Arizona is a land of harnessed waters, with every drop diverted to serve a human impulse, whether it be golf courses or cotton farms. The Verde River, though, flows 125 unimpeded miles before reaching its first dam near Phoenix. It’s a wild vein through the center of the state, from Mogollon Rim country to join the Salt, the Gila, and finally the once-mighty Colorado.
Our trip will access a remote stretch of the Verde where existing wilderness abuts unprotected roadless areas threatened by welfare ranching, mining, and development. In the home of the Yavapai-Apache, we’ll learn about the people who have tended this land for generations, and see evidence of how European settlement has resculpted the natural systems.
This is a backpacking trip that includes some days off. We like to aim for a destination and, staying flexible to our group’s desires and abilities, set up a base camp from which we can explore by day-hiking without our packs. Although the terrain is rugged, the emphasis is less on athleticism and more about seeking a creatively abundant experience that revels in the subtleties of this place, and makes room for group connections and individual discovery. That means art projects, a shared reader of relevant texts, instruction on the basics of backcountry living, and time to reflect on your own thoughts or lack thereof. Also, it’s no accident that we’re headed for perennial waters. While the rest of the country thaws toward spring, we’ll be sitting in the river.
Participants: Maria Rebecca Ballestra, Neal Galloway, Yaron Hakim, Anna Ialeggio, Emily Moroz, Macon Reed, Eden Reinstein, Marit Schmidt, Isabel Theselius, Mirah Zeitlyn.
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