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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.


July 15, 2009

"Geology of the San Juan Mountains Underfoot"

by Paul Bradley, Ph. D.

 I finally finished my goal of climbing all of Colorado's 14,000+ foot mountains.  For this installment, I will talk about the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.  The San Juans boast thirteen fourteeners, second only to the mighty Sawatch.  These mountains are different from most high peaks in Colorado in that they are almost all volcanic, and part of a huge Oligocene volcano field.  While the geology is not as varied as other ranges, it is still interesting and the scenery is spectacular here. This is a magnificent range, and is large enough that one can see almost endless mountains in every direction at times.  Some of the most beautiful mountain scenery I have seen anywhere is here, and even if you don't want to climb a mountain, you should check it out.  The San Juans contain some of the easiest climbs that I can recommend to beginners, but also some very difficult climbs that can be dangerous.  They are also unique in that three of the fourteeners are best accessed by the narrow gauge train from Durango.

Paul on the summit of Mount Wilson in 2007.  El Diente and the awesome
El Diente to Mount Wilson traverse is in the background.

Paul Bradley received a BS in Chemical Engineering and MS in Physics from Texas A&M University. During this time, he rediscovered his scientific love and became an astronomer, receiving a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993.  He came to Los Alamos as a Director's funded postdoc that Fall.  He has been in X-2 (and now X-4 with the latest reorganization), working on nuclear weapons, inertial confinement fusion, and astrophysics.  His interest in geology picked up in graduate school and has continued with mineral collecting and observing geology on the many drives, hikes, climbs, and field trips.  Paul caught the mountain bug on his honeymoon in June 1987 to Colorado and driving up Pike's Peak (no that didn't count).  He started climbing 14'ers in 1996, got serious about it in 2000, and finished them by summiting Pyramid Peak in September 2007.

Paul during his ascent of Crestone Needle with Blake Wood.

Past presentations, and occasionally future, can be viewed here.
Visitors are always welcome!  Digital projector compliments of Los Alamos National Bank.


Future Anticipated Programs (titles subject to change):

August 19, 2009, "High-Altitude Geological Trekking in Peru", by Rick Kelley

September 16, 2009, "Nepal Medical Trek", by Dave Dogruel

October 21, 2009, "Kayaking Middle Kings Canyon", by Tim Kelton

November 18, 2009, "Title TBD", by Vaughn Hadenfeldt - Bio

December 16, 2009, "Potpourri Dinner and Meeting", by LAM Club Members

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.

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.

Notices      Top | Search

LAM Bolting Reimbursement Policy

The Los Alamos Mountaineers (LAM) seek to promote best-of-practice toprope anchor bolting, and replacement of old bolts.  Quality of materials, diameter and depth of bolts, structural soundness of placements, and unobtrusiveness of new placement are of paramount concern.  As such, within its means, and subject to guidelines and constraints, the Los Alamos Mountaineers will reimburse bolters for their hardware for work done on recognized crags in White Rock Canyon.  This document is subject to change without notice!  You may download a pdf version of the "LAM Bolting Reimbursement Policy" by clicking here.

  LAM Activities:
TECHNICAL RATING:  B (Beginner) I (Intermediate) A (Advanced)
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: E (Easy)  M (Moderate) S (Strenuous)
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 Kei Davis, our Equipment Manager, at (505) 661-0118 or keidavis.lam@gmail.com.

Scheduled LAM Activities (click for details):   Top | Search

Ongoing Activities

July 5, 2009, Hopewell Lake Mountain Bike Ride

July 26, 2009, Los Griegos Peak Hike and Potluck

August 14-16, 2009, Fourmile Lakes Backpack near Pagosa Springs, CO

August 23-29, 2009, Glacier National Park Backpack

September 4-7, 2009, Cruces Basin Wilderness (Labor Day) Backpack

September 12, 2009, Sandia Peak La Luz to Tramway Loop Hike

October 8-13, 2009, Lower Sand Creek, Llama drop camp

November 7-15, 2009, Moab Bike/Hike 2

March 11-14, 2010, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

Ongoing Activities:


Valles Caldera National Preserve Activity Schedule 
(Ongoing)

(B-A/E-S) The Valles Caldera National Preserve has an events calendar that allows you to see at a glance which activities and dates might work best for you.  It also guides you to the appropriate web page for more information.  Click here for this excellent calendarThese are not LAM activities, but are of interest to many members.


