March 16, 2010, LAGS Presentation, by Tom Betts, Chief Ranger at
Bandelier
The Los Alamos Geological Society welcomes LAM Members
to attend their monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 7:30pm at
the Christian Church in Los Alamos (92 East Road).
The March speaker is Tom Betts of the National Park
Service, currently Chief Ranger at Bandelier National Monument. The
presentation will be fairly non-technical, geologically speaking. Tom
plans to share many gorgeous photos and regale us with tales of his 28
years within the National Park Service, particularly his time spent as
Chief Pilot at one of the most geologically interesting and beautiful
places in North America, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
March 23, 2010,
Banff Mountain Film Festival - Santa Fe
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Sangre
de Cristo Mountain Works is again sponsoring the local version of the
Banff Mountain Film Festival in Santa Fe on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.
Tickets are available now at
Sangre De
Cristo Mountain Works and
The Lensic.
Video highlights of this event can be found
here.
April 8-11,
2010, Water Canyon (Socorro) Bike/Hike
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Leader:
Jeri Sullivan,
ejs@lanl.gov, 505-412-1092
Map: click
here.
(B-I/M-S)
Jeri Sullivan, Dennis Brandt,
Rick Kelley, and Shelly Cross will lead a mountain biking expedition
based near Socorro on the “A” weekend of April 8-11. We have reserved
the group
camping area at Water Canyon for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
nights. Water Canyon is about 5 miles south of the highway between
Socorro and Magdalena. The group area is very nice and wooded, with room
for a few smaller campers and also cars. There are clean pit toilets,
tons of tables and a constructed fire pit. Neither water nor
electricity are available at the campground. There is no constructed
shelter there, so we will need a sun/rain fly or two most likely. But
this is car camping, so we can bring tons of stuff, as the Mountaineers
do so well. Folks should bring their growlers so as to take advantage
of the Brewpub on the way through town. There is no camping fee, but we
need to pack out all our trash. There may be a small fee to tour the VLA.
The schedule of activities will
include:
-
Thursday: Drive down from
Los Alamos after work, with dinner at the brew pub in Socorro.
-
Friday: Mountain bike ride
at Morine and Durfee Canyons, followed by a VLA tour by an NRAO
radio astronomer (to be arranged).
-
Saturday: Mountain bike
ride and Copper mine visit in the Quebradas hills, east of Socorro
and the Rio Grande, led by Rick Kelley. For a description of this
country, click
here.
-
Sunday: Out and back ride
along the front of the Magdalenas or Rio Salado. It may be possible
to do a loop here but depends upon runoff flow in the Rio Salado.
Spectacular views nonetheless.
Other options include a hard core bike
ride climbing Baldy Peak. If there is interest in a hiking (rather than
biking) option, we will organize something exciting along those lines,
perhaps up to
Baldy and the observatory.
Finally, there is good road biking on
the road from Socorro to Magdalena, the Kelly mine in Magdalena which is
a cool place to look for copper and sulfate minerals, and rock climbing
in the vicinity. General information on mountain biking around Socorro
can be found
here.
For more information, or to sign up,
contact Jeri.
April
10-23, 2010, Pilgrimage Hike in Western Spain
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Leader:
Dick Opsahl, opsahlr@mac.com or
505-662 9404
(B/M-S)
Join Dick Opsahl on his pilgrimage hike north from
Seville, Spain to Merida, Spain. Leave Seville on 10 April and arrive at
Merida April 23. Hiking about 10-15 miles each day with minimum backpack
and staying at pilgrim refuges along the way. Total walk is about 140
miles. Route is called Via de la Plata (check Google). Except for air
fare, trip is very cheap. An added benefit is easier entry through the
Pearly Gates. Contact Dick by email or phone if interested. Space for 1
or 2 people.
An alternate to flying directly to
Seville is to fly to Madrid and take the bullet train to Seville.
May 8, 2010, Cabezon Peak
Climb
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Leader:
Dennis Brandt,
denniskarenb@gmail.com, 505-661-4240
More info from
past trip, with photos: click here.
