The Santa Fe Hiking Meetup Group

PLEASE NOTE 9:00 START TIME!

Here's Ted's hike description:

Hiking the Plains & Mesas of the Ghost Ranch Area

This will be through hiking starting on the Monastery Rd & Hwy 84 & ending opposite to the entrance of Ghost Ranch. The first half of the hike will involve hiking near the cliff faces of mesa Montosa in a loop route of soft game trails & a low mesa top. From there we will hike cross-country to the outdoor movie set of Oppenheimer, which is a cluster of buildings overlooking a broad panorama of the Chama river valley, Ghost Ranch cliffs, the Abiquiu lake & the distant Jemez mountains. The second half of the hike will take us across a huge plain with grand open space toward our destination near the entrance to Ghost Ranch.

Expected distance of 5-6 miles, off trail, mostly flat, easy hiking.

Burro Hikes are for experienced hikers, most of our hikes are moderate in difficulty (by our standards), usually on designated trails, usually 4-6 miles in distance unless otherwise specified.

Non-aggressive, well-mannered dogs are welcome on all my hikes (unless otherwise specified, some locations prohibit dogs).

Newcomers are welcome on all my hikes; I ask that newcomers please test your fitness for my Group by timing yourself hiking up and down Atalaya, which you should be able to do comfortably in 3 1/2 hours or less (from Wilderness Gate or staircase, using Steep Route option - 5 miles). If you have any questions about this, or about my hikes in general, please feel free to contact me through Meet Up Messaging or by text.

We meet at the DeVargas Mall, in the back lot, behind the stores, park in a lane near the bowling alley, but not right up against the mall wall. We carpool to all THs. Please offer your driver $7 to cover gas expense for this hike. We like to leave promptly so if you're running just a few minutes late, text me, & we'll wait up to 5 minutes for you.

Ronnie Chafel, 617-331-1838

Please be considerate of those on Wait List & sign off hike as soon as you know you cannot attend, preferably 24 hours in advance whenever possible. PLEASE DO NOT NO SHOW. Repeated No Shows have consequences.

Description: Bobcatting Placitas Strip Mine Area
Round Trip Hiking Distance: 5 miles
Round Trip Hiking Time: 3.5 hours
Elevation: 5600' to 6400'
Rating: Moderate
Pace: Mellow Plus

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

Hike Description: The Strip Mine area is located in the foothills of the Sandias near Placitas, about 45 minutes south of Santa Fe. The trail starts out gradually uphill (with a few sharp ascents and descents) thru an open area leading to a very pretty red rock wash bordered by a yellow sandstone outcropping. The trail continues uphill thru mixed juniper, pinon, yucca, prickly pear and Mormon tea until it peaks at 6400', then slowly descends. This last section of the hike features good views pretty much the whole way, and in addition to the Sandias, we'll see the Sangres, the Jemez, Cabezon, Mt Taylor.

What to bring:
Sturdy hiking boots or shoes.
Layers, extra clothing, water resistant outer wear.
Yak traks or other traction devices may be helpful if there is snow
Lunch and snacks.
Bring water for a 3+ hour hike and snacks/lunch

Meeting Place:
ZIA: We'll meet near Albertson's along Zia Road. We leave promptly at the meet time, so if you're running late please call Ken at 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 $5 to the driver for gas. The last 100 yards or so is on a rocky dirt road, so high clearance vehicles are a good idea.

Cancellations:
Please be courteous to those on the wait list and if your plans change and you won't attend, put yourself in the 'not going' group. If you don't know how to do that contact me and I'll do it for you.

Release and Waiver:
By attending, the Participant releases the Event Leaders from 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 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.