Monday (after work) Pajarito Ski Hill Hike  (Ongoing)

Leader: Bill Priedhorsky, bill@priedhorsky.net

(B/M-S) In the past few years, we have developed a tradition of hiking up the ski hill each Monday after work....come rain or shine!  We meet in the parking lot west of the Wellness Center at 5:30 PM, then carpool up to the ski hill parking lot to begin our hike.  It takes 30 to 45 minutes to reach the top, and the investment of time is good for body and soul.  We usually get back to town sometime around 8:00 to 8:30.  The high point of the outing (literally and figuratively) is a potluck dinner/snack, enjoying the views from the top of the hill.  Several of us are interested in healthy options for the potluck, including salads (bring plates and utensils) and fruit.  A daypack with water, sun screen, headlamp, sweater, and rain jacket is advised.  We hike almost every Monday, except for the Monday holidays (Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day).  As evening daylight diminishes, we switch to a 5:00 start around the end of September.  The last hike of the year is sometime around the end of October.  To be placed on the e-mail list and obtain regular updates, please drop a note to Bill.  Beautiful views, good company, and a fine meal await the Monday afternoon hikers to Pajarito Mountain.

Regular Activities:


July 5, 2009, Hopewell Lake Mountain Bike Ride
  Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Chris Nelson, cmnpotter@hotmail.com

(B-I/M-S) Chris Nelson of the Tuff Riders will lead a mountain bike ride to the Hopewell Lake area on Sunday 7/5/09.  It's beautiful high mountain meadows north of the lake and intersects the Continental Divide Trail.  The ride is about 15 miles long.  It's mostly along an old dirt road with some single track.  Technical skills are at an advance beginner to intermediate level.  Meet at Sullivan Field 7:45 a.m. Sunday.  It's a two hour ride to the trail head; we will carpool, then consider dinner in Espanola if desired.  Be prepared to stay out all day to late afternoon.  Bring lunch, snacks, water, helmet, and be prepared for rain.
 


July 26, 2009, Los Griegos Peak Hike and Potluck  Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Jan Studebaker, jstudebaker@gmail.com, 575-829-3521.   Map: click here.

(B/M) Join Jan on a great hike up Los Griegos in the Jemez Mountains.  Los Griegos is close to Sierra de Los Pinos and Jan's home; we will have a potluck and possibly a hot tub after the hike at Jan's place.  We will meet at 9:00 AM on Sunday, July 26th, at the trailhead located on NM4 in a pull-out/parking area on the south side of the road at about Mile Marker 35.  It is about a 9 mile round trip hike, with about 1800' of vertical.  Bring water, rain jacket, sweater, and a snack for the hike, as well as something to share for the potluck.  Jan will provide green chile chicken stew with potatoes; we could use drinks, deserts, bread, and appetizers.  A change of clothes and shoes, plus a bathing suit may be in order as well.  Please email me if you wish to join the fun.

Los Alamos participants can arrange carpools by meeting at the Wellness Center's west parking lot at 8:25 AM on Sunday;  Kathleen Gruetzmacher will coordinate.


August 14-16, 2009, Fourmile Lakes Backpack near Pagosa Springs, CO  Trip Menu | Search

Leader: David Hand, davehand66@gmail.com,    Map: click here.

(B/M-S) Join David Hand for a three day two night backpack trip to the Fourmile Lakes near Pagosa Springs, Colorado on August 14 -16.  A popular fishing destination with a 5 mile hike in, starting at the 9,200' trailhead and ending at the lake at 11.200'.  Listed as a moderate difficulty but with backpacks and 2000' elevation gain may prove to be more strenuous. The trail passes several thunderous waterfalls and offers dramatic scenery along the way, traversing below volcanic cliffs.  After 4 miles we will climb 400' more to Fourmile Lake and camp in the meadow before the lake (camping is prohibited within 100 yds of the lake).  Saturday we will probably split into two groups: those who choose to fish the upper and lower Fourmile Lakes, and those who choose to join Melanee Hand to hike up Pagosa Peak and the rim above the lakes.  We will meet Friday at 7am in Sullivan Field parking lot to carpool and caravan up.  Contact David if you are interested in joining us.  Meals, gear, and carpooling will be planned and arranged later.


