Sunday Burro Hike - Vietnam Route + optional off trail extension
Details
PLEASE NOTE 8:30 START TIME! SANDY WILL BE OUR ROUTE GUIDE/LEADER FOR THIS HIKE.
We'll all start out at the Big Tesuque Campground TH, our ascent will be to the right of the bathroom, on what we call the Vietnam Route, along the creek, very lush & jungly (hence the name!). Up to the Service Road, then left & down to the main trail & back to the bridge & parking lot. Vietnam Route is a nickname given to this trail by one of my hikers, now commonly used by those in our Groups, but NOT an official name! To my knowledge, it has no official route name. Some hikers can choose to hike only this trail, others may opt for an extension of it, led by Sandy, including some off trail hiking to an overlook viewpoint; it will be approximately an extra 1/2 mile, but this distance will be another climb up, maybe 700 ft worth & steep, to the viewpoint, so it will be a challenging extra. Sandy will describe this when we all meet in the DeVargas parking lot, or at the TH before we begin the hike. Folks will need to decide the distance & how strenuous a hike they prefer before we leave DeVargas so that they can carpool accordingly. Return time will depend on which distance each hiker chooses for this hike. I don't know the exact mileage for this route, will estimate that it is approximately 3 miles; similar to Japanese Gardens, distance doesn't capture the experience of this hike, both are a short distance packed with a strong workout. It is also unusual for our terrain here in 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 & around water, a few steep rocky climbs. It is not considered easy by our standards, despite fairly low mileage and reasonable elevation gain.
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, using Steep Route option), which you should be able to do comfortably in less than 3 1/2 hours, in order to insure you are a good fit for the pace & 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 & 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, back part of parking lot. Please park in a lane 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.