In a repeat of a classic outing, let's head north over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend downhill/ crosscountry/ snowshoe around Monarch Pass. Although this might not be the greatest snow season, Monarch should offer something, and reports 24" on the ground as of Dec. 10. We will head for Salida to establish a base in a comfortable house or cabin, and spend our days in winter sports in the Monarch Pass area. Some of the Pajarito season passes offer three free days at Monarch, and otherwise tickets are relatively inexpensive online.
Let's start the year by climbing a peak. I want to snowshoe to the top of Cerro Grande, 4 miles round trip with a 1,300 ft elevation gain. Sweeping views of the Valles Caldera from the top, at 10,200 ft.
Departure time will be 9:30 am from the trailhead parking lot, located on State Route 4.
Dress in layers and prepare for cold and possibly windy weather. Bring snowshoes, trekking poles, sunglasses, sunscreen, water, and snacks.
Join Zack on an easy out-and-back ski to Canada Bonita. We'll start at 10am on Thursday at the ski hill parking lot and go out to the caldera overlook. This is a good time to check out your gear; this is not a race and not ambitious.
Please let me know if you're coming, I'll bring snacks.
Hi, anyone want to go out tomorrow on an explore of Duchess Castle and the mesa beyond, cross-country on the detached northern segment of Bandelier National Monument? The hike is a bit north of the well-known Tsankawi Ruins loop, exploring across the flat and up onto the mesa, and is not a hike on a trail. If I get some interest by 9 AM tomorrow, we'll arrange to meet at the trailhead at 10 AM and hike until mid-afternoon. Bring lunch etc. Hopefully we will get snow after Monday, so with any luck (snow, that is), this will be the last sunny day for while.
published by mraltherr1@gmail.com on Fri, 2021-11-12 11:26
Leader:
Michael Altherr
Telephone:
5054100061
Date:
Sat, 2021-12-18
Leader Email:
mraltherr1@gmail.com
Difficulty:
Moderate
Technicality:
Intermediate
Are dogs allowed?:
Not allowed
I don't know about you, but my skis are tuned and waxed and waiting to be set on snow. If you're like me the only reason I ski the front country is to ski better in the backcountry. With that comes the prospect of finding oneself in avalanche terrain. So, help me hone my (and your) rescue skills by joining me for this annual refresher.
If the weather permits, let's get out on Saturday Dec. 18 to continue the explore that we started on Nov 26 and complete a loop from Box Canyon to Chimney Rock above Ghost Ranch. We will take the trail up Box Canyon, get on the mesa, and connect to the route that we explored on the 26th. This will be an explore off the beaten path. This is a weather permitting hike, and depends on what snow we might get next week.
We have many times travelled to Bluff, Utah for a taste of the canyon country. Bluff is less than six hours from Los Alamos and, situated along the San Juan River, at a low altitude best suited for trips late or early in the season. Even at the beginning of December the average daily high is around 50 F. There are numerous places to hike and explore from Bluff, including the ruins and big views of Comb Ridge, the canyons accessible from Cedar Mesa, the canyon rim just north of Bluff itself, and farther afield to places like White Canyon.
This hike is Saturday Nov 27. The group will meet at the Quemazon trailhead (48th and Trinity) at 9:00 am. Parking is available at the trailhead or nearby on Trinity Drive. From there, we will hike down to West Road and reach Reservoir Road. We will continue hiking the Los Alamos Canyon past the Reservoir, then connect to the Knapp trail. After a steep ascent on nicely graded switchbacks, we will reach Quemazon trail and hike down to complete the loop. We will return at about 12:30 pm.
Let's get out on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday the 26th, for a bit of an explore around Ghost Ranch. We will take the trail up to Chimney Rock, then hike along the mesa top north or south (we'll figure out when we get there). This will be an explore off the beaten path. We might return the way we came, or if we feel ambitious, we can make a loop of it and return via Box Canyon.