August 23-29, 2009, Glacier National Park Backpack   Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Ellen Kress, ellenrk03@hotmail.com, (406) 539-7130

Slideshow: click hereMap: click here.

(I/S) Join Ellen Kress for a 6 day, 5 night backpacking trip in the backpacker's paradise of Glacier National Park, Montana. This is a 50 mile loop in the northern part of the park that includes several passes, part of the Continental Divide Trail, multiple lakes, incredible scenery, and possible wildlife. The first two days are about 10 miles per day, the third day is a rest day, and the last three days are about 10 miles per day. We will meet the evening of August 23rd at the St. Mary campground, or you can arrange to meet me earlier in Bozeman and carpool to Glacier.  On August 24th we will take the shuttle bus to the trailhead near Many Glacier and start hiking.  On August 29th we will emerge at the same trailhead and take the shuttle bus back to the campground.  Staying at the Many Glacier campground that evening is optional.  A $30 per person deposit will hold your spot on the trip and pay the backcountry camping fee.


September 4-7, 2009, Cruces Basin Wilderness (Labor Day) Backpack   Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Jan Studebaker, jstudebaker@gmail.com

Map with points of interest: click here (play with the options).    Google Earth: click here.

Cruces Basin Wilderness description click here.

(I/M) I've been planning to do a backpack trip to Cruces Basin Wilderness for several years, but the right time never seamed to arrive.  In the meantime I have talked to friends about the area, but few had even heard of it, and no one had done more than a day hike or a look into the basin  from the dirt access road at 10,000' that overlooks it.  It's finally time to explore this beautiful and unique area on the New Mexico/Colorado boarder near San Antonio Mountain.  Expect to see spectacular Fall colors and hear the bugles of elk.

The Cruces Basin is a NM Wilderness area that has no maintained trails or signage, it's difficult to navigate unless you stay in the canyons which generally have crystal clear creeks to lead the way (with wild brook trout), and it is 25 miles on a dirt road from the highway (US 285).

Since this is an exploratory trip, I will not predetermine our day hikes from camp, but I will offer a few suggestions for approval of the group.  On the first day I expect to drive to the trailhead, backpack in 2-3 miles (~500' vertical), and setup camp near the confluence of three primary streams that eventually flow into the Rio de Los Pinos in the bottom of Toltec Gorge.  Perhaps one day hike will take us to Rio de Los Pinos through Lower Beaver Canyon.  Another full day of exploring could take us up one of the streams near camp; Cruces Creek is known to be very beautiful, where we could probably top out on Toltec Mesa for a view.  The final and fourth day would be used to backpack out and drive home.

We will be sleeping at around 9000' in September, so a tent and three season sleeping bag are in order.  We will also need a change of shoes and socks as we will almost certainly have to do some stream crossings.  This is generally considered the best time of year to visit the Cruces Basin.


September 12, 2009, Sandia Peak La Luz to Tramway Loop Hike   Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Melanee (Shurter) Hand, m_maree@msn.com, 505-490-1960

(B-I/M-S) Join Melanee Hand for a challenging day hike up the La Luz Trail, then ride the famous Sandia Tramway back down from Sandia Crest.  Scheduled in September to take advantage of cooler temperatures and some fall color, this trip is located in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque.  The terrain changes from desert with granite rock boulders to aspen and conifer forest at the top.  There are several dinner options available that will be arranged between the participants on this trip. You may re-convene with your car pool, or end the trip here for a longer stay in Albuquerque on your own.

