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Backcountry info by Daniel

Backcountry info here, not so much of it but it's good stuff.

An overnight hiking trip necessitates all the things here.

RUBBING ALCOHOL

Absolutely necessary to disinfect open wounds. Also comes in handy to start a hard to start fire.

DUCT TAPE

If you don't bring duct tape you might regret it. It's great for securing broken legs and arms.

MULTI PURPOSE TOOL

A Swiss Army knife or something similar always comes very handy. I can't imagine going camping without one.

FIRST AID KIT

Get a decent little first aid kit and complement it with anything you might think is missing.

STEEL WIRE

I always bring some steel wire in my backpack just in case something breaks. Steel wire is great for fixing stuff.

TARP

A tarp has so many uses, it won't save your life on every trip but it will make things easier on every trip.

STOVE

The reigning champion of back packing stoves is the Trailstove. It's so primitive and so simple, and that's what makes it so great. It's a wood burning stove that weighs less than a pound, way less than any stove on the market if you include the weight of fuel. Its only drawback is the slower cooking speed, you have to spend an extra minute or two to get your water to boil but so what?

DEADFALL TRAP

This type of trap is very effective but it will kill the animal that gets caught in the trap, so if you decide not to eat it you killed an animal for nothing. Only make a deadfall trap in an emergency.

You need the following things: A heavy log, a round rock, a sturdy stick about 1 to 2 feet long, a thinner stiff stick about a foot long.

Lift one end of the log up and support it with the sturdy stick. The sturdy stick in turn should be standing on top of the round rock. One end of the smaller stiff stick is placed between the rock and the sturdy stick, the other end should be suspended in the air right under the log, the stiff stick should be roughly horizontal.

Carefully place the bait on the stiff stick.

To make the trap more stable and more difficult to trigger you can cut the part of the stiff bait stick flat where it rests between the rock and the sturdy stick. You can also cut the bottom of the sturdy stick flat, it all depends on what size animal you are trying to kill.

Hovenweep National Monument

Cortez, CO

Hovenweep National Monument protects five prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages spread over a twenty-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. The multi-story towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders lead visitors to marvel at the skill and motivation of their builders.

Hovenweep is noted for its solitude and undeveloped, natural character. The Square Tower Group is the primary contact facility with a visitor center, campground and interpretive trail. Outlying groups include Holly, Horseshoe, Hackberry, Cutthroat Castle and Cajon. Land surrounding Hovenweep belongs to the Navajo Nation, Bureau of Land Management, State of Utah and private landowners.

CONTACTS

Email - hoveinfo@nps.gov

Write to
McElmo Route
Cortez, CO 81321

Phone
Visitor Information - (970)562-4282
Headquarters - (435)719-2100

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
Hovenweep is open year-round. The visitor center is open daily from 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., with extended hours during summer. The visitor center is closed winter holidays. Hiking trails are open during daylight hours.

Getting There
PLANE - Commercial airlines serve Cortez and Grand Junction, CO, Salt Lake City and Moab, UT, and Albuquerque, NM as well as other cities in the Four Corners area.

CAR - The road to the Visitor Center and Square Tower Group is paved from Cortez, Colorado, on County Road G (the McElmo Canyon Road), and from White Mesa (south of Blanding) on Highway 262.

The road from Highway 666 (near Pleasant View) is dirt and may be impassable after storms. This road accesses most of the outlying units in Colorado.

All roads into the outlying units are dirt and are not maintained regularly. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for visiting these sites.

BUS - Commercial bus and van shuttles service nearby towns, but not Hovenweep specifically.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - There is no public transportation to Hovenweep.

Weather & Climate
Summer highs may exceed 100 Degrees Fahrenheit, with lows in the 60's. Fall and Spring temperatures are milder, with highs in the 70's and 80's. Winter temperatures range from highs in the 40's and 50's to lows well below freezing. Snow is usually light to moderate.

Accessibility
The visitor center and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. The Square Tower Group trail is paved to the first overlook and may be negotiated by wheelchairs with assistance. All other trails are uneven and primitive.

Getting Around
Some hiking is required to see the features of Hovenweep. Travel to the outlying units from the Square Tower Group is by foot, bike or vehicle.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee
INDIVIDUAL
$3 for 7 Days

VEHICLE
$6 for 7 Days

WAIVERS

Entrance fee waivers are available to groups when the purpose of their visit is educational rather than recreational.

CAMPING

Hovenweep Campground
Open All Year
There is a small campground near the visitor center which is open year round on a first-come, first-served basis. The sites are designed for tent camping, though a few sites will accommodate RV's 25 feet or less in length. Sites include tend pads, fire grills and picnic tables with shade structures. The fee is $10.00 per night. Flush toilets and running water are available.

LODGING

Sorry.
There is no lodging at Hovenweep. See the "LINKS" section for travel-related information.

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
HOVENWEEP
Open All Year 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phone - (970)562-4282
Location - Hovenweep National Monument is located along the border between southeast Utah and southwest Colorado, just north and west of Cortez, Colorado. Paved roads lead from both Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah. Some roads in the area remain very rough and may be impassable in stormy weather.
Closures - Closed December 25th.
Special Programs - Special interpretive programs can be arranged by calling the visitor center.
Exhibits - The visitor center contains exhibits and educational information for visitors. There is a small sales area with books specializing on the cultural and natural history of the area.
Available Facilities - Restrooms, picnic tables, drinking water

Some content donated by Hikercentral.com and the National Park Service

RUBBING ALCOHOL		Absolutely necessary to disinfect open wounds. Also comes in handy to start a hard to start fire.
DUCT TAPE		If you don't bring duct tape you might regret it. It's great for securing broken legs and arms.
MULTI PURPOSE TOOL		A Swiss Army knife or something similar always comes very handy. I can't imagine going camping without one.
FIRST AID KIT		Get a decent little first aid kit and complement it with anything you might think is missing.
STEEL WIRE		I always bring some steel wire in my backpack just in case something breaks. Steel wire is great for fixing stuff.
TARP		A tarp has so many uses, it won't save your life on every trip but it will make things easier on every trip.
STOVE		The reigning champion of back packing stoves is the Trailstove. It's so primitive and so simple, and that's what makes it so great. It's a wood burning stove that weighs less than a pound, way less than any stove on the market if you include the weight of fuel. Its only drawback is the slower cooking speed, you have to spend an extra minute or two to get your water to boil but so what?