Bobcatting Santa Barbara Canyon **THURSDAY--NEW VENUE**

Description: Bobcatting Santa Barbara Canyon
Round Trip Hiking Distance: 7.5+ miles
Round Trip Hiking Time: 4.5 hours total
Elevations: 8900'-9600'
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 will allow us to stay together as a group, enhancing the hiking experience for everyone. It is not about competition, but cooperation. You must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 (including at least one booster) to attend this hike and must be in compliance with CDC recommendations on quarantine and isolation if you have recently been exposed or had Covid-19. This is a group hike and participants are expected to stay with the group. No firearms or commercial solicitations.

Hike Description:
This trail starts at the Santa Barbara campground, near Penasco, ~1.5 hours north of Santa Fe. We'll follow the West Fork trail for about 3.5 miles, staying in the canyon and crossing the Santa Barbara River a couple of times. The hike features gushing whitewater, nice views of rocky canyon walls and ridgelines, and wildflowers including blue columbine--which are looking great as of today--Jacob's ladder, fern leaf lousewort, thimbleberries, monkey flowers, blue bells, arnica and much more. The hike goes gradually uphill on the way out, so the return (which is generally the route we took out) is mostly downhill.

What to bring:
Sturdy hiking boots or shoes
Layers, extra clothing, and water resistant outerwear
Water for a long hike
Snacks and lunch

Meeting Place:
DEVARGAS. We'll meet at DeVargas Center behind Market Street, but a little closer to the bowling alley. We will 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, provided they must be on a leash at all times.

Cost and Vehicles: Paved road the whole way. Non-drivers are to contribute $10 to the driver for gas or kWh.

Cancellations. If, after signing up, you find you won't attend, please be courteous to those on the waitlist and promptly change your status to 'not going.' If you have difficulty doing this, contact me and I can do it for you.

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: 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.