Past Trips

Dear Mountaineers, Santa Fe homeless shelters are asking for donations of warm clothing and gear for the many people in need. Please bring your donations to the December14th potpouri meeting at Fuller Lodge and we will take them to the shelters*! We are looking for intact jackets, pants, sweaters, socks, boots, hats, gloves, raingear, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, blankets, and sleeping pads for men, women, and children. If you bring a bag of socks, please label them for men, women, or children so we know where to deliver them.

Friday, December 9.  Cross country ski at Cumbres Pass - 8 mile out/back ski on Dixie Creek to Chama Valley Overlook.  Metal edged, backcountry skis are required.

I really want to go skiing, and the forecast for the Tues-Thurs storm this week appears to me, to give Cumbres Pass enough snow to ski.  (I follow the Cumbres Trestle snowtel station - when it reaches about 18 inches, there is enough snow to ski at Cumbres Pass).

Are you a winter backcountry enthusiast? Do you earn your turns by climbing the hills to ski or board down? Is a snowshoe to a remote location something that interests you? Have you considered visiting a hut in the wintertime? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should ask yourself, what do I know about avalanches? What do I know about transceivers? Probably more importantly what do I know about my partners ability to use a transceiver? Well, grab your avalanche kit and your partners(s) and come out and enjoy a day of snow-play at the start of the season.

We have many times travelled to Bluff, Utah for a taste of the canyon country. Bluff is less than six hours from Los Alamos and, situated along the San Juan River, at a low altitude best suited for trips late or early in the season. Even at the beginning of December the average daily high is around 50 F. There are numerous places to hike and explore from Bluff, including the ruins and big views of Comb Ridge, the canyons accessible from Cedar Mesa, the canyon rim just north of Bluff itself, and farther afield to places like White Canyon.

I would like to announce the fourteenth edition of our successful hike/explore/bike trips to Moab. We have been going most Novembers since 2008, and every time has been a great success. The 2014 trip report can be found at http://lamountaineers.org/node/479#comment-57.

This trip is a bicycle ride on paved roads from Jemez Springs to the Gilman Tunnels and back. The Gilman tunnels are located in the most scenic section of the Guadalupe River Box and were originally blasted out of the rock in the 1920's for a logging railroad.  The cottonwoods along the route will hopefully be near the peak of their fall colors, making it a most beautiful ride.

We are going to explore the Sulfur and Alamo canyons, located in the southwestern part of Valles Caldera National Preserve. Highlights include sulfur fields and fumaroles, great views of several valleys and peaks, as well as several geothermal pools. We might also get a last glimpse of the Fall colors. Mileage will be 12 miles with a 1,800 feet elevation gain.

Our canyon outing for autumn 2022 will be a fully catered llama trek that totals 10 days and 9 nights. The trip will be limited to 6 participants, supported by 3 guides. All meals will be provided, but we will be on our own for hiking adventures most days. BJ Orozco, proprietor for Llama2Boot, will be our outfitter.

Rescheduled due to a rainy weekend in Taos Ski Valley.

This trip is part of the 70th Anniversary celebration. The group will meet at the Sullivan Parking lot at 7:00 am and will carpool to Taos Ski area. From the trailhead, we will hike to Williams lake and continue to Wheeler Peak, 13,167 ft,  the highest peak in New Mexico.

This trip is part of the 70th Anniversary celebration. Starting early from Pajarito Ski parking lot, we head out to Canada Bonita then toward Guaje Canyon. We will turn left before descending to the canyon and find a way to go up to Cerro Rubio. It is all off trail from here. From my hike here two years ago I know there are tremendous numbers of downed trees along the way. It is a challenging and difficult terrain to navigate.  Please understand you should not be discouraged by constantly going above/under/around downed trees when you sign up for this hike.