September 10-12, 2010 | Mountain Biking the Monarch Crest Trail
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Co-Leaders:
Kelly Gallagher,
kegallag@cybermesa.com or
505-412-9084, and
Chris Horley,
chorley@earthlink.net.
(I-A/M-S)
This joint trip with the Tuff Riders along the
Monarch Crest is one of the finest mountain bike rides in Colorado, if
not the U.S. A fantastic high-altitude singletrack above treeline, the
Crest Trail treats you to jaw-dropping views while traversing a section
of the Continental Divide Trail between Monarch and Marshall Passes. The
Monarch Crest segment offers more than 30 miles of trails and incredible
mountain scenery. Expect to encounter a few thousand feet of climbing
and more than 6,000 feet of fun descending. The maximum number of
participants is 14.
Ride date: Saturday, Sept. 11. Distance:
approx. 35 miles. Ride time is generally about four or five hours. Note:
this is not a ride for beginners.
We'll stay at the historic
Yellow Honk House
located between Salida and the Monarch Ski Resort. A 2-night stay here
costs approximately $550, so if, for example, we have 10 folks, that
would be $55.00 per person for both nights.
We've hired a Salida bike shop to shuttle
us and our bikes to the trailhead. The cost to have your bike shuttled
is $20.00 per person/bike.
The travel plan would be to carpool and
leave town midday on Friday, so that we arrive to the Yellow Honk House
before dark. We will celebrate our ride with a group dinner (potluck,
perhaps) Saturday evening!!!
On Sunday, folks are welcome to do their
own thing - if you have saddle sores, perhaps you'd be interested in an
alpine hike.
September 18, 2010 |
Santa Fe Baldy Hike
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Leader:
Mary Thompson,
mxtmary@yahoo.com or 505-469-9499
(B-I/S)
This joint trip with the Santa Fe chapter of
the Sierra Club will be a strenuous hike to the summit of 12,622' Santa
Fe Baldy on Saturday, September 18. Baldy is one of the line of high
peaks that we see along our eastern skyline, just north of the big notch
of Puerto Nambe. The summit rises well above timberline, and offers
beautiful views over the upper Pecos drainage, the Rio Grande Valley,
and Los Alamos and the Jemez Mountains to the west. The hike is a 14
mile round trip and involves a 3,600-foot altitude gain. There will be
an early start to this hike, and the pace will be moderately fast but
not a killer. Dogs are OK. To sign up and learn details of the starting
time and meeting point contact Mary (see contact info above).
September 25, 2010
| Wheeler Peak Day Hike
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Leader:
Momo Vuyisich,
vuyisich@hotmail.com or 505-412-3559
(B-I/S)
Momo Vuyisich will be leading a loop hike to the top of the highest peak
in New Mexico, 13,161' Wheeler Peak, on a joint trip with the Pikes Peak
Group of the Colorado Mountain Club. The route down is a lovely long
hike above treeline and along the summit ridge of New Mexico.
Participants will meet at the Taos Ski
Resort parking lot (GPS: N36.59665 W105.44992) at 8AM. They will leave
some cars that will allow a shuttle for the drivers at the end of the
hike. They will then drive up Kachina road to the trailhead at the
Bavarian Restaurant. This will allow the hike to start by ~8:45. Each
group should have a few empty seats in their cars to facilitate the
shuttle.
The trail starts at 10,200ft and gently
climbs through the forest to Williams Lake at 11,100ft, where the steep
section starts. The party will gain 2,000 ft in one mile to the ridge
near the summit. After enjoying the views at the summit, they party will
return to the ski resort via the standard Bull-of-the-Woods trail (8
miles, 3,700 ft loss). The drivers will then bring the other vehicles
back down. Momo expects that the hike will be done by 6 PM.
Los Alamos hikers can meet in the parking
lot across Trinity St. from AutoZone (GPS: N35.87964 W106.29383) at
5:30AM and carpool to the trailhead. Colorado hikers, or Los Alamos
hikers not wanting such an amazingly early start, can stay in one of the
campgrounds along the Rio Hondo, down the ski hill road from the Ski
Valley, including
Lower Hondo, Cuchilla, Italianos, or Twining. For those who would
rather stay indoors, We have heard good things about the
Rio Hondo Condos
at Taos Ski Valley. Contact Momo for trip details or to signup for this
trip.
