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Sierra Club started with outings!

Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter outings are free and open to the public. Outings are listed in the quarterly Rio Grande Sierran, on our event calendar and also as a quarterly text listing. The Northern Group outings are generally listed on the Santa Fe Group Meetup site, and Chapter outings may also be listed on the Rio Grande Chapter Meetup site.

We offer hikes at all levels of difficulty, and the difficulty level is listed in each outing, along with trip and leader details. Below are general Sierra Club protocols for all outings.

  • Participants must sign a standard Participation Agreement, required when registering for each outing.
  • Backcountry outings – participants must fill out a short medical form and provide it to the leader for backcountry outings or where a medical facility is more than one hour away. Forms will be destroyed or returned to the participant immediately following the outing.
  • Minors – the participation agreement must be completed and signed by parent or legal guardian (accompanied or unaccompanied).
  • Leaders may alter the destination or cancel a trip due to weather, unfavorable conditions, or insufficient number of participants.  The trip leader will contact you via the information you provided during registration.
  • Leaders reserve the right to turn away anyone whose experience or equipment appears unsuitable.
  • Dogs are permitted only if specifically noted in the trip details.
  • Bring water, lunch, sturdy hiking boots or shoes and clothing suitable for the weather.
  • All mileages are round-trip.

Interested in being a trip leader? Contact Outings Chair Terry Owen.

 
Click here for instructions on registering for an outing through the calendar
Registration for outings is through our online calendar only.
  • Select the appropriate month by using the left and right arrow buttons
  • Locate the event or outing for which you’d like to register
  • Click on the name of the outing or event and a registration form window will open
  • Provide the requested information in the registration form. Upon completion, click on the red “Submit” button at the bottom of the form.
  • If a liability waiver (participation agreement) is required to participate in the outing, a subsequent form will appear. Read and acknowledge the waiver (participants under the age of 18 will need a parent or legal guardian to complete the form with them) by checking the appropriate boxes at the bottom of the form. If you wish to submit a paper form instead, please request the form in advance from the Outings Leader listed in the announcement. Otherwise, click on the box labeled “Submit Digital Waiver”.
Click here to sign up for the Northern Group outings newsletter
You can send a message from your email account to listserv@lists.sierraclub.org, with the subject SUBSCRIBE RIO-NORTH-OUTINGS OR fill out the form below.
Click here for a current outings list

Please visit the calendar for more information or to register for any of these events.

June 2024

Saturday, June 29, Beginner/Moderate Bike Ride to Downtown Grower’s Market. Option to continue to Bike-In Coffee. One opportunity to have fun in ABQ and explore while reducing car use is to bike to the Downtown Grower’s Market. Parking is limited near the market anyway, so take the opportunity to take a short bike ride for the last mile! This is an ideal opportunity for friends/family at varying levels of riding expertise to participate as there will be 2 trip leaders in order to accommodate different speeds.

Sunday June 30. Tres Pistolas (Three Gun Springs) Hike. 8:00am-12:30pm. This is a beautiful trail, uphill, rocky trail with lots of views along the way and lovely shade at the top. We will take breaks along the way and a snack or lunch break at top so bring food and water. Route is 5 miles + (max of 6 if we do the Oso pass portion) and approx 2,100 of elevation gain. Limited shade.Dogs must be approved by leader 2 days in advance.

July 2024

Saturday, July 13. Yoga In The Mountains. 8:30am-noon. Come celebrate the day with us. We’ll meet at the trailhead at 8:30 a.m. If you’d like to explore the wonders of nature, hiking and outdoors yoga in the company of really nice people, this is the hike! We’ll embark on an easy ~3.5 mile hike that incorporates a one-hour outdoor yoga and mindfulness break midway. Includes 300 feet of elevation gain and amazing views of the mountains. Limited to 15 participants, and children over the age of 12 are welcome when accompanied by parent or legal guardian. Good, well-behaved dogs are welcome.

Friday, July 28. ZWAT Tour of Vivarium Exhibit – Albuquerque Museum. 11am-12:30pm. Latin for “place of life,” Vivarium demonstrates how contemporary painters create narratives that highlight the complex intersections between humans and the non-human living world. This special tour is open to all but will have a zero waste emphasis. Admission to the museum on Sunday morning is free.

