Rio Grande Chapter Selected Outings
Explore, enjoy and protect the planet

January Outings

  • Southern Group Outings

  • Sat., Jan. 30 • Climb Mud Mountain – Explore some of the oldest rock in NM, loaded with fossils. Lots of rock scrambling. Margot Wilson (575/744-5860).

  • Central Group Outings

  • Sun., Jan. 31 • Desert Exploratory Hike – Call
    for details. Tom Petencin (505/271-9928).

  • Northern Group Outings

Sat., Jan. 30 • Strenuous snowshoe loop to
Deception Peak above ski area – 6 miles, 2000'
gain. Limit of 10 people. Dogs OK. Miguel
DeLuca (505/820-0042).
Sun., Jan. 31 • Moderate/strenuous hike into
White Rock Canyon – 850' gain, some rough
off-trail, petroglyphs? Dogs OK.

February Outings

Pajarito Group Outings

Sat., Feb. 27 • Strenuous snowshoe climb up Santa Fe Baldy – 14 miles, 3600' gain. Michael Di Rosa(505/667-0095 work, 505/663-0648 home).

Southern Group Outings
Sat., Feb. 13 • Saturday, February 13 • Join Margot and Chris Adams, Black Range archaeologist, for an outing to Purgatory Chasm in the Mimbres Valley – This is a 5-mile hike where we will visit Mimbres agricultural sites, etc. We will leave the Forest Service office in Truth or Consequences for 7:00 a.m. departure or meet us at the Mimbres Forest Service office at 8:15 a.m. Bring your camera, lunch, and snacks. Call Margot for details at 575/744-5860.

Central Group Outings

Sat., Feb. 13 • Desert Exploratory Hike – Call for
details. Tom Petencin (505/271-9928).
 Sun., Feb 28 • Desert Exploratory Hike – Call for
details. Tom Petencin (505/271-9928).

Northern Group Outings
 Thurs., Feb. 4 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
 Sat., Feb. 6 • Easy snowshoe trek along East Fork
of Jemez River – 5 miles, level terrain. Marcia
Skillman (505/699-3008).
 Sun., Feb. 7 • Strenuous snowshoe trek, Pecos
Valley or Taos area – Dogs OK. Call before 8 p.m.
Tobin Oruch (505/820-2844).
 Thurs., Feb. 11 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
 Sat., Feb. 13 • Moderate bike ride along Rail
Trail, Santa Fe to Eldorado – 18 miles, 200' gain,
mostly on dirt track. Limit of 8. Miguel DeLuca
(505/820-0042).
 Sat., Feb. 13 • Strenuous snowshoe trek along the
Azmataz Run of the ski area – Off-trail, steep.
Marcia Skillman (505/699-3008).
 Sat., Feb 13 • Moderate cross-country ski trek –
Location depending on snow conditions. Alan
Shapiro (505/424-9242).
 Sun., Feb. 14 • Moderate/strenuous hike in Santa
Fe River Canyon area – Mostly off-trail, some
rough sections. About 8 miles, 1200' gain. Dogs
OK. Norbert Sperlich (505/474-4354).
 Thurs., Feb. 18 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
 Sat., Feb. 20 • Moderate snowshoe up on ridge
north of Aspen Vista Road – Dogs OK. Royal
Drews (505/699-8713).
 Sun., Feb. 21 • Easy/moderate exploratory hike
in the canyons around Echo Amphitheater
– 3-5 miles, all off-trail. Dogs OK. Page Press
(505/946-0169).
 Thurs., Feb. 25 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
 Sat., Feb. 27 • Strenuous snowshoe trek up Santa
Fe Baldy – 14 miles RT, 3600' gain. Michael Di
Rosa (505/667-0095 work, 505/663-0648 home).
 Sat., Feb. 27 • Moderate hike in Cerrillos Hills
State Park, with guest historian Bill Baxter –
Learn the history of this once-bustling mining area
and climb Grand Central Mountain, its highest
peak. Less than 5 miles, but 1000' gain. Last half-mile off-trail. Dogs OK on leash. $5 parking fee
per vehicle. Norma McCallan (505/471-0005).
 Sun., Feb. 28 • Moderate hike in Bandelier –
Lester Drapela (505/438-3306).
 Sun., Feb. 28 • Moderate cross-country ski trek
– Location to be determined by snow conditions.
Alan Shapiro (505/424-9242)

March Outings

Pajarito Group Outings

Sat., Mar. 13 • Moderate/strenuous snowshoe trek in Calaveras/Cebolla canyons in Jemez backcountry– Michael Di Rosa (505/667-0095 work, 505/663-0648 home).

