We will caravan together the 7.7 miles to our campsite and Alcoholic Pass dayhike (in the same place). We will set up camp and set off to do our 3.7 mile hike, then come back to camp and do our Tent Tour & Gear Talk. Leader will bring a fire ring to have a campsite fire at night (pending restrictions). Sunday morning we’ll pack up camp and caravan about 14 miles south to our 2.8-mile Glorietta Canyon dayhike. Plan to be finished and back at Christmas Circle by around 2pm.
Hikes:
While both are very short, they are not “easy." Saturday’s hike starts right off with a steep uphill for about 45 min – 1 hour of hiking to a saddle. You will be breathing hard, but I will make frequent rest stops. Sunday’s hike is in a canyon that often has narrow passages between vegetation, so pantlegs are recommended. Alcoholic Pass is a great hike due to the views of the valley and the mountains once we get to our highest point, and the change from one side of the saddle to the other. Glorietta Canyon is full of barrel cactus, and can be great for wildflowers if it’s a good year (but the first weekend of February is probably a little early); also we are headed up the canyon and our turnaround point is a lovely overlook!
Road conditions:
On Saturday we'll drive 2.5 miles on a dirt road to our campsite and hike. On Sunday, we'll return the same way and then drive another 2.7 miles on another dirt road to our dayhike, then back out. While the conditions on these roads were good during my scouting trip in early January, weather/storms will change these. Soft sand can be present, and slight fishtailing when you drive is possible. “Washboard” conditions exist on the Saturday road but are minimal.
Special Outing Requirements: (1) El Crap or Wag Bag or DIY version of this. (2) Trekking poles recommended if your knees don't like downhill.
Water Requirements: 2 gallons minimum |