Santa Fe Hiking Meetup - Bears Hike - St. John’s College TH to Atalaya Peak

6.2 miles
Approximately 3.5 hours
Out and Back
Moderate to Challenging depending on fitness level.
Final elevation 9,121 feet. Total elevation gain 1,794.

Atalaya Mountain in Santa Fe National Forest can be reached from the lower Atalaya trail head next to St. John’s College. We will park on the street on Camino de Cruz Blanca adjacent to the College parking lot. We will hike on a well maintained and marked trail that is a steady uphill followed by a steady downhill.

Hikers are allowed some flexibility to hike ahead to the next trail juncture.

**Health and Safety **
Hikers are encouraged to carry a small personal medical kit with items like bandaids, advil or ibuprofen, and an antihistamine. Bring enough fluids for a 7 mile hike and dress in layers. Sturdy hiking shoes or boots required. Hiking poles may be helpful on steep areas.

Bear Hikes are for experienced hikers, most of our hikes are moderate in difficulty (by our standards), usually on designated trails, generally 4-8 miles.

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

Newcomers are welcome. Normally I ask that newcomers test your fitness by timing yourself hiking up and down Atalaya, which you should be able to do comfortably in 3 hours or less (from Wilderness Gate or staircase). Since we are hiking Atalaya, this can help gauge your fitness level. If you have any questions about this, or about my hikes in general, please feel free to contact me through Meet Up Messaging.

PANDEMIC ISSUES:

If you have recently contracted or definitely been exposed to Covid-19, you must have tested negative for Covid-19 since that occurrence and you must be in compliance with CDC rules on quarantining. Thank you for being considerate of the group’s health.

No solicitations or firearms allowed.

Please use the Meetup app to take yourself off the hike if you cannot attend. Please do this as soon as possible so other hikers can attend. If you have a message for the leader, please use the Meetup app and leave a comment.

Hike leader background: I was a trip leader for the International Subcommittee of Sierra Club. I have led and assisted on 7 to 14 day hiking trips in Sicily, Japan, Norway, and the Canadian Rockies. I led an Ancestral Puebloan Cultures trip with Dr. Martha Yates.
I love living in Santa Fe, hiking and sharing natural beauty and a caring community with others.

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 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 applicable exculpatory arrangement.