DATE: October 10 – 12, 2010

THE PLACE: Chaco Canyon, a major center of Puebloan culture between AD 850 and 1250.

This is an opportunity to spend your holiday weekend with a purpose. Join renowned archaeologist John Kantner as he leads us on a tour of the ruins and explains the history of this culture, giving us the latest thinking in the archaeological community on these fascinating structures. John is a scholar at the School of Advanced Research in Santa Fe and author of many articles on Chaco Canyon. He makes clear in his writings that Chaco is a park for the mind.

More than 20,000 acres of land inside the park qualify as Wilderness, and since the 1970s the conservation community has worked for Wilderness designation. Since that time, however, oil and gas development has exploded in the region. When Chaco Canyon was created, in 1907, few could have predicted that one hundred years later this magnificent park would be threatened by a myriad of development schemes.

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is working to see that these wild and culturally important lands are given full Wilderness protection. We are also looking at lands on the periphery of the park to see if any could be included in a Wilderness proposal. These peripheral lands would create a buffer for the park and halt the development of any new roads that would open remote parts of the park to vandalism.

THE PROJECT: We will be working with park staff on archaeological and historical presentations for the day hikes and for the evening event around the campfire.

MEALS: Breakfast Saturday morning. Dutch oven dinner Saturday night.

MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS: 20

PROJECT LEADER: Craig Chapman

REGISTER for this event. There is a $10.00 administrative fee due at registration.

DRIVING DISTANCE: 3 hours NW of Albuquerque