NEVADA CITY, Calif. September 5, 2018 – The human spirit is resilient. So is nature. That is the timeless theme of this unforgettable three-mile walk and talk along the Deer Creek Tribute Trail offered through the new online platform, Outlandish Experiences.com.

Since time immemorial, the Deer Creek watershed has been a place where the local Nisenan thrived in village sites before the greed of the Gold Rush and the two largest mines in the State – Champion and Providence nearly exterminated the tribe and the plants and animals they subsisted on.

Today, nature and the original people are healing and making a comeback. Their stories are rich and ripe for retelling.

This Friday, Sept. 7, hiking guide, environmental writer, and conservationist Laura Petersen of Hiking For Good will meet participants in downtown Nevada City for this guided tour. From there, the group will walk through sleepy neighborhoods and venture deep into the forest to learn about the medicinal and edible plants found along the way.

At the “Anqkula Seo” suspension bridge on the Deer Creek Tribute Trail, hikers will meet Shelly Covert of the Nisenan tribe for language, song, stories and photographs. Folks can make rubbings of modern-day replicas of ancient petroglyphs in the shape of bear paws and continuum spirals found on the granite boulders near the bridge. Shelly will lead you along the switchback trail to interpretive sites and a Nisenan Garden where she will share her hope, inspiration, and vision for the future of this landscape and a better world.

“You can come back after being destroyed,” said Covert.

The tour will end at the Firehouse Museum, where ancient Nisenan artifacts are stored. For those who desire to stay after the tour, deeper conversations with Covert can continue at the museum.

ABOUT THE GUIDES

Laura is an experienced hiking guide and journalist with a passion for the outdoors, local food & farming, history and the people of this remote corner of Northern California. She started Hiking For Good this summer while planning for her first backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada.

Shelly Covert is the spokesperson for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe and sits on the Tribal Council. Shelly is also the Executive Director for the non-profit group, California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project, or C.H.I.R.P.

Register today: outlandishexperiences.com

WHAT: Indigenous Walk On Deer Creek
GUIDES: Laura Petersen & Shelly Covert
WHERE: Deer Creek Tribute Trail, Nevada City
WHEN: 10:30 am – 1 pm Friday, Sept. 7
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
APPROXIMATE TIME: 2.5 Hours