4th Semi-Annual Painted Desert Rendezvous - Dates Changed

[PaleoRob]

Update: Date has changed again, due to a myriad of issues. Date now TBD April/early May

Alright, its December. What does that mean, beside that 2009 is rushing at us at ungodly speed? It means that although barely a month has gone by, I am already doing some plotting for the 4th Semi-Annual Painted Desert Rendezvous, and I'd like to bounce some ideas off of you who are potentially interested.

As a recap to those who haven't been, the idea behind the SAPDR is for folks to get together and explore a little wedge of the Painted Desert. Works well since generally our destinations have been about equal travel time for Phonecians and myself. We hike about in a somewhat aimless fashion, sometimes following leads from rangers, archaeologists, or my own personal hunches and experiences, finding fossils, rock art, ruins, pottery, and pretty rocks. The goal isn't massive miles, it is more about seeing what is out there in a little-explored region of our state that I (and others) happen to find fascinating. In the past it has been a combination between dayhikers and backpackers. There's something for everyone.

So, that little bit out of the way, here's some thoughts. Just tossing them out here to see what sticks.

Accommodations: The past 3 trips have been generally backpacking based, and this has worked out well, especially since our camps have been close enough to the trailhead to allow dayhikers freedom to explore as well. However there were some suggestions before this last excursion about motels and car camping ("gentlemen camping" as Randal might call it). Thoughts on any of this? There's no developed camping within the Petrified Forest, but the PeFo is but a small part of the Painted Desert. Developed campgrounds exist at Homolovi State Park and could be used as a base-camp. Those not wanting to camp would have motels in the area to chose from that are close to Homolovi. Upside is more gear and food we could use at the basecamp, downside being we're not in the middle of the wilderness and there is a fee.

Destinations: The last three trips have all generally been centered around the PeFo, which has been fine. There is lots to explore in the PeFo, and we've just begun to scratch the surface (even though I've been hiking out there for a decade now). But, as I mentioned above, the PeFo is just a little slice of the Painted Desert and some during our last outing suggested branching out. Well I've got a pretty big list of things I've got on my mind in terms of the Painted Desert, some outside the park, so here's a breakdown of some.
Black Falls Crossing - On the Navajo Nation, just across the LCR from Wupatki National Monument. I know very little about the area, but it is within the PD and due to its proximity to Wupatki there are likely lots of ruins. Crossing the LCR could be difficult to impossible in the spring however
Chavez Pass Pueblo - not in the PD per say, but it was an important and very large gateway pueblo between the LCR communities and the Mogollon Rim/Salt-Verde River basins to the south. This would be a simple dayhike/possible base (car) camp.
Chinde Mesa - within PeFo, it is the large, low mesa you see due north from the Painted Desert Inn. About a 10 mile round trip - probably a 5 mile backpack to give us time to explore and check things out in the area. Would probably end up taking up most of the time of the PDR, which is ok.
Hibbard Road - North of Hibbard is some state trust land that I've been out on several years back. There's some petroglyphs and fossils in the area that I know of, and I've got vague directions and tantalizing descriptions of some other stuff out there. It isn't as multicolored as the rest of the PD, as it is primarily composed of Moenkopi sandstones.
Holbrook Petroglyph Park - A ?city park located near the golf course. Haven't been there myself, and the road is short but kinda iffy, but the pictures of the 'glyphs I've seen look kinda cool
Homolovi Ruins State Park - More of a quick destination/base camp than a location for thorough exploration, it none-the-less provides a glimpse into the ancient inhabitants of the PD. And a handy potential base camp
Little Painted Desert County Park - Don't know much about it, though I've driven by it a few times. Supposed to have several miles of hiking trails into the Chinle badlands. Just north of Homolovi. Probably no camping/backpacking possibilities, but close enough to other things to make it a day trip.
Mountain Lion Mesa - Destination of the last PDR. Lots of stuff in the immediate vicinity we didn't get to explore, and further reading suggests other items of interest in the nearby areas as well
Ward Terrace - Stretches on Moenave benches and Chinle slopes from near Tuba City to Black Falls Crossing area. There was an article by Scott Thybony in AZH, November of 2006. Crazy hoodoos, arches, dinosaur tracks, and prehistoric ladles are all pictured, but I have little experience in the area myself.

So, there's a list of some of the places I've been looking to explore/get back to along with a few non-backpacking options for those who may not want to backpack. What do you all think about these? I want to get things organized a little bit sooner than the previous PDR.