October 6-12, 2010 | Fish Creek Llama Assisted Canyon Country Trip
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Leader: Bill Priedhorsky,
bill@priedhorsky.net.
Photos of the Fish Creek area: click
here.
Notice:
This trip is a replacement for the originally
advertised Harris Wash Backpack.
(I/M-S)
This trip will be a llama assisted trip into
Fish Creek, on the east side of Cedar Mesa just south of Bluff, Utah.
Fish Creek is an archeology-rich canyon with several tributaries. It has
an exciting collection of slickrock scrambles and explores, and is
marked by layered slickrock and hoodoo terrain. We dayhiked the lower
part of the canyon in February 2005. The highly ambitious could spend a
day doing the 18-mile Fish Creek/Owl Creek loop (some details
here); if so, I advise a very early start and headlamps for the
return. For the less intrepid, there are hikes up Fish, up Owl, up
McCloyd canyon, and scrambling up the canyon walls to the mesa tops. For
example, just 2 miles up Owl Canyon one finds an impressive geologic
formation known as Nevills Arch. In the words of author David Day, "The
reddish colored Cedar Mesa Sandstone has been carved into an
eye-catching display of pinnacles and spires..." Our camp will be about
a mile below the Fish Creek/Owl Creek confluence, and 6 miles from the
trailhead.
A deposit of $100 will reserve your spot
on the trip. I expect that the total cost for the llama packer will run
$150-200 per person. Persons who have already signed up for the Harris
Wash Backpack may cancel for a full refund, if this change does not suit
them. Otherwise, I'd appreciate another $50 to bring your deposit up to
$100.
The itinerary is arranged to require just
two days of vacation for someone on an "A" schedule at the lab. Our
itinerary will be as follows:
-
Wednesday,
October 6: Leave Los Alamos at about 4 PM, drive through
to Bluff, brown-bagging dinner in the cars on the way. Stay at
Recapture
Lodge (make your own reservation). The drive takes about 5 1/2
hours if we drive expeditiously.
-
Thursday,
October 7: Leave Bluff in the morning, driving about an
hour to the trailhead where we will load llamas and hike 6 miles
into camp.
-
Friday-Monday, October 8-11: Day hikes from base camp,
wine and good company in the evenings.
-
Tuesday,
October 12: Hike out and drive back to Los Alamos, trying
to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Expenses will include lodging at Bluff,
which will be paid individually; driving expenses, arranged by car; and
the llama packer, which I will arrange.
All participants should be paid-up
members of the Los Alamos Mountaineers with waivers on file. If you are
not yet a member, it is easy to do so; click
here for details.
October 16, 2010
| Bandelier/Crane Kiva Hike
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Leader:
David Fellenz, dfellenz@gmail.com,
505-661-2679
(B-I/S)
This hike will take us to a remote archaeological site within Bandelier
National Monument. The hike itself is approximately 14 miles round trip
leaving from the main visitor center area. Additionally, most of this
trip will consist of off trail/cross country hiking. The destination is
a remote kiva carved into the side of Alamo Canyon with imposing views
down into White Rock Canyon. There is also an opportunity to take a
short side trip to see a petroglyph panel near the middle crossing of
Alamo Canyon. Dogs are not OK as the hike is on Bandelier proper. Also,
Monument entrance fees will apply, so if we can arrange car-pooling
based on people who have annual passes, we might be able to save
ourselves these fees. We will plan to meet at the Smith’s parking lot in
Los Alamos at 7:30am to arrange ourselves into cars and go from there.
This is an all day outing, so bring plenty of water and snacks.
October 29-31, 2010 | Wilderness Leadership Training at Ghost Ranch
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Contact: Bill Priedhorsky,
bill@priedhorsky.net.
Ghost Ranch Rates: click
here.
Notice: There are still a few spots left in the
wilderness leadership training weekend. Note that the Mountaineers Board
has voted to pay the course fee for all participants. This means that
the only expense for participants is lodging and meals at Ghost Ranch,
which runs about $225 for private bath and $175 for a shared bath for
the two-night weekend (per person double occupancy).
The club is pleased to again offer an exciting
opportunity for members: wilderness leadership training, conducted by
former Colorado Mountain Club president Bill Houghton, with the
assistance of our own Rick Light. The objective of the training is to
refine the skills of our trip leaders, whether novice or veteran. We are
excited by the opportunity to conduct this exercise at Ghost Ranch,
which offers both the facilities we need, and a spectacular outdoor
setting for training exercises.
