NV-3928
August 22-27, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to full session
Fort Ruby, at the southern end of Ruby Valley, was established in 1862 to protect overland routes in northeastern Nevada. Because Ruby Valley was so inhospitable, the soldiers stationed there offered to forfeit their pay to cover the cost of moving them from Ruby Valley to the Civil War battlefront. The military refused their offer. Therefore, the soldiers constructed a fort in Ruby Valley and, following their orders, rode the Overland Stage route to protect it. The Army abandoned the fort in 1869 and sold all the buildings to ranchers, who moved them off site. From the 1890s to 2002 the land was privately owned. The Treaty of Ruby Valley (1863) was signed at Fort Ruby. This Treaty was important to emigrant travelers and the Western Shoshone. It stipulated that the Shoshone would cease hostilities along the emigrant trails and the mail and telegraph lines. In return, the U.S. Government would grant them reservation lands, pay a monetary sum for subsistence, and compensate them for loss of game.
Fort Ruby has suffered from neglect, vandalism, and fire, but still has the potential to reveal information concerning historic life at the Fort. Although little remains on the surface, our excavations so far have revealed a chimney foundation and a few other structural features associated with the officer's housing. Knowing there is more beneath the surface, we can better focus our efforts this year. The fort is on land managed by the FS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archaeologists from both agencies will work with volunteers as we continue our search for structural remains and artifacts associated with the enlisted men and officers of Fort Ruby.
Number of openings: 10
Special skills: Previous excavation and/or drawing experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Camping available at nearby Ruby Valley campground, fees apply; pit toilets, water, RV spaces, no hookups; dispersed tent camping at no charge available closer to the fort; no services; a very small store with limited supplies is located approximately 20 miles north; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, food, water, and transportation
Nearest towns: Elko, 63 miles
Applications due: June 20, 2010
NV-3916
July 7-12, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to full session
The Gold Creek Guard Station was constructed in 1911 near the struggling mining town of Gold Creek, to serve as the Humboldt National Forest Supervisor's office. Following the demise of the town in 1916, the station was "downgraded" to become the headquarters for the Gold Creek Ranger District, and continued in that capacity for years. In the 1930s' New Deal Era, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made substantial improvements to the site, including structures intended to withstand the passage of time. In 1992, the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) due to its associations with initial Forest Service development and CCC construction.
Today, as a result of neglect and lack of use for many years, the station is showing its age. The District plans to put the station into service again, and repairs are needed. PIT volunteers and Forest staff will replace linoleum and paint, refinish wood flooring, and complete a variety of other tasks needed in the interiors of some of the buildings to make them more habitable. With your help, we will put the station back into the condition of its glory days!
Number of openings: 8
Special skills: Basic carpentry skills, floor refinishing, scraping, painting, and/or linoleum experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Limited tent and RV camping space at Ranger Station; chemical toilets provided, no hook-ups; camping also available at nearby (~2 miles) campground; vault toilets, no hook-ups; motel, RV spaces with hook-ups, and other amenities available at Wildhorse Resort; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, food, water, and transportation
Nearest towns: Mountain City, 15 miles; Wildhorse, 15 miles
Applications due: May 3, 2010
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NV-3924
July 19-24, 2010 (including weekends)
Must commit to full session
Pine Creek Canyon is located in the Alta Toquima Wilderness on the eastern slopes of the Toquima Mountain Range in central Nevada. The canyon stretches for approximately five miles, and ranges in elevation from 7,000 to an estimated 11,000 feet above sea level (asl). It is an environmental archipelago, complete with a perennial stream at its bottom, aspen stands everywhere the eye can see, and alpine terrain in the higher reaches. The area has been in use since prehistoric times, and contains traces left by a variety of cultures. It is home to the cultural remains of prehistoric occupants, ethnographic Basque arborglyphs ("tree writing"), and the ruins of an historic lumber mill and its associated cabin foundations and road. The upper reaches of the canyon are also within one mile of Alta Toquima Village, which lies atop Mt. Jefferson. This now famous site was discovered in 1978, and was subsequently excavated by Dr. David Hurst Thomas of the American Museum of Natural History.
Project participants will survey approximately 200 acres of this beautiful area, along the perennial stream and in the upper half of the canyon, to update known archaeological sites and record any new ones we encounter. Volunteers without previous experience will be taught survey and site recording methods, and veterans will have a chance to hone their skills. Several evening programs are planned, including a flint-knapping demonstration and a tour of Alta Toquima Village. Since the project is located deep in the Toquima wilderness, we will have to backpack five miles up the steep canyon to establish a camp and area of operations. This is a rare opportunity, so we hope to see you in July!
Number of openings: 12
Special skills: Must be in excellent physical health and capable of hiking long distances over rugged and steep terrain each day in a variety of weather conditions; the successful applicant will have experience with rugged camping and possess an outstanding work ethic; previous archaeological survey, site recording, GPS, map and compass experience, and/or familiarity with IMACS (Intermountain Antiquities Computer Systems) forms helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Primitive, leave-no-trace camping near project area (at ~9-10,000 ft. asl); volunteers responsible for personal packs, camping equipment, food, and water
Nearest towns: Tonopah, 60 miles
Applications due: Filled!