Continental Divide Survey 2017 - Passport in Time
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Montana - Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF
Closed! Continental Divide Reconnaissance Inventory
Survey Area in Southwestern Montana
MT-4348
August 14-18, 2017
Must commit to entire session
Join us this summer for some “pedestrian reconnaissance” along the Continental Divide in beautiful southwest Montana! While providing the geographical border of Southwest Montana, the Continental Divide has also been an important travel corridor and geophysical feature on the cultural landscape for thousands of years. Southwest Montana has been the crossroads for several aboriginal cultures throughout history, depicted by a rich archaeological record on the land. However, to date, very little information has been compiled on the frequency, type, and age range of prehistoric sites along this well-known travel corridor. PIT volunteers and Forest staff will conduct archaeological survey in several new, but key locations along the Divide and adjacent lands. The survey will be an attempt to document new cultural resources, but we’ll also revisit previously identified resources. Our work this year will address the potential for formal site evaluations, national nominations and, hopefully, will provide enough information to help ensure proper management of our resources along a popular thoroughfare. We hope to encounter a variety of cultural resources and learn more about the pre-Contact use of this route.
We will operate out of a centralized base camp and access different portions of the Divide by vehicle each day. Within this vast open landscape, weather can be quite unpredictable; volunteers should come prepared for a variety of conditions. We will provide all meals, but ask that volunteers contribute to cooking duties and cleanup, as well as to camp maintenance and cleanliness. Participants should also come prepared for stunning vistas – the project area is fairly remote and the views are endless!
Number of openings: 5
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking moderate distances over often difficult terrain each day, and in a variety of weather conditions; volunteers should come prepared with gear to combat any element Nature may throw our way, including (but not limited to) sturdy (but broken in) hiking boots; previous archaeological survey, mapping, sketching, photography, GPS, and/or artifact (particularly lithic) identification helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Dispersed base area at Meadow Creek for tent and/or RV camping; no hookups; all meals and potable water provided by FS
Nearest towns: Dell, 25 Miles
Applications due: July 10, 2017
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