Living Arrangements
Cuchara, Colorado
During the Colorado portion of field geology, students will live in condominium units at the Cuchara Mountain Resort. Living conditions require that all students conduct their behavior in a way that contributes to positive morale for the entire group. The actions of each individual impact on the living environment for others. Various living and working conditions and "rules" of conduct are described below.
| The primary residence is the Sun Mountain condominium. Students may also live in other units, depending on class size. The elevation of this site is 9000 feet. |
| Winter view of South White Peak seen from the Sun Mountain condominium. Image date Jan. 2007. |
Condo Equipment
Condominiums are equiped with washer/drier for laundry. Television with VCR is available. The kitchen includes a dishwasher, range/oven, mircowave oven, coffee maker, and all necessary utensils. Refrigerator space is limited and is reserved for group food and beverages. Your instructor will provide a desktop computer/printer in each condo unit for preparation of field reports. Students are encouraged to bring personal laptop computers (see below).
Some students may share a queen-sized bed; other students may sleep on single beds or individual cots, depending on how condos are furnished. Men and women will have separate sleeping rooms. Bathrooms are likewise shared with 3-4 students per bathroom. Students should bring their own toilet kits. Bedding and towels are provided.
Telephones and Internet
Telephones and Internet connection are not available in the condo units or nearby. Students who wish to phone home frequently should bring personal cell phones. Operation of cell phones in montane terrain, however, is unpredictable and unreliable for certain service providers. Verizon has best local cell service.
Free wireless Internet service is available at the La Veta Public Library, and we may visit occasionally, so students can check their online accounts. Students are advised to bring their own laptop computer equiped with a wireless card.
Daily Schedule
Wake up call is at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast served at 7 o'clock. Following breakfast, students will pack their own lunches. We will then head out for field exercises by 8:00 a.m. Various field observations and mapping exercises will be conducted each day with return to the condos by 6 o'clock. Dinner will be served upon return. After dinner is study time for preparation of reports and maps. Quiet time begins at 10:00 p.m. with lights out at 11 o'clock.
Food and Eating
Students will eat together in each condo unit for breakfast and dinner; lunch will be in the field. Each day, one team will be assigned to prepare food and clean up the kitchen for breakfast and dinner. Students will prepare lunches individually. We will eat a common menu; anyone with dietary restrictions should inform the instructor beforehand. All meals and snacks shall be eaten in the kitchen/dining room area or outdoors (on porch); no food is to be taken into other rooms.
Rules of the house
- Leave all wet or muddy boots, shoes, and clothing in the garage or entry hall. Students should wear only socks or slippers inside.
- Beds shall be made and all personal gear stored neatly each morning before leaving for the day's activities.
- Towels and toilet kits should be kept neatly in bathrooms.
- All condo equipment should be cleaned and stored properly after use.
- Rock and mineral samples should remain in the garage or outside.
- All food will be kept in the dining/kitchen area.
- No food or garbage may be left outside or stored in vehicles after dark. This is to discourage bears from coming into the area.
- No smoking (or other tobacco) inside; no alcohol on the premises or in university vehicles.
- Laundry may not be started after 9:30 p.m.
- Wakeup call at 6:30; bed time and lights out is at 11:00 p.m.
- All doors remain closed after dark including the garage door. All vehicles remain closed and locked after dark. This is to prevent bears from entering in search of food.
| High-altitude effects
We will live at 9000 feet and work at altitudes ranging from 9000 to 13,500 feet. All "lowland" individuals experience the effects of thin air at these elevations. Physical exhaustion, rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath are common reactions. Additional symptoms include headaches, dizziness, earaches, and nosebleeds. Students are urged strongly to begin an exercise regime of walking, jogging, swimming, or bicycling.
Solar radiation is intense at high altitude, and severe sun burning can occur quickly. In addition, southern Colorado is semiarid, and the dry air may induce skin, nose and eye irritations as well as lead to rapid dehydration. Sun glasses, a broad-brimmed hat, sun screen, skin lotion, and a water bottle are essential. |
What to bring
- Rain jacket, rain pants, waterproof hat. It rains most afternoons during the summer in the mountains of southern Colorado.
- Sturdy, leather hiking boots. Cactus spines and sharp rocks will puncture ordinary walking shoes easily. Waterproof (Gore-Tex) hiking boots are recommended strongly. Snow remains in protected spots at higher elevations in June. It's no fun wearing wet boots and socks all day long.
- Waterproof pack to carry personal gear in the field. Each student should have a notebook,
pens & pencils, hand lens, ruler, and water bottle. Bring zip-lock plastic bags to protect maps and notebook from rain. Camera, binoculars, and rock hammer are optional. Don't bring more than you can carry easily all day long.
- Personal first-aid kit to take in the field. The kit should include bandages, antiseptic ointment, pain pills, sun screen, and skin lotion.
- Clothing appropriate for temperatures ranging from 40°F to 85°F. A four-day supply of clothing is adequate given laundry in the condo. Include a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Also include a sweater, gloves and stocking hat to carry in the high mountains.
- Swimming suit and water slippers. Our visit to Great Sand Dunes will include an opportunity to wade in Medano Creek that flows around the dunes. In fact, we must cross the creek in order to reach the dunes. We also have the chance to wade through the stream at Zapata Falls.
| Bear country
Black bears are common in the San Isabel National Forest, including the Cuchara vicinity. Fur color varies from pure black, to brown, to light reddish tan (cinnamon). Bears normally remain in the forest, but they sometimes venture into the high alpine zone in search of edible plants. Always remain with your team or partner; never go out on your own. Bears normally ignore or move away from an approaching human disturbance. A small bell or rattle on your backpack will provide plenty of noise to alert nearby bears. |
| Junvenile black bear (brown color) seen in the Sun Mountain commons area, May 2007. Left: view from back porch of condo unit. Right: fresh footprint in mud is about 5 inches wide.
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| Bear claw marks about 5 feet high on an aspen at the Blue Lake campground area. Tree trunk is ~1 foot in diameter. Black bears can climb trees easily and quickly. |
Some bears, however, have come to depend on garbage where people live, including the Cuchara Mountain Resort. These bears have little fear of humans. Do not under any circumstances attempt to feed bears. If you encounter a bear, do not try to run away. This will only excite the bear. Likewise do not play dead. Black bears will attack a dead body as readily as a live one. Clap your hands, make noise, and slowly back away while talking softly. Face the bear, but avoid eye-to-eye contact. If the bear attacks, fight back by hitting the bear's nose and eyes. Roll into a ball and turn your back to the bear in order to protect your vital organs, and yell for help.
Travel in state vehicles
University vehicles are considered "part of ESU" and as such all regulations and rules on campus also apply to vehicles when travelling out of state. This includes our field vehicles and trailer. The following materials and substances are prohibited--alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms, fireworks, any kind of weapon, or hazardous materials. Use of tobacco is not allowed in university vehicles. By extension these same rules apply to the condominium units. Any student found in possession of prohibited items will be sent home immediately and receive a failing grade--no second chance. All students are expected to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner at all times during the field course.
Return to field geology syllabus.
GO 547/ES 747 © J.S. Aber (2008).
