Cancelled: Day hiking, based at The Wilderness Lodge, Gila Hot Springs, March 18-23, 2014

Cancelled: not quite enough interest to make this go
I have reserved The Wilderness Lodge at Gila Hot Springs for 5 nights, Tuesday through Saturday, departing on Sunday morning. The lodge will sleep a maximum of 16 people, and is an excellent base to explore a place I have never been - the Gila Cliff dwellings and many trails in the heart of the Gila Wilderness. This area is well to the east of the giant fire of 2012, although there is some local fire damage from earlier fires. The lodge is 4 miles from Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, and has easy access to trails in the Gila Wilderness and Gila National Forest like EE Canyon Loop, 8 miles, Moderate; Little Bear Canyon, 8 miles round trip, Moderate; TJ Corral Stock Loop, 4.5 miles, Easy; and West Fork Loop, 11 miles, Moderate (details here).

There are hot springs on the premise so we can soak morning and evening if we like. Breakfast is included in the price; we can do our own cooking, or have them do sack lunches ($7) or dinner ($12 each for ten or more), and save our energy for adventuring. The food sounds good - "three-cheese lasagne, green chile enchiladas, pasta with homemade pesto, chipotle chicken and green chile burgers. Vegetarian meals are no problem. All dinners include an entree, salad, side dish and/or bread, beverage and dessert."

There are 7 bedrooms in the lodge, although just 3 bathrooms, and extra room to squeeze in others if we like. I expect that the lodging will cost in the range of $200 per person for all or part of the 5 nights. The lodge is about 350 miles and 6 1/2 hours driving from Los Alamos.

To reserve a slot, please contact Bill Priedhorsky and make a deposit of $100 per person.