August 2024

Saturday, August 17. Yoga In The Mountains. 8:30am-noon. See description for July 13 listing.

Saturday, August 24. Outings Leader Training. 9am- pm. Interested in becoming a certified Sierra Club outings leader and want to lead local outings? The first step in that journey is to successfully complete Outings Leader Training. This is a one-day course that will provide you with the foundational information you need to lead safe, fun and inspiring outings, such as hikes, bike rides, snowshoe or ski outings and ambles. This training will provide some additional focus on risk management in the desert and Mountain West, including high altitude outings.

Saturday, August 31. Fall Birds Along Animas River. 8am-11am. This is the first of two trips to look for migrating birds in the fall. Meet at the Riverside Nature Center at 8 a.m. 18 year olds and up. No dogs please. Leisurely pace. Trip will be 2.5 miles on level dirt trails. Dress for the weather and bring binoculars, snacks and water. Sunscreen and bug juice always good. Limit of ten people.

September 2024

Zero Waste Tour of the Cerro Colorado Landfill, date to be determined. Yes, it’s back! Solid Waste will be offering tours of the landfill! We still don’t have a firm date but wanted to let you know.

Saturday, September 14. Yoga In The Mountains. 8:30am-noon. See description for July 13 listing.

Wednesday, September 18. Rio Bravo Open Space Hike. 10am-1pm. Welcome to the beautiful South Valley! Rio Bravo Open Space Riverside Picnic Area provides excellent access to forest paths and river views.  W’ell head north through the bosque about 2 miles, then go back.

Saturday, September 21. Service Project at Chiricahua National Monument. September 21 – September 28. The Austin group of the Sierra Club is hosting a service trip and the Rio Grande Chapter is working with them again. Join us for a week of camping and service work at Chiricahua National Monument. This monument is located near Willcox, Arizona at an elevation of about 5,200 feet. Service projects include re-decking the footbridge at the Bonita Creek Nature Trail, Silver Spur trail, invasive plant removal, and trail and sidewalk maintenance. Participants are responsible for their own transportation, camping equipment, and breakfasts and lunches.

Friday, September 27. Salinas Pueblo National Monument Tour. 9am-5pm. Tucked away in the middle of New Mexico, you’ll find Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. We will stop and explore two of the three distinct sites, Quarai and Abo, each offering a glimpse into a unique time in pre-US history. These sites offer a quiet place to reflect on this history, local archeology and the Land of Enchantment. Total hiking distance is less than one mile and 50 feet of elevation change. No dogs, please.

Saturday, September 28 – Sunday September 29. Wilderness First Aid 2-day Course. 8am-4pm. Rio Grande Chapter and Women Who Opt Outside are jointly sponsoring a coed Wilderness First Aid course. The SOLO Wilderness First Aid Course is a two-day first aid course that provides training for anyone who spends time hiking, skiing, engaged in other outdoor pursuits, or just wants to know what to do when things go south. The course is a blend of lectures, demonstrations and scenarios. At the successful completion of the two day course, you will be certified or re-certified. Maximum class size is 22.

October 2024

Saturday, October 5. Bicycle to Balloon Fiesta Saturday. 5:45 a.m. start. Want to experience the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta morning mass ascension but don’t want the hassle of fighting traffic? Join us for your own dawn patrol bike ride to Balloon Fiesta Park. Multispeed mountain or gravel bikes, road or e-bikes with tire sealant are required. Helmet, gloves, headlamp and/or bike light are required. Riders should have the ability to average 10-12 mph and stay up with the group. Just over 11 miles each way and less than 100 feet of elevation change. Sponsored by the Sierra Club Military Outdoors Program, and everyone is welcome.

Saturday, October 26. More Fall Birds Along Animas River in Farmington. 8am-11am. This and the August trip aim to discover which of the 31 migrants who headed north last spring will follow the same route heading south in the fall. We’ll also look for the 24 residents discovered last spring and  hopefully find a few more. Eighteen years-old and up only. No dogs please. Use sunscreen, bring binoculars, water, snacks, and dress for the weather. Limit of ten people.

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