The Santa Fe Hiking Meetup Group

Description: Bobcatting Canada Bonita

Round Trip Hiking Distance: 6 miles

Round Trip Hiking Time: 3.5 hours

Elevations: 9200' to 9600''

Gain: 650+ ft.

Rating: Moderate

Pace: Mellow Plus

Please 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. It is not about competition, but cooperation. COVID vaccination and compliance with CDC rules on quarantine and isolation are required (I.e., don't attend if you have Covid!). This is a group event and participants are expected to stay with the group. No firearms or commercial solicitations. COVID

Hike Description: Canada Bonita is located about 1 hour northwest of Santa Fe, with its trail head at the parking lot for Pajarito Ski Area near Los Alamos. The trail starts in a wooded area before opening up at a very large meadow. We may see the Mariposa Lily bloom, and there are plenty of other wildflowers including wallflowers, sneezeweed, paintbrush, fireweed, hare bells, penstemon, wood sorel, flax, iris, wild onion. We will skirt the meadow before heading into another scattered wood featuring an overlook where we will have lunch while enjoying views of the Valles Caldera. We'll return more or less as we went out.

Note, due to pipeline construction on the access road, Canada Bonita is currently accessible by car only Friday-Sunday; hence, the non-Tuesday date.

What to bring:
Sturdy hiking boots or shoes.
Layers, extra clothing, and water resistant outerwear
Water for a 3+ hour hike.
Lunch and snacks

Meeting Place DEVARGAS: .We will at DeVargas Center behind Market Street (fka Albertsons), i.e., on the St Francis side of Market Street, but a little closer to the bowling alley. We leave promptly at the meet time, so if you are running late or your plans change at the last minute, please call Ken: 248-252-0708.

Dogs: Friendly dogs with no history of aggression at group events are welcome, but must be on a leash at all times.

Cost/Driving: Car-pooling is up to attendees. Non-drivers are to contribute $10 for gas. The last section of road may be rough due to ongoing construction.

ID: The most direct route passes thru a Los Alamos National Lab checkpoint, so everyone in a vehicle taking that route should have photo identification (although usually only the driver is asked for it). There are alternate routes.

Cancelling. Please be courteous and if your plans change, promptly remove yourself from the 'go' (or wait) list so others can adjust their calendars. If you don't know how to remove yourself from the go (or wait) list, contact me and I'll try to do it for you (though I'll be in a different time zone for a lot of the time, so . ..)

Waiver and Release. By attending, the Participant releases the Event Leaders from all liability arising from the Event and assumes all risks of the Event, including: 1) injuries from falls, living things, pre-existing health conditions, vehicles, and weather, and 2) injuries resulting from the Event Leaders making risky or inapt decisions including 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 or inept execution). The preceding sentence supplements any other applicable exculpatory arrangement.