CO-3961
September 26-October 1, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to full session
Located in the rugged canyon country of southeastern Colorado, the tributaries of the Cimarron River shelter a wide variety of archaeological sites, including prehistoric quartzite quarries and habitation areas, rock art, and 19th and early 20th-century homesteads. Once again, PIT volunteers and Forest Service staff will thoroughly explore the canyons to record sites and features. Project tasks will include map reading, artifact identification, basic lithic analysis, photography, site mapping, and botany. Join us for another year of exploration in this little-known corner of Colorado!
Number of openings: 5
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking moderate to long distances each day over rough terrain and in highly variable weather conditions; previous archaeological survey, lithic analysis, artifact identification, and/or photography experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 16 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Camping available at no charge for tents and small (pop-up) trailers near project area; vault toilet, no potable water, no hook-ups; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, food, water, and transportation
Nearest towns: Pritchett, 23 miles; Kim, 28 miles; Springfield, 38 miles
Applications due: July 25, 2010
CO-3914
May 2-8, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to minimum of three days
Picketwire Canyonlands is a deeply carved, rugged valley along the Purgatoire River drainage with exposures of Late Triassic (~208 mya) through Late Cretaceous age (~65 mya) rock formations. The canyon is famous as home to one of the largest known assemblages of dinosaur track-ways and a wealth of archaeological resources. PIT volunteers, FS paleontologists, and Denver Museum of Nature and Science staff will once again excavate, stabilize, and record fossilized dinosaur bone accumulations in the Canyonlands' Morrison Formation. Accumulations are known to date to the Jurassic-period (~200 mya), and include bones of both sauropod brontosaurs, such as Apatosaurus and Camarasaurus) and theropod (meat-eaters, such as Allosaurus) dinosaurs. Other activities PIT volunteers will enjoy include further exploration of the canyon for fossil occurrences, and excavation of a small area of theropod track-ways.
We have limited slots available and will accept applications for them until they're filled, so submit your applications today. See you in May for our 15th season!
Number of openings: 3
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking long distances each day over rough and steep terrain in remote areas and in a variety of weather conditions; previous experience in paleontological field methods is helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: FS housing at no charge at Canyonlands bunkhouse; full kitchen, bath facilities, other amenities; camping space available at bunkhouse for tents and small campers, no hookups; no commercial lodging available, as access to the area is limited; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment or bedding, food, and drinking water; in the past, evening meals have often been pooled (optional)
Nearest towns: La Junta, 35 miles
Applications due: Filled!
CO-3897
June 6-11 , 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to minimum of three days
The Picketwire Canyonlands is a spectacularly remote and rugged wildland that contains an archeological treasure trove. A great variety of prehistoric and historic sites, including ruins dating to a thousand years ago, camps used by the antecedents of local historic tribes, picturesque rock art panels from all periods, and even Hispanic pioneering homesteads of the 19th century and remnants of historic ranching operations. Forest Service archaeologists and PIT volunteers will once again survey the canyon for traces of these past cultures and prepare detailed records of what is discovered. Volunteers will share in specialized tasks during our exploration that will include photography, botany, site mapping, and rock art recording. Please join us for our 16th year of "Indiana Jones" adventure as we hide away from the maddening crowds in an area of untrammeled nature - this may also be your last chance to work with Al and Michelle!
Number of openings: 10
Special skills: Must be in good physical health and capable of hiking long distances each day over rough and steep terrain in remote areas, and in a variety of weather conditions; back-country hiking experience helpful; previous archaeological survey experience and/or experience related to archaeological survey methods such as photography, drawing, knowledge of botany or geology, rock art recording, and stone tool identification helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Lodging provided at no charge in Forest Service Canyonlands bunkhouse; full-service kitchen, showers and flush toilets; camping space available at bunkhouse for tents and small campers, no hookups; no commercial lodging available, as access to the area is limited; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment or bedding, food, and drinking water; in the past, evening meals have often been pooled (optional)
Nearest towns: La Junta, 35 miles
Applications due: April 4, 2010
CO-3935
August 8-16, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to minimum of five days
Join us for the 17th season in the historic Alpine Tunnel Historic District. Once again, we will work to restore facilities along the 1880s railroad narrow guage. Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of projects, including restoration and stabilization of several historic buildings, installation of railroad track, and placement of telegraph poles. The Alpine Tunnel District and its associated features were a very important part of Colorado's history, so we hope you'll join us in August for the PIT Program's longest running project!
