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LAM Logo History |
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Monthly Public Meeting and
Presentation:
held in the Pajarito
Room of
Fuller
Lodge on the 3rd Wednesday of each
month
Social and reports
of recent and upcoming trips at 7:30pm. Program at
8:00pm. |
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February 15, 2012
"Stone
Calendars of the Southwest"
by Ron Barber
Ron Barber was born
and raised in the oil fields of South America, out in the middle of
the boondocks. His parents hauled their kids through the mountains,
deserts and jungles; always in search of new adventures.
Encountering indigenous cultures and ancient sites has led to a
long-term interest and curiosity about lost civilizations. He is an
explorer by nature, an engineer by profession.
There are hundreds of
stone calendar sites around the southwest located near ancient
inhabited areas that were used to mark the annual seasons and
important dates. These calendars are made with specific glyphs that
align with unique shadows used to mark the time of year, including
winter and summer solstice, equinoxes, cross-quarters and many other
important dates. The Stone Calendar research project, is attempting
to identify the western regional extent of this type of calendar
technology. Sites have been surveyed and studied in New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, Colorado, California, as far south as the Sierra
Madres in Mexico, and as far north as the Columbia River Gorge in
Washington. Sites are studied using surveying techniques, 3
dimensional predictive modeling, and final field observations
including time-lapse photography. The study has helped to identify
unique cultural variations in glyph design and revealed the
technological evolution over time, leading to very complex and
accurate stone calendars. Ron will share some preliminary results of
the Stone Calendar Project; a hobby that somehow got out of hand.
Ron is a mechanical
Engineer with over 30 years at the national laboratories; Lawrence
Livermore in California and Los Alamos in New Mexico. Over the last
4 years he has focused an effort to study rock art throughout the
southwest, specifically looking for glyphs that might provide
insights into early astronomical knowledge. He has applied his
engineering background to develop a systematic approach to surveying
and identifying glyphs for potential study.
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Past presentations,
and occasionally future, can be viewed
here.
Visitors are
always welcome!
Digital projector compliments of
Los Alamos National
Bank. |
Future
Anticipated Program
(titles and details subject to change):
March 21, 2012,
Details to follow soon!
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.
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Community and LAM Notices:
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National Ski Patrol Level 1 Avalanche Course - February
2‐5, 2012
Want to learn avalanche safety and rescue techniques? Are you a
Backcountry Traveler?
This National Ski
Patrol Avalanche Level 1 course will be given at the
Pajarito Mountain Ski Area,
conforms to the curriculum of the American Avalanche Association
(AAA), and includes both classroom lectures and on-the-snow field
exercises, including the following topics:
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Avalanche
triangle: terrain, snowpack, weather
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Beacon search, shoveling, and probing
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Safe travel in avalanche terrain
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Practical in-the-field snowpack stability evaluation methods
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Immediate search for buried victims
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Human factor - traveling in groups and effective leadership
The class will be taught by Greg Blackwell and
Scott Hsu, NSP Alpine Senior
Patrollers and certified Avalanche Level 1 instructors, with help
from several other Level 1 and Level 2 avalanche-trained patrollers
who have extensive backcountry ski/travel experience.
Course schedule (all to be held at Pajarito Mountain
Ski Area, NM):
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Thursday, Feb. 2,
6-9:30pm (classroom)
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Friday, Feb. 3, 6-9:30pm (classroom)
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Saturday, Feb. 4, 8:30am-4pm: field sessions (outdoors all
day)
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Sunday, Feb. 5, 8:30am-3pm: field sessions (outdoors all day)
Course requirements: A good
level of fitness and the ability to ski and move around in deep snow
and steep terrain. You should show up to the field sessions booted
up and ready to ski. You will need to bring a beacon, shovel, and
probe, and be prepared to be outdoors (snow or shine) the entire
day. Lift rides to field exercise locations will be included as part
of the course registration. If you do not own beacon/shovel/probe,
please acquire or borrow them from friends ahead of time. As a last
resort, we have a few loaners on hand, but their availability cannot
be guaranteed.
"Pre‐work": Upon enrollment, we
will make arrangements to get you a copy of Snow Sense by Fredston &
Fesler (included in the course fee), which you will use to complete
a written assignment. The assignment must be completed and brought
to the first classroom session.
