Sunday Burro Group - Cerro Grande

PLEASE NOTE 9:00 START TIME! UNFORTUNATELY NO DOGGIES ON THIS HIKE, NOT ALLOWED WITHIN BANDELIER :( Let's go somewhere we haven't been in a while: to Los Alamos to hike a route well known to most of us, but always a treat with it's glorious views from the summit, & a reasonable climb both up & down. Weather looks good for Sunday, so I'm thinking this will be a good pick at this time: Cerro Grande Trail is an hour's drive each way, approximately, but not a long or especially hard hike; however, it is a very steady uphill climb, so it is definitely a workout. It is a 4 mile RT up & down climb, moderately steep (maybe 1200 ft elevation gain over 2 miles - my guestimate), & steady, with stunning views of the Caldera from its summit. We've talked on previous hikes here of going across the street after the main hike, to check out a short trail that I believe leads to a canyon rim. I'd like to plan to add this on, shouldn't be much more than an extra mile RT, or thereabouts. We'll see how we all feel at that time, but we've discussed this several times now, always postponing to our next trip. Let's see if we can check out what it has to offer this time! If you've not hiked this before, or been to the Caldera, I highly recommend you join us, it really is a Grand view, not an especially hard hike, but a definite work-out with the steadiness of the climb up. Burro hikes are for experienced hikers, acclimated to altitude here. They are considered moderate by our standards, usually 4-6 miles on designated trails, unless otherwise specified. Newcomers are welcome. I ask that prior to signing up for your first hike with my Group that you please test your fitness by timing yourself hiking up and down Atalaya, which you should be able to comfortably do in 3 1/2 hours or less, starting from Wilderness Gate or Staircase, using Steep Route Option. This will help insure you are a good fit for the Burro Group pace and typical terrain of the routes we hike. If you have any…