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Wilderness Waters: Chiricahuas Short Springs Backpack
June 30, 2018, 7:00 am - July 1, 2018, 8:00 pm
Free
This will be a short backpack to assess some springs in the Chiricahua Wilderness. We won’t have lots of elevation gain total, but it is at high elevation.
SIA has taken on a project to help the Coronado National Forest inventory and assess water resources in the Galiuro, Miller Peak, Rincon, Chiricahua, Mt. Wrightson, Pajarita, and Santa Teresa Wilderness Areas. This weekend, we will be working to assess springs and other water resources in the Chiricahua Wilderness.
For these assessments, no special skills are necessary, but we are looking for strong hikers, and tracking skills, plant identification skills, invertebrate identification skills can be helpful. Prior spring assessment training or experience is preferred, but not required.
Trip Leader: Sami
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
7:00 Meet at SIA and pack up. Caravan/carpool out to Rustler Park. Drive an extra 2 miles on 4WD road to Long Park.
10:00 Backpack ~2.5 mi to Cima Park. Set up camp, eat lunch, and spend the afternoon doing 2 spring assessments.
Day 2
8:00 Pack up camp, and hike back towards Long Park, taking about a mile detour to do another 2 spring assessments on our way out.
~3:00 Arrive back at vehicles and drive home.
Pretty much all hiking should be on trail, with relatively little elevation gain, but between 9000-9500′.
Weather: Here’s a 7-day forecast you can keep an eye on. My guess is that we will likely see highs in the upper 70s, maybe lower 80s, and lows in the 50s, with a good chance for afternoon thunderstorms.
Water: There are a number of springs along the trail, including near the area we plan to camp.
Food: Bring your own food. You are welcome to collaborate with other folks coming on the trip, though.
Gear: Bring your usual gear for an overnight backpack, including raingear! Closed toed shoes are required for working on the forest, and long sleeves and pants are recommended. If you need to carry an EpiPen, please bring it.
Springs gear: Make sure to save some room in your pack for some springs gear that SIA will provide (1-2 liters of space).
Questions: Email [email protected] (or call me 624 7080 x16)
Vehicles: We will bring the 4WD SIA truck that can carry 2-3 additional people. We will need some other volunteers to drive 4WD vehicles, or if necessary, we could bring good clearance 2WD vehicles and hike an additional 1.75 miles each way. If you can drive your 4WD vehicle, use the “4WD Driver” to register. If not, use the “Rider” link.