Sunday Burro Hike - Japanese Garden

PLEASE NOTE 8:30 START TIME!

PLEASE NOTE CORRECTION ON OPTIONAL EXTENSION.

SANDY WILL BE OUR ROUTE LEADER FOR TODAY'S HIKE & THERE WILL BE AN OPTIONAL EXTENSION DIFFERENT THAN WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. PLEASE DO READ FULL HIKE DESCRIPTION TO BE FULLY INFORMED.

We begin & end at the Big Tesuque Campground TH; our ascent will be to the left of the bathroom, on the trail we call the Japanese Garden (no official name to my knowledge, this is only what folks I know call it), along the creek, very lush and jungly. It is approximately 3-3.5 miles RT; it is unusual for our terrain here for its forest density, moisture, "jungly" atmosphere, most of us love the different environs it offers, compared to our more customary dry and open routes.

*Hikers need to be strong and sturdy, this route requires some tricky maneuvers, around boulders, sometimes slippery rocks, in and around water, a few steep rocky climbs. It is not considered easy by our standards, despite fairly low mileage and reasonable elevation gain.

NOW, FOR THE NEW OPTION: SANDY IS OFFERING TO LEAD ALL WHO WISH TO CONTINUE FURTHER UP FROM THE SERVICE RD AT THE END OF JAPANESE GARDEN ROUTE TO THE ROUTE WE CALL BERNIE & THE JETS (NOW NAMED TESUQUE CREEK TRAIL). THIS IS A STEEP & ROCKY TRAIL, WE WILL ONLY HIKE PART WAY UP, TO WHERE IT MEETS WITH AN OFFSHOOT TRAIL, MUCH GENTLER IN GRADE (APTLY NAMED BY US "SON OF BERNIE & THE JETS"!). WE WILL THEN TAKE THE MAIN TRAIL AS THE OTHER GROUP DID BACK TO PARKING LOT.

NOT ALL HIKERS NEED TO DO THIS ADD ON OPTION; I EXPECT THERE WILL BE SOME HIKERS WHO CHOOSE THE SHORTER & SOME WHO CHOOSE THE LONGER HIKE.

OF COURSE, END TIME WILL VARY DEPENDING ON IF ONE DOES THE EXTENSION OPTION.

THESE OPTIONS WILL BE CLARIFIED IN PERSON WHEN WE GATHER AT DEVARGAS.

Burro Hikes are considered overall moderate hikes on designated trails for experienced hikers, usually 4-6 miles in distance, unless otherwise specified. Newcomers are welcome on my hikes, but I do ask that prior to signing up for my hikes you test your fitness by hiking up and down Atalaya, (from the staircase or from the Wilderness Gate), which you should be able to do comfortably in less than 3 hours, in order to insure you are a good fit for the pace and types of routes we do. Please fee free to text me with any questions about Atalaya, or about anything regarding my hikes in general.

Ronnie Chafel 617-331-1838

Non-aggressive, well mannered dogs are always welcome on all of my hikes.

Please be considerate of those on the Waiting List and sign off a hike as soon as you know you cannot attend. Please DO NOT No Show! Repeated No Shows have consequences!

We meet at the DeVargas Mall parking lot, behind the stores, in the back lot. Please park in a space near the bowling alley, but not right up against the mall wall. We carpool to THs. Please offer your driver $2 to cover gas expense for this hike. We leave promptly, so if you're running just a bit late, text me, & we'll wait up to 5 minutes for you.