[Randal_Schulhauser]

All sound like interesting possibilities. I have an area that's intrigued me since I hiked into Coal Mine Canyon - the nearby canyons mentioned in this hike description http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=980 ;

It should be part of National Park made up of the Moencopi canyons of Coal, Ha Ho No Geh, Bat, and Blue


Also curious about "Dinosaur Canyon" in the PD. Vague descriptions, but I'm sure you have some insight Rob...

[PaleoRob]

Dinosaur Canyon - no experience myself, but from what I've read and seen on one map I can no longer find, it seems like a short defile near/on Ward Terrace. The reading on it was geology papers, so there wasn't really much to tell me about its hiking potential/scenic highlights. I too am interested in the Coal Mine Canyon area, don't know much about it myself, but my brief glimpses in and other folks photos look pretty dang cool.

[azbackpackr]

Rob, as usual I don't know from one day to the next what I'll be doing. I will watch this thread, though. I might be back home in the White Mtns. by then.

[PaleoRob]

Good deal, hope you can make it. Let us know when you'll be back around (when you know), since the date is up in the air.

[big_load]

Timing is important for me, and what is or isn't good timing won't be clear for a while. I'll stay tuned, though.

[SuperstitionGuy]

So is the goal to assist the rangers and archaeologists in finding and identifying fossils, rock art, ruins, pottery, etc. and then GPS'ing their locations?

[PaleoRob]

So is the goal to assist the rangers and archaeologists in finding and identifying fossils, rock art, ruins, pottery, etc. and then GPS'ing their locations?

Not really. During the 2nd SAPDR we turned in the location for a ladle and part of a bowl weathering out, and they didn't care. Interesting paleo stuff might be different, since I know the park paleontologist, but so far we haven't found anything worthy of reporting. Yet.

[PaleoRob]

I'm leaning towards a Homolovi base camp with Hibbard Road and Painted Desert Park or Chavez Pass Pueblo as the exploration locations. Thinking late March/early April, perhaps. Any thoughts on this?

[big_load]

That sounds interesting. I don't have anything booked yet around then, but the calendar will fill in as it gets closer.

[Randal_Schulhauser]

I'm leaning towards a Homolovi base camp with Hibbard Road and Painted Desert Park or Chavez Pass Pueblo as the exploration locations. Thinking late March/early April, perhaps. Any thoughts on this?

Homolovi base camp works for me. Early April preferred date (have some business travel slated for mid-March)...

[PaleoRob]

Alright. I've set it as April 11th for the time being. My birthday is the 3rd, so that weekend (4th-5th) I think we're going to be out and about someplace else.

[oliverr99]

I might go on this too, depending when our AIMS tests are and my fianancial situation and see how Bullet Canyon goes, lol.

[PaleoRob]

I'm looking into alternate base camp locations in case Homolovi is closed by the time this rolls around.

[fotogirl53]

I'm very interested, but the date needs to be firmed up before I can commit. I looks like Homolovi will be closed, but I will probably just do a true day hike from Flagstaff anyway. The earlier triplogs make PeFo sound great. Have you read that the private land in the area is for sale? Some areas may end up off limits in the future.

[PaleoRob]

The date I've got picked out is the 11th-12th, which also happens to be Easter, I believe. Provided the weather is good, we can car camp near Chavez Pass, but that's not really in the Painted Desert. I've gotta go over my land ownership maps again and see if I can find some BLM land that's close/in the PD and has decent vehicle access...

[oliverr99]

I am unable to make it that weekend. I have other plans. Have fun!

[PaleoRob]

Sorry to hear that you won't be able to make it. Maybe in the fall.

Anyone else confirming or dropping out at this point? At the moment, it looks like just me "for sure," so I'm just curious if the weekend isn't working, or people just know their schedules yet.

[Randal_Schulhauser]

Rob - the Arizona Archeological Society State Meeting is to be held at Homolovi in April. I haven't seen a date published for this meeting yet, but was planning to attend this with my wife. Don't know if the impending closure of Homolovi State Park is confounding the logistics...

Given the AAS event and the closeness of our Grand Gulch adventure, my participation in the 4th SAPDR is "tenuous" at best...

[PaleoRob]

Gottcha.

The dirt I heard was that all other state parks that have not already been closed now should remain open until June 1st at least. Of course that could be subject to change at any time, I suppose.