Santa Fe Hiking Meetup - Bear Hike - Big Tesuque Creek Trail to Borrego

6 miles, elevation gain 1,135 feet
Estimated time 3.5 hours

Moderate hike on a well maintained trail, with a gradual descent from Tesuque Creek Trail to a scenic alpine meadow. Another gradual descent to Winsor Trail and the creek at the Borrego intersection. Poles will help on the initial descent .

Participants will have the option to only do 4 miles by turning around at the meadow. The return is uphill approximately 1,100 feet. We will take breaks as needed. Note that we will be hiking at 10,000+ feet to 9,000 to a little over 10,000 feet. The elevation will make the hike slightly more challenging.

Hikers who would like to carpool may meet me at the Dale Ball parking lot at Sierra del Norte and Hyde Park Road at 8:30 am. Note the leader will have inadequate cell reception after 8:10 am. Please send any messages by 8:00 am.

We will meet at 9:00 am at the Big Tesuque Campground parking area off Hyde Park road (NM 475). Park bathrooms should be available. The hike involves crossing Hyde Park Road twice.

Hikers are allowed some flexibility to hike ahead to the next trail juncture.
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**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 6 mile hike and dress in layers. Sturdy hiking shoes or boots required. Hiking poles may be helpful on steep areas. The steepest descent is at the beginning of the trail.

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.