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Sixteen SLV Archaeological Network members attended the annual network planning session on Saturday, February 5 in Alamosa to plan activities for the year and to visit over a very tasty potluck lunch. Selected artifacts and the preliminary report of last summers test excavation at the Rio Grande Hotel in Creede were displayed as were artifacts from site 5SH73, a stone enclosure site to the west of Saguache. Member Marvin Goad's expert artifact drawings were featured and Ron Kessler displayed a number of Paleoindian projectile points. Loretta Mitson, our self-appointed-treasurer, reported that we have about $1,000 and a total of about 90 individual members. Keeping people current with their dues was stated as a problem and we decided to include a membership form in each newsletter to allow people the opportunity to donate. After lunch opportunities for this years field trips and archaeological investigations were discussed. A schedule of events for the next several months follows:

• On Sunday, March 26 there will be a field trip to the Hougland Hill stone enclosure site located about 10 miles west of Saguache. Ken Frye will be the trip leader to this site that has been vandalized by illegal digging in the past. While at the site we will determine if there are intact cultural deposits that could be investigated in the future. We will meet at 10 AM at the Saguache City Park. Access is by an improved dirt road that goes directly to the site. For more information please call Ken Frye at 719-852-6233 (work) or 657-3191 (home).

• On Saturday, April 15 there will be a trip to Cold Springs Mesa, about 15 miles west of Antonito, where three extensive prehistoric campsite locations were recorded in 1976. Vince Spero will be trip leader to these sites that have not been revisited in quite some time. We will meet at the Rio Grande National Forest Conejos Peak Ranger District Office, located about 1 mile south of the town of La Jara on the right as you go south. Access is by a dirt road followed by a hike of about 2 miles over moderate terrain. For more information please call Vince Spero at 719-852-6242 (work) or 873-5916 (home).

• On Sunday, May 13 there will be a field trip to the Ojo Caliente area, in northern New Mexico, to visit the sites of the Tewa Pueblos of Ponsipa' Akeri and Hupobi. The historic road in Upper Comanche Canyon, known as the "Old Wagon Road to Colorado" utilized in 1694 by Don Diego de Vargas and in the early 1800's by Zebulon Pike, will be driven in-route. Ron Kessler will be the trip leader. Please plan to meet at 9:00 AM at the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and Colorado Highway 17 in Antonito, just south of the Cumbres & Toltec Train Station. Four wheel-drive is not needed but a somewhat high clearance vehicle is recommended. The trip will involve walking only a short distance to view the sites. There will be an opportunity to eat lunch in Ojo Caliente or you may bring your own lunch. For further information please call Ron Kessler at 719-852-5225.

Other trips planned this summer and fall are a tour of the historic town of Spar City near Creede (June 17), a trip to the site of the Wagon Wheel Gap Watershed Experiment Station (July 8), the Creede Mining Museum (August 12), and petroglyph sites near Fort Garland (October 14). On November 4 there will be an important conference about the Paleoindian and Early Archaic occupation of the San Luis Valley in Monte Vista. More information about the above field trips and the conference will be given in upcoming Archaeo-Updates.

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Notice of Next PAAC Course

Principles of Archaeological Excavation, the next course in the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification, taught by Kevin Black, the Assistant State Archaeologist of Colorado, will be offered in Alamosa from Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2. The class will cover the history of excavation, developments in technology; field procedures, planning and research designs, recording and documentation, lab duties, and report writing. This is a classroom experience and does not involve field training. Class size is limited. To reserve your place please send a $12 check, made payable to the Colorado Historical Society, to: Loretta Mitson, Box 231, Manassa CO 81141. For more information please call Loretta at 719-843-5328 or 589-6740. Basic Site Surveying will be offered June 9 to 12 in Saguache and may be available to SLV Archeo-Net members. If you are interested in taking this class contact Loretta at the above phone numbers. PAAC classes are held throughout the state and are available to anyone who has an interest. To check out the PAAC schedule through June 2000, visit the Web Site at http://www.coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/paac/paacindex.htm. Currently scheduled in other areas include: Introduction to Archaeology, Colorado Archaeology, Introduction to Lab Techniques, and, Ceramic Description & Analysis.

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