(I/M)
We will climb Cabezon Peak, one of a number of striking
volcanic necks in the desert country west of the Jemez Mountains. We
will drive to the west shoulder of the mountain before beginning the
hike, which starts with a steep trail that traverses around the south
face to a crack system that leads to the top. Cabezon features colorful
columns of basalt that would make challenging 5th class climbs. However,
our plan is to climb a one-pitch 4th class route to the top. I will
bring a rope for anyone wishing a belay. Once on top, Cabezon offers
spectacular 360-degree views.
Come prepared for a full day outing.
Bring lunch, water, and layered clothing. Be prepared for windy and
chilly conditions. If you have a climbing helmet please bring it along
for the short climbing section. Let me know if you don’t have one and I
will try to locate one for you.
We will meet at 8:00am, Saturday, at
Sullivan Field in Los Alamos and car pool through the Jemez to Cabezon
Peak. We will pick up interested Jemez residents along the way and
should arrive at the peak around 10:00. If there is time after returning
to the cars we may check out some interesting geologic attractions in
the area before returning through Jemez Springs, where we will have
dinner before driving home.
May 15-23, 2010, Escalante/Grand Staircase Canyon Country Adventure
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Leader: Bill Priedhorsky,
bill@priedhorsky.net
(B-I/M-S)
As is our custom, we will spend a week in the canyon country in
May, exploring out of a base camp. Our gear will be hauled to camp on
llamas, probably supplied by BJ's new business. I don't know the details
of the packing cost, but expect that they will be comparable to previous trips,
in the range of $200-250 per person for the llama hauling.
Although some of the details are still up
in the air, I guarantee that we will have our usual wonderful adventure.
Our destination will be in the Escalante/Grand Staircase National
Monument, and somewhere that we haven't been before, at least for the
last several years. The most likely destination will be in the lower
reaches of Harris Wash, which allows a great deal of exploration from
Egypt to Red Breaks and everywhere between. Our schedule will be
similar to past week-long trips:
-
Saturday,
May 15: Drive to Boulder, Utah, and stay overnight at
Pole's Place or the Boulder Mountain Lodge,
-
Sunday, May
16: Hike into the canyon and establish base camp,
-
Monday-Friday: Five wonderful days of exploratory hikes,
-
Saturday,
May 22: Hike out of the canyon and overnight in Boulder,
-
Sunday, May
23: Drive back home.
Overnight reservations for the two
Saturday nights in Boulder are your responsibility. Pole's Place
can be reached by phone at (800) 730-7422. Contact details for
Boulder Mountain Lodge can be found
here.
If you would like to join us - and I hope you can - please send a $100
deposit to Bill Priedhorsky, 380 Rim Road, Los Alamos 87544 or contact
me for my LANB number for direct transfer.
May
28-31, 2010, White Mountains Wilderness Backpack
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Leader:
Jan Studebaker,
jstudebaker@gmail.com Photos of South
Fork Rio Bonito :
here
Map with points
of interest: click
here Interactive
USGS topo: click
here
(I/M)
Last year we were forced to make an
'emergency' cancellation of our planned trip to the White Mountains due
to an unusually strong Spring storm; this year we aim to succeed!
I had always been intrigued by the White Mountains near Ruidoso since
they are home to Sierra Blanca, one of the most amazing mountains in the
country, standing over 6OOO' above the desert floor. Unfortunately, I
have never visited the wilderness there. Upon asking around, I found
few Mountaineers who had either. It's time to change that!
I'm leading a 3-4 mile backpack
(Trailhead ~7400') up the deepest and most beautiful canyon in the
wilderness on South Fork Trail #19 which generally follows the South
Fork Rio Bonito, and setup a base camp at around 8400' (multiple stream
crossings required). We will day hike out of that camp for the rest of
the trip. We hope to have time for a short but beautiful hike on day one
to lower Crest Trail with a great view at ~9400'. On day two we will
hike up canyon and intersect the top part of the Crest Trail #25 at
~10,400', and probably do a return loop by returning on Trail #33
through Bluefront Canyon. Day three will be a hike to Lookout Mountain
at ~11,500' where we will get a close-up view of Sierra Blanca, and day
four we will pack out and return home.
July 2-4,
2010,Tenth Mountain Skinner Hut Trip
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Leader: Judy Opsahl,
opsahlr@mac.com
(B-I/M)
Our 4th annual 4th of July weekend trip to a
10th Mountain Hut next summer will be to Skinner Hut, July 2, 3, & 4,
2010. Those dates are Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Monday
is a holiday, and we will hike out and drive back to Los Alamos on
Monday. Skinner Hut, at 11,600 ft, offers many opportunities to
hike at various levels, from gentle, to moderate, and, if some are
really ambitious and want to get up early for a long day, climbing Mt
Massive.