Enrollment instructions: The
enrollment will be divided approximately 50-50% between patrollers
and members of the community, first‐come first‐served according to
the date of receipt of the $75 course enrollment fee ($10 for NSP
members), payable to Los Alamos Ski Club. The fee includes the Snow
Sense book, lift privileges on the field session days, and an NSP
certificate of course completion. Please contact Greg Blackwell,
gblackwe@unm.edu, to register.
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LAM Activities: |
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TECHNICAL RATING: |
B (Beginner) |
I (Intermediate) |
A (Advanced) |
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PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: |
E (Easy) |
M (Moderate) |
S (Strenuous) |
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Trip Leaders, please
do your best at assigning a combined rating for your trip. |
Trip Leaders:
Contact our
Webmaster Jan Studebaker to have your trip plan posted on the web site and to be
announced to the club via email. Please make sure
waivers for participants are current and recorded by the club
Secretary prior to
your trip. In addition, the "Los Alamos Mountaineer's Trip Sign-Up
Sheet" includes the trip waiver, and should be used for all club sponsored trips.
Trip Leader Awards: The club is grateful to
those who lead our outdoor adventures. As a token of appreciation, our
awards will be a series of caps and hats with the Club logo. To encourage
first-time trip leaders, we will award a first hat to anyone who leads a Club
trip. In more detail, we 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 Kei Davis, our Equipment Manager, at (505) 661-0118 or
keidavis.lam@gmail.com.
Scheduled LAM Activities:
Top | Search
Past & Present LAM Activities
(includes full activity details back to 12/2006)
Ongoing Area and Club Activities
February 12-22, 2012 | Adventuring Across Mexico
February 16-20, 2012, Monarch Downhill and X-Country Ski
February 18-22, 2012, Tenth Mountain Hut System Ski & Snowshoe
Trip
August 30-September 3, 2012 | Tenth Mountain Division Hut Trip
November 7-12, 2012 | Biking and Hiking in Moab, Utah
Subscribe to
'Activities' (RSS)
here.
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Ongoing Area and Club Activities: |
LA
County Redlining Series
(Ongoing)
Trip Menu | Search
Over the course of this series of hikes, we
will cover the entire County trail system ("redlining" all the trails on the
map). Trips happen at 7 o'clock Saturday mornings, on a "whenever the
leader feels inspired" basis, probably about twice a month. They are
intended for anyone who wants to get out for a few hours at the start of the
weekend, for those who always wanted to explore the country trails but never
got around to it, for new hikers (or those new to winter), or for
experienced hikers who want a few hours of conditioning. We aim for
4-7 miles in about 2-3 hours, at a moderate but steady pace with minimal
breaks. For more details contact
Jonathan Niehof (the leader) at
jtniehof@gmail.com or see the hike series
website.
Current scheduled trip(s) in the County trails redlining series:
Saturday, 2/4/2012 will be a light day in upper Walnut canyon. Meet 8am at
the Mitchell trailhead. The minimal loop on the upper Walnut trails and
Perimeter trail will be 1.8miles and take about an hour, but interested
parties can continue for about another hour (round trip) to the Natural
Arch.
Scheduled Community Top Roping Sessions
(Ongoing)
Trip Menu | Search
Due to
Daylight Saving End and colder evenings, we have stopped scheduling Tuesday/Thursday evening top roping in White Rock.
Check our Top Roping page for other options.
Top roping
locations are presented as a favor to the climbing
community as a whole, and as such, are not activities of the
Los Alamos Mountaineers, even though many
LAM club members are climbers and take part in the listed climbs.
All top roping participants,
regardless of affiliation, are welcome and must assume responsibility for
themselves, and the safety of the others at the crags. Helmet usage is
optional, recommended, and seldom observed. Experienced climbers are
usually available to help in the selection of appropriate climbs, to check
anchors and to help with belay technique (feel free to ask for help, if in
doubt). You are encouraged to check other's anchors, and report
questionable sets to whomever is responsible, or to any other
climber/s at the session. There is no sponsor, and all equipment
must be provided by the participants. Climbing can be dangerous to your
health!
Valles Caldera
National Preserve Activities
(Ongoing)
Trip Menu | Search
The Valles Caldera National Preserve has an events calendar that allows you to see at a glance which activities and dates might work best for you. It also guides you to the appropriate web page for more information. Click
here for this excellent calendar. These are not LAM activities, but are of interest to many members.
