CA-4056
April 23-May 5, 2012 (including weekends)
Must commit to minimum of 6 days
Join us for another spring venture of the on-going "Footprints in the Past" project, initiated more than 12 years ago to examine prehistoric and historic settlement patterns in the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California! This year, PIT volunteers and Forest Staff will do additional "foot recon" to locate and record Native Californian residential sites and specialized activity locations along the margins of the western Mojave Desert. During our survey, we will map and document artifacts and features and prepare and update site forms. Daily field work will be outdoors in locations with no facilities. Our artifact cataloging and other project documentation will take place in a lodge facility during evening hours. Volunteers will be housed at no charge in dormitory-style cabins with twin-sized bunks, heaters, and full bathrooms (showers, sinks, and toilets). Volunteers will need to bring their own food, but we'll be able to prepare our meals in the associated lodge building, which has a very large kitchen and a dining hall. The work we complete will allow us to gain a better understanding of past land-use systems in a little known part of California. This investigation is not only expected to be fun, but also highly interesting, so we hope you'll be a part of the crew this spring!
Number of openings: 10
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking up to five miles each day over mountainous terrain, and in a variety of weather conditions; previous archaeological survey experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Housing provided at no charge at nearby youth camp facility; dormitory-style cabins; water, bunks, full bathroom; volunteers responsible for personal bedding and food; daily transportation from base camp to work locations provided by FS
Nearest towns: Wrightwood, 6 miles; Phelan, 15 miles; Palmdale, 35 miles
Applications due: February 20, 2012
CA-4058
May 7-11, 2012
Must commit to entire session
The Angeles National Forest needs your help to conduct an important archaeological survey in the San Gabriel Mountains! Our survey will focus on previously unsurveyed areas within the Mill and Upper Big Tujunga Watersheds. Most of this area is within the burn radius of the 2009 "Station Fire." This wildfire was the largest in Los Angeles County history, burning over 160,000 acres of vegetation on the Angeles National Forest. The area is known to contain both historic (cabin remains, mining activities, WWII-era plane crash remains) and prehistoric archaeological sites (Native Californian encampments). Passport in Time volunteers and Forest staff will conduct archaeological reconnaissance to identify and record any exposed sites. We will map, sketch, and photograph each site we find, and each will be plotted using a GPS unit. The fieldwork will be conducted in an area with no facilities, but this is a fantastic region to work in. We hope you'll join us in May for a hike into California's past!
Number of openings: 4
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking long distances each day over moderate to rough terrain, in a variety of weather conditions (mainly hot and dry with very little shade); previous archaeological survey, mapping, sketching, GPS, and/or photography experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Tent and RV camping available at no charge at Chilao Recreation Area; water, vault toilets, no hook-ups; La Cresenta and Arcadia are full-service communities with hotels/motels, restaurants, and a full range of other amenities; volunteers are responsible for own lodging/personal camping equipment, food, extra water, and transportation to designated meeting area; daily transportation between study area and designated meeting area provided by FS
Nearest towns: La Cresenta, 20 miles; Arcadia, 32 miles
Applications due: March 5, 2012
CA-4060
June 25-29; July 9-13; 23-27, 2012
Must commit to one entire session; may participate in more
Join us for our third year at Boles Creek! This area is an expansive, prehistoric lava flow with sparse vegetation, rough, broken lava rock, 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. We return to Boles Creek this year to continue our in-depth study of the cultural footprints left behind by the area's prehistoric inhabitants. PIT volunteers and FS staff will survey and record archaeological sites and features along Boles Creek over a period of three (3) weeks. Our collected data will be used to put together a nomination for placement on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Bring your backpacks and hiking boots join us this summer as we hike through the past in The Devil's Garden!
Number of openings: 30 (10 per session)
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking moderate distances over very rough, rocky terrain each day 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 transportation (we encourage car pooling to reduce the number of vehicles)
Nearest towns: Alturas, 45 miles
Applications due: April 23, 2012