As in previous years, we will drive up to
Leadville on July 1, stay overnight in Leadville. Each participant
will make their own reservations in Leadville or nearby for that night,
and it is best to make them early. In the past, most people have
stayed at the Columbine Inn, which has been cooperative about letting
some of us leave cars there while we are at the Hut. A group
dinner can be planned for those who are in Leadville by dinner time on
July 1. All participants then meet at the Columbine Inn at 8:00 AM
on July 2, and carpool to the trailhead parking lot on the road up to
Skinner. One or more 4x4 cars/trucks will drive to Skinner with
the coolers and heavy items. The rest of us will hike to the hut with
day packs. We will have a planning pot luck dinner/meeting in June
before the trip.
The 10th Mountain huts sleep 16 and are
fully equipped with propane cooking stoves, cooking and eating
equipment, photovoltaic lighting, etc. Eight places for next
July's trip have already been filled by people from this year's trip, so
eight places remain. You may e-mail your interest in joining us next
year to Judy (see above). The cost this year is $100/person. Checks can be sent to Judy Opsahl at 141
Chamisa Street, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Your reservation is made when your
check is in Judy's hand. After filling the trip we will maintain a
standby list to accommodate cancellations.
Let us know if you would like to join us
next July 4 weekend. We're looking forward to another great Hut trip.
October 29-31, 2010, Wilderness Leadership Training at Ghost Ranch
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Contact: Bill Priedhorsky,
bill@priedhorsky.net.
Ghost Ranch Rates: click
here.
Note that this is a
rescheduled date. The club is pleased to again offer an exciting
opportunity for members: wilderness leadership training, conducted by
former Colorado Mountain Club president Bill Houghton, with the
assistance of our own Rick Light. The objective of the training is to
refine the skills of our trip leaders, whether novice or veteran. We are
excited by the opportunity to conduct this exercise at Ghost Ranch,
which offers both the facilities we need, and a spectacular outdoor
setting for training exercises.
While the Mountaineers do not certify
trip leaders, we encourage our leaders to continuously seek ways to
build on their leadership strengths, whatever their level of experience.
This class will focus on trip planning,
safety, and team building. It will include both indoor discussions and
outdoor exercises. The class will go beyond the Mountaineers' last such
exercise, which took place in May 2005. There will be new exercises and
handouts, based on part in the CMC leader's handbook that is under
development. The outdoor exercises (hikes) will build on the classroom
discussions, including the contents of a leader's pack.
Ghost Ranch
offers lodging in a remote northern New Mexico location, nestled below
sandstone cliffs and formations. Lodging information is attached;
lodging prices run from about $166 to $230 per person for the two-day
weekend (double occupancy). The class fee will be $40. The exercise will
begin with dinner and a brief session on Friday evening, and will
conclude Sunday afternoon. Our detailed scheduled will be announced
later.
Note that the lodging price includes
three meals per day. This will make for an easy weekend - just bring
your clothes, toothbrush, and hiking gear.
We are aiming for a class size around 12
to 16, with an absolute upper limit of 20. Space allowing, non class
participants are welcome to join us for the weekend, and will pay only
the lodging fee.
I look forward to a thought-provoking and
fun weekend. Participation will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To reserve a slot, please contact me at
bill@priedhorsky.net,
including an indication of your lodging preference. Your reservation
will be held with a $100 deposit, with payment in full by August 15th, mailed to me at 380 Rim Road, Los
Alamos 87544.
October 30 - November 7, 2010, LA Mountaineer's Sea Kayak Trip
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Leader:
Dick Opsahl, opsahlr@mac.com,
505-662 9404
The Kayak trip is
filled, but we are taking names for a standby list in case there are
dropouts. If there are questions and I cannot be contacted try
Marilyn.
