plateau's finest and most reputable outfitters, this well-provisioned trip features caring, professional guides and unparalleled interpretation of the canyons' archaeology, geology and natural history. Spaces are limited, back packing-appropriate physical conditioning is a must, and GPS units are strongly discouraged. ItineraryThe first segment of the trip, days one through five, will be handled by WRE; based in Bluff for 50 years with an exceptional record of offering educational trips along the beautiful San Juan River. From the base of Slickhorn Canyon on day 6, FOE will lead the backpack trip out of the canyon for the last six days. Guiding for over 20 years on Cedar Mesa, FOE guides share their passion for and knowledge of the ancient cultures and the landscape in which they lived.We'll meet the evening of September 7th at Wild Rivers headquarters in Bluff for trip orientation. Our journey will begin in earnest the following morning, launching in rafts and, for those who would like, inflatable kayaks, from Sand Island near Bluff. Our first day and a half will focus on visiting prehistoric sites in the San Juan River corridor, including Butler rock art panel, River House (or snake house) ruin, Desecration rock art panel and the panels and ruins in Chinle Wash. In visiting these sites, we’ll learn about periods of human occupation spanning archaic hunter-gatherer cultures through more recent Ancestral Puebloan farmers. The canyon narrows on day two as the river cuts into Lime Ridge, where desert bighorn sheep are often seen along the bank. We’ll learn about hundreds of millions of years of geologic history as rock layers are exposed along the river’s bank. On day three, once downstream of Mexican Hat, we enter the remote lower canyon. Here the river cuts deep into the Monument Upwarp, snaking its way through the Goosenecks and re-exposing millions of years of geologic history. Depending on the river’s speed, we’ll do day hikes on days four and five. On the Honaker Trail, an old prospector trail on the north side of the river, we’ll “rim out” at the canyon’s edge, where big canyon country views abound. On day five we’ll enjoy the pools, springs and hanging gardens at the mouth of Slickhorn Canyon where we’ll camp for the final night on the river. Aside from visiting prehistoric sites, day-hiking and exploring side canyons, our days will be leisurely and fun – taking in the scenery, reading, swimming, learning, joking and the like. Each day we’ll arrive at camp in the late afternoon or early evening – in time to make camp and for the guides to prepare dinner. Evenings will be spent stargazing, storytelling, enjoying each other’s company and the warm desert nights. Vaughn Hadenfeldt, owner of FOE will be along on the entire 11-day adventure, sharing stories and interpretation along with the great WRE crew. On the first day of our backpack journey, we should only have to hike as far as 4 miles to our first camp which offers a multitude of boulder-rock-art images from the archaic and Basketmaker periods. The entire hike from the river to our shuttle vehicle at the head of Slickhorn is only 18 miles but it is uphill and there are no maintained trails. There will be many opportunities for day-hikes and side-excursions as we make our way up Slickhorn. We hope to make camp in the same spot for a couple of nights allowing us a solid day of exploring without having to carry our backpacks. In this canyon some of the finest rock art, extraordinary ruins and grand scenery abound. Over many years, Vaughn has spent hundreds of days and nights in Slickhorn exploring its mysteries. It is one of his favorite places on Cedar Mesa and he is excited to share the canyon’s unique highlights. Remember, once the boats leave, you are committed to backpack out of Slickhorn. You must be in reasonable physical condition and be able to carry your gear and your share of group equipment. The typical way to visit Slickhorn Canyon is to hike down and back up again. On this adventure, we will have the luxury of seeing it all without having to backtrack! The FOE shuttle will meet us at the trailhead to bring us back to Bluff. Suggested ReadingHUMAN PREHISTORYIce Age Peoples Of North America: Environments, Origins, and Adaptations Robson Bonnickson, ed. Humans at the End of the Ice Age : The Archaeology of the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition Lawrence Strauss Ed. The Long Summer: How Climate Changed Civilization Brian Fagan Those Who Came Before Robert and Florence Lister Enemy Ancestors Gary Matlock Ancient Ruins of the Southwest David Noble Indian Rock Art of the Southwest Polly Schaafsma Richard Witherill: Anasazi Frank McNitt The Book of Navajo Raymond Locke The Book of Hopi Frank Waters Collapse Jared Diamond HISTORY Traders of the Navajo Frances Gillmore and Louise Wetherill Explorations of the Colorado River and its Canyons John Wesley Powell Hole in the Rock Expedition David Miller San Juan County, Utah Allan Kent Powel Anchored Lariats on the San Juan Frontier Norma Perkins Young Encounters With the Archdruid John McPhee River Runners of the Grand Canyon David Lavender Crossing the Next Meridian Charles Wilkinson Fire on the Plateau Charles Wilkinson Mormon Country Wallace Stegner The Gathering of Zion Wallace Stegner Conversations on History and Literature Wallace Stegner Reopening the Western Frontier People's History of Wilderness Water in the West High Country News Books (various authors and editors, see: www.hcn.org) Reclaiming the Native Home of Hope Robert Keiter New Genesis : M ormon Reader on Land and Community Terry Tempest Williams, Ed. Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water Mark Reisner Glen Canyon Before Lake Powell Eleanor Inskip GEOLOGY The Colorado Plateau Don Baars Geology of the Canyons of the San Juan Don Baars San Juan Canyons (River Guide) Don Baars and Gene Stevenson Life in Stone: Fossils of the Colorado Plateau Christa Saddler NATURAL HISTORY The Ice-Age History of Southwestern National Parks Scott A. Elias Packrat middens: The last 40,000 years of biotic change Julio Betancourt & Tom Van Devender A Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country David Williams Eating Stone Ellen Meloy Wind in the Rock Ann Zwinger Run River Run Ann Zwinger Desert Plants of Utah Berniece A. Andersen Grasses of the Southwestern United States Frank W. Gould Sibley Field Guide to North American Birds David Allan Sibley Singing Stone Thomas Lowe Fleischner A Field Guide to Mammals A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians A First Guide to Insects of North America A First Guide to Butterflies and Moths These are all Peterson Guide Books OTHER FICTION AND NON-FICTION Desert Solitaire Abbey The Monkey Wrench Gang Abbey The Sound of Mountain Water Wallace Stegner A Thief of Time Tony Hillerman Listening Woman Tony Hillerman The Dark Wind Tony Hillerman Coyote Waits Tony Hillerman Coyote's Canyon Terry Tempest Williams Pieces of White Shell Terry Tempest Williams Red Terry Tempest Williams Refuge Terry Tempest Williams Ceremony Leslie Mormon Silko Waterlines Ann Weiler Walka |