The Golden Gate Hiking Group

AQP April Tunnel, 2024-04-20 (Sat)
- - - Ignore meetup's timestamps. Read the hike notice below for the correct timeline.
* Destination : April Tunnel @ Almaden Quicksilver County Park
* Stats : 7 miles, 1400' gain, 2.2 mph.
* Meeting Time : April 20, 2024 (Sat), at 7:45a at Mockingbird Lane TH (google maps : 37.193636, -121.836735)
* Estimated finish : 11:55a, back at the trailhead
* Organizer: DN (walks.nani at gmail dot com)
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Check the park's website for parking fee and suchlike details. Bring an extra plastic bag for muddy shoes. Do not bring pets. Bring dollars for carpool, parking, etc. If you have any questions, try sending a meetup message; but I respond to email faster. If you want my help about carpool or wait-list, send me a message with your contact number and I will try to help. Or check with other hikers or drive alone.
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Almaden Quicksilver Park has a nice mix of easy and steep trails, open and shaded trails, busy and secluded trails. Lots of loops possible. We will start on New Almaden Trail, visit Buena Vista Shaft, and take Gr Eastern Trail to April Tunnel. Return route Day Tunnel, Mine Hill, Capehorn, Hacienda, and Virl Norton. We may add Church Trail to our route or walk just 6 miles.

Big Basin, 2024-04-27 (Sat)
- - - Ignore meetup's timestamps. Read the hike notice below for the correct timeline.
* Destination : Big Basin, near Boulder Creek
* Stats : 8 miles, 1500' gain, 2.2 mph.
* Meeting Time : April 27, 2024 (Sat), at 9:32a at the park entrance
* Estimated finish : 1:55p, back at the trailhead
* Organizer: DN (walks.nani at gmail dot com)
- - - -
Check the park's website for parking fee and suchlike details. Bring an extra plastic bag for muddy shoes. Do not bring pets. Bring dollars for carpool, parking, etc. If you have any questions, try sending a meetup message; but I respond to email faster. If you want my help about carpool or wait-list, send me a message with your contact number and I will try to help. Or check with other hikers or drive alone.
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Big Basin was host to most of the 27 miles long STTS (Skyline To The Sea trail). The park suffered severe damage in a fire in 2020, and is only slowly being reopened to the public. I think only 2-3 miles of STTS have reopened for hiking. We will cover 7-8 miles, and check how the area near the trees called Mother/Father of the Forest looks. It is advised that hikers carpool and book a parking spot, or risk being turned back. We will visit Ocean View Summit which has been on my to-do list since 15+ years now. Longer loops in the park may not yet be possible, but I am fine with a short hike to check how the forest is comig back to life.

DISCLAIMER!!! I don't plan to be your travel agent and make money on you. All expenses will be shared by all group.
I'll give priority to hikers who travel/hike with me before.
If you have questions don't hesitate contact me directly, don't put comments for everybody.
Our travel itinerary:

• Day 1 Friday May 17, 2024 Arrival in Cusco, Fly from Lima to Cusco, Lodging - Abittare Hotels Cusco

• Day 2 Saturday May 18, 2024
  Journey to the Heart of the Inca Empire: Cusco City Tour Lodging - Abittare Hotels

• Day 3 May 19, 2024 Sacred Valley Tour Lodging - Abittare Hotels Cusco

• Day 4 Monday May 20, 2024 Salkantay Premium Trek 1/5: Cusco - Humantay Lake - Sky Camp | Lodging - Sky Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 5 Tuesday May 21, 2024
  Salkantay Premium Trek 2/5: Soraypampa - Salkantay Pass -
  Huayracmachay - Chaullay - Collpapampa (Mountain Sky View) Lodging - Mountain Sky View

