New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

 

Jun
19

Family Fun on a Redrock River Run on the Upper San Juan River

Wednesday, June 19, 8:00 AM to Saturday, June 22, 5:00 AM
San Juan River

Family Fun on a Redrock River Run on the
Upper San Juan River
 

Departure:             June 19-22, 2013
3 nights/4 days:     Starting and Ending in Bluff, Utah
Group Size:            Minimum: 10      Maximum: 25
Co-Sponsor:            New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science
Expert Staff:          Kristin Gunckel and Tish Morris
 
Highlights
The San Juan River in the Four Corners area is an inspirational and classic setting for a fun, family, learning adventure. You and your family will enjoy a spectacular three-day float along the remote 26-mile stretch between Bluff and Mexican Hat, Utah. Along the way you will build a Play-Doh model of the canyon, mark out a geologic timeline along the beach to help understand the fascinating geology, construct a model of the San Juan River in the sand and fill it with water, looking at where it has come from and where it goes, and identify ancient fossils to learn the story of a time long gone.
 
Program Features
-Float 26 scenic miles of the San Juan River
-Enjoy Easy Class I - III Rapids, water play, and riverside overnight camping
-Learn through hands-on play, exploration, and outdoor experiential activities
-Visit unique geologic formations, ancient ruins, and rock art panels left hundreds of years ago by the Ancestral Puebloan people
-End each day relaxing in camp while guides prepare sumptuous and satisfying dinners
-Retire each night to your cozy tent or bed down under a brilliant sky full of stars
 
Join us to float the San Juan River in a spectacular location for easy and fun learning about the natural and cultural history of the Four Corners area. 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 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 as we think about life in this region past and present.
 

DAILY ITINERARY
 
Day 1: Wednesday June 19 Arrive at Bluff, Utah by 6 p.m. Camp at Sand Island Campground. Dinner and orientation.
Day 2: Thursday June 20 Float downriver visiting rock art and ruin sites along the way. Learn about the natural and cultural history of the San Juan River by participating in hands-on activities.
Day 3: Friday June 21 Travel downriver, dayhike, float through rapids, and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding canyon. Evening programs will focus on bugs, bats, and other
river critters. Participating in a star search activity will be an option. 
Day 4: Saturday June 22 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 5:00 p.m.
 
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/family experience. 
 
Cost:  
$715 per adult, $690 per child under 12 ($20 off for Museum Members: $695 adult/$670 child) Costs include all food from dinner on Day 1 through Lunch Day 4, 2 expert staff, river guides, group equipment, transportation from Bluff back 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. Shuttle between Cortez, CO airport and Bluff, UT $10 each way.

Expert Staff:
Kristin Gunckel: M.S. Geology and Ph.D. Curriculum, Teaching & Educational Policy, has worked as an earth science teacher in Albuquerque and as a lead teacher for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History’s Sandia Mountain Center. Currently Kristin is a faculty in Science Education at the University of Arizona. Kristin has a remarkable ability to produce a creative and fun learning environment.
 
Tish Morris, M.A., Science Education, was the Senior Education Specialist at New Mexico Museum of Natural History for 27 years. She has run their Summer Camp program and this raft trip for many years.
 
 
Registration through:
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education:
800-525-4456
 

Questions:
Tish Morris, Trip Staff
505-269-1111
 

 

$715 per adult, $690 per child under 12 ($20 off for Museum Members: $695 adult/$670 child)