Anthropology, Paleontology, Exploration and Discussion

The hike to the Zookeeper site from Withers Canyon Trailhead is 8ish miles one way. Plan is to look for some sites near the Mission, as well as the Zookeeper and other proximate panels. Total distance will be about 20 miles.

Trip is timed to be after peak tarantula season. We'll likely still see a few, but the main wave will be long past.

Contact me directly if interested and we can plan some local hikes to talk/ make sure we're all on the same page.

Hicklin Springs is a fairly large collection of petroglyphs, archaic to modern, located in an isolated area near John Martin Reservoir. I found the site on a very rainy day, didn't want to fight mud to explore, and I've been wanting to go back since.

The site has large amounts of poison ivy, which has helped protect it from vandalism. The road is best in a high clearance/ four wheel drive.

Plan is to spend the day looking at rock art. I've been told the "Emergence Panel" is worth looking for.

My rock climbing skills are weak so we'll stick to not exposed scrambling. Talk to me at an event if interested and we can plan some hikes together to make sure we're all on the same page.

I prefer to explore without pets or children.

Each quarter, DU offers three presentations on what their R1 Research Program has been investigating.

Registration and information is at:
https://www.du.edu/continuing-education/course/r1-person-violence-against-women

Tickets are at: https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/ghosts-gardens

Please wait to RSVP until you have your ticket, this will sell out.

Plan is to enter together at 7:15pm as a group, they normally have a movie about the Mt Prospect Cemetery and how not everything was relocated, along with the early history of the Gardens. The Gardens proper are on top of Mt Calvary Cemetery, the Catholic section, but that's not quit as fun a story as Mt Prospect (now Cheeseman Park) and it's all kinda the same anyway.

Stroll through the dark paths at your own pace as the storytellers share real staff encounters, security guard accounts and the intriguing history of the place that was formerly known as "The Boneyard." If you are feeling bold, we invite you inside the Waring House for an exclusive visit of the Beaux-Arts style mansion and the secrets it might hold.

Conjure your courage and capture your fear as you walk our dimly lit paths after hours and dare to have your own ghostly encounter, here at Denver Botanic Gardens.

This tour is self-guided, and you may visit the storytellers in any order you would like. The tour should take approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. Storytellers will begin new stories every quarter-hour.