While the Mountaineers do not certify
trip leaders, we encourage our leaders to continuously seek ways to
build on their leadership strengths, whatever their level of experience.
This class will focus on trip planning,
safety, and team building. It will include both indoor discussions and
outdoor exercises. The class will go beyond the Mountaineers' last such
exercise, which took place in May 2005. There will be new exercises and
handouts, based on part in the CMC leader's handbook that is under
development. The outdoor exercises (hikes) will build on the classroom
discussions, including the contents of a leader's pack.
Ghost Ranch
offers lodging in a remote northern New Mexico location, nestled below
sandstone cliffs and formations. Lodging information is attached;
lodging prices run from about $166 to $230 per person for the two-day
weekend (double occupancy). The class fee will be $40. The exercise will
begin with dinner and a brief session on Friday evening, and will
conclude Sunday afternoon. Our detailed scheduled will be announced
later.
Note that the lodging price includes
three meals per day. This will make for an easy weekend - just bring
your clothes, toothbrush, and hiking gear.
We are aiming for a class size around 12
to 16, with an absolute upper limit of 20. Space allowing, non class
participants are welcome to join us for the weekend, and will pay only
the lodging fee.
I look forward to a thought-provoking and
fun weekend. Participation will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To reserve a slot, please contact me at
bill@priedhorsky.net,
including an indication of your lodging preference. Your reservation
will be held with a $100 deposit, with payment in full by August 15th, mailed to me at 380 Rim Road, Los
Alamos 87544.
October 30 to November 7, 2010 | LA Mountaineer's Sea Kayak Trip
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Leader:
Dick Opsahl, opsahlr@mac.com or
505-662 9404
Notice:
The Kayak trip now has one
vacancy! If there are questions and Dick cannot be contacted try
Marilyn.
(I/M)
Let's go on a Sea Kayak trip in the Gulf of
California during the fall of 2010. Participants should be reasonably
fit and good swimmers. We will Kayak along the East coast of Baha
California. Expect lots of sea mammal sighting, bird watching and
snorkeling most afternoons. I've found a good outfitter living at Moab,
Nichols Expeditions, for a sea kayak trip starting next October. The
program detail is described in the URL below. But basically we would
kayak from Loreto, Mexico to La Paz, Mexico in the Sea of Cortez, also
called the Gulf of California. It will be something like a "sag wagon"
bicycle trip only with the kayak trip we will have "sag boats". The
boats will carry the tents and the Mexican crew to set up our camp and
feed us each night as we camp and paddle our way south. Read a full
description of the trip
here.
A rough idea about the
cost:
-
Kayak trip $1500. Includes food and
tents etc.,
-
Tips $200,
-
Round trip air $800 or round trip
auto (assuming 5 in car) $250.
The deal by air is to fly ABQ to La Paz
then take the local bus north to Loreto. Return directly from La Paz.
The deal by car is to drive to Mexico via
Douglas, Arizona (closer than Tucson). Overnight at Hermosillo, Mexico;
then ferry across to the Baja (with car) at Guaymas . Then drive to
Loreto. We would hire a Mexican driver to drive the car to our finish
hotel near La Paz. BTW 1, Opsahl is quite willing to take his own car,
old Ford SUV with Mexican insurance. BTW 2, A local friend (White Rock)
has a condo near to Guaymas, Mexico and drives the round trip regularly,
sometimes even with a trailer.
So, to join the trip, send a check for
$100 per person to Dick Opsahl, 141 Chamisa. The maximum group size is
14. We have 5 signed up so far (1 Jan). If we do not fill the trip with
our people the outfitter will fill the rest of the spots. The trip will
remain "private" to us until mid January. Please indicate in reply
double or single kayak preference. Also indicate Air or Auto and
willingness to take your car into Mexico. E-mail to
opsahlr@mac.com. Phone 505-662
9404. Need to pay the remaining $200 deposit by mid January.
All participants would have to have valid
USA passport. Might also be good to have some emergency medical
evacuation insurance. A 100 word vocabulary in Spanish would add a lot
to the enjoyment of the trip. For example "Mas cerveza, por favor".
"Cuanto
cuesta eso?"
