July 4th Bus Trip - Backpack Pecos Wilderness

Near Santa Fe New Mexico

Escape the Dallas heat and have a great time in the outdoors. The Pecos Wilderness is an absolutely breathtaking, pristine wilderness. You will love the awesome views, fantastic wildlife and great climate. We will have 4 days and 3 glorious nights under the stars. You won’t believe how bright the Milky Way is at night. This is a popular hiking area for novices and seasoned backpackers.

There is plenty to discover and photograph. The area is covered with vast meadows, majestic peaks and beautiful lakes in a wilderness area just 40 miles northeast of Santa Fe. Animal life includes Big Horned Sheep, Marmot (big as a beaver), Pika (guinea pig sized), chipmunk, turkey, hawks, owls, golden eagles, brown bear and mountain lions. Vegetation varies with altitude, as fir and pine give way to lush stands of Aspen and Spruce. Wildflowers are in abundance with busy bees gathering nectar.

All of the trip leaders have been to the Pecos. This was my first wilderness adventure 19 years ago. Come join us and discover why the area keeps drawing us back.

While there may be an occasional afternoon shower, the weather is generally sunny, with temperature in the 70s during the day and dropping to the 40s-30s at night.

Each of the backpacks begins at 8500-9000 feet. On this long holiday weekend, all trips include 3 nights of wilderness camping. A beginner with only one overnight backpack trip under his/her belt will probably choose trip 1. The trip has modest elevation gains with a three mile hike to base camp near a stream. Trip 3 is a Moderate hike of seven miles in, featuring gourmet cuisine (bring and share). Trip 5 is for those who want to see it all and bag a few peaks. Every trip promises to be memorable.

The sleeper bus departs at 6:00 PM on June 30th and arrives back in Dallas around 5:00 AM on July 5th. When on the bus, its lights out around 10:00 pm. Bus seating and trip preferences are based upon the order in which your check is received. The trip will fill up fast. Sign up today at www.DallasSierraClub.org/outings  or call Jim Oursler at 972-849-8279 for more info.