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On Mon, Feb 3, 2020 at 5:35 PM, Sam via NMCCSCeGroup
<nmccscegroup@mailman.swcp.com> wrote:

Hello Skiers,

On Saturday, February 1, eighteen Ski Club members participated in an outing to the Valles Caldera National Preserve in the Jemez Mountains. No entrance fee is currently collected. We found snow depths of 6 inches to about 24 inches. Most of the snow was powder with areas of wind slab. The day was sunny with cold temperatures in the morning and warm temperatures in the afternoon. Each group applied MaxiGlide once or twice.

We parked at the check-in station in the western part of Valle Grande and noticed that the road to the cabin area was plowed and open. When checking in at the station, I learned that visitors' vehicles may be parked at one of three lots in the cabin area. Parts of the main entry road and the road to the parking lots were snow packed and muddy.

Co-leader Ruth Bargman-Romero led the Class II group of seven skiers from the check in station to the west past Cerro La Jara and then southwest up Hidden Valley through the huge meadows found in many areas of the VCNP. After entering the forest, the group started following the wide South Mountain road. They skied a round trip distance of almost 8 miles, and their elevation ranged from 8520 feet at the check in station to about 9200 feet for an elevation change of 680 feet. The top of the mountain is at an elevation of about 9800 feet, about 600 feet higher than where they turned around.

Sam Beard led the Class I group of 11 skiers from the check-in station to the point where the route leaves the open valley and enters the forest at the base of South Mountain. This group skied in the tracks of the Class II group, and their total distance was about 5 miles. Their elevation change was about 300 feet. Both groups returned to the parking lot at about 3:15 pm after being out for 4-1/2 hours.

Ruth and I thank very much the experienced skiers who helped those with less experience get back to the check-in station safely.

Photographs of the outing are presented in the attached Word document.

The members on the outing were Lori Moore, David Mayerson, Sam Beard, Michael Arndt, Ruth Bargman-Romero, Leslie Labry, Anita Grierson, Peggy Heinz, Chris Cockrum, Wendy Cox, Dave Saylors, Mary Kaye Gallagher, Judy Siegel, Bob Guarnieri, James and Amy Mathis, Barbara Forshay, and Alan Shapiro.

Sam Beard

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