Join PEEC and the Los Alamos Mountaineers for an intermediate, point-to-point snowshoe or cross-country ski outing from the Las Conchas Trailhead to the East Fork Trailhead on Saturday, January 14. This trip will cover 4.5 miles and about 800 feet of elevation gain. It will be of intermediate difficulty and technicality and participants should be able to hike 5 miles in 2.5 hours comfortably and have previous experience snowshoeing or skiing. The use of snowshoes and skis will be weather-dependent.
In a repeat of a classic outing, let's head north over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend downhill/ crosscountry/ snowshoe around Monarch Pass. Although this might not be the greatest snow season in New Mexico, Monarch should offer something, and reports 22" on the ground as of Dec. 10 – more than one will find in New Mexico. We will head for Salida to establish a base in a comfortable house, and spend our days in winter sports in the Monarch Pass area.
Saturday January 7 - let's do an X-C ski tour at Cumbres Pass. We will ski 8 miles roundtrip from Cumbres Pass to the Flat Mountain yurt and back. There is 1100 ft of elevation gain one way.
This is a kick/glide tour with some low angle (<25 degree slope) telemark turns possible. Because it is not on a groomed track, metal edged cross country touring skis are required. (Track skis and AT gear do not work well in these off-track, rolling hills terrain).
Ski Santa Fe is reporting 12" of new snow from 12/27 to 12/29. This will be an out and back x-country ski/snow shoe along the road from Aspen Vista. This road climbs gradually from an elevation of 10,000 feet to the Electronic Site near the top of the ski area at 12,000 feet. Hopefully there will be adequate snow coverage in the lower section for the skiers. We will likely not climb all the way to the top where the antennas are located.
Dear Mountaineers, Santa Fe homeless shelters are asking for donations of warm clothing and gear for the many people in need. Please bring your donations to the December14th potpouri meeting at Fuller Lodge and we will take them to the shelters*! We are looking for intact jackets, pants, sweaters, socks, boots, hats, gloves, raingear, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, blankets, and sleeping pads for men, women, and children. If you bring a bag of socks, please label them for men, women, or children so we know where to deliver them.
Friday, December 9. Cross country ski at Cumbres Pass - 8 mile out/back ski on Dixie Creek to Chama Valley Overlook. Metal edged, backcountry skis are required.
I really want to go skiing, and the forecast for the Tues-Thurs storm this week appears to me, to give Cumbres Pass enough snow to ski. (I follow the Cumbres Trestle snowtel station - when it reaches about 18 inches, there is enough snow to ski at Cumbres Pass).
Are you a winter backcountry enthusiast? Do you earn your turns by climbing the hills to ski or board down? Is a snowshoe to a remote location something that interests you? Have you considered visiting a hut in the wintertime? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should ask yourself, what do I know about avalanches? What do I know about transceivers? Probably more importantly what do I know about my partners ability to use a transceiver? Well, grab your avalanche kit and your partners(s) and come out and enjoy a day of snow-play at the start of the season.
We have many times travelled to Bluff, Utah for a taste of the canyon country. Bluff is less than six hours from Los Alamos and, situated along the San Juan River, at a low altitude best suited for trips late or early in the season. Even at the beginning of December the average daily high is around 50 F. There are numerous places to hike and explore from Bluff, including the ruins and big views of Comb Ridge, the canyons accessible from Cedar Mesa, the canyon rim just north of Bluff itself, and farther afield to places like White Canyon.
I would like to announce the fourteenth edition of our successful hike/explore/bike trips to Moab. We have been going most Novembers since 2008, and every time has been a great success. The 2014 trip report can be found at http://lamountaineers.org/node/479#comment-57.
