The Santa Fe Hiking Meetup Group

Description: Bobcatting Holy Ghost
Round Trip Hiking Distance: 4.5 to 5 miles
Round Trip Hiking Time: 2.5 hours
Elevations: 8000' to 8600’
Rating: Moderate
Pace: Mellow Plus

Be considerate of others and do not RSVP for this hike if you cannot go up and down Atalaya in under 3 hours. This helps us to stay together as a group, enhancing the hiking experience for everyone. This is a group hike and participants are expected to stay with the group. It is not about competition, but cooperation. No firearms or commercial solicitations. COVID vaccination and compliance with CDC rules on quarantine and isolation are required (i.e., don't attend if you have Covid!)

Hike Description:
Holy Ghost trailhead is located 1.25 hours from Santa Fe in the Pecos. We’ll start with a moderate ascent thru a meadow up to a rolling wooded ridge above the nearby campsite. We’ll then descend and cross the Holy Ghost Creek for the first of four crossings.
As of Monday, all crossings were doable, without water shoes, via rocks or logs, though those might or might not be slippery or even below the water line by Tuesday. The water is pretty shallow, but there are rocks and snags that could make a fall hazardous. Be sure you’re comfortable with crossing a creek without a formal bridge before you RSVP.
After the first crossing, we’ll proceed thru a few pleasant and flowery meadows, broken by small stands of trees. As of Monday the wildflowers were great–especially the coneflowers, asters, black-eyed Susans, mountain wooly white (no lady slipper orchids; much too late)–but with the heat we’ve been experiencing some will likely have wilted by hike time notwithstanding the generally moist conditions around the creek. After our second crossing of the Holy Ghost Creek, we’ll ascend a rocky outcropping for lunch.
After lunch we’ll retrace our steps until after we’ve crossed the creek twice more (same crossings as outbound, but in reverse) before heading thru the flat campsite for the final leg of the hike. If people are eager to add some distance and hill work, we could simply retrace the whole route for the return, replacing the flat campsite with the rolling ridgeline. But my guess is it’ll be warm by then.

Note: There is an ongoing, lane-closure type paving project on the main road up the Pecos. It may slow down the transit time depending exactly on where they are working Tuesday. And the final stretch of road, while nominally paved, is littered with major pot holes.

What to bring:
Sturdy hiking boots or shoes.
Layers, extra clothing, and water resistant outer wear.
Water for a 4 hour, potentially warm, hike. Be sure to bring plenty of water.
Snacks and lunch

Meeting Place:
We will meet in the parking lot of Albertsons at Zia-South St Francis. Enter from Zia, turn right immediately. We leave promptly at the meet time. If you are running late or your plans change at the last minute, please call Ken: 248-252-0708.

Dogs: Well-behaved dogs with no history of problems on group hikes are welcome, but must be on a leash at all times.

Cost/Driving: Non-drivers are to contribute $10 for gas.

Waiver and Release. By attending, the Participant releases the Event Leaders from liability arising from the Event and assumes all risks of the Event, including (without limitation): 1) injuries from falls, living things, pre-existing health conditions, vehicles, and weather, and 2) injuries resulting from the Event Leaders not undertaking the least risky option available (e.g., hiking a steep slope instead of a gentle slope) or not treating an injury in the optimal way (e.g., due to insufficient training). The preceding sentence supplements any other exculpatory arrangement to which the Participant is subject.