Mount San Jacinto State Park Wilderness in Southern California will host the Student Conservation Association in partnership with the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the United States Forest Service for a series of primitive rock skills trail workshops in September 2009. The project will be on the legendary Pacific Crest Trail about 4 miles from the Fuller Ridge trailhead.
The rock workshop will concentrate on using teamwork and brain power to solve the often complex challenges that present themselves when building primitive trails with rock. Participants will learn to work smarter not harder, using proper body positioning, mechanical advantage, and elementary physics principles to safely build with large rocks. Project work will include construction of a rock staircase, check steps and dry stack retaining walls along switchback sections of the trail.
Additional instruction will include:
- Rigging and mechanical advantage
- Living and working in wilderness
- Backcountry risk management
- Setting up and maintaining a group base camp
- The importance of building community while on the trail
- Maintaining a Leave No Trace ethic
The workshop will be presented in 3 distinct sessions from Thursday – Sunday.
1st Session: Thursday September 10 – Sunday September 13 – Register
2nd Session: Thursday September 17 – Sunday September 20 – Register
3rd Session: Thursday September 24 – Sunday September 27 – Register
Workshop space will be limited to 15 participants per session and these courses will fill up fast! So sign up as soon as possible.
These workshops involve backcountry hiking with a backpack, use of heavy cutting tools and strenuous lifting, so a certain level of physical fitness is expected from participants. The hike in will be 5 miles uphill along rough, mountainous terrain to an elevation of approximately 9,000 ft.
SCA will have five seasoned pro’s leading these workshops; including a lead instructor, 3 assistant instructors, and a cook onsite. SCA, the PCTA and US Forest Service will provide group kitchen gear, tools, and equipment, as well as all meals during the workshop. Participants will need to bring camping gear, sturdy work boots, and leather work gloves.
This is the 4th Rock Workshop since 2005 that has been presented and sponsored by the Student Conservation Association and its partners along the Pacific Crest Trail. This workshop is made possible by generous contributions from the US Forest Service, Pacific Crest Trail Association, and Mount San Jacinto State Park.
Call SCA at 510.832.1966 or email Katie Myszka ([email protected], subject line: PCT Trail Workshop) for more info.