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Monthly Public Meeting and
Presentation:
held in the Pajarito
Room of
Fuller
Lodge on the 3rd Wednesday of each
month
Social and reports
of recent and upcoming trips at 7:30pm. Program at
8:00pm. |
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July
16, 2008
"High Angle Rescue Techniques",
and the ASAR
by Rich Siemer and Carl Gable
Rich and Carl, members of the Santa Fe
based "Atalaya Search and Rescue", will give us a presentation
on "High Angle Rescue Techniques". They will cover basics of
technical rescue, including standard operating procedures for ASAR and
basics of technical rigging. How and why these methods are
different from standard climbing techniques will also be covered.
Litter loading at Diablo Canyon
Founded in the Fall of 2002, Atalaya Search and
Rescue is a non-profit organization consisting of approximately 35 volunteers
from the Santa Fe and Los Alamos area of northern New Mexico. Operating
under the New Mexico Search and Rescue division of the NM State Police, ASAR
team members have collectively participated in hundreds of search and rescue
missions in the mountains, deserts and rivers of the southwest. On-call
24/7, Atalaya SAR plays a vital role in New Mexico's public safety network of
first responders.
Preparing for a pick-off
In January 2008,
ASAR became a fully accredited member of the
Mountain Rescue Association,
the nation's foremost standard-setter for mountain rescue teams. ASAR
is one of only two MRA teams in New Mexico.
Winter litter loading
Rich Siemer has been with Atalaya SAR since its
inception in 2003, and St John's SAR before that for many years. He is
past president, and lead training officer, and a practicing architect in Santa
Fe.
Carl Gable also has been with the team since its
inception, and with St. John's SAR before that. He is ASAR's new member
coordinator. He is an endurance event athlete and a geophysicist at LANL.
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Visitors are
always welcome!
Digital projector compliments of
Los Alamos National
Bank. |
Future Program:
August 20, 2008, Local and Belize, Mexico, Caving
Expeditions, by Pajarito Grotto members Brian Kendrick and
James Hunter.
Future Club Speakers:
In addition to frequent presentations by
nationally known adventurers, we love to hear from our own members....not
that some of you aren't in that group. A presentation gets you a free
club membership and dinner at the restaurant of your choice in Los Alamos.
Past presentations,
and occasionally future, can be viewed
here.
LAM Member
Presentations Wanted!
The LAM Board would like to encourage our
members to provide more of our
monthly presentations. We understand well that club members are an
active lot, with a wealth of activities in their repertoire that can and
have been inspiring to new and old members alike. We have often
focused our monthly presentations on the elite of the outdoor adventure
world, and perhaps created the undesired effect of squelching the voices
of our own members who participate in frequent beautiful and exciting
adventures of their own. Although our own activities are not
always "world class", they are representative of what we "weekend"
athletes can and do accomplish. We want many of our programs to
inspire the "I can do that" attitude in our members, not merely
entertain. Shock and awe may have their rightful place, but
inspiration to participate and shine is our true goal.
Please consider giving a presentation to
the club on one of your favorite outdoor adventures..... it may give your
friends the desire to do it themselves.
Contact our Program Chair Rick
Light at (505) 662-7710 or RickLight.rxl@gmail.com
to let us know of your interest in making a presentation.
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Notices:
Top | Search |
Visit our new
Online Climbing Coach
Your coach for these sessions is Dave MacLeod, a sport scientist,
climbing coach, and pro climber based in Glasgow, Scotland. You can
find out more about him at his website. Dave decided to start a blog to
share all the information and experience that he carries around in his
head, thus providing us with a good source of advice about training for
climbing. He dissects the latest research, analyzing and reporting news
and other people's work on the subject, and provides links to good
sources of information elsewhere. Welcome Dave!
The primary link to this new page is on our
Top Roping page; another link is on our "Great
Links" page under "Online Manuals and Reference".
"Hardrock 100 Endurance Run" needs Aid Station
Volunteers on July 11th - 13th
LAM Volunteer Contact:
Steve Hays, rocknm@plateautel.net,
(505) 309-7362
The opportunity to visit the Switzerland of America
and perform a needed service is almost irresistible. The
Hardrock 100
Endurance Run in Silverton, Colorado has been a LAM tradition for a
number of years for both volunteer aid station workers and a few of our
finest athletes. This year the race is July 11th - 13th and they
are still in need of volunteers to help with the stations.
