Valle Ski Tour re-scheduled to Feb. 24th

After the snowstorm this Wednesday, there are about 5 inches of new snow on the route.  The ski track through Canada Bonito is in very good condition, and trail-breaking in the meadow is easy because the new snow is pretty heavy and a little wind-packed.  Also, the extra snow should make the descent into the Valle de los Posos much easier.  So conditions are now MODERATE rather than difficult, and we can expect fairly fast skiing on good snow.

The Valles Caldera recreational staff have NOT given us permission to ski around the North side of Cerro Medio because they require more advanced notice to get approvals from their cultural department.  So this year we will again be doing the 11-mile route that we have done before rather than the 13-mile route.  But with the new snow it should not be hard to ski around the South side of Cerro Medio and across the Valle Grande.

This ski tour is a re-schedule of the trip from Pajarito Mountain to the Valle Grande staging area that was postponed two weeks ago because of poor snow conditions. I would like to thank the roughly 20 skiers who signed up for that trip, and I hope that most of you will be able to come this Sunday instead. This trip is also still open to other members of the Mountaineers, the Southwest Nordic Ski Club, the New Mexico Cross Country Ski Club, and other guests who are known to the trip participants from these clubs.

After the snowstorm this Wednesday, there are about 5 inches of new snow on the route. The ski track through Canada Bonito is in very good condition, and the extra snow should make the descent into the Valle de los Posos much easier. So conditions are now moderate rather than difficult. The Valles Caldera recreational staff have not given us permission to ski around the North side of Cerro Medio because they require more advanced notice to get approvals from their cultural department. So we will be doing the 11-mile route that we have done before.

The ski tour will start from the west end of the ski area parking lot, and skiers can depart anytime between 8 AM and 9 AM. (If the ski area is open, you can take a bus that arrives at that location at 8:33 AM.) Before departing, all skiers must sign a Valles Preserve waiver and a Los Alamos Mountaineers Club trip waiver. We’ll also collect the $10 Valles Preserve access fee (in cash) from everyone, so please bring change.

We appreciate that the Valles Caldera staff are again allowing us to do this trip as a "sanctioned group event."  We are asking trip participants to take responsibility for assuring their own abilities to complete the trip. This ski tour is roughly 11 miles, with an estimated 5 to 6 hours of skiing time. It requires at least an intermediate level of cross-country ski touring experience, and includes a moderate one-mile-long descent on a narrow jeep road under the current good snow conditions. Skiers should be able to maintain an average speed of 2 miles per hour in order to arrive at the Valle Grande staging area with some margin of safety before closing time. Specifically, skiers should turn back at the gate where we descend into the Valle de los Posos
if they cannot cover those first two miles in about an hour, or
if they have too much trouble with the descent to the gate, or
if they arrive at the gate after 10 AM.

Within the above constraints, skiers can travel at their own pace, staying between the lead group that breaks trail and the sweep group that brings up the rear. We do ask that no one skis alone, and that each group of skiers carries a cell phone with them.

Each group of skiers should work out their own arrangements for getting picked up at the visitor center at the end of the tour. But let me know if I can help you by sharing information about possible drivers or riders. PLEASE NOTE that if you leave a car in the Valle on Saturday, you must sign in with the staff and leave a note in your car saying that it will be left there overnight.

Advanced signup for this trip is required with a deadline of Friday night, February 22th. This way we will know who to expect at the trailhead and what transportation arrangements you've made. Please e-mail Norbert at norbert.ensslin@gmail.com or phone at 662-1408 to sign up so that we can communicate back and forth about weather conditions, car-pooling options, skiing experience, etc.