Southwest Ed-Ventures

Program Date: September 30 - October 6, 2012

7 Days/6 Nights: Starting and Ending in Las Vegas, Nevada
Group Size:  Minimum:9 Maximum:18
Co-sponsor: Adirondak Mountain Club - Leader Dick Lightcap
FCS Trip Leader: Brett LeCompte

Highlights

You will be transported in vans from Las Vegas to Canyon Ranch Motel to sleep in comfortable rooms and enjoy hearty food. Each day will offer different hiking options. For two days you will hike in spectacular Zion National Park then 3 days at Bryce Canyon National Park, where red and yellow rock and mud strata, rise layer upon layer to meet the forested horizon. Enjoy views of brightly colored hoodoos from the canyon's edge, gentle tours through rolling forested meadows, and fall hiking. Return each night to a comfortable motel. Throughout the program, experts and guides will share their expertise on the geology and natural history of this spectacular landscape. Breakfasts will be cooked by staff, lunch in the field, and dinners in a restaurant.

Program Features

• Explore both Zion and Bryce National Parks with Expert Staff
• Enjoy Lodge Comfort and Cuisine - a Very Fine Combination
• Participate in a Unique, Unforgettable, Small Group Learning Experiences
• Learn about the Colorado Plateau and its Geology and Natural History 

Please Note: Times and/or order of activities may be subject to slight changes depending on the opportunities provided by the natural world and/or unforeseen circumstances. All hikes can be shorter if the group chooses to turn back.

DAILY ITINERARY

Day 1:  Sunday Sept 30. Arrive at Las Vegas by 1p.m. Depart from the airport by 2p.m. and drive to Springdale, Utah (3 hours) for a reception, orientation and dinner at Canyon Ranch Motel. Turn in for a good night’s sleep.

Day 2: Monday, Oct 1. Enjoy a yummy breakfast followed by a scenic hike on the Watchman Trail (2 miles/2 hours). This shorter hike will allow you to get used to the elevation on Day 1. Later in the day you may choose to look in on the Visitors Center or to hike another short trail at Emerald Pools (3 miles). Dinner will be at a restaurant followed by, if its still open, travel to La Verkin’s Pah Tempe Hot Springs to soak near the Virgin River.

Day 3: Tuesday, Oct 2. Hike the West Rim Trail to Scouts Lookout 4 miles. From the Grotto Picnic area, this busy path begins by traveling through a riparian woodland of cottonwood, pinyon pines and junipers. It's a steady 2-mile uphill trek as the trail ascends a series of switchbacks up the steep West Rim Trail. Much of the path hugs the side of the sun baked mountain offering an outstanding vista below of a shimmering river, billowy cottonwood trees and a rich collection of stone. A few ambitious trees are tenaciously growing in cracks high on the sheer cliff, adding bits of green between sections of rock that is stained by iron oxide and desert varnish. The wiggles ascend to a broad, sandy area called Scout Lookout. This is the saddle at the junction of the Angels Landing Trail and the West Rim Trail. The views down into Zion Canyon are impressive. West Rim Trail continues, past Cabin Spring to Lava Point in the Kolob Terrace section of Zion, but the Angels Landing Trail turns southeast. If the group wishes to travel further they can head towards Angels Landing and then head back. Back to the motel, dinner, and an evening program.

Day 4: Wednesday Oct 3. Drive to Bryce Canyon (3 hours). Check into your rooms, and gather around 11 am for an orientation before lunch. This afternoon we will hike the Hat Shop Trail (4 miles). Return to Bryce Canyon Pines for dinner and the night.

Day 5: Thursday Oct 4. Enjoy a delicious breakfast, and then hike the Navajo Trail that begins at Sunset Point and travels down into the main amphitheater. This trail will be combined with the Queens Garden Trail for a total of 3.1 miles. Traveling this trail you will see many hoodoos, representative of garden like features. Using your imagination you may be able to see Queen Victoria at the end of a short spur trail, overseeing the garden before her. If there is time and desire by the group an additional short trail can be added. Return to the lodge for a nourishing dinner and a warm, relaxing evening.

 Day 6: Friday, Oct 5. Breakfast will be followed by hiking the Fairyland loop (8 miles). Return to the Bryce Canyon Pines for dinner and an evening program.

Day 7: Saturday, Oct 6. Enjoy an early breakfast, check out of Bryce Canyon Pines, and depart by 8:30 a.m. for the drive to Las Vegas (4.5 hours). We will stop for lunch enroute. Flights out should be scheduled after 3:00 p.m.

Activity Level:  This is an active program requiring previous hiking experience. While varying levels of proficiency will be accommodated, participants must be in good shape. Hiking options will range from 5 to 9 miles round trip and will require travel on trails over moderate hills at elevations up to 8,200 feet.

Cost: $1,633. Price includes all food from dinner Day 1 to lunch Day 7, transportation from/to Las Vegas, NV airport, expert staff and guides, entrance fees. Airfare, alcoholic beverages, and personal items are not included.  If you request a roommate every effort will be made to find you one. If no roommate is available you will be charged the single supplement fee.  If you request a roommate every effort will be made to find you one. If no roommate is available you will be charged the single supplement fee. Single Supplement. Single Supplement $300.

Expert Staff

Brett LeCompte, has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and is an author and solo trekker. He has guided trips in the Grand Canyon for many years, and has guided for a variety of outdoor programs over the last 15 years including Hurricane Island Outward Bound, Deer Hill, and Northern Kenya Expeditions. His book Southwest Circle Quest, describes one of his several 1000-mile-plus solo expeditions.