The station I’ve volunteered for is the last and one
of the more spectacular sites that I’ve seen. Located about 7
miles from Silverton, it has easy car camping, flat ground, and a nice
creek running through it. I should add that the creek is amply
supplied from springs bursting forth from, and cascading down, the the
two canyon walls that surround the location. There should be
excellent hiking in the vicinity, some of which would be on the race
course.
Note: The
possibility of the race actually running is open to speculation because
of the heavy snow pack this year, but looking over past races, it has
only been cancelled once because of the snow.
Valles Caldera, Bonco Bonito area, Mountain Biking
(every other weekend)
The Valles Caldera has decided to open up the
Bonco Bonito area for Mountain Biking on alternative weekends from
May 31 to September 21. Riders will enjoy the forests and meadows
of the Preserve's less traveled areas. Riders will not be sharing
trails with hikers, horses or other visitors, so distractions will be at
a minimum. The number of bikes on the trails will be low to ensure
you have a solitary ride if that is what you seek. Old logging
roads allow riders to easily ride in pairs and traverse varying terrains
that include some ascents and descents as well as great views.
The Preserve accommodates riders seeking different
experiences. There are four loops available for rides ranging in
length from 2.5 to 12 miles. All trails are through forested
terrain and across or around large meadows on established logging roads.
Expect to see a wide array of birds, elk and perhaps a bear or coyote
along the way. Elevation of the Preserve is 8700-feet and higher.
Click
here for dates and reservations.
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LAM Activities: |
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TECHNICAL RATING: |
B (Beginner) |
I (Intermediate) |
A (Advanced) |
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PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: |
E (Easy) |
M (Moderate) |
S (Strenuous) |
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Trip Leaders, please
do your best at assigning a combined rating for your trip. |
Trip Leaders: Contact our
Webmaster
Jan Studebaker to have your trip plan posted on the web site and to be
announced to the club via email. Please make sure
waivers for participants are current and recorded by the club
Secretary prior to
your trip. In addition, the "Los Alamos Mountaineer's Trip Sign-Up
Sheet" includes the trip waiver, and should be used for all club sponsored trips.
Trip Rewards: The club is grateful to
those who lead our outdoor adventures. As a token of appreciation, a
unique Mountaineers fleece jacket (logo
shown here) will be awarded to leaders. A jacket is awarded for 4
points of leadership service (1 point for a day trip, 2 points for an overnight,
3 points for 5 or more nights out of town). Points can be accumulated from
June 2008 through September 2009, and may be awarded for other service such as
the climbing school. Up to two awards are available per leader per year.
GMRS / FRS Radio Usage on Club Trips:
The Los Alamos Mountaineers encourage
you to carry portable "family" radios as a safety measure on
appropriate LAM trips, and
urge participants to agree on a contact channel at the beginning of the trip.
As a default, if no channel has been selected, LAM suggests channel 3.14.
These three first digits of "pi" might be easily remembered in this scientific
community.
Borrow Equipment: We have
a limited amount of mountaineering equipment for loan (e.g., avalanche
transceivers). Contact Bill Geist, our Equipment Manager,
at (505)
661-2482 or billgeist@gmail.com.
Scheduled LAM Activities
(click for details):
Top | Search
August 28 - September 1, 2008, Labor Day Camp-out at Holy Ghost
September
11-14, 2008, Gallup Area Mountain Biking
Spring, 2009, Bhutan and India Commercial Adventure Travel
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Activity
Details: |
August
28 - September 1, 2008, Labor Day Camp-out at Holy Ghost
Trip Menu | Search
Pecos Area Family Camping Leaders:
Dick and Judy Opsahl, opsahl@losalamos.com,
141 Chamisa St, Los Alamos, NM 87544
(B-A/E-S) Join Dick and Judy
Opsahl for family camping Labor Day Weekend (2008) at the Holy Ghost Campground
group site ( elevation 8100 ft.) from August 28 to September 1, 2008. Holy
Ghost is about 75 miles from Los Alamos, an easy drive. The road to the
campground is narrow but paved all the way. It's a super place with great
facilities including a covered Gazebo with picnic benches under cover with
seating for about 40 people. It has a hand water pump and a modern pit
toilet just for the group site. There are lots of relatively flat places
for tents but we will take our small RV. An excellent Gazebo set-up allows us to
cook our gourmet group meals in all weather situations. Tenting areas are
very close. The forest in this area is dense mature spruce with some
aspen. Reminded Dick of the forests in Maine. The rub is the group
size limit 8 cars or RVs and a max of 40 people. I expect the trip will
fill-up so get your checks in soon. Reservations will be made with Dick and Judy
and the price will be $25 per auto or RV or trailer space plus $5 per person.
