December

Saturday, December 14: Old Road to Panky Mine, San Mateo Mountains. Meet at trailhead off FR 225 at 8:30 AM. Overnight camping recommended. From ABQ it’s a 2.5- to 3-h drive. The Panky was worked 85 years ago and reached by vehicles on a two-track, long since washed out, winding up three canyons. It can also be reached on foot via Indian Creek trail 48. Ours is an 11-mile round-trip walk with 1000′ elevation gain. The rugged Skeleton Ridge and its soaring rock battlements are our backdrop and the Panky, its stamp mill no longer shattering the silence but its vertical shaft still yawning alongside a rock outcrop, reposes with the remnants of the mine dwellings in the parklike middle Springtime Canyon.
Trip leader: Jim Nelson jcnelson@gilanet.com 575-854-2259
Level: Strenuous
Location: West of Socorro, NM
Sign up or call the leader no later than December 10th

January 2020

Thursday, January 9: Zero Waste Tour to Friedman Recycling Center. 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Contact trip leader to RSVP or if you want to carpool by January 8. Vests, helmets, eye protection and ear plugs will be provided. Dress warm, part of the tour will be outdoors.
Trip leader: Laurie Zunner, 505-440-5337, lmzunne@gmail.com
Level: Easy
Location: Meet at Education Bldg. 5049 Edith Blvd. NE, Albuquerque
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Saturday, January 18: Volcanoes on the West Side Hike. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Easy hike with beautiful views of the valley, the city and the Sandia Mountains. Approximately 3.2 miles round trip. The Pueblo people believe the volcanoes and the petroglyphs pecked into the volcanic boulders provide a direct spiritual connection to both their ancestors and to the spirit world, the place where time began. To carpool, please be at Lowes Home Improvement, 2001 12th Street NW, Albuquerque. Meet at the southeast side of the parking lot, at 9:45 a.m. Please no dogs
Trip leader: Cecilia, 505-243-7756, cecilia.chavez.beltran@sierraclub.org
Level: Easy/Moderate
Location: West of Albuquerque
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Saturday, January 18: Beat the Blahs Snow Shoe Trek. Sponsored by the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter, Northern Group, Military Outdoors Program. If you can walk, you can snow shoe! 10:00 a.m. at Chicken Creek Nordic Parking Lot, Trailhead, Mancos Colorado. Rendezvous at Step Back Inn parking lot at 123 Aztec Blvd, Aztec, NM at 8:00 a.m. to carpool or caravan. Round trip to Chicken Creek Nordic is 150 miles. Trek will cover approximately 3 miles in approximately 3 hours depending on route taken. Trek will start at 8,000 feet with approximate elevation gain will of 400 feet. Children 14 and over allowed and must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian. Participants must be able to walk one mile uphill in 25 minutes or less. No dogs. Bring your own equipment. Rentals may be obtained at San Juan College Outdoor Rental Center or several locations in Durango. Consult snowshoe sizing-weight charts at rei.com or backcoutry.com. Trip leader can also advise on proper equipment. Equipment list available upon registration. Snowshoe outings are contingent on snow conditions. If snow conditions are insufficient venues may change or outings may become hikes. Outings leader will contact confirmed participants in the event of outings changes. Participants must RSVP by January 15, 2020.
Outings Leader: Hart Pierce, 505-320-1055, shpierce@q.com
Level: Moderate
Location: Chicken Creek Nordic, Mancos, CO
Sign up before January 15