Central Group Outings

Sat., Mar. 13 • Easy/moderate tour of the Penistaja
Mesa Badlands, near Cuba, with guest
leader Michael Richie – Another remote BLM
gem, with a labyrinth of canyons, fantastic hoodoos
along the mesa edges, huge petrified wood
stumps, early mammal fossils, and 3 mysterious
huge cairns. Driving from Santa Fe via Bernalillo.
Dogs OK. Norma McCallan (505/471-0005).

Northern Group Outings

Thurs., Mar. 4 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
Sat., Mar. 6 • Strenuous hike in Bandelier backcountry– Some off-trail sections. 12+ miles, 1000' gain.  Limit of 10. Miguel DeLuca (505/820-0042).
Sun., Mar. 7 • Moderate hike to Tor, Cerro Rito,
and the Blowhole (Caja del Rio volcanoes)
– 8+ miles, 1100' gain. Mostly off-trail, some
rough sections. Dogs OK. High-clearance vehicles
needed. Norbert Sperlich (505/474-4354).
Thurs., Mar. 11 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
Sat., Mar. 13 • Easy/moderate tour of the Penistaja
Mesa Badlands, near Cuba, with guest leader
Michael Richie – Another remote BLM gem, with
a labyrinth of canyons, fantastic hoodoos along
the mesa edges, huge petrified wood stumps, early
mammal fossils, and 3 mysterious huge cairns.
Driving from Santa Fe via Bernalillo. Dogs OK.
Norma McCallan (505/471-0005).
Sat., Mar. 13 • Moderate/strenuous snowshoe
in Calaveras/Cebolla canyons (Jemez backcountry)
– Michael Di Rosa (505/667-0095 work, 505/663-0648 home).
Sun., Mar. 14 • Daylight Saving Time starts!
Moderate/strenuous hike, perhaps Abiquiú red
rocks to Kitchen Mesa – 8 miles, 1800' gain,
some off-trail sections. Dogs OK. Call before 8
p.m. Tobin Oruch (505/820-2844).

Thurs., Mar. 18 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
Sat., Mar. 20 • Santa Fe River cleanup – See p. 11. of Jan/Feb 2010 Sierran
Sat., Mar. 20 • Easy/moderate hike to Cerro
Azul (east of Ojo Caliente) – 5 miles RT,
some scrambling, 360° views. A beautiful place
for a late winter picnic. Meet leader in Ojo
Caliente. Participants from Cinny’s Trail Writing
for Women workshop will join the hike. High clearance vehicles needed for forest roads. Cinny
Green (505/988-5185).
Sun., Mar. 21 • Easy snowshoe tour on Black
Canyon Loop – Marcia Skillman (505/699-3008).
Thurs., Mar. 25 • Easy/moderate hike – Dogs OK.
Call for details. Eliza Schmid (505/474-5846).
Sat., Mar. 27 • Strenuous snowshoe trek up Raven’s
Ridge to Deception Peak – 6 miles, 2500' gain.
Dogs OK. Royal Drews (505/699-8713).
Sun., Mar. 28 • Strenuous hike to Crane Kiva
(Bandelier backcountry) – 12+ miles RT,
1500' gain, some rough off-trail sections. Bogdan
Mihaila (505/795-3316).
Unless otherwise noted, Northern outings leave from
our office, 1807 2nd St., Santa Fe. When carpooling,
it is routine for each rider to pay the driver 10 cents/
mile rounded down to nearest dollar, or 7.5 cents/mile when 100-plus miles, 3-plus riders.

to Top^

On This Page

About Outings
January 2010 Outings

February 2010 Outings

March 2010 Outings

About Outings

Outings are organized mainly by the chapter's groups. This page lists outings selected from the groups' schedules that may be of interest chapter-wide.

Always contact the leader a few days in advance, and much earlier in the case of multiday hikes. Outings may be cancelled or changed, and the listing may not give you enough information.

All outings are open to both Sierrans or non-Sierrans. You will be required to sign a liability waiver.

Many hikes involve car-pooling from the assembly point to the trail head. So come prepared either to drive or to share travel costs with your driver.

Be prepared. Miles listed are round-trip. Bring a lunch, water, sturdy hiking boots or shoes, and clothing suitable for the weather. Leaders reserve the right to turn away anyone whose equipment or experience appears to be inadequate for the trip.

Listings of all outings offered by each group can be found at:

  • Central NM Group outings.
  • El Paso Group outings
  • Northern NM Group outings. For more info, visit http://riogrande.sierraclub.org/santafe/. Unless otherwise noted, Northern outings leave from our office, 1807 2nd St., Santa Fe. When carpooling, it is routine for each rider to pay the driver 10 cents/mile rounded down to nearest dollar, or 7.5 cents/mile when 100-plus miles, 3-plus riders.
  • Pajarito Group outings.
  • Southern NM Group outings.

Page updated January 19, 2010
Page contacts: Ilse Bleck and
Norma McCallan

To Top ^