If the money taken in more than covers the camp cost, we will use the excess for
group food. Reservations will count when we receive the checks.
There are excellent hiking possibilities: Redondo, Santa Fe Baldy, and Lake Peak
should be day trips from the campground. Lake Katherine will be much
easier from this side than from the Santa Fe Ski Basin side. For the kids
there is Cave Creek. Stewart Lake is only 3 hours from the campground and
2 hours back down. To make a reservation send a check to address above.
Dogs WILL NOT be permitted. Kids are fine.
Note that this will be a combined Los Alamos
Mountaineers, PEEC, and Sierra Club outing.
September
11-14, 2008, Gallup Area Mountain Biking
Trip Menu | Search
Leaders:
Bill Priedhorsky will organize trip logistics, and the mountain bike
outings will be led by Dennis Brandt and Annette Weyrauch. To
reserve a spot, please send a check for $100 per participant to Bill at
380 Rim Road, Los Alamos 87544, letting him know the check is coming
with a note to
bill@priedhorsky.net.
(I/M-S)
On the "A" weekend of Sept. 12-14 (departing Los Alamos
Thursday Sept. 11), the Mountaineers will explore some new country by
mountain bike: the red rock country between Gallup and Thoreau, and the
ponderosa pines of Cibola National Forest. We will be based at the Zuni
Mountain Lodge, about 14 miles south of Thoreau. The lodge has 8 rooms
and holds up to 16, including with both breakfast and dinner. We have
rented the whole place for a price of about $150 per person for the
3-night weekend. Details of this nice lodge can be found
here.
This will be an easy trip to prepare for: you need bring
only your outdoor gear, bike, and lunches. We will leave Los Alamos late
in the afternoon of Sept. 11, carpooling as much as possible to save
money and the environment.
Photos of biking possibilities can be found
here. An outdoor guide to the Gallup area, "The Gallup Guide",
can be found
here.
An additional option for the weekend is to drive up to
Crown Point on Friday evening for the monthly
Navajo
rug auction. This is reputedly the best place to buy rugs in the
Southwest; with no middleman, most of your money ends up in the hands of
the artisan.
Spring, 2009, Bhutan and
India Commercial Adventure Travel
Trip Menu | Search
Leaders:
Dick and Judy Opsahl, opsahl@losalamos.com
(B-I/E-M)
Consider a trip to Bhutan and India with Dick and Judy
Opsahl departing mid April 2009. This trip, with "Overseas
Adventure Travel", will have lots of emphasis on cultural interaction
with the local people. Trip limit is 16 people.
The India trip is 17 days in Northern
India, visiting the Taj Mahal, Agra, Old and New Delhi, the "pink city"
of Jaipur with its ancient palaces and forts, and Rathambhore National
Park, known for its wildlife viewing, among other places. The main
trip is preceded by an 8 day visit to Bhutan. The Himalayan
kingdom of Bhutan is slowly opening it's borders to foreign tourism
after being closed to foreigners until recent years. It is like
visiting Nepal 100 years ago, with spectacular Himalayan scenery,
centuries old customs and traditions, ancient forts, temples, and
monasteries. The main India trip is also followed by an optional 6
day post-trip to Southern India, visiting Bombay, Cochin, and cruising
the Cochin backwaters by houseboat. You can get more information
at "Overseas
Adventure Travel".
The exact departure date for our group
will be determined sometime during May of this year. The number of
departures to Bhutan is quite limited so we need trip deposits to help
secure our position. The deposit is $350 per person and we have 2
paid so far. Total cost (2008 prices; 2009 might be higher) is
about $5500/person for Bhutan and India, airfare included. The
optional South India extension is about $1300.
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