Check out their
website
for details.
Bandelier
National Monument Backpacking and Hiking
(Ongoing)
Trip Menu | Search
Most of Bandelier
National Monument Has Reopened!
Most sections of Bandelier
National Monument have reopened to
the public.
The Las Conchas Fire burned over 146,000
acres during the summer of 2011. Over 60% of Bandelier's landscape was
within the fire's footprint. Deforestation of upper canyons lead to
massive flash flood events. Anyone planning to hike into Bandelier's
backcountry should be aware of the increased hazards after fire/flash flood
events. Falling trees, burned out stump holes, missing or eroded
trails, and changed landmarks are just some of the dangers.
Nonetheless, management has decided there is minimal danger to experienced
hikers with good navigation skills. A permit is required for any
overnight stays in the backcountry. Please go to the visitor center
before attempting any long hikes. Bandelier National Monument
Interactive
Map.
What's Open at
Bandelier Now:
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Regular
Activities:
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February
12-22, 2012 | Adventuring Across Mexico
Trip Menu | Search
Leader:
Dick Opsahl,
opsahlr@mac.com, (650) 424-4369
Due to cancelations there is now an
opening for 2 people!
Update 1: We will
have private van transportation from Chihuahua to Copper Canyon with
stop over at the Mexican Mennonite community. The van will pick everyone
up at their hotels in Chihuahua. Previously we were getting to Copper
Canyon from Chihuahua by public bus.
Update 2:
We will have private 2 person cabins on the overnight ferry from
mainland Mexico to Baja on the boat.
(B-I/E-M)
Here is the adventure of your life! Join our
group in Mexico on a trip including the fun of sea kayaking, the
excitement of encountering some of the largest mammals on Earth, (the
Pacific Gray whales in Magdalena Bay), hiking in the spectacular Copper
Canyon located in Mexico's Sierra Madre Mountains and experiencing the
famous Copper Canyon Railroad. This stunning engineering achievement
crosses 39 bridges (the longest bridge is over 500 meters long) and 86
tunnels (the longest over 1,500 meters long).
The trip begins in the Copper Canyon which is four
times larger than the Grand Canyon and almost 300 feet deeper. This
remarkable area, also known, as the Sierra de Tarahumara after the
native Tarahumara's who inhabit the canyons, is truly one of the last
great wilderness areas in North America. The Tarahumara, who number
about 50,000 and live in small settlements throughout the region, have
been able to preserve their native culture better than any group in
North America. These people are considered to be the world's greatest
long-distance runners. A trip through this majestic region is a trip
back in time. You will visit the small towns of Creel, Batopilas, &
Satevo in Copper Canyon, and El Fuerte, where you will find beautiful
old colonial construction done by the Spaniards during the times they
worked the mines.
Midway through the trip you'll take an overnight ferry
to La Paz, on the Baja peninsula. You'll transfer to a base camp in
Magdalena Bay where you will be greeted by endless beaches and lots of
whales. For centuries hundreds of Pacific Gray whales have returned to
the warm water of Magdalena Bay to court, breed and give birth to their
young. From motorized skiffs, operated by experienced boatmen, you'll be
able to observe these magnificent and curious mammals at close quarters
and learn about their fascinating behavior from an expert naturalist who
accompanies our tour. The photo possibilities are fabulous and the
experience is unbelievable! Our beach camps are comfortable and provide
all the amenities.
For this trip we will use the same tour company that
gave us the marvelous Mountaineers sea kayak trip at the Baja during
November 2010. They are based in Moab. The official trip dates are set
from 10 Feb 2012 starting at Chihuahua and ending at La Paz on the Baja
on 22 Feb 2012. A few of us may go to Chihuahua a few days early for
some additional sightseeing and enjoying the cerveza.
Since we are almost a year ahead, cost of the trip is
not yet exact but our in Mexico costs are expected to be approximately
$2000, including hotels, camping and most meals. Initial deposit to Dick
Opsahl (to get on the go list) is $100 per person. Remainder of deposit
($400 more) is due by 13 April, and balance of trip cost is due 90 days
before departure.
Notes:
Opsahls expect to drive to Los Angeles and leave car at airport. Los
Alamos people can fly from Albuquerque. Trip limit is 16 people. For
more details send a note to Dick.
