Cruces Basin 2-night backpack

I would like to announce a backpacking trip into Cruces Basin for Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27).  Cruces Basin is pristine wilderness located west of San Antonio mountain near the New Mexico/ Colorado border.  This trip will be a mellow and family-friendly adventure with a short hike to our camp followed by  hikes to explore the Basin.  We can break into groups for day hiking, for those that want to adventure out further and those that want to do shorter day hikes.  There have been previous trips into Cruces Basin by the Mountaineers, all of which have been a great time.  Please see the trip archive (see here) on the website for pictures and details. This is a trip that offers options for all ages. Day outings can range from a splash in the nearby stream to an ambitious hiking loop that connects the valleys and cruises the ridgetops, with big views to the high points of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

As in previous years, we will make a short hike (~2 miles) into the Basin and set up camp.  I am hoping to camp a mile or so upstream from our previous camp, at a little meadow under a rock wall that looks like something out of Lord of the Rings. From our base camp, we'll spend the afternoon, Sunday, and Monday morning heading out for day hikes to explore the canyons, streams, and meadows of the Basin.  We will set out from Los Alamos on the morning of May 25 (Saturday), carpooling as much as possible, and hope to return by early evening on Monday. Please e-mail Bill to express interest or learn more.