Our Passion: Exploring Trails in Copper Canyon
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to reveal to our clients the physical and cultural wonder of the Sierra Tarahumara- to promote cultural understanding and to inspire people to think and act beyond the confines of their known environments. By word of mouth and through this website, we hope to attract interested folks who want an education, not just a workout. Our clients will leave our trips not only having experienced an adventure, but also having gained valuable insight into the lives and cultures of the various peoples who inhabit the Sierra Tarahumara. Unlike the sterile environment of many U.S. National Parks, this area is a park in name only. It is a thriving area of diverse inhabitants who face exploitation by mining and lumber companies, drug cartels, and government and private tourist infrastructure, and yet are fighting with dignity for water rights, education, and basic health care. By providing an adventurous, fun, and safe interactive outdoor experience we hope to enrich the lives of the clients by means of sustainable tourism and provide a glimpse into the beauty of the lives of the Tarahumara and serrano peoples. Watch Pobreza (Spanish, YouTube), Caballo Blanco "Talking Horse" tour (YouTube)
We have also made friends in the sierras of Sonora. In retracing routes mentioned by Carl Lumholtz, Barney Burns, and (albeit few) others, we've come across many unforgettable people and places. Let us share with you a bit of the wild side of northwestern Mexico.
LEAVE NO DETRIMENTAL TRACE
If there exists a basic overlap between sustainability and "Leave No Trace", it is exaggerated here. Our backpacking mentality embraces Leave No Trace, but our burro assisted hiking treks encourage sustainability and commerce. We pay for forage for the burros. We buy firewood for the one night in the Tarahumaran village, although so far the locals don't practice reforestation. We pay for the water we get from the village well. Sometimes a local will meet us on the first day of our ascent from the river. This entrepreneur will fill his wheelbarrow, and run from the rim to the puerto to sell us iced sodas for a dollar!
We also are striving to keep our Mexican crew employed. Even though they are paid a better than average wage, they're only seasonally employed. Besides a wage, they are paid for the burros on a daily basis. But accidents occur. Burros get run over by the train, or rustled. Luckily, some Taraumarans also keep burros. The mestizo/serrano population is integrally connected with the Indians, and thankfully we have never had a trip without Tarahumaran arrieros. We learn about births and deaths and marriages, crop failures and landslides, and festivals. We've watched kids grow up, and parents grow old. We've seen some kids leave for the cities to be a part of the cash economy.
EMBRACE THEIR CULTURE
Part of our mission to embrace the culture of the inhabitants of the sierras is to insure their sustainability. We end up buying crafts every trip. Some artisans make excellent violins. The women weave tortilla warmers and baskets from sotol leaves, and double wall baskets from Apache Pine needles. We also buy and enjoy pinole; and this high energy food has lately been attributed, along with beer, to their incredible stamina. This link sells crafts at very good prices. There are many opinions on how to preserve the status quo weighed against changing their culture. We do the best we can, but it's been said that no good deed goes unpunished. We've packed duffels of shoes and coats to the kids. Does that mean they stop wearing traditional dress? The men to a certain extent have adopted cowboy hats and jeans, and to a lesser extent eschew huaraches for boots. Thankfully, the women still love their brilliantly colored dress with many petticoats. We take sewing supplies, and eyeglasses to the women. We take packets of seeds for them to plant. Curiously, many of these "heirloom" seeds were sampled in their area years ago and are the backbone of some seedbanks to preserve genetic biodiversity. We also advise, consult, and install basic water harvesting and simple PV arrays in some remote locations. This year we're planning on taking solar ovens to a tiny village. Hopefully, they'll enjoy the freedom from firewood gathering, and particulate matter. Hopefully.EXPERIENCE IN THE CANYON
Cathy Waterman fell in love with the canyon country and the people who inhabit it when Mike took her there for the first time. On her second trip to the canyon as a Sierra Club co-leader, she met Carl Franz who inspired and encouraged her to become a guide. She promptly did so, and Cathy and Carl shared their wonder and enthusiasm with many fellow adventurers for years. Cathy is a voracious reader about the area, and an avid collector of local crafts. She recently started the annual "Warm and Fuzzy" coat drive.
The aim is to provide warm coats and jackets, especially for children, during the harsh winters without compromising the traditional clothing. The coats are packed into remote villages during trips. Donations of vitamins, first aid supplies, used prescription glasses, cloth and ribbon are also appreciated by the locals.Cathy has years of backcounty experience in the Sierra Nevada of California, and more recently in the Colorado Plateau. Her hobbies include canyoning, xeriscaping, and reading current novels by contemporary Spanish authors. Mike Huckaby started hiking in the Alps with his Austrian grandfather as a child. He first visited the Copper Canyon area in 1991. Like Cathy, he immediately fell in love with the canyons. An avid orienteerer, he has explored many a Tarahumaran footpath and followed as many game trails by mistake with compass in hand. As a result, Mike has discovered many interesting routes in the region. Cathy's home is now in turmoil as Mike indulges in his hobbies including water harvesting, photography, and PV energy systems. They reside in Tucson, AZ, with their formally feral dog Remolino, who came alone, with no strings attached. Contact us at hike@coppercanyontrails.org The guides maintain current Red Cross CPR and First Aid, and have yearly training. We also are Wilderness First Responder trained by Remote Medical.
coppercanyontrails.org
1334 West Pennington Street
Tucson, AZ 85745
Phone: 520-324-0209
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