The Superstition Mountains Trip is now full.
All available spaces for the field trip to the Superstition Mountains (Sunday, February 9) are now taken. If you have already registered for the event, below is some information you will find useful.
Buses will depart on Sunday, February 9 at 8:00 am sharp and will return at 4:00 pm. We are requesting that all participants meet in the parking lot of Embassy Suites (4400 S. Rural Road, Tempe). If you are staying at one of the conference hotels (Courtyard, Hilton, or Sheraton) a shuttle will pick you up at 7:15 am in front of your hotel. If you are staying at a different hotel, you will be responsible for getting to the Embassy Suites on your own. If you are staying at the Embassy Suites, please be out front no later than 7:45 am. Personal cars along the Field Trip route will not be allowed.
A box lunch will be provided as well as bottled water and sodas. Although we are unable to accommodate specific diabetic meal requests, we will be able to accommodate vegetarian meal requests if you let us know ahead of time. Please plan on having an early breakfast on your own.
Closed toe shoes are required; we recommend something sturdy such as hiking boots or comfortable walking shoes. Remember this is the desert and weather changes rapidly; due to these rapid changes in weather [http://www.weather.com/weather/local/85219], as well as the changes in elevation, multiple layers of clothing are recommended. In addition to protection from rain, wind, and cold, you will also need sunscreen, sunglasses, and a visor/hat. This event will go on rain or shine.
This outing does include some uneven terrain and moderately steep slopes.
The Superstition Mountains, located about 45 miles East of Phoenix, are just one part of the larger 160,000-acre Superstition Wilderness. Although these mountains draw a wide variety of enthusiasts (hikers, explorers, researchers, students, and sight-seers) with different interests, everyone who sees "the Superstitions" appreciates their awesome beauty. Legend has it that somewhere in this range lies the Lost Dutchman Mine, where Jacob Waltz, now deceased mine owner, had discovered gold! But no recent explorers have struck it rich yet.
Hikers of the Superstitions enjoy numerous trails of varying degrees of intensity. But the area is as geologically interesting as it is beautiful. These mountains are approximately 17-20 million years old and comprise a complex system of calderas (collapsed volcanoes); the upper layers are a series of thick volcanic flow deposits. The ASU team will conduct a field trip highlighting the cultural history and geology of the area, hosted by Jack Farmer (ASU Dept. of Geological Sciences) and Malcolm Comeaux (ASU Dept. of Geography). Buses will leave on Sunday, February 9 at 8 A.M. and will return at 5 P.M. Box lunches will be provided, at a cost of $20.00.
For more information on the Superstition Mountains, you can visit:
The Superstition Mountain Museum
or