(I/M)
Let's go on a Sea Kayak trip in the Gulf of
California during the fall of 2010. Participants should be reasonably
fit and good swimmers. We will Kayak along the East coast of Baha
California. Expect lots of sea mammal sighting, bird watching and
snorkeling most afternoons. I've found a good outfitter living at Moab,
Nichols Expeditions, for a sea kayak trip starting next October. The
program detail is described in the URL below. But basically we would
kayak from Loreto, Mexico to La Paz, Mexico in the Sea of Cortez, also
called the Gulf of California. It will be something like a "sag wagon"
bicycle trip only with the kayak trip we will have "sag boats". The
boats will carry the tents and the Mexican crew to set up our camp and
feed us each night as we camp and paddle our way south. Read a full
description of the trip
here.
A rough idea about the
cost:
-
Kayak trip $1500. Includes food and
tents etc.,
-
Tips $200,
-
Round trip air $800 or round trip
auto (assuming 5 in car) $250.
The deal by air is to fly ABQ to La Paz
then take the local bus north to Loreto. Return directly from La Paz.
The deal by car is to drive to Mexico via
Douglas, Arizona (closer than Tucson). Overnight at Hermosillo, Mexico;
then ferry across to the Baja (with car) at Guaymas . Then drive to
Loreto. We would hire a Mexican driver to drive the car to our finish
hotel near La Paz. BTW 1, Opsahl is quite willing to take his own car,
old Ford SUV with Mexican insurance. BTW 2, A local friend (White Rock)
has a condo near to Guaymas, Mexico and drives the round trip regularly,
sometimes even with a trailer.
So, to join the trip, send a check for
$100 per person to Dick Opsahl, 141 Chamisa. The maximum group size is
14. We have 5 signed up so far (1 Jan). If we do not fill the trip with
our people the outfitter will fill the rest of the spots. The trip will
remain "private" to us until mid January. Please indicate in reply
double or single kayak preference. Also indicate Air or Auto and
willingness to take your car into Mexico. E-mail to
opsahlr@mac.com. Phone 505-662
9404. Need to pay the remaining $200 deposit by mid January.
All participants would have to have valid
USA passport. Might also be good to have some emergency medical
evacuation insurance. A 100 word vocabulary in Spanish would add a lot
to the enjoyment of the trip. For example "Mas cerveza, por favor". "¿Cuanto
cuesta eso?"
November 9-14, 2010,
Moab Bike/Hike 3
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Leader: Bill Priedhorsky,
bill@priedhorsky.net
(B-I/M)
I would like to announce the third edition of
our a very successful trip to Moab. In November 2008 and again in
November 2009, we established a base in a large, comfortable house in
Moab, and from there mountain biked, hiked, and scrambled in Arches and
Canyonlands National Parks and the wild country immediately around Moab.
Some of our most rugged adventures took us no more than two miles from
our base, yet we were deep in the wilderness. A report of the 2009 trip
can be found here.
A high point of the Moab trips has been
the traverse of the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park, which is an
intricate maze of fins and slot canyons. The complexity of this terrain
is obvious in an aerial photo, such as those found
here
and
here.
The activity level will be moderately
strenuous and includes optional semi- technical activities, up to
low-angle rope work, but there will be less strenuous and non-technical
options also.
The trip will run from Wednesday Nov. 10
through Sunday Nov. 14, with a departure on the evening of Tuesday Nov.
9. Thursday the 11th is a Lab holiday, and Friday is a "B" day off
(trade your Friday?). Unlike last year, we will not split the trip into
two waves, but will look for everyone to travel to Moab and return
together.
Besides the daytime adventuring, we will
socialize in the evening with dinners together, either potluck or
hitting the town. We will carpool to Moab to minimize driving expenses
and not overstrain the parking.
The lodging is called the Moab Retreat
House, and details can be found
here. I have
rented the south side of the house, which has five bedrooms. The north
half of the house is what is described on the web page, but floor plan
is identical (the south side side is equivalent to the north upstairs
and downstairs put together). If the trip grows in size, we can expand
into the north side.
Please let me know if you are interested
in this outing. To hold a spot, please send me
a deposit of $50 per person to 380 Rim Road, Los Alamos 87544.
Early signups will get preferred bedroom spots. Final payment will be
due by Oct. 1. Depending on the quality of lodging, last year's lodging
costs ran between $20 and $40 per person per night.
Note that Moab is about 3 (?) hours from
Salt Lake, making this an unusually accessible canyon outing for folks
who want to fly in. The drive from Los Alamos is about 6 1/2 hours.
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