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Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions

Knowledge through Wilderness Adventure

The Experience

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Equal parts adventure and education, hands on exploration of the Southwest is the cornerstone of all of our programs. Being on a Cottonwood Gulch expedition means being in the wilderness all summer: hiking mountains and canyons during the day and camping in undeveloped, backcountry sites every night. It also means working side by side with the rest of the group to accomplish your goals.

What is a 'wilderness expedition' — what do you do?

Our expeditions travel to wilderness areas and explore them — on foot. Each group will visit several different regions of the Southwest: red rock canyons, high desert mesas, and alpine ranges. We explore mostly on foot, backpacking and day-hiking into the backcountry, but we also take canoe trips through river canyons. The wilderness areas of the Southwest are vast. They conceal remarkable cultural secrets as well, including important ruins and contemporary Native American communities. Just like any expedition throughout history, our wilderness expeditions have as their purpose the discovery of new knowledge. First, it is our goal to find new information about all the places we visit and add to our knowledge base about the Southwest. This includes a field guide to the flora and fauna of the high desert and an inventory of historical sites in the Southwest. Second, it is our goal to live and work as a community, learning to rely on our fellow Trekkers and to trust ourselves. Our expeditions demand personal responsibility and a commitment to the group from each of their members.

What to Expect

The experience will challenge you physically. A chilly frost wakes you from your sleeping bag early in the morning but by noon it's hot and dry enough you don't even feel your sweat. Hiking into a remote wilderness, whether though a winding canyon or over a mountain pass, is only the beginning. Once you are there, your group sets up their tents and goes about preparing dinner — and a thunderstorm threatens overhead. Paddling a canoe 45 miles down a river takes endurance and skill. Climbing a canyon face is far more difficult than a climbing wall in the gym. The Southwest can be as demanding as it is enchanting. The wind is strong, the sun is hot, and the rain is cold. Living every day in this wilderness is a thrilling challenge by itself. It is no wonder that daily life on an expedition toughens most group members, whether it is your first outdoor experience or not. You face these challenges with the help of your group, who are beside you at all times. Anyone of average physical health can do these expeditions, it just takes the will to do it.

The experience will challenge you mentally as well. Environmental science and ethics, cultural history, and community living are key components of all Cottonwood Gulch expeditions. You are encouraged to constantly ask questions about yourself, your community and your surroundings. Water in the Southwest is precious, how do you decide who gets what? What impact do we have on the environments we love so much? How have the land and the people changed together over the past 1,000 years? Who''s cooking dinner? The learning is informal but important. It is up to you decide what interests you most. It may be observing and documenting geologic shifts in the mountains you are hiking. Or you may decide to investigate the artistic traditions of the Zuni Tribe by turning their inspirations into your own hand-made silver jewelry. With time to pursue your own interest and the help of our instructors, you will bring something home you never thought you could make, write, sing, or build when the summer began.