Pajarito Mountain to Valle Grande Ski Tour

This ski tour is open to members of the Mountaineers and their guests.  The tour will start from the west end of the Pajarito Mountain ski area parking lot, and skiers can depart anytime between 8 AM and 9 AM.  (If the ski area is open, you may be able to take a bus to the parking lot.)  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.
 
This tour will descend into the Valle de los Posos on Valles Caldera Road VC09, like we have done in past years.  But then we will take VC05 through Obsidian Valley, then VC02 to History Grove, and then following existing winter ski tracks to the Valle Grande Visitor Center. In past years, this popular trip has gone around the south side of Cerro Medio, making for an 11-mile-long trip.  This year, for the first time, we will go around the north side of Cerro Medio, a length of 13 miles.  Most of the route will be on north-facing slopes, which should have better snow cover.  We will get to see some new areas like Obsidian Valley, the Valle Jaramillo, and the Buffalo Girls Movie Set.  Also there is usually a packed snowmobile track for the last 3 miles from Buffalo Girls to the Visitor Center.  So this route should be different, fun, and interesting, with better snow conditions.
 
We appreciate that the Valles Caldera staff are allowing us to do this trip, and we are asking all participants to take responsibility for assuring their own abilities to complete the trip. This ski tour is roughly 13 miles, with an estimated 6 to 7 hours of skiing time.  It requires at least an intermediate level of cross-country ski touring experience, and includes a DIFFICULT or MODERATE (depending on snow cover) one-mile-long descent on a narrow jeep road. 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.  (Reception in the Valle Grande is pretty good, but there is some missing coverage on the north side of Cerro Medio.)
 
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 6th.  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. (If more snow is needed, we'll postpone to February 22.)