The Paria Canyons-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area has one of the highest concentrations of serpentine slot canyons and bizarre water-sculpted sandstone formations anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. A remarkable confluence of geologic events came together here to create a wonderland for photography. This workshop will involve a 3-day; 2-night, 20-mile backpack along Buckskin Gulch; an absolutely spectacular tributary of the Paria River. Buckskin is the longest continuous stretch of deep Navajo Sandstone narrows on the entire Plateau and provides unlimited opportunities for photography. Around virtually every bend, we'll be presented with warm, luminous light reflecting off glowing water-sculpted canyon walls. Each day will involve approximately 6 easy miles of walking with our backpacks in the cool depths of the narrows so we'll have ample time to stop along the way to capture images of this breathtakingly-beautiful canyon. Buckskin averages about 10-20 feet wide and most of the walking will be along a smooth, damp canyon floor with occasional small pools of calf to thigh-deep water. This will be a one-way journey along the 12-mile length of Buckskin Gulch to its confluence with Paria Canyon. We'll set up camp on sandy benches deep within Buckskin for two nights and then walk out the Paria on the 3rd day. We have chosen early June because this is typically the driest time of year with the lowest threat of thunderstorm activity. Join us for an amazing adventure in one of the most photogenic canyons on the Colorado Plateau.

 

WORKSHOP FEE: $750.00 - Lodging (one night), meals and transportation not included. 

Register now with a $200.00 deposit. We will charge your card for the balance 30 days prior to the workshop. (See cancellation policy below.)

(Note: When you register, choose the option "Ship to this Address" in the Billing Information section and then in the next window, choose the option "Workshop - No Shipping Fee".)

 

WORKSHOP DETAILS
Dates: June 7-10, 2012

Based in: Backcountry

Maximum # participants: 5

Photography Skill Level: All levels - Jim will work with each person to meet their individual needs.

Lodging: Before heading into Buckskin on Friday morning, we will meet in Kanab on Thursday evening and spend the night in a hotel. Each participant is responsible for booking his/her room in Kanab. We recommend Quail Park Lodge. Rates: $99.00 - $159.00/night.They fill up well in advance so you'll need to reserve a room ASAP if you'd like to stay here. Email or call them and ask for Robyn. Tell her you are with our group and she will help you out. You can reach her at 435-215-1447 or info@quailparklodge.com  www.quailparklodge.com

Physical Difficulty & Special Considerations:  This will be a moderate backpacking trip along the bottom of a cool, deep, narrow canyon where each participant will need to carry their own camping gear and be self-sufficient for two nights and three days over a total distance of 20 miles. Each person will need to be in good physical condition and have backpacking experience. Our plan is to travel light so we'll only bring the essentials. There is usually no flowing water in the upper 2/3 of Buckskin during June; only occasional pools of stagnant water, so we will each need to carry enough water to meet our needs from Friday morning until Saturday mid-afternoon. During this period, we'll be in the cool depths of the canyon and hiking along a smooth, damp sandy canyon floor with short sections of rocks and cobbles and occasional small pools of stagnant water which are normally about mid-calf to mid-thigh deep. On the second day, we will encounter a few large boulders which have fallen down into the bottom of the gorge. Negotiating this obstacle may require an easy 20-foot descent down the face of a sloping boulder with good foot and handholds. We'll have a short rope for those needing assistance. 

Upon registration, participant will receive a detailed clothing and gear list and other pertinent information.

  

 

WORKSHOP ITINERARY

Thursday June 7, 2012
6:00pm - Meet at the Quail Park Lodge in Kanab, Utah.
6:30pm – Dinner & orientation.

Friday June 8
6:30am – Breakfast in Kanab
7:30 - Depart Kanab. We’ll drive 40 miles to the White House trailhead where we’ll drop off two vehicles at our exit point on Sunday. Then we’ll drive back to House Rock Valley Road and our trailhead at Wire Pass.
9:00 – Once at the trailhead, we’ll shoulder our packs and head down Wire Pass Canyon which turns into a narrow slot just before its confluence with Buckskin. We may need to remove our packs to squeeze through a short section. Once in Buckskin, the canyon begins to cut deeply into the Navajo Sandstone of the Paria Plateau and we’ll soon discover why this canyon has earned its reputation as perhaps the most beautiful narrow canyon on the entire Colorado Plateau. The canyon walls will average about 200 feet deep and 10-20 feet wide during our walk today. As we wander downstream, we’ll be in the cool depths of the canyon where sunlight rarely penetrates. What makes Buckskin such a photographer’s paradise is the reflected sunlight which bounces off the upper walls and fills the depths with warm glowing light. We’ll have plenty of time to stop and photograph the canyon’s sensuous water-sculpted curves along the way. At this time of year there is usually no flowing water along this section of Buckskin; only occasional pools of knee to thigh-deep water. At the end of the day, we’ll set up our tents on a sandy bench in the depths of the canyon, six miles from where we started.

Saturday June 9
We’ll pack up after breakfast and begin exploring down canyon to our next camp just above the confluence with the Paria. For six more amazing miles, the glowing walls of Buckskin will continue to grow higher and higher. A couple miles before camp, we’ll encounter a rock-fall obstacle where boulders have fallen down into the gorge. Negotiating this obstacle may require an easy 20-foot descent down the face of a sloping boulder with good foot and handholds. We'll have a short rope for those needing assistance. At the end of the day, we'll set up camp at the first wide spot along Buckskin on top of a large sand dune against the canyon’s wall. With the long daylight hours of June, we should have plenty of time to explore a little further downstream, after setting up camp, to Buckskin’s spectacular confluence with Paria Canyon. We might even be able to wander down into the narrows of Paria Canyon before returning to camp for dinner.

Sunday June 10
We’ll eat breakfast, pack up our gear and begin the 7-mile walk up Paria Canyon to the trailhead where we left our vehicles on Friday morning. While the Paria is not as narrow as Buckskin, this section of canyon also provides ample opportunities for photography. We should arrive at the trailhead in early to mid-afternoon, allowing time to return to our vehicles at Wire Pass to begin the drive home.

 

 

 

OUR CANCELLATION POLICY
When you register more than 30 days prior to a workshop, we will charge your credit card for the deposit only. We will then charge your card for the remaining balance 30 days before the workshop begins. If you cancel more than 60 days prior to the workshop we will refund 75% of your deposit. If you cancel within 30-60 days of the workshop, we will refund 50% of your deposit. If you cancel within 30 days of the workshop, and we can fill your spot, we will refund 90% of the full workshop fee. If we cannot fill your spot, we will refund 70% of the full workshop fee.

TRIP INSURANCE
In the event of a medical, family, or other emergency, we strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance. For these same reasons, we may also need to cancel a workshop on short notice. If we cancel, we will refund 100% of all monies collected from you.