Friday, January 24: Michael M. Emery Trail & Trail 305 Loop Hike. Scheduled from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Elevation gain 334 feet, 3-mile loop.
Meet at 99999 High Desert Street NE, 87111. To get there, proceed up Academy Road NE, cross Tramway Boulevard, continue east until it turns into High Desert. Dogs on leash are welcome.
Trip leader: Cecilia, 505-243-7756, cecilia.chavez.beltran@sierraclub.org
Level: Easy
Location: Sandia Foothills
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Saturday, January 25: Intro to Snowshoeing on Sandia Crest.If you can walk, you can snowshoe! Meet at 9 a.m. at Hobby Lobby on Juan Tabo to carpool or at Sandia Crest at 9:45 a.m. This three-hour long outing is approximately 2.5 miles round trip with 150 feet of elevation gain. We’ll depart from the Sandia crest parking lot and proceed along the crest trail with several stops to enjoy stunning views all the way to the continental divide. We’ll cover tips for safely traversing on snowshoes and winter hiking. Sponsored by the Military Outdoors Program and everyone is welcome. Appropriate for children over 14 with parent or legal guardian. No dogs, please. Contact leader no later than January 22nd to RSVP, obtain recommended gear list and additional information.
Trip Leader: Terry Owen, 505-301-4349, teowen@comcast.net
Level: Easy
Location: East of Albuquerque
Sign up before January 22

February

Sunday, February 2: Rinconada Canyon Trail, Petroglyph National Monument.10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Elevation gain 114 feet. 2.2 mile-loop.
Come for a walk and let’s find them petroglyphs! Sandy paths. There is no shade, so bring your sun hat. Please no dogs. To carpool, please be at Lowes Home Improvement, 2001 12thStreet NW, Albuquerque. Meet at the southeast side of the parking lot at 9:45 a.m.
Trip leader: Cecilia, 505-243-7756, cecilia.chavez.beltran@sierraclub.org
Level: Easy
Location: Off Unser Boulevard, Albuquerque
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Saturday, February 8: Full Moon Night Hike in the Sandias. Meet at 5:00 p.m. at Tree Spring Trailhead. Route is approximately 4.25 miles round trip and 1,000 vertical feet of climbing. Reliable headlamp and very warm clothing are required and participants may require snowshoes and micro-spikes depending upon conditions. Sponsored by the Military Outdoors Program and everyone is welcome. Appropriate for children over 16 with parent or legal guardian. No dogs, please. Contact leader no later than February 5th to RSVP, obtain recommended gear list and additional information.
Trip Leader: Terry Owen, 505-301-4349, teowen@comcast.net
Level: Moderate-Strenuous
Location: East of Albuquerque
Sign up before February 5

Saturday, February 15: Haviland Lake-Chris Park Snowshoe Trek. Sponsored by Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Military Outdoors Program. Meet at 10 a.m. Haviland Lake Road parking area 20 miles north of Durango, CO off CO-550. Turn right at Rapp Corral. This 3 hour and 3-mile trek will start at 8700 feet elevation and descend approximately 700 feet to Chris Park picnic area and return. Trail is marked and includes some off-trail travel. Participants must be able to walk one mile uphill in 25 minutes or less. Must bring own equipment. Children 14 and over permitted with adult or legal guardian. Dogs allowed. Equipment list distributed upon registration. Rentals available at San Juan College Outdoor Rental Center or at several Durango outlets. Local carpool and caravan rendezvous at Step Back Inn, 123 Aztec Blvd, Aztec, NM. 8:30 a.m. RSVP to outings leader by Wednesday, February 12.
Outings Leader:  Hart Pierce, 505-320-1055, shpierce@q.com
Level: Moderate
Location:  Haviland Lake, Chris Park Trail, CO.
Sign up before February 12

March

Sunday, March 1: Sandia Crest Triangle Snowshoe Hike. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Hobby Lobby on Juan Tabo to carpool, or at Sandia Crest at 9:45 a.m. We’ll depart from the Sandia Crest parking lot, proceed to the upper tram station, go down the La Luz trail to the “Y” and return on the south leg of the La Luz trail to the Sandia Crest parking lot. Route is approximately 4.25 miles round trip and 750 vertical feet of climbing. Participants may require snowshoes and micro-spikes depending upon conditions. Sponsored by the Military Outdoors Program and everyone is welcome. Appropriate for children over 16 with parent or legal guardian. No dogs, please. Contact leader no later than February 27th to RSVP, obtain recommended gear list and additional information.
Trip Leader: Terry Owen, 505-301-4349, teowen@comcast.net
Level: Moderate-Strenuous
Location: East of Albuquerque
Sign up before February 27

