Fieldwork Dates: September 1-10 (travel not included)
Location: Rio Grande National Forest, Saguache County
Project Type: Survey and Testing
Description: In 1858, Colo Colonel William W. Loring and his men built a wagon route from the San Luis Valley to the Salt Lake Valley. The route was constructed to improve the Army’s access from Fort Union, New Mexico, during the Mormon War. Loring’s road followed the original route of the North Branch of the Old Spanish Trail, but also incorporated Gunnison’s improved wagon roads in the area. This route became known as the Salt Lake Road/Government Road. On August 31, 1858, Loring’s command camped on the eastern slope of North Cochetopa Pass. Archaeological research conducted during the summer of 2021 by Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc. on behalf of PCRG and the RGNF, identified site 5SH5316 in the East Pass Creek valley as the likely location of Loring’s camp. That site, now designated the East Pass Creek site, also preserves older Indigenous American and more recent European American components. Limited archaeological testing undertaken by Alpine indicates that subsurface cultural deposits occur throughout the site.

Participants will conduct test excavations, along with some survey, while working alongside PCRG staff,  and students and faculty from Colorado College. Participants should expect moderate hiking each day, along with periods of kneeling and crouching while conducting excavations. A field camp will be established at Upper Crossing, a former Forest Service Guard Station. Crews will tent camp around the guard station while taking advantage of the limited indoor facilities.

We have reached our limit for applications but we encourage you to fill out the Waitlist application. Schedules change and spots often open up and we use the waitlist applications to fill those slots.