Berea College GST 030
Camping and Hiking in the Southwest
Syllabus and Information

Course Description: This physically strenuous course will consist of a month's travel to the Southwestern states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. We will travel in a Berea College van, prepare our own meals, and tent-camp each night in various state and national parks. Highlights of the trip will include:

• Spending four days in the Grand Canyon, including backpacking to the bottom and back out again;
• Hiking among Redwood trees in California;
• Whale watching on the California Pacific coast;
• Hiking in the sand dunes, and touring a castle in Death Valley;
• Visiting Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona;
• Touring the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, ranked by Sport's Illustrated in the top 5 "zoos" in the U.S.;
• Visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium;
• Hiking in Big Bend National Park;
• Beach-combing at Padre Island National Sea Shore on the Gulf Coast in Texas.

Day		Date	Event
1	M	Jan 5	Leave for Tucson at 7 AM. Motel in Texarkana
2	T	Jan 6	Continue driving deep into Texas. Camp.
3	W	Jan 7	Arrive in Tucson 6-7 PM. Camp.
4	R	Jan 8	Watch sunrise. Go to Desert Museum. Camp.
5	F	Jan 9	Hike on Mt. Lemon at 9000 ft. Camp.
6	S	Jan 10	Drive to Flagstaff. Motel.
7	S	Jan 11	Hike into Grand Canyon. Camp at Indian Gardens.
8	M	Jan 12	Hike to bottom of Grand Canyon. Camp.
9	T	Jan 13	Enjoy the day at the bottom of the Canyon. Camp.
10	W	Jan 14	Hike out of the Canyon. Up 5500 ft. Motel in Flagstaff.
11	R	Jan 15	Quick stop in Las Vegas. Drive to Death Valley. Camp.
12	F	Jan 16	Visit Scotty's Castle. Hike in Sand Dunes. Camp.
13	S	Jan 17	Drive to Morro Bay. Camp.
14	S	Jan 18	Drive to Big Sur. Hike. Camp in redwood trees.
15	W	Jan 19	Visit Pt. Lobos. Hike. Watch for whales. Camp.
16	R	Jan 20	Visit Monterey Aquarium. Camp at Morro Bay.
17	F	Jan 21	Visit mission. Camp at Anza-Borrega State Park.
18	S	Jan 22	Drive to Tucson. Camp.
19	S	Jan 23	Hike at Kitt Peak. Camp at Tucson.
20	M	Jan 24	Head for Texas. Camp at Balmorea State Park.
21	T	Jan 25	Hike in mountains of Big Bend National Park. Camp.
22	W	Jan 26	Soak in Hot Springs at Big Bend. Camp.
23	R	Jan 27	Head for Padre Island. Camp.
24	F	Jan 28	Play on Padre Island. Camp.
25	S	Jan 29	Leave Padre Island early. Drive through night.
26	S	Jan 30	Arrive back in Berea about noon. Relax and recuperate!

Additional Information: Tom Beebe has lead students on this trip every second short term since 1970, and he and Jan Pearce have jointly lead this course since the short term of 1994. Both instructors have substantial experience camping and backpacking in this and other areas of the country. Between forty and fifty students have applied for this trip each term that it has been offered, and several years ago a Seabury Award winner described this course as his best Berea College experience.

Expenses: The trip expenses are $700 per student which includes $300 for the van; $250 for food; and $150 for camping, motel, and other miscellaneous expenses. Students who use food service will receive a reimbursement of approximately $180 dollars from food service to help them pay for their trip expenses.

Materials: Students will be provided with background material for each National Park and/or other area of interest that the group visits.

Course Goals: In a time when environmental concerns and national resource management are often at odds, this course introduces the students to these national resources first-hand though experiences such as hiking among redwood trees in California. It is the hope of both instructors that through such experiences, students will gain a better understanding of why certain areas need to be protected for future generations.

Attendance Policy: Students are required to remain with the group 24 hours per day every day of the term.

Method of Evaluation: The course has been offered an a non-credit, pass/fail course since it's inception in 1970, but all students are be required to keep a daily journal of the trip. It is an "experience" course in which students are encouraged to push their own limits and accomplish tasks that they might never have thought possible (such as hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back out again). Thus, in this course, students are guided to work together for the success of the group as a whole. In doing this, they discover their own strengths and how to best use these strengths for the betterment of the whole group experience. It is the desire of both instructors that students will not measure themselves against one another, but will measure themselves against their own perceived limitations as they test these limits.

Some Good Web Sites to Browse for Quality Gear:

• Campmor is the most extensive and least expensive of the mail-order places that sell camping equipment.
• Sierra Trading Post is a clearing house for discontinued items.
• REI requires a minimal one-time membership fee.
• L.L. Bean is not inexpensive, but their products are excellent.

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