Mini High 2020 - SE Arizona - RSVP by January 29

We are heading to SE Arizona for our 2020 Mini High. We will have access to the vehicles throughout the trip, but all your items must fit in a pack as if it were a backpacker. You must bring a day pack and it must be able to carry enough water and food to last 5-6 hrs as vehicles will not be accessible while on the trails. During hikes water will not accessible on the trail. Each Scout must be prepared and able to carry their supplies and hike for the duration of the trail. Below is an overview of what we will be doing which is subject to change. Rain or Shine we will be camping. More details will be provided once we have a final count. Please RSVP above if you or your Scout will be attending. We want to get an accurate head count in order to start purchasing the entry tickets for some of the events. We will provide additional information to those that will be attending. 

RSVP by January 27 

If you are only staying the weekend we need to ensure that there are enough adults that will be driving back up on Sunday to take the Scouts home. Anyone going on the weekend will be tentative until rides are confirmed. 

Payment Breakout Cost: Estimated $150-$200 (to be finalized once count is confirmed)

Feb 10 - $100 Feb 24 - $50 March 2 - $50

*If you RSVP and are unable to attend, we will try as much as possible to give a refund. If we are unable to obtain a refund for any of the associated costs, that amount will be forfeited. If you are able to find someone to replace you, the amount that they pay will be given to you. 

Date: Saturday March 14 – 18 

Meet at: Church (No Early Departures) 

Departure: TBD 

Group Size: 24 (Max 6 Cars) 

Note: BRING PLENTY OF FOOD & WATER as if it were a backpacker as there will be limited access to be able to purchase these once on the trip.     

What are we Doing? 

Sabino Canyon (8 - 9 Mile Hike) - Saturday The history of Sabino Canyon began with the formation of the Santa Catalina Mountains over 12 million years ago. Around 5 million B.C., the mountains ceased formation around the Tucson valley. Present-day varieties of plant life first appeared between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago, and some of the earliest human occupants of Sabino Canyon were the Native American Hohokam people. The 1887 Sonora earthquake dislodged massive boulders lining the canyon walls, which came to rest in the valley below. In 1905 the newly created U.S. Forest Service began administering Sabino Canyon. During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Emergency Relief Administration (ERA) built Sabino Dam and nine bridges over Sabino Creek in an attempt to build a road to the top of Mount Lemmon. The road travels about 4.5 miles into the canyon but was not completed due to the steep terrain at the end of the canyon. 

Kartchner Caverns State Park (Tour & 2.5 Mile Hike) - Sunday Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of passages. The park encompasses most of a down-dropped block of Palaeozoic rocks on the east flank of the Whetstone Mountains. The caverns are carved out of limestone and filled with spectacular speleothems which have been growing for 50,000 years or longer and are still growing. 

Fort Bowie National Historic Site (3 Mile Hike) - Monday Fort Bowie was established by the California Volunteers in 1862 after a series of engagements between the California Column and the Chiricahua Apaches. The most violent of which was the Battle of Apache Pass in July 1862. The fort was named in honor of Colonel George Washington Bowie commander of the 5th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry who first established the fort. The first Fort Bowie resembled a temporary camp rather than a permanent army post. In 1868, a second, more substantial Fort Bowie was built which included adobe barracks, houses, corrals, a trading post, and a hospital. The second Fort Bowie was built on a plateau about 500 yards (460 m) to the east of the first site. For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to Florida and Alabama. The fort was abandoned in 1894. 

Chiricahua National Monument (7 - 10 Mile Hiking) - Tuesday Located approximately 36 miles (58 km) southeast of Willcox, Arizona, the monument preserves the remains of an immense volcanic eruption that shook the region about 27 million years ago. The thick, white-hot ash spewed forth from the nearby Turkey Creek Caldera, cooled and hardened into rhyolitic tuff, laying down almost 2,000 ft (610 m) of highly siliceous, dark volcanic ash and pumice. The volcanic material eventually eroded into the natural rock formations of the present monument. 

Pima Air & Space Museum (Tour) - Wednesday The Pima Air & Space Museum is one of the largest air and space museums in the world and the largest non-government funded aviation museum. The museum maintains more than 350 aircraft and 125,000 artifacts housed on 80 acres. On display both in buildings and outside are some of the most historically significant and technically advanced craft ever produced. 

Colossal Cave Mountain Park ( 1 Tour) - Wednesday 

1) Classic Cave Tour This half-mile long guided walk takes about 50 minutes to complete. You’ll learn about the Cave’s history, its legends (like train robbers and ghosts), and its unique geology. As you descend approximately six stories deep (363 stair steps) you’ll see some amazing cave formations including stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, box work, and helictites that were sculpted by millions of years of geological activity. And keep an eye out for the wildlife too! 

2) Ladder Tour (Ages 12+) Ready to climb ladders, squeeze through narrow passages, and clamber across rock bridges? The Ladder Tour takes you exploring through crazy, seldom seen sections of the Cave that have been limited to the public since the 1950s. This 1.5-hour tour gives you a unique perspective on this mysterious cave system while teaching you about some of the more unusual geological features. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll meet a bat or spider along the way. This tour is restricted to those 12 and older. Those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants will be provided hard hats and lights. Full-fingered gloves are required but not provided; you may bring your own or we have gloves for purchase. Please note that this tour requires participants to be physically fit, able to scale obstacles and negotiate tight squeezes. You’re going to love this one! 

TIME PERMITTING Queen Mine Tour - Sunday Outfitted in hard hat, miner’s headlamp and a yellow slicker, thousands of Bisbee visitors ride into the Queen Mine Tour each year—heading underground and back in time. Tour guides, retired Phelps Dodge employees, lead the group 1,500 feet into the mine and recount mining days, techniques, dangers and drama. Adding a personal touch, the miner-turned-tour guides help visitors experience what it was like to work underground. 

If you have any questions feel free to contact Christo Visser (520-390-8661) or Yatzana Cruz (786-356-1726).