Stop doomscrolling at the Chasm of Doom

Meet: Saturday, November 15th at 8am at the Hecuba Statue in USC Village

Return: 2pm Sunday, November 16th

Member: $61 Non member: $80

Participant Driver (2): $28

Participant drivers will also have all gas reimbursed!

Activity: hike / rock scramble / cave squeeze

Difficulty: 6/10 medium Distance: 5 miles / 8 km Elevation: 1285 ft / 392 m

Recommended Prior Experience: Rock scrambling or cave-ing preferred, must be comfortable with tight spaces

Location of Trip: Joshua Tree National Park

Native Land: Yuhaaviatam/Maarenga’yam (Serrano)

Come touch grass (or rocks) with Hayden and Sofia at Joshua Tree for a hike up Ryan Mountain followed by a daring adventure to the Chasm of Doom and the Hall of Horrors. We will leave campus Saturday at 9am and have lunch when we arrive at Joshua tree before setting off on the 2.8mi hike up Ryan Mountain. It will be a steep hike with an elevation gain of 1062ft / 324m and a beautiful view of the park from the top. Then we will head over to the nearby Chasm of Doom: a short (1.59mi) hike up a rock formation and through a narrow cave, passing through a 1ft/0.3m tall opening called The Coffin and leading into a spooky cave. It will be a tight squeeze! If claustrophobia might be an issue, this is not be the trip for you. We will be camping in or next to Joshua Tree and enjoying the cool desert night. Sunday morning, we will stop by the Hall of Horrors, a short 0.6mi / 1km hike for some rock scrambling and squeezing, before heading back to USC early Sunday afternoon.

Contact the Guides:

Sofia Cabrera, secabrer@usc.edu

Hayden Naffziger, naffzige@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!

• Sleeping bag

• Sleeping pad

• Mess kit (utensils and bowl/plate/tupperware)

• 3+ liters of water

• Hat/sunscreen/sunglasses

• Comfortable hiking shoes

• Comfortable hiking clothes

• Toiletries/medications

• Headlamp/flashlight

• Warm clothes for night/sleeping

Price of the trip includes (and we will provide):

• Snacks

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided when a trip occurs during meal-times

• Any technical gear required (ie. kayaks, snowshoes, snorkels, backpacking packs, sleeping bags, fishing rods, etc.)

• All group / shared gear (tents, stoves, bear cans, first aid kit, etc.)

• Any permits or campsite reservations needed

• Cost of gas reimbursed for participant drivers

• Amazing guides who love the outdoors and do this for free!
  

Please Review Our Cancellation and Refund Policy:

All SC Outfitters 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!!

This program is open to all eligible individuals. SC Outfitters operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact the guides listed above on the trip page. We request that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least 7 days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.