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Monthly Program:

Lechuguilla Cave – Beyond 150 Miles of Explored Passages

published by bill on Sat, 2020-05-16 15:57
Date: 
Tue, 2020-06-23

The June Mountaineers meeting will feature a talk by John Lyles on Lechuguilla Cave. The cave was discovered by a team digging in a blowing hole in the back country of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 1986. The complex cave is developed in the uplifted limestone and dolomite rock of the Permian-age Capitan Reef complex that forms the Guadalupe Mountains. Hundreds of known caves are found in this region but Lechuguilla Cave greatly exceed the size of the rest. Corrosion and depositional episodes drove the sulfuric-acid speleogenesis (cave development) to create remarkable formations and decorations (speleothems) as well as nurturing unique microbiologic activity. Exploration and mapping has been ongoing for 34 years by teams of experienced cavers. Recently, discoveries continue to be made through climbs up domes and through pushes into tight crawls and fissures that were previously passed by. The cave is developed in all three dimensions, reaching a depth of about 1600 feet. Considerable rope work is required to traverse to the ends of three major branches. Exploration is best done with multi-day camp expeditions deep within the cave, while less demanding weekend trips focus on closer target areas. John has spent nearly a year of his life exploring and mapping as a volunteer on this project. He will share some of the highlights of his work in the cave, including stunning photos of great chambers unknown to the general public.

The Mountaineer's monthly meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month. When held in person, that take place in the planetarium of the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC),  2600 Canyon Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Recent meetings have been held electronically - we will post details for this June meeting when the time gets closer.

Based on the success of recent electronic meetings, the Mountaineers are considering simulcasting future in-person meetings.

John Lyles ascending 150 foot rope in Lechuguilla Cave. Photo by Jamie Moon

Ongoing Events

 

 

Monthly Public Meeting and Presentation:


Normally held in the planetarium of the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC)
on the fourth Tuesday of each month

Social at 6:45.  Reports of recent and upcoming trips at 7:05pm.   Program to follow.

Past presentations, and occasionally future, can be viewed here.
Visitors are always welcome!  Free refreshments!

 


Get a 2020 Official Mountaineers T-Shirt

To support the Mountaineers spirit in these challenging times, we are pleased to offer our members the latest Mountaineers t-shirt, with a design based on our adventures around the world, shipped to your home anywhere in the US. The design comes in women’s and unisex versions, per the pictures below, in a wicking fabric The shirts cost $20 each. They may be picked up in Los Alamos, or shipped via USPS for $5 per shirt to any address in the US. Because of the circumstances, we cannot accept returns, so we’ve measured the shirts, and they are sized as follows:
      Circumference Height
dimensions in inches # in stock under arms midriff hips collar to waist
Women's
XS 6 28 27 1/2 32 23 1/2
S 6 31 30 34 24 1/2
M 4 32 31 35 24 1/2
L 1 35 34 38 25 1/2
XL 6 37 35 40 25 1/2
Unisex
S 5 34 35 28
M 4 38 1/2 39 28 1/2
L 5 42 42 29
XL 5 44 46 29 1/2

 

Size
Delivery Method

 

Future Club Speakers:  In addition to frequent presentations by nationally known adventurers, we love to hear from our own members....not that some of you aren't in that group.  A presentation gets you a free club membership and dinner at the restaurant of your choice in Los Alamos.

LAM Member Presentations Wanted! The LAM Board would like to encourage our members to provide more of our monthly presentations.  We understand well that club members are an active lot, with a wealth of activities in their repertoire that can and have been inspiring to new and old members alike.  We have often focused our monthly presentations on the elite of the outdoor adventure world, and perhaps created the undesired effect of squelching the voices of our own members who participate in frequent beautiful and exciting adventures of their own.  Although our own activities are not always "world class", they are representative of what we "weekend" athletes can and do accomplish.  We want many of our programs to inspire the "I can do that" attitude in our members, not merely entertain.  Shock and awe may have their rightful place, but inspiration to participate and shine is our true goal.

 

Trip Leaders:  Post your trip by logging in and then going here.  If you do not have an account, contact  the webmaster. For overnight trips, please ensure that membership waivers for participants are current and recorded by the club Membership Chairperson prior to your trip. Non-members may participate in day trips. All club sponsored trips require the trip waiver. After the trip, please scan and email a PDF of the waiver to the Trip Coordinator.

Trip Leader Awards: The club will recognize trip leaders as described here.

