Bobcatting Indian Creek: FRIDAY OCT. 9

Description: Bobcatting Indian Creek: FRIDAY OCT. 9
Round Trip Hiking Distance: 5 miles
Round Trip Hiking Time: 3 hours
Elevation: 8800’ to 10,500’
Rating: Moderate+

Please be considerate of others and do not RSVP for this hike if you cannot go up and down Atalaya in under 3 hours. This helps us to stay together as a group, enhancing the hiking experience for everyone. It is not about competition, but cooperation. COVID vaccination and compliance with CDC rules on quarantine and isolation are required (i.e., don't attend if you have Covid!). This is a group event and participants are expected to stay with the group. No firearms or commercial solicitations.

Hike Description: Indian Creek is located off Santa Barbara Canyon, near Penasco, about 1.5 hours north of Santa Fe. The basic hike: we cross a couple rivers, steadily ascend a mountain, summit and enjoy lunch with great views, then descend as we came.

The hike starts, almost immediately, with a crossing of Rio Santa Barbara. The ford should be about knee deep so you will need water shoes, sandals or sneakers for this crossing; waterproof boots or bags are not enough. We’ll then promptly ford a second, shallower stream, which might be passable in boots, but might not. The river will be cold.

After that, we’ll steadily ascend, roughly following Indian Creek. There is a nice meadow, a small water tumble and a good viewpoint to enliven the ascent. We’ll follow the ridgeline for a quarter mile to a great viewpoint of Santa Barbara Canyon--which ought to have plenty of golden aspen (we'll know better tomorrow)--and the entire Truchas Range, where we’ll have lunch. A few feet away, thru a grove of bristlecone pines, is another viewpoint, of the Rift and points west. We’ll return as we came.

This hike features a river crossing and a steady, serious ascent, so be prepared for that, and be realistic about your capabilities and comfort-level. Note the river will be high right now, but next week's weather forecast is mostly clear, so it should recede some by next Friday. If not, well, we can do Santa Barbara Canyon again!

What to bring:
WATER SHOES, SANDALS OR SNEAKERS for the river crossings
Sturdy hiking boots or shoes
Layers, extra clothing, and water resistant outerwear
Water for a 3 hour hike
Lunch and snacks

Meeting Place: DEVARGAS. We’ll meet at Devargas, behind Market Street, but a little closer to the bowling alley. We leave promptly at the meet time, so contact me at 248-252-0708 if you are running late.

Dogs: Friendly dogs with no history of aggression at group events are welcome, but must be on a leash at all times.

Cost/Driving: Car-pooling is up to attendees. Good road the whole way. Non-drivers are to contribute $10 for gas.

Cancelling. Please be courteous and if your plans change, promptly remove yourself from the 'go' (or wait) list so others can adjust their calendars. If you don't know how to remove yourself from the go (or wait) list, contact me and I'll do it for you.

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 making risky or inapt decisions including 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 or inept execution). The preceding sentence supplements any other applicable exculpatory arrangement.