Number of openings: 3
Special skills: Must be physically capable of sustained effort at elevations up to 11,000 feet during project hours each day; previous construction, restoration, carpentry, and/or related experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 10 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Dispersed tent camping at no charge within 13 miles of project area; chemical toilets; additional camping at FS Pitkin campground; water, toilets, RV spaces, no hook-ups, fees apply; Pitkin and Gunnison are full-service communities with hotels/motels, restaurants, and a full range of other amenities; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment/lodging, food, water, and transportation
Nearest towns: Pitkin, 13 miles; Gunnison, 30 miles
Applications due: June 6, 2010
CO-3942
July 13-20, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to full session
High-elevation landscapes have been used and occupied by humans for thousands of years. Sites now in wilderness above the timberline tell the stories of past peoples as they lived and traveled, hunted and worked. Unfortunately, such sites - especially here in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado - remain poorly understood today. We intend to change that. The goal of this PIT project is to find and begin to interpret the clues left behind for us in this area. This year, volunteers and FS staff will begin research at one of the most intriguing sites in the area. It is located at over 14,000 feet at the foot of the dramatic, flat-topped Uncompahgre Peak, one of Colorado's six highest peaks, and the highest in the San Juan Mountains. The site is situated in the alpine tundra of a glacial cirque adjacent to a permanent wetland, and contains thousands of flakes and stone tools. Participants will make a surface map of the site using a total station (electronic transit), test excavate a sample of the cultural deposit, and perform any additional inventory. Project participants will also get the opportunity to help a team of climatologists sample the wetland sediments for evidence of the site's paleoenvironment. On the last day, participants may even want to climb the peak! Top physical condition is a must!
Number of openings: 4 to 6
Special skills: This project will be very physically demanding; participants MUST be in excellent health and physically capable of hiking steep trails and working at high altitudes for long periods in a variety of weather conditions; previous archaeological excavation, mapping, prehistoric artifact identification, and/or total station experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 16 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Back-country, leave-no-trace tent camping 1.75 miles from work site; no facilities; meals provided; camp area is only accessible by high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles, so arrangements will be made to carpool participants to the camp; equipment will be packed to the site on horseback; participants will carry their own day gear round trip from camp to site each day; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment and packs, extra water, and transportation to initial carpool
Nearest towns: Lake City, 10 miles
Applications due: Filled!
CO-3888
March 22-26, 2010
Must commit to full session
The Pike-San Isabel National Forest will host a curation project at the Monument Fire Center (historically known as Monument Nursery), established May 1, 1907, and summer home of the Pike Hot Shots. It is located in beautiful central Colorado at the interface of the Great Plains and the eastern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Over the years, FS archaeologists on the Pike-San Isabel National Forest and Comanche-Cimarron National Grassland (PSICC) have accumulated materials while recording and evaluating historic and prehistoric sites. We need your help to properly curate these artifacts. Participants will help clean, identify, analyze, and package some of Colorado's most important cultural resources. We encourage both those with archeological curation experience and the interested neophyte to apply. In addition, if the weather permits, there may be an opportunity to conduct ground surveys or site and feature relocation activities associated with the nursery.
Number of openings: 8-10
Special skills: Archeological curation experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 16 years old; under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Housing provided in FS barracks at Monument Fire Center, ten rooms, restroom and showers, full kitchen (cook house); motels and full services located in Monument and Colorado Springs (make reservations well in advance); volunteers responsible for personal bedding and meals
Nearest towns: This office project will be conducted in the town of Monument; Colorado Springs, 10 miles
Applications due: January 18, 2010
CO-3951
August 23–27, 2010
Must commit to full session
Guanella Pass is located on the Continental Divide, west of Denver along scenic Park County Road 62 between the towns of Grant and Georgetown. Above tree line at 11,666 feet above sea level, with looming peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level and dramatic glacier-sculpted valleys, the pass is a spectacularly beautiful area. It was important in the prehistoric and historic past to both American Indians and European settlers as they traversed the area in search of resources. Historic occupations relate to homesteading, logging, mining, and ranching in the area, and date to the late 1800s. Prehistoric occupations in the area are known to date from as early as approximately 10,000 years ago.
Volunteers and Forest Service archaeologists will systematically survey the area to the south of the pass. We will concentrate our efforts in the valleys, and will record the prehistoric and historic sites and features we find along the way. The survey area is about 10,000 feet above sea level and is dominated by valley parks surrounded by steep mountains covered with lodge pole pine and hemlock forests. The Colorado high country is an ideal place to enjoy nature in late summer, with a hint of fall in the air.
