This is a backpacking course in the canyon country of Utah, specifically designed for adults over the age of 23. Students who are looking for travel in an amazing and unique environment and are ready to look inward, work as a team and gain new perspective are ideal participants in this course.

Course Area
Your course takes place just north of the San Juan River, on a large plateau called Cedar Mesa. The landscape is filled with sandstone that has eroded into an endless variety of mesas, towers, grottos, hoodoos, arches and canyons. The canyons abound with hidden wonders: clear springs seeping from the rock, delicate soils full of life, the amazing tapestries of the canyon walls and a large concentration of ancient Native American cliff dwellings.

Course Description
Your course will begin with lessons in basic travel and camping techniques. Along the way, you learn "leave no trace", map and compass navigation, camp craft, and get a feel for the human and natural history of the area. Backpack in the canyons and out across the mesas, camp on vast expanses of desert slickrock, and stop along the way to explore amazing ruins and interesting geology.

Most importantly, you get to spend time in an incredible area of the desert southwest, sleep under the stars, feel the spring or fall sunshine on your face, and maybe watch a few sunsets over this simple but magical landscape.