This will be an exploratory trip into the badland country west of Ojo Caliente spa and south of Cerro Colorado. The destination is unknown to me, but it looks interesting from the highway and on satellite photos, and other explorations to the Ojo country have been rewarding. I expect that we will be out hiking for 6 hours or a bit more. Be prepared for cross country trailless hiking, bringing water, sunscreen and sunhats. Although the weather looks promisingly pleasant, please we ready for all reasonable eventualities of wet or cold. Bring a lunch.
Mt. Shavano (14,229') is the southernmost 14er in the Sawatch Range. It's east bowl sports a very prominent three-fingered snowfield resembling an angel - the Angel of Shavano (see photo). When in condition, it offers a moderate-angled 3,000' ski descent. Snowshoers and glissaders welcome on this trip!
Participants should know how to use an avalance beacon, shovel, and probe. Loaners are available to club members.
The West Rim trail runs south for 9 miles from the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge to its far trailhead along highway 567, following the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge with regular views down to the river a thousand feet below. This is a relatively flat trail across the sagebrush country, shared by bikers and hikers. While not suitable for the hotter part of the year, this is a lovely exploration for the spring season. We will approach the hike from the southern, highway 567 trailhead, and hike north.
With this warm spring weather, it is time to think about a hike. One of my favorite places is the redrock country around Ghost Ranch, which is a taste of the Canyon Country within reach of home. I haven't settled on an exact route, but perhaps we would start on the Kitchen Mesa trail, go cross-country south from the mesa top, find a place down and loop back to the cars. We would leave Los Alamos at 8 AM, stop at Bode's for breakfast burritos, and perhaps stop for dinner at the Abiquiu Inn on the way home.
published by Norbert Ensslin on Thu, 2016-01-14 11:23
Leader:
Norbert Ensslin
Telephone:
505-662-1408
Date:
Sun, 2016-02-07
Difficulty:
Moderate
Technicality:
Intermediate
Are dogs allowed?:
Not allowed
This ski tour was done as a hike in 2014, and was an enjoyable outing. This year we should be able to do it on skis! The trip will start from the Valle Grande Visitor Center at 9:30 AM, so let's meet at Sullivan Field at 9:00 to carpool up to the Valle. The trip is open to members of the Mountaineers and their guests. Before departing, all skiers must pay an access fee or show an NPS pass and sign a Mountaineers trip waiver. A few of us should try to arrive early so we can take one or more cars to the end of the route for a car switch.
Several of us would like to head to Durango and Purgatory for a ski weekend, taking advantage of a very good snow year. Purgatory currently has a very good 48" base, and is a special ski area thanks to the views of the peaks of the Weminuche Wilderness to its east. While the first few of us are downhill skiers, there are numerous snowshoe and cross-country opportunities around Purgatory, Molas Pass, and beyond. A Pajarito season pass (Power Pass Plus or New Mexico Power Pass Plus) is good for 3 free days of skiing at Purgatory.
This ski tour is a repeat of the popular trip from Pajarito Mountain to the Valle Grande visitor center that the Mountaineers have done for the past few years. This is a Los Alamos Mountaineers trip, but is also open to members of the Southwest Nordic SkiClub, the New Mexico Cross Country Ski Club, and other guests who are known to the trip participants from these clubs.
published by brett.kettering on Tue, 2016-01-05 12:51
Leader:
Brett Kettering
Telephone:
505-412-2033
Date:
Sun, 2016-01-17
Difficulty:
Moderate
Technicality:
Intermediate
Are dogs allowed?:
Not allowed
Last year Michael Altherr led a trip to the Brazos Overlook. I wasn't able to go, but wanted to do this trip.
We'll be going on Sunday, 1/17/16.
This is a 7.5 - 8 mile round trip on skis. We'll find some hills to skin and ski along the way. The trailhead is on Hwy 64, east of Tierra Amarilla. I have Michael's GPS track from last year and some waypoints that I put along the path. I can send those to you in a variety of formats so that you can see the area.
