Mines, Chasms, and Doom, Oh My! (BASECAMP)

Meet: USC Village Target, 1:00pm Friday

Return: around 1:30pm Sunday

Member: $81 Non member: $102

Participant Driver (1): $39

Activity: Backpacking, hiking, rock scrambling

Difficulty: 4.5/10 Medium Distance (miles): 8 miles Elevation (ft): 1,000ft

Recommended Prior Experience: hiking/camping experience preferred, no backpacking experience required!

Location of Trip: Joshua Tree National Park

Native Land: Serrano and Western Shoshone

Pre-Trip Meeting: Tuesday 11/15 6:30 pm in the Village (we will meet by a table and communicate with the group day of)

Always wanted to try backpacking, but never known where to start? Then join us for an intro to backpacking adventure where we’ll hike to see abandoned mines and enter into the CHASM OF DOOM!! We’ll leave campus at noon on Friday and hit the Lost Horse trail, hiking about three miles in with everything we need to survive carried on our backs. We’ll set up camp in the desert, and wander around looking at some old abandoned mines and mining equipment before heading to bed. The next day, we’ll hike the three miles back to the trailhead and end our backpacking portion of the trip, before heading to the Chasm of Doom- a natural rock formation where we’ll squeeze and scramble our way through the boulders to get to the other side. MUST BE COMFORTABLE IN TIGHT, ENCLOSED SPACES! As the sun sets, we’ll head to Basecamp, where we’ll meet up with every other trip going out this weekend for a super fun night of car camping, cooking competitions, star gazing, and hanging out with some amazing people. The next morning, we’ll have breakfast and head back to campus. This trip is specifically aimed towards beginner backpackers, but all are welcome as long as you have experience hiking and are comfortable with a guided rock scramble.

Contact the Guides:

Caroline Dworken: dworken@usc.edu

Grace True: gtrue@usc.edu

What to Bring:

*REMINDER (overnights only) : if you do not have a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking pack, or other technical gear (non-clothing), do not panic, SC Outfitters has these items for you! Your guides will send out a gear-request form the week of your trip where you’ll let them know what gear you need!

• Backpacking pack (can borrow from SCO)

• Sleeping bag (can borrow from SCO)

• Sleeping pad (can borrow from SCO)

• Hiking boots or comfortable sneakers

• Clothes to hike in that can get dirty

• HEADLAMP AND/OR FLASHLIGHT (it will be dark in the chasm of doom)

• AT LEAST 3L of water

• Bowl and utensil to eat with

• Lots of warm layers, as it may be cold at night

• Change of clothes

• Toiletries

• Sun protection

• Any medications you may need

• STOKE

Please Review Our Cancellation and Refund Policy:

All SC Outfitter trips have a no-refund policy unless a substitute participant can be found. In the event your trip requires added reporting measures of participants (plane tickets, external providers, rental services, etc.) dropping the trip close to the date of the trip will not allow for the spot to be re-filled. See the details on trip pages for specific deadlines and reference our complete cancellation/refund policy here.

TRIP DIFFICULTY RATING SYSTEM

• Difficulty rating for trips

  • 1: No physical activity.

  • 2: Leisurely walk.

  • 3: 2-5 miles less than 1000 ft of total elevation gain on well maintained trails. About 2-3 hours continuous activity

  • 4: 4-6 miles, about 1000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. About 3 hours of continuous activity.

  • 5: 6-8 miles, about 1500ft of elevation gain on maintained trials. 4-5 hours continuous activity

  • 6: 8-10 miles, about 2000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. 4-6 hours of continuous activity.

  • 7: 10-14 miles, over 2500 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.

  • 8: At high altitude. 12-16 total miles, over 3000 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.

  • 9: Technical skills may be necessary. At high altitude with physical elevation gain. Scrambling over rocks likely involved.

  • 10: u gunna die

**If you have any questions or concerns about the physical activity, recommended prior experience, or gear needed on any kind of trip please contact the guides as soon as possible!!