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 6 Wednesday May 22, 2024

Salkantay Premium Trek 3/5: Collpapampa - Loreta - La Playa -
Lucmabamba - Cocalmayo - Jungle Domes Lodging - Jungle Domes
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 7 Thursday May 23, 2024
  Salkantay Premium Trek 4/5: Lucmabamba - Llactapata -
  Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes Lodging - El Mapi by Inkaterra

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 8 Friday May 24, 2024
  Salkantay Premium Trek 5/5: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu -
  Ollantaytambo - Cusco Lodging - Abittare Hotels

Meals: Breakfast

• Day 9 Saturday May 25, 2024
  Rainbow Mountain Trek Lodging Abittare Hotels Cusco

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 10 Sunday May 26, 2024
• PeruRail Titicaca Train: A Scenic Journey from Cusco to Puno Lodging Casa Andina Premium Puno

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 11 Monday May 27, 2024
  Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island Lodging Casa Andina Premium Puno

Meals: Lunch

• Day 12 Tuesday Fly from Puno to Lima ( you'll need to book it)

Expected price 2500-3000$. In addition to that you’ll need to book flights and buy travel insurance. 12 people is max for this travel. Price is for double occupancy, solo occupancy may be 30% more expensive.
Most likely we’ll use KimKim travel agency to buy this tour and we’ll need to pay 30% deposit( 800-900$). Deposit is not refundable unless certain special cases that will be negotiated with KimKim. Everybody goes on waiting list first, after paying deposit you'll get RSVP.

We all meet at Estes Park, Colorado. It is just 1.5 hour drive from Denver International airport.
Arrival day is Wednesday Sep 18 2024 where we plan to meet for dinner not later than 6PM.
We'll have 4 hikes: Thu, Fri, Sat, and Sun. We'll complete Sunday's hike not earlier than 3PM, so your return commute shouldn't contradict this plan. If you plan to fly back from Denver, then your flight departure must be after 7PM.
Don't join the trip if you don't plan to have all 4 hikes.
Estes Park is very popular and tourist place, so I recommend to book accommodations in advance.
Rocky Mountain park had sophisticated reservation system in 2023 and 2024 rules are not published yet but most likely will be similar ones. I'll try to make all necessary reservations and permits.
See below my hike plans but it can be subject to change depending on reservations and weather.
Thu Hike 11 miles, >2400 ft elev. gain. Bear lake Parking. We'll need to arrive at 6am to get parking or use the very first park's shuttle or have parking permit.
Route: Nymph Lake -> Dream Lake -> Emerald Lake -> Lake Haiyaha -> The Loch lake -> Lake of Glass -> Sky Pond ( our main destination and lunch spot) -> return sky pod tr -> Glacier Gorge tr back to car with visiting Alberta falls
FRI Hike 12 miles, > 2500 elev. gain Moraine Park Parking ( will need to check if parking permit is required there). Our route: Fern Lake rd -> Fern Lake tr -> Arch Rocks -> Fern Falls -> Fern Lake -> Odessa lake ( our main destination and lunch spot) -> Return Fern Lake tr and Cub Lake tr
Sat Hike 7.5 miles , > 2800 elev. gain. Mountains Chiquita ( 13052 ft) and Ypsilon (13446 ft). It is short but high elevation hike, make sure that your health conditions are good enough for that. After hike we'll stop near Alpine Visitor center and may even have lunch in Trail Ridge cafe ( the only one cafe in Rocky Mountain park). We may add short hike to Marmot Point (0.4 miles). After that we'll drive back by famous Trail Ridge road with stopping at majority View points and taking short hikes from this points
Sun Hike 8.7 miles, >2700 ft elev. gain Lily Lake to Estes Cone (11011 ft)

Everybody will go on waiting list first. Trip will be limited by 12-16 hikers ( 3-4 cars). I'll give priority RSVP to hikers who hiked with me before. To get RSVP you need to inform me about lodging/camping reservations and commute plan. Plus, let me know if you can be carpool driver or only passenger.
Feel free send me meetup private messages with any questions.