The combination of the La Luz Trail and the Sandia Peak Tramway is a strenuous 10.3 mile hike with an elevation gain of 3900 feet. The La Luz trail climbs from 3,700 ft starting elevation from the base of the mountain to a final elevation of 10,300 at Sandia Peak.  We will begin the hike at the Tramway parking lot, and take the Sandia Tram back to our cars in about 15 minutes for a cost of $17.50 per adult when we reach the top of Sandia Crest. The tram runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. after Labor Day.  Nominal parking fees are required to park near the tramway base.  No pets or bikes will be allowed on this trip because of the restrictions for the tram.

Bring plenty of water and other hydration, sunscreen, food including some that's a little salty, some clothing layers for possible temperature and weather fluctuations, good hiking shoes, and hiking poles.  We will leave promptly at 7:30 a.m. at the "Y" intersection parking lot so we can beat some of the heat on the lower part of the trail.  Contact Melanee to sign up and coordinate car pools.  Advance notice required - you will need to have an up-to-date LAM waiver to attend this trip.


October 8-13, 2009, Lower Sand Creek, Llama drop camp   Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Bill Priedhorsky, bill@priedhorsky.net

(B-I/M) We'll make a camp near the confluence of Sand Creek and the Escalante River, which is a wild rugged place offering the steep river canyon, a clear spring in lower Sand Creek with miles upstream to explore, and a maze of slickrock on the flats north of the river. Because we have a week-long trip planned for early November, this trip will be short enough to require just two days of vacation ("A" schedule), since Oct. 12 is a Federal holiday. A short hike - 3 miles - will take us to our camp, and unlike other options like Harris Wash, the trailhead can be reached just 30 minutes from Boulder. Like many of our explorations, this trip falls within the Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument.

We've passed through this country a few times, for example on the hike back to civilization on our Willow Patch trip of fall 2004, but have not spent significant time there for many years. My son Reid passed through in spring 2005, during a buggy wet spring; click here; a cool autumn trip will be much more pleasant than Reid's passage through record floods.

This trip will be a llama drop camp: llamas will carry our gear into a base camp, and come to haul out our gear when we are done.  This typically gives us about 70 pounds of cargo per person, allowing for the comforts of chairs, tables, Coleman stoves, and a wine cellar.  We'll engage the services of Red Rock 'n Llamas for the hauling. The price for the llamas is typically in the low $200 range per person.  We'll explore out from the base camp every day in day hikes.  Bevin, our llama lady, says she knows some fine campsites in the Escalante-Sand Creek vicinity.

So as not to consume all of your vacation, this trip will be somewhat rushed.  However, folks who don't worry about vacation days might want to organize a more leisurely drive out.  Here's my proposed agenda:

  • 3 PM Wednesday, October 7: Leave Los Alamos, drive to Bluff, Utah, staying in the Recapture lodge overnight, with dinner in Farmington.

  • Thursday, October 8: After a short night. leave Bluff in time to catch the 10 AM Hall's Creek ferry, which gets us to the trailhead about 12:30PM for a 3-mile hike down the Bowington Road to our campsite.

  • We will then spend five nights in camp, giving us four full days for day hiking.  On our last evening, the packers will hike in to join us so we can leave camp early on the morning of Tuesday, October 13.  We'll then drive directly back to Los Alamos, arriving sometime that evening -not promising an early arrival, I'm afraid.

Folks who can afford a more relaxed schedule might want to leave for Bluff on the morning of October 7.  As usual, we will carpool to minimize driving costs.

We'd love to have you - please e-mail your interest, and send your deposit ($100 per person), in person or mailed to me at 380 Rim Road, Los Alamos 87544.  Maximum trip size if we go with llamas will be about 10 participants.


November 7-15, 2009, Moab Bike/Hike 2   Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Bill Priedhorsky, bill@priedhorsky.net   Photos from last years trip: click here.

(B-I/M) To start planning our second canyon adventure for this fall, we would like to follow up on a very successful trip last November.  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.  The photos above of the fall 2008 outing were contributed by Dennis Brandt, Ross Lemons, and Momo Vuyisich.

One of the wildest outings was our traverse of the Fiery Furnace, which is an intricate maze of fins and slot canyons.  The complexity of this terrain is obvious in aerial photos such as these: aerial 1 and aerial 2.

