a·foot 2026 · santa fe and abq hiking group

Let's go visit a really cool volcano at Capulin Volcano National Monument, east of Raton, NM near the Colorado border. Capulin (pronounced kah·poo·leen), means black cherry in Spanish and denotes the dark red color of the long-ago cooled lava it spit out at least 56,000 years ago. Capulin Volcano is a near perfect example of a cinder cone type volcano with a hiking trail along the crater rim and down into the crater vent.

We will meet at the Capulin Volcano National Monument visitor center where I will give the group an orientation about the volcanic field and the volcano. From there we will drive to the top of the volcano and explore. The views are extraordinary - you can see four states. And we will witness the lady bug bacchanal, a summer phenomena where millions of lady bugs turn the trees and rocks orange.

After exploring Capulin, we will drive along the top of Johnson Mesa, via the small town of Folsom and make stops along the way. Johnson Mesa is one of several mesas in the area that were caused by lava flows which solidified into basalt. Over time the softer sedimentary rock surrounding the basalt eroded leaving several distinct large elevated tablelands with precipitous sides. From the west side of the mesa, we will drop down into Sugarite State Park, have lunch and hike a trail around Lake Maloya before returning to Santa fe.

This is an exploratory adventure. The hiking will take place on Capulin and around Lake Maloya. The hiking distance is minimal. The rewards are the views of this unusual and ancient volcanic area, learning about volcanoes and discovering Sugarite State Park.

I will talk about car pooling as we approach the date. It is a three hour drive from Santa Fe and almost four hours from Denver, but I am organizing this as a day trip. The drive is part of the adventure. If you want to camp overnight, there is a KOA in the village of Capulin and there is camping in Sugarite State Park.

Entry is $20.00 per vehicle or you can use your America the Beautiful Pass. It pays to car pool!

We will sneak in to Telluride between the Bluegrass Festival and the Yoga Festival. By avoiding the insanity, we should have a relaxing time exploring the trails around Telluride.

So many to chose from:

• Bridal Veil Falls
• Tomboy Road
• Jud Wiebe Trail
• Sneffels Highline Trail
• Bear Canyon
• See Forever
• Wasatch + Wasatch Connect

Lets see how many we can do. Telluride is a favorite place of mine. I know it well. Allow me to lead our exploration and to introduce you to this amazing place.

Regarding accommodations' - those are up to you. There is lodging in town and in the Mountain Village as well as The Bivvy Hostel in Placerville and camping all around.

I may have to limit the group to 8 persons, but let's see who signs up. Stay tuned for Zoom call to discuss options and itinerary.

As the 2025 summer fourteener season comes to an end, it is time to begin planning for next year. If you are new to the fourteeners and hope to explore them in 2026, this class is for you.

“Perhaps there’s no better act of simplification than climbing a mountain. For an afternoon, a day, or a week, it’s a way of reducing a complicated life into a simple goal. All you have to do is take one step at a time, place one foot in front of the other, and refuse to turn back until you’ve given everything you have.” ― Ken Ilgunas

Comments from previous attendees:

"Very thorough and very engaging presentation. Excellent use of web and presentation technology. And, very educational!"

Join presenter Bernard Tibbetts as he introduces you to the peaks in Colorado over 14,000 feet. Known as the Colorado Fourteeners, they provide amazing alpine experiences for thousands of people each year at all experience levels: hikers, backpackers, rock climbers and seasoned mountaineers alike.

Bernard will:

• Introduce you to the Colorado mountain ranges and groups where the Fourteeners are located.
• Discuss "first Fourteener" options.
• Explain how to research route and trailhead locations.
• Explain route ratings and use them to assess route difficulty.
• Present checklists for obtaining proper gear and clothing.
• Discuss ideas for getting fit for the Fourteeners.

Bernard Tibbetts has summited all of the Colorado Fourteeners and has been leading Fourteener hikes for over 10 years.

This is the follow-up class for the Beginner's Guide to the Colorado Fourteeners. I will take the concepts discussed in the first class and apply them to planning an actual Colorado Fourteener Adventure.

In this class, you will learn:

• How to use 14ers.com to explore, analyze and choose a route.
• How to download routes from 14ers.com.
• How to upload routes into other apps.
• How to analyze route terrain in CalTopo.
• How to analyze your chosen mountain in Google Earth desktop and mobile.
• How to use the 14ers.com mobile app.
• How to plan for lodging and / or camping.
• How to plan for après hiking activities.
• How to write an itinerary.
• And more...

This is a comprehensive class that will help you plan a safe and enjoyable hike up some of the most spectacular mountains in the US.

Your instructor, Bernard Tibbetts, has climbed all the Colorado Fourteeners and has been an outdoor instructor for over ten years.