November 9-14, 2010 |
Moab Bike/Hike 3
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Leader: Bill Priedhorsky,
bill@priedhorsky.net
(B-I/M)
I would like to announce the third edition of
our a very successful trip to Moab. In November 2008 and again in
November 2009, we established a base in a large, comfortable house in
Moab, and from there mountain biked, hiked, and scrambled in Arches and
Canyonlands National Parks and the wild country immediately around Moab.
Some of our most rugged adventures took us no more than two miles from
our base, yet we were deep in the wilderness. A report of the 2009 trip
can be found here.
A high point of the Moab trips has been
the traverse of the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park, which is an
intricate maze of fins and slot canyons. The complexity of this terrain
is obvious in an aerial photo, such as those found
here
and
here.
The activity level will be moderately
strenuous and includes optional semi- technical activities, up to
low-angle rope work, but there will be less strenuous and non-technical
options also.
The trip will run from Wednesday Nov. 10
through Sunday Nov. 14, with a departure on the evening of Tuesday Nov.
9. Thursday the 11th is a Lab holiday, and Friday is a "B" day off
(trade your Friday?). Unlike last year, we will not split the trip into
two waves, but will look for everyone to travel to Moab and return
together.
Besides the daytime adventuring, we will
socialize in the evening with dinners together, either potluck or
hitting the town. We will carpool to Moab to minimize driving expenses
and not overstrain the parking.
The lodging is called the Moab Retreat
House, and details can be found
here. I have
rented the south side of the house, which has five bedrooms. The north
half of the house is what is described on the web page, but floor plan
is identical (the south side side is equivalent to the north upstairs
and downstairs put together). If the trip grows in size, we can expand
into the north side.
Please let me know if you are interested
in this outing. To hold a spot, please send me
a deposit of $50 per person to 380 Rim Road, Los Alamos 87544.
Early signups will get preferred bedroom spots. Final payment will be
due by Oct. 1. Depending on the quality of lodging, last year's lodging
costs ran between $20 and $40 per person per night.
Note that Moab is about 3 (?) hours from
Salt Lake, making this an unusually accessible canyon outing for folks
who want to fly in. The drive from Los Alamos is about 6 1/2 hours.
March
10-13, 2011 | Return to Canyons of the Ancients
Trip Menu | Search
Leader: Bill Priedhorsky,
bill@priedhorsky.net.
2010 Trip Report: click
here.
Notice:
Seeking early commitments.
(B-I/M)
In response to popular demand, I would like to
organize a second trip to visit the Canyons of the Ancients from
Thursday, March 10 (arriving at Kelly Place in the evening) through
Sunday the 13th ("A" weekend).
The hiking possibilities are many, as we
saw last weekend. Look for a trip report to be posted on the LAM web
site soon. We can hike Sand Canyon and neighboring Rock Canyon either as
a loop, or one way shuttling from Sand Canyon Pueblo at the north end.
We can start hiking from Kelly Place and head north into the monument.
We can hike the wilderness canyons in the monument, including
Cross Canyon and Cahone Canyon. Or we can arrange a guided tour into
the
Ute Tribal Park country. We can explore other canyons around the
National Monument. Bottom line: spectacular ruins and a bit of
slickrock.
Other options include Hovenweep (short
hikes, great ruins), a guided tour with Vaughn Hadenfeldt from Bluff, an
hour away, and downhill skiing at Purgatory (a great place to stop on
the drive out or drive back) or Telluride (about 2 hours from the B&B).
So bring equipment for all possibilities!
Starting Thursday March 10, we will spend
3 nights at the
Kelly Place B&B. This is an "A" weekend, so no vacation is needed
for those on that schedule. Once we assemble our party, I will negotiate
a group rate to include dinner. Typical per-person expenses for 3 nights
accommodation, 2 dinners, and 3 breakfasts was $150 this year.
In order to pin down our plan, we need a
core of folks committed to the trip (10 or so), so we can assemble a
$300 deposit for the B&B. Please let me know if you are interested. I'll
be collecting $50 deposits from charter members of the adventure, by
check to me at 380 Rim Road 87544, or by LANB bank transfer. The 2011
spring season is booking up, we need to make a reservation soon. There
is no guarantee that we will be able to add participants after the
initial round - this year's trip essentially filled up in the week after
it was advertised, in the spring of 2009. Please join now if you are
interested.