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.

Participants thought that the last trip was so outstanding that five us contributed to hold the north half of the house from Saturday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 15.  This is a "B" week (trade your Friday?) with a holiday on Wednesday the 11th.  The 5 charter members fill up the four bedrooms and one quasi-bedroom, but we are nowhere near full.  Additional room is available (cheap) on couches and floors.  We packed in nine without significant discomfort last time, and costs ranged from $40 to $15 per person per night, based on the quality of sleeping arrangement.  If we have enough participants, we can expand into the south half of the house.  Besides our five charter members, we have at least one more would-be participant who is ready to share in a reservation of the south half.

The lodging is called the Moab Retreat House.  The south half of the house is all that is described on the web page listed above.  Its floor plan is the same as the north half. although it has more beds.  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.

Please let me know if you are interested in this outing.  It might be possible for some participants to take part in a half-week trip, from the 7th to the 11th or the 11th to the 15th, trading out midway.  Once I understand your interest, I'll collect a deposit, in the range $50 to $100 per person, to hold our spot with the landlady.

Note that Moab is about 3 1/2 hours from Salt Lake, making this a reasonably accessible canyon outing for folks who want to fly in.  The drive from Los Alamos is about 6 1/2 hours.


March 11-14, 2010, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument   Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Bill Priedhorsky, bill@priedhorsky.net

(B-I/M) Instead of doing a Bluff trip once again next year, let's try something different and explore the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, west of Cortez.  I am seeking commitments to make a deposit at the Kelly Place B&B, which is uniquely located along McElmo Creek in the heart of this country.  We will go a little later in the year than our previous Bluff trips, in order for the weather to warm up a bit, and to keep a good ski weekend open.  We will therefore visit the Canyons of the Ancients from Thursday, March 11 (leaving Los Alamos after work) through Sunday the 14th ("A" weekend).

Jan, Dennis, and I hiked Sand Canyon recently.  This is one of the monument's premiere hikes, although there are many other possibilities including wilderness study areas, and even the Kelly Place backyard.  We found the richest collection of ruins that any of us had ever seen, with something in almost every south-facing alcove, and a round watch tower overlooking the canyon rim.  Jan's photos can be found here, and Dennis' are here.

Our hike possibilities are many.  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.  Bottom line: a very rich set of opportunities in exciting new country, most of them non-technical and of moderate difficulty.

Starting Thursday March 11, 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.  Kelly Place advertises themselves as a both a B&B and an archeological preserve.  We have not yet negotiated a group price; their non-group rates for a shared room and breakfast are $50-75 per person per night.  Once we assemble our party, I will negotiate a group rate to include dinner.

Given that we don't particularly want to camp out in early March, Kelly Place is a unique lodging opportunity.  The other motels in Cortez are large, chain motels aimed at the Mesa Verde tourist crowd.

In order to pin down our plan, we need a core of folks committed to the trip (6 to 10), so we can assemble a $300 deposit for the B&B.  Please let me know if you are interested, and willing to put down $50 as a charter member of this adventure.  The 2010 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, so please join now if you are interested.  I'll call the B&B around April 10 to make an initial reservation.


November 6-25, 2010, African Safari   Trip Menu | Search

Leader: Dick Opsahl opsahl@losalamos.com

(B-I/M-S) Join Dick and Judy Opsahl for their fall 2010 Safari trip to Botswana, Nambia & Zimbabwe.  Nineteen day trip also includes Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls. This trip is special in that the trips between the nature parks are by light plane rather than slow bumpy bus. The limit of 16 travelers and small lodges (just 8-10 rooms) assures exclusivity. Trip price of $5300 includes airfare from USA (NYC is cheapest) and most meals.  Significant discount is possible with early payment in full.  Respond to Dick or Judy for details.
 

Trip Menu        Notices        Top CALENDAR VIDEOS TOP ROPING
SCHOOL ROOM BOARD ROOM WHITE ROCK CRAGS
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SWAP MEET LAM HISTORY INDEX NACLASSICS
TRIP ARCHIVE DOWNLOADS CLIMBING NEWS & FORUM

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