SOUTHWEST ED-VENTURES 

Program Date: September 28 - October 1, 2012

3.5 days/3 nights: Starting and Ending in Bluff, UT
Group Size:  Maximum: 25
Co-Sponsor: Culture Quest/Ft. Lewis College
Expert Staff: Ken Wright, Author 

Highlights

Human nature. Wild nature. Domesticated nature. The nature of life, of living, of loving, of living in and loving the world we all share. However you define it, we all share in the experience of Nature in its manifold manifestations. But why write about nature? There are perhaps as many answers to that question as there are definitions of "nature": celebration, exploration, personal insight, shared experience, activism, persuasion, reflection, education, or even just the challenge of trying to capture in words one's own personal experience in this universal field of play that is Nature. 

Program Features

    Float 26 incredibly Scenic Miles of the San Juan River

    Enjoy Easy Class I - III Rapids, Water Play, and Riverside Overnight Camping

    Learn through writing workshops, exploration, and outdoor experiential activities

    Visit unique geologic formations, ancient ruins, and rock art panels left hundres of years ago by the Ancestal Puebloan people

    End each day relaxing in campwhile guides prepare sumptuous and satisfying dinners

    Retire each night to your cozy tent and bed down under a brilliant sky full of stars

If you want to explore both nature and writing about nature, then join us for three days of river running, hiking, discovering, and writing workshops with Four Corners-area author Ken Wright. The San Juan River in southeastern Utah is an inspirational setting for learning to write about nature. You will enjoy a spectacular three-day float along the remote 26-mile stretch between Bluff and Mexican Hat, Utah, while along the way, Ken will lead writing exercises and discussions, and participants will share their daily experiments in writing about their experiences.

The San Juan River is an erosional giant cutting a meandering course through hundreds of millions of years of exposed sandstone and limestone layers, and carrying along an unbelievable load of silt.  This trip will include plenty of hiking---up to 3 miles round-trip with options for longer jaunts. We will visit unique geologic formations, ancient ruins, and rock art panels left hundreds of years ago by the Ancestral Puebloan people. 

Our passage will, of course, be shared by a wide variety of wildlife and plant species and habitats, which will be called to our attention by our experienced guides.  Along our way, we will also pass by a historic trading post and see a segment of the famous Hole-In-the-Rock Trail from an expedition undertaken by early pioneer/missionaries of the Mormon Church.

DAILY ITINERARY

Day 1- Friday Sept 28:  Arrive at Bluff, Utah by 5 p.m. Camp at Sand Island Campground. Dinner and orientation. The group will meet and introduce themselves and their goals, as writers, on the trip. Ken will also introduce himself, and share some his own writing about the San Juan River, discuss his perspective on writing about nature, and outline the workshops for the trip.

Day 2: Saturday Sept 29:  Float downriver visiting rock art and ruin sites on the way. Learn about the natural and cultural history of San Juan River by participating in writing activities.

Day 3: Sunday Sept 30: Travel downriver, day hike, float through rapids, and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding canyon. Days 2 & 3 will each have a morning workshop in which different journaling, note-taking, and essay-shaping techniques will be explored. At lunch or during the day each participant will get some one-on-one time with Ken to talk about his or her writing. Both evenings will feature read-and-feedback sessions for participants' in-progress work, notes, and ideas from the day. Participating in a star search activity will be an option.  

Day 4: Monday Oct 1:  Enjoy our final day floating down the river, view Mexican Hat rock, look for fossils, and swim before our take out.  Program ends in Bluff by 5 PM.  Day 4's morning workshop will look at publishing nature writing, discussing the options and processes, both in general and for participants' specific projects. Lunch will feature readings by willing participants, each sharing something they have written on the river over the past few days. During the day, participants will also have one-on-one time with Ken for further exploration of their work. 

Activity Level:  Requires fitness adequate for day hiking up to 3 miles round-trip, over moderate terrain, willingness to camp, readiness to enjoy a group experience.  

Cost:  $803 per person Costs include all food from dinner on Day 1 through Lunch Day 4, 1 expert staff, river guides, group equipment, transportation from Bluff to Bluff, and supplies.  Personal items, sodas, airfare, and transportation to and from Bluff, Utah are not included. Tents, sleeping bags and pads are available for rent. 

Expert Staff

Ken Wright is a Durango, Colo.-based free-lance writer, author, and college-level writing instructor. His essays, book reviews, and news features have appeared in a variety of national and regional magazines and newspapers, including Sierra, Mountain Gazette, Inside Outside Southwest, National Geographic Adventure, High Country News, Backpacker, River, Paddler, Canoe & Kayak, and others. His essays have also been included in several anthologies and compiled in three collections: The Monkey Wrench Dad (Raven's Eye Press, 2008), Why I'm Against it All (Raven's Eye Press, 2003), and A Wilder Life: Essays from Home (Kivaki Press, 1995). Ken has a master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado, and he has taught writing at Fort Lewis College, in Durango, since 1991.