GMRS / FRS Radio Usage on Club Trips:  The Los Alamos Mountaineers encourage you to carry portable "family" radios as a safety measure on appropriate LAM trips, and urge participants to agree on a contact channel at the beginning of the trip.  As a default, if no channel has been selected, LAM suggests channel 3.14.  These three first digits of "pi" might be easily remembered in this scientific community.

Borrow Equipment: We have a limited amount of mountaineering equipment for loan (e.g., avalanche transceivers). Contact our Equipment Manager listed on this page.

 

 

Climbing School Update

 

 

The 2019 Climbing School will start May 1, 2019.
 
Please see this page for the most up-to-date info

Course Objectives: Beginner through intermediate students will learn the fundamentals of single-pitch rock climbing. The five-week course, taught by an AMGA certified Single-Pitch Instructor, will cover fundamentals of top-roping, anchor building, climbing technique & movement, rappel, and sport lead climbing. Students will be required to provide a minimum amount of climbing equipment (see Minimum Equipment Requirements). This equipment is necessary to participate in the class, and detailed instruction will be provided throughout the course. The combination of selected equipment and course instruction are tailored to meet all current climbing-industry standards and best practices, and will prepare students to participate in LAM single-pitch outings in the Northern New Mexico area.

The class fills quickly with only 24 seats, so early registration is recommended.

This includes 4 Wed nights, and 5 Saturdays; some 36-40 hours of instruction. The Los Alamos Mountaineers Climbing School is a great way to learn about technical rock climbing and mountaineering.  The school should offer a good experience to:

  • beginning climbers with no climbing experience,
  • new climbers who want to gain experience,
  • climbers who need outdoor experience and instruction, and
  • anyone wanting a chance to tap into the expertise of some of the area's most experienced climbers.
Trip Leaders: Anyone can lead a trip! Post your trip by logging in and then going here. If you do not have an account, contact the webmaster. For overnight trips, please ensure that membership waivers for participants are current and recorded by the club Membership Chairperson prior to your trip. Non-members may participate in day trips. All club sponsored trips require the trip waiver. After the trip, please scan and email a PDF of the waiver to the Trip Coordinator.

  • Middle Fork of the Salmon Raft trip

    published by bill on Fri, 2019-05-03 18:29
    Leader: 
    Bill Priedhorsky
    Telephone: 
    please email
    Date: 
    Wed, 2020-07-15
    Leader Email: 
    bill@priedhorsky.net
    Difficulty: 
    Easy
    Technicality: 
    Beginner
    Are dogs allowed?: 
    Not allowed

    One of the classic river runs in North America is the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, running through the River of No Return wilderness. We had a wonderful trip down the Middle Fork in July 2016, hosted by Terry Morgan and Lorrie Bonds Lopez, and catered by Hughes River Expeditions of Stanley, Idaho. Between the rafting and kayaking, fly fishing for trout, the semi-desert scenery, and fabulous food, it was a trip to remember. It is time to organize our return trip.

  • Moab Bike/Hike/Explore November 7-15, 2020

    published by bill on Sun, 2020-02-23 20:57
    Leader: 
    Bill Priedhorsky
    Telephone: 
    (505) 412-0376
    Date: 
    Sat, 2020-11-07
    Leader Email: 
    bill@priedhorsky.net
    Difficulty: 
    Moderate
    Technicality: 
    Intermediate
    Are dogs allowed?: 
    Not allowed

    I would like to announce the twelfth edition of our successful hike/explore/bike trips to Moab. We have been going most Novembers since 2008, and every time has been a great success. The 2014 trip report can be found at http://lamountaineers.org/node/479#comment-57.

  • Selway River raft trip July 14-19, 2021

    published by bill on Sat, 2020-01-11 15:59
    Leader: 
    Bill Priedhorsky
    Telephone: 
    505 412 0376
    Date: 
    Wed, 2021-07-14
    Leader Email: 
    bill@priedhorsky.net
    Difficulty: 
    Moderate
    Technicality: 
    Advanced
    Are dogs allowed?: 
    Not allowed

    Planning ahead, I have booked the entire 11-person trip for a 5-night descent of the Selway River, a 47-mile outing that starts in southeastern Montana. We will travel with Hughes Expeditions, who have impressed us with the quality of their service on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, for example on our 2016 trip . Per Hughes' writeup, "The Selway River Trip is a premier mountain wilderness, whitewater, camping, and fly fishing trip that flows through beautiful forested canyons.

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