Cruces Basin easy backpack

I would like to announce a backpacking trip into Cruces Basin for Labor Day weekend (September 2-4). Cruces Basin is pristine wilderness located west of San Antonio mountain near the New Mexico/ Colorado border. We’ve been a few times before, and it is well worth going back. 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 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 September 2 (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 - directly to my e-mail address, not by replying to this message. We will plan to go if we have at least 4 participants, and will cut the trip off at a maximum of 10.

I will consider dogs based on a discussion of their suitability for this trip.