Saturday, March 7: Outings Leader Training. Outings leaders training (OLT-101) will be offered on Saturday, March 7th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will be held at our Albuquerque office, 2215 Lead Ave. SE. This training will provide current and prospective outing leaders with the tools and information they need to lead a safe, inspiring and fun outing. Attendees will receive a resource packet that includes the Outings Leader Handbook and update, a Trailhead Talk laminated card, an Emergency Response laminated card and a Leave No Trace laminated card.
Contact: Terry Owen, 505-301-4349, teowen@comcast.net
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Saturday, March 7: A Spring outing into the Bosque on the west side of the Rio Grande. Meet us at the sculpture garden parking lot just off the Montano Bridge at 9:00 a.m. for an approximately 1-2 hour easy walk into our beautiful Bosque. The walk is leisurely, the paths are wide and level so we can take time to enjoy the Bosque coming out of dormancy and into spring. Part of the path will take us to the Rio Grande as well as past the Oxbow. Enjoy the beauty with us! Dress comfortably, bring water, snacks you may need.
Level: Easy
Trip leaders: Margaret DeLong mardel18@aol.com or Julie Hudson   jth@cybermesa.com
Location: Albuquerque
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Wednesday, March 11: Zero Waste E-cycling Tour. Come find out what more you can e-cycle than just computers. We will tour two E-cycling businesses:
NM Computer Recyclers 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Location: 5445 Edith Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, located on the southwest corner with Montano
Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling Company11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Location: 3726 Hawkins St. NE, Albuquerque
Limit: 6 people
Contact trip leader to RSVP or if you want to carpool.
Trip leader: Laurie Zunner, 505-440-5337, lmzunne@gmail.com
Level: Easy
Location: Albuquerque
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Saturday, March 21: Geocaching with Inspiring Connections Outdoors. The New Mexico ICO program will join with Santa Fe Youth Shelters. We plan on doing geocaching at Cerrillos Hills State Park. We’re meeting at 8:45 and leaving at 9 a.m., and we should be back no later than 3:00. Since we are working with youth, all volunteers must fill out a volunteer application and sign the volunteer agreement and code of ethics, as well as fill out a form for a background check.
Trip leader: Raymond N. Greenwell, matrng@hofstra.edu
Level: Easy
Location: Santa Fe
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Saturday, March 28: Easy Bosque Hike. Meet at 9 a.m. for a short walk of approximately 1.5 miles to visit a successful Army Corps of Engineers bosque restoration site. This area was restored from 2010 to 2012 with thriving new cottonwoods, willows, and a variety of lower shrubs. Meet at intersection of Valley High SW and the irrigation ditch. Directions from Rio Bravo and Second Street SW, go south on Second Street 1.5 miles to the little street on the right, Valley High SW. Turn right and go to the end of the street, at the irrigation ditch. This is located about 10 minutes from downtown. For information, call, text, or write the trip leader.
Trip leader: Mark Rudd, 505-270-5449, mark@markrudd.com
Level: Easy
Location: Albuquerque, South Valley
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Saturday, March 28: Sand Canyon Trail-Trail of the Ancients National Monument Hike. Sponsored by Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Military Outdoors Program. Open to all! Trailhead location is 15 miles west of Cortez, CO on McElmo Creek Road (CR G). Trail head elevation 5400 feet. This 5-mile, 3-hour hike will travel over rocky, sandy trail through pinon-juniper ecosystem with an elevation gain of 400 feet. Trail passes several Ancestral Puebloan ruins, many of which are accessible. Spectacular geology and landscape. Bring cameras!  Detailed trail map available at grandcanyontrust.org/hikes/sandcanyontrail. Local carpool and caravan rendezvous at Step Back Inn, 123 West Aztec Boulevard, Aztec, NM, at 8 a.m. or meet at 10 a.m. at the trailhead. Participants must be able to walk one mile in 25 minutes or less. Children 14 and over allowed and must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian. Dogs allowed but must be leashed due to sharing trail with mountain bikers and hikers. RSVP to outings leader by Wednesday, March 25. Equipment list available upon registration.
Outings Leader: Hart Pierce 505-320-1055 shpierce@q.com
Level: Moderate
Location: West of Cortez, CO
Sign up before March 25

Featured image by Terry Owen