Geologic Publications for Mount Rainier

2005 archaeological inventory, upper Stevens Canyon Road, Mount Rainier National Park

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Author(s): Benjamin M. Diaz, Greg C. Burtchard

Category: PUBLICATION
Document Type:
Publisher: Mount Rainier National Park
Published Year: 2005
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Abstract:
Mount Rainier National Park (MORA), in conjunction with the Federal Lands Highway Program (FLHP), proposes a multi-phased rehabilitation of Stevens Canyon Road scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2007. The first phase of that process consists of the rehabilitation of a five mile section beginning at the intersection with the Nisqually-Paradise Road, extending east to Stevens Creek Bridge. Figure 1 shows the full length of Stevens Canyon Road with the Phase I portion highlighted in red. We refer to the Phase 1 section as upper Stevens Canyon Road. This is the portion of the road that is best known for the access it provides to popular Inspiration Point Vista and Reflection Lakes visitation points; as well as the beginning of the cross-park route to Grove of the Patriarchs, Ohanapecosh and other east-side destinations.

The current 2005 project is the first formal archaeological survey specifically directed at upper Stevens Canyon Road. Data presented in the body of this report rely on combined information from 1) various park archaeology results of non-highway related projects in the general upper Stevens Canyon area; and 2) the results of new highway-focused survey completed in the 2005 field season. The report consolidates known sources of archaeological survey, testing and research information relevant to this portion of the road through 2004; outlines survey field procedures employed in 2005; and discusses the results of that survey. Information presented here is intended to help assess potential affects to archaeological resources resulting from road rehabilitation, or other projects focused in or near the upper Stevens Canyon corridor.

The first section below provides environmental and archaeological background to the study area. It addresses characteristics of the study area environment as they relate to long-term human land-use patterns of the upper Steven Canyon area, and summarizes the known archaeological status of the project area prior to the present reconnaissance. The second section describes field procedures and results of the 2005 archaeological inventory of the project area. Summary recommendations conclude the report. Results presented here should provide a notion of the range of prehistoric and historic archaeological properties in the vicinity of the upper Stevens Canyon road corridor. While we have sought to conduct a thorough investigation of cultural properties in the area, systematic pedestrian surface surveys such as the ones described here never cover the area completely. Results should be taken as a substantial sample of the range of resources that may be encountered during highway reconstruction in the study area. It is possible, perhaps likely, that these results will be expanded through monitoring and, if necessary, subsurface testing efforts concurrent with the construction process

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In Text Citation:
Diaz and Burtchard (2005) or (Diaz and Burtchard, 2005)

References Citation:
Diaz, B.M. and G.C. Burtchard, 2005, 2005 archaeological inventory, upper Stevens Canyon Road, Mount Rainier National Park: Mount Rainier National Park,