February 16-20, 2012, Monarch Downhill and X-Country Ski
Trip Menu | Search
Leader: Bill
Priedhorsky, bill@priedhorsky.net
(B-I/E-M)
Enjoy an extended ski weekend at
Monarch Pass with cross country and alpine skiing; families are welcome!
Those who have a season pass at Pajarito Mountain get 3 free days of
skiing at Monarch Mountain in Colorado near Salida. If you have to buy a
ski pass, Monarch prices are quite reasonable, especially purchased
online in advance. This is a 4 day weekend for those on the LANL "B"
schedule, and a holiday weekend for those who get President's Day as a
holiday. For those that cannot spend the entire time in Monarch and
prefer a shorter Monarch trip, carpools for a shorter weekend might be
possible, although the lodging cost will be the same for shorter or
longer stays. We've been to Monarch before, and it is an excellent small
ski area, atop the Continental Divide, not to be missed.
We plan to depart Thursday PM, February 16,
adventuring Friday, February 17 through President's Day Monday, February
20th. Monarch ski area is about a 4-5 hour drive from Los Alamos, offers
a variety of skill levels for downhill skiing, small lift lines. It is
slightly bigger than Pajarito, with big views from the Continental
Divide, and a backcountry bowl. Cross Country skiing and snowshoeing are
options in the area, for those who prefer to mix up the types of
activities over a long weekend. Based on those who sign up, we will
divide up into sub-groups to best meet skill levels and interests. This
trip will be left somewhat flexible and open to meet a variety of
interests and capabilities. If you are tired and sore at the end of a
strenuous day, a side trip to Princeton Hot Springs can improve your
spirits. Historic downtown Salida offers art, music, antiques, and great
shopping and dining experiences on the Arkansas River. And the truly
hardcore can try winter fly fishing on the Arkansas.
Dinners will be a joint effort, with participants
contributing to the meals. Once trip members are signed up, we will
coordinate in more detail to determine who brings what for which days of
the trip. Breakfasts and lunches are on your own. Lodging is available
at a reasonable rate in nearby Salida or Mayfield. We've rented the
historic
Honk House
(beep when you drive by) midway between Salida and the ski area.
Experience has shown this to be significantly more economical than motel
rooms; I expect the cost for the weekend to be in the range $100-150 per
person, depending on how completely we fill the house. To hold a spot in
the rental house, please send a deposit of $100 per person to Bill
Priedhorsky by direct transfer or by mailing a check to him at 380 Rim
Road, Los Alamos NM.
We will coordinate carpools and times of departure
based on participant requirements. We recommend leaving Thursday late
afternoon to allow a full day of skiing on Friday. Please let us know if
you prefer to drive, how many extra spaces you would have for
carpoolers, or if you need a ride.
February 18-22, 2012, Tenth Mountain Hut System Ski & Snowshoe Trip
Trip Menu | Search
Leader:
Kathleen Gruetzmacher,
gkathleen1048@msn.com, H:(505-662-0770), W:505-665-4356
1525 Los Pueblos, Los Alamos, NM 87544
(B-A/M-S)
A ski/snowshoe trip to the Tenth Mountain McNamara Hut
is planned for February 18-22,
2011. Sixteen people can be accommodated in the hut.
Unlike previous
Leadville-based years, this hut is located near Aspen, CO.
The hut is in Burnt Hole deep in the forest on the north side of Bald
Knob (11,092 feet). The McNamara Hut has good intermediate ski touring
on Bald Knob, and experts can strike out on long tours east towards the
Continental Divide.
Trailhead:
Upper Hunter Creek, elevation 8,380' (hut elevation 10,360’)
Route:
Via Van Horn Park, Total Mileage 5.7.
The hut is reserved for Sunday,
Monday, and Tuesday February 19, 20, and 21, 2012 (President’s Day
weekend). Click
here for a map of the area, and click here
for hut details.
The deposit/preliminary cost
estimate is $110 for hut accommodations only. I’ll recommend a
hotel and ask everyone to make their own reservations, so the hotel cost
is not included in the deposit. Send
deposit to me at address above.
Itinerary:
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Saturday, February 18, dinner
and hotel room in Aspen, CO.
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Sunday-Tuesday nights, February
19-21, McNamara Hut.