The Forest Service will provide transportation to the project area from Geneva Park Campground. We encourage both the experienced and the interested neophyte to apply!
Number of openings: 6-8
Special skills: Volunteers must be in good physical health and be physically capable of hiking over moderate to steep terrain each day in a variety of weather conditions; archaeological survey, photography, and/or sketching experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Four camping sites will be reserved at Geneva Park Campground for tents and RVs (maximum length 20'); water, chemical toilets, no hook-ups; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, food, and transportation; Bailey is a small community with some lodging options and a couple of restaurants, but otherwise offers minimal services
Nearest towns: Bailey, 18 miles
Applications due: June 21, 2010
CO-3938
August 1–6, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to full session
Join the San Isabel National Forest Heritage Team as we explore prehistoric sites on the western slope of the Mosquito Mountain Range! The project area is located in the central Colorado Mountains between Buena Vista and Leadville, east of the Arkansas River. This area has been explored by wilderness rangers and hikers who have reported large prehistoric camps, teepee rings, and petroglyphs. However, the true extent of the occupation and use of this area in prehistoric times is unknown, and our survey will serve to further provide insight. PIT volunteers and Forest Service staff will conduct cultural resource surveys of the project area and record all new sites we encounter. As we create maps, take photographs, and log GPS coordinates for each of them, the area's story will begin to unfold and become clearer.
We will be hiking at high altitudes in rugged terrain, so good physical fitness is essential. The temperature during August is mild, with highs in the 70s and 80s. But, since we'll likely work up a sweat after hiking in the mountains, volunteers can take a dip in Twin Lakes! So, bring your bathing suit and beach chairs and join us for an exciting week in a very beautiful part of Colorado!
Number of openings: 8
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking moderate distances each day over very rough terrain in a variety of weather conditions; Previous archaeological survey and/or drawing/mapping skills helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Housing provided at no charge at Forest Service cabin at Twin Lakes; full kitchen, bath facilities, other amenities; tent and RV camping at cabin; no outdoor facilities or hook-ups; other camping available at Forest Service campgrounds located on and near Twin Lakes; facilities vary; limited lodging and amenities in Twin Lakes Village; Leadville and Buena Vista are full-service communities with hotels/motels, B&Bs, and a full range of other amenities; volunteers will share in preparing evening meals through organized potluck-type, "themed" dinners; volunteers responsible for personal bedding/camping equipment, food, water (during work hours), and transportation
Nearest towns: Twin Lakes, ~5 miles; Leadville, 20 miles, Buena Vista, 20 miles
Applications due: May 31, 2010
CO-3920
June 21-25, 2010
Must commit to full session
Pole Gulch is nestled above Pole Creek in the east foothills of Buffalo Peaks in central Colorado. From previous investigations, we know the regional area contains a high density of significant prehistoric and historic sites and artifacts. These preliminary investigations have suggested a temporal range of 7000 B.C. to A.D. 1870 for the various sites. PIT and F.S. staff will continue the systematic survey we started last year to record the numerous, remaining archaeological resources of Pole Gulch. We expect to find abundant prehistoric camp sites containing flaked and ground stone tools, and may even find they contain evidence of once culturally sacred trees. Ultimately, this work will help us to prepare a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) district nomination.
There is no doubt that volunteers will enjoy the project's scenery. Pole Creek is located at an elevation of 9,500 ft. with rolling terrain and moderate slopes. The area is an ideal location to enjoy nature, wildflowers, and the Colorado High Country in early summer. We encourage experienced archeological surveyors as well as interested neophytes to apply. We will have a group "ice breaker" dinner on Sunday, June 20, 2010, and there will be other fun diversions during the week. See you this summer!
Number of openings: 8
Special skills: Previous experience with archaeological survey and/or prehistoric and historic artifact identification helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: The F.S. will provide several camping spaces at Buffalo Springs Campground to be shared by project participants; pit/chemical toilets, water; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment and food; towns of Fairplay and Buena Vista are full-service communities with hotels/motels, restaurants, and a full range of other ammenities; F.S. will provide transportation to the project area from Fairplay and Buffalo Springs Campground
Nearest towns: Fairplay, 15 miles; Buena Vista, 23 miles; Breckenridge, 38 miles
Applications due: April 19, 2010