This is an announcement for an October 2016 White Rim trail Mountain bike ride, October 17 through October 22. This is an approximately 100 mile mountain bike ride, ridden in 4.5 days with four nights camping, and will be supported by three 4WD vehicles. The route is very beautiful through southern Utah canyon country. While good mountain biking skills are required, the route is not particularly technical. However, the ride from the mesa top down to the White Rim (first day) and the ride up to the mesa top (last day) requires some skill and endurance and/or hike-a-bike.
I previously announced a Canyon Country trip for these dates, and am happy to now provide details. We have taken dozens of backpacking and pack trips to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument area over the decades. All of the time, we have been driving past a number of interesting day hikes as we head deeper into the wilderness.
get more comfortable and efficient riding uphill, downhill, lean your bicycle into turns to keep momentum going, use your brake less because speed is your friend in mountain biking: learn how to get over small rocks.
Bring your bicycle, helmet, gloves, water and snacks
Meeting Place: Los Alamos horse stable arena at 10 am (at the east end of the horse stables on North Mesa), will be out at least until noon
get more comfortable and efficient riding uphill, downhill, lean your bicycle into turns to keep momentum going, use your brake less because speed is your friend in mountain biking: learn how to get over small rocks.
Bring your bicycle, helmet, gloves, water and snacks
Meeting Place: Los Alamos horse stable arena at 10 am (at the east end of the horse stables on North Mesa), will be out at least until noon
Canyoneering in Zion National Park
(A 2016 trip of the Los Alamos Mountaineers)
Pre-Trip Training:TBD (Two days)
Trip to Zion National Park: September 29th - October 4th
Trip Leader: Daniel Creveling
This is an all-day trip that begins/ends at Taos Ski Valley (TSV) and covers ~9 miles and ~5,100 feet of elevation. We can drive to and park near the Phoenix Grill at TSV. The plan is to hike up the Chair 4 route and the higher Kachina Chair route to Kachina Peak (12,481 ft), then hike CCW over Lake Fork Peak (12,881'), then along the cirque ridgeline over unnamed peaks 12,807' and 12,728' to Wheeler Peak (13,761'), and finally down to Williams Lake and back to the cars. This traverse is mostly Class 2 with several Class 3 portions with exposure that should not be taken lightly.
Though I've been knocking around northern New Mexico for a long time, I've discovered a new place to explore, and I am excited to give it a go. I would like to reserve a cabin and surrounding camping area at the Gallina Canyon Ranch. I know of no place that is this remote and just 2 - 2 1/2 hours from Los Alamos.
Let's hike to the St. Peter's Dome fire lookout, on the southern end of Bandelier National Monument - there should be some very good views of Bandelier.
The hike will start at the intersection of FS Road 289 (Dome Road) and FS Road 142. We will follow Road 142 for 4.5 miles to the lookout. It is a 4wd road that Mother Nature is reclaiming. Little elevation change.
Because this hike is on FS property (not Bandelier and not the Dome Wilderness), it is be possible to mountain bike this trip and it is possible to bring a dog (using leash or other positive control).
Continuing with my theme of "not-a-hut" trips, I've reserved two cabins with a total of 6 bedrooms and a loft at an off-the-grid Colorado ranch near Slumgullion Pass, between Creede and Lake City. From there we can hike, look for peaks to climb, fish, and generally explore a corner of Colorado that I haven't visited for years. Details of the ranch can be found at http://www.oleoranch.com. It seems to be situated in remote, very pretty aspen and meadow and country.
