Grand Gulch!

Folks,
At 10:00 am 3/20/09 - Meet at UNM Continuing Ed.
Barring an armed rebellion (a distinct possibility), or natural disaster - we are planning on leaving for the Grand Gulch on Thursday noon.

The first night (friday) that we spend in the area will be at the Valley of the Gods. This will be car camping. Following this (saturday, sunday, maybe monday nights) we will be in the grand gulch canyon backpacking.

Our decision:
We are going to split into three groups, each leaving at different trailheads. The three trailheads are Kane Gulch ranger station, Bullet Canyon trail, and Collins Canyon trailheads. We will have the opportunity to do some incredible hikes!

Your decision:
You must decide which group you will hike with. We are looking at groups of about 7-8 students with 1 faculty each. At some point we can look over a map and decide the route each group will take.

Options:
This map gives a good overview of the area but without trails labeled.

The distances between trailheads are here.

One long hike option is this:
Kane to Collins is 38 miles:
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=198462

But I think that option is tough to do with our schedule. So, most groups will cover 8-12 miles a day and end up at the same trailhead that they started at.

Some things that are not allowed in the canyon are: building fires, taking or damaging artifacts, damaging vegetation and defacing rocks. (We are allowed to have fires at Valley of the Gods).

Leave no trace!

My equipment list: (yours may vary)
pack
pack cover (garbage bag)
flashlight
blade
whistle
map
compass
(gps)
toiletries
foot care (moleskin)
tp - wet wipes
sunscreen
sunglasses
water filter
stove, firestarter
plastic spoon,fork,knife
fuel
water bottle
waterproof shell
waterproof pants or poncho (or umbrella)
waterproof shoes or good boots
teva sandals
tent, or bivy, or tarp
tent footprint (garbage bag or tarp)
sleeping pad
sleeping bag 20 deg minimum
long underwear/fleece pants
synthetic long-sleeve shirt
fleece sweatshirt
gloves

My food list:
snacks: nuts, trailmix, granola bars, jerky
breakfast: instant oatmeal, hot chocolate, coffee, tea, sugar
lunch: rice cakes with peanut butter and jelly
dinner: instant soup, top ramen, cup o' noodles, instant mashed potatoes
drinks: koolaid, tea, emergenC
dessert: girl scout cookies!

Remember: the lighter the better - for enjoyment of the hike, fewer blisters, and speed.

Bring the lightest warmest clothes, leave the canned peaches at home. I sometimes put just enough sunscreen, or toothpaste in a ziploc. Bring ricecakes instead of bread. Split the load - not everyone needs a water filter and a separate tent, stove and cookware. Do you really need to bring jeans and 4 changes of t-shirts and underwear? Well....maybe the rest of us will appreciate it but your feet will not!

JA