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Wednesday, February 22, ski or
snowshoe out and drive home.
August 30-September 3, 2012 | Tenth Mountain Division Hut Trip
Trip Menu | Search
Leaders:
Felicia Orth and Evan Rose,
orthf@yahoo.com, with a cc to Bill,
bill@priedhorsky.net
(B/E-S)
The sixth annual summer weekend trip to a 10th Mountain Division
Hut will be to the
10th Mountain Division Hut, August 31-September 2, 2012 (Friday,
Saturday and Sunday nights. We will pack up and return to Los
Alamos on Monday, the 3rd of September (Labor Day holiday). The
10th Mountain Hut, at 11,370 ft, is nestled at timberline just east of
the Continental Divide, and offers many opportunities to hike at various
levels, from gentle to moderate, and, if some are ambitious and want to
get up early for a long day, climbing Mt. Massive or another nearby
14er. There are numerous lakes near the Hut as well, for those who want
to bring fishing equipment. This will be the second visit by the
Mountaineers to 10th Mountain Hut.
As in previous years, we will drive
up to Leadville the day before, on August 30, and stay overnight.
Participants will make their own reservations in Leadville or nearby
for that night. The Columbine Inn has been cooperative about
letting some of us leave cars while we are at the Hut. The Delaware
Hotel is a notable and comfortable place to stay. A group dinner can be
planned for those who are in Leadville by dinner time on August 30.
Participants meet at the Columbine Inn at 9:00 AM on August 31, and
carpool to the trailhead parking lot, on the road up to the Hut. One or
more 4x4 cars/trucks will drive to the Hut with the coolers and heavy
items. The rest of us will hike to the hut with day packs. Felicia and
Evan will have a planning pot luck dinner meeting in August before the
trip.
The 10th Mountain huts sleep 16 and
are fully equipped with propane cooking stoves, cooking and eating
equipment, photovoltaic lighting, etc. Six places for next September's
trip have already been spoken for, so ten places remain. You may e-mail
your interest in joining us next year to Felicia (see above) with a cc
to Bill (bill@priedhorsky.net).
The cost this year, as last year, is $100/person. Checks can be sent
to Bill Priedhorsky at 380 Rim Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544, made out to
Bill Priedhorsky/Canyon Adventures. Your reservation is made when your
check is in Bill’s hand. After filling the trip we will maintain a
standby list to accommodate cancellations. In case of cancellation,
refunds will be made when the spot is filled. Let us know if you would
like to join us next Labor Day weekend. We're looking forward to another
great Hut trip!
November 7-12, 2012 | Biking and Hiking in
Moab, Utah
Trip Menu | Search
Trip Leader: Bill
Priedhorsky, bill@priedhorsky.net
(B-I/M)
I would like to announce the fifth
edition of our very successful trip to Moab. We came back recently from
the 2011 edition of the trip, and it was a great adventure as usual.
Despite my saying that we wouldn't go back in 2012, I changed my mind -
there is too much to do that we still didn't get to.
As before, we will establish a base
in a large, comfortable house in Moab, and from there mountain bike,
hike, and scramble in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and the wild
country immediately around Moab like Behind the Rocks. Some of our most
rugged adventures took us no more than two miles from home, yet \ we
were deep in the wilderness. A report of the 2010 trip can be found
here. I hope to publish a report of the 2011 trip
soon.
The activity level can 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. Not to mention the mountain bikers thrashing here, there,
and everywhere.
The trip will run from Wednesday
Nov. 7 through Monday Nov. 12, 2012, getting away on Wednesday at times
that will vary car to car. Monday the 12th is a Lab holiday, and Friday
is a "B" day off (trade your Friday?).
After 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 both sides of the house, north and south, with five bedrooms
each.
Please let me know if you are
interested in this outing. To hold a spot, please send me a deposit of
$75 per person. Early signups will get preferred bedroom spots. The
planning site for the 2011 trip, and some idea of the room arrangements,
can be found
here.
Final payment will be due by August
1. We've had a great deal on the house in past years, but unfortunately
the rate is going up by 20%. The place is still a bargain. Depending on
the quality of accommodation and just how full we fill the house, costs
should be between $100 and $200 per person for the 5 nights (generally
no discount for shorter stays, and why would you want to miss the fun
anyway?).
Note that Moab is about 4 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
driving straight through.
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