Boles Creek Survey VII 2016 - Passport in Time

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California - Modoc NF
Closed! Boles Creek Archaeology: Rock Rings, Rock Stacks, & Rock Art VII

boles By USDA Forest Service/M. Pamela Bumsted
Petroglyphs along Boles Creek


CA-4307
July 18-22, 2016

Must commit to entire session

Join us this July as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act through our seventh sojourn into The Devil’s Garden and Boles Creek! The Devil’s Garden is an expansive, prehistoric lava flow with sparse vegetation, rough, broken basalt, juniper trees, and sage brush flats, in a semi-arid region that covers approximately 500,000 acres of the Modoc National Forest. The Boles Creek system cut through this difficult and broken terrain long ago. It was home to a variety of prehistoric peoples, evidenced by numerous archaeological sites containing rock rings, rock stacks, and rock art (petroglyphs). In 1985 and 1987, inventories of Boles Creek identified many of these sites, but they were limited in scope and superficial in their descriptions. As such, we’ll return to Boles Creek this year to continue our in-depth study of the cultural footprints left behind by the area’s prehistoric inhabitants. For one week this July, PIT volunteers and FS staff will survey and record archaeological sites and features along Boles Creek. This year’s data will be added to our mounting collection and, as in years past, will be used to put together a nomination for the area’s placement on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). So, bring your backpacks and hiking boots, and join us this summer as we hike through the past in The Devil's Garden!

Number of openings: 10

Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking moderate distances over very rough, rocky terrain each day, and in a variety of weather conditions; previous archaeological survey and/or drawing/sketching skills helpful, but not required

Minimum age: 14 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult

Facilities: Accommodations (motels, camping, RV parks) available in Alturas; facilities vary, reservations recommended; volunteers responsible for lodging/personal camping equipment, food, water, and daily transportation to designated meeting areas (we encourage carpooling to reduce the number of vehicles)

Nearest towns: Alturas, 45 miles; Canby, 25 miles

Applications due: June 6, 2016

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