2012 Christmas Tree Run

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Hey guys. Some of us don't get off shift until 9am but plan on heading up later. What frequency will you be using, 146.46? Maybe we can hook up. Paliza is always fun....


Rick
 
We should probably plan on meeting at 9:00 at the North Portal, which means that we're not leaving there until 9:15 or 9:30. Then, we'll head up to Walatowa, and that may be another 15 - 20 minute break there to get tree permits, top off the tank, etc., and then on to Ponderosa and Paliza.

I would think that should give El Tejon and the firefighters plenty of time to catch up with us.

I expect that we'll be on 146.460.

Just to clarify - the location of the North Portal meeting location: From I-25, take 550 west through Bernalillo. Proceed through town. At the intersection of 528, turn left (there's a Wendy's on the SE corner). We meet at the gas station south of the Wendy's.

How about a headcount? From scanning the posts recently, it looks like:

Keith & Han
Pappy (maybe?)
Marc
Josh (maybe Emma & Liam?)
Jericho
Evanz80
Victor (Evan's friend in the Jeep)

Anybody else? Even if there's not snow, it will be fun to go drive in the dirt and get trees for those that want one.
 
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Rick and Kellie (FJ)
Steve and Margarita (FJ)
James and kids (Unimog)
 
Rick and Kellie (FJ)
Steve and Margarita (FJ)
James and kids (Unimog)

Great! Glad you folks will make it. We'll watch for you along the way and at Walatowa. Once we get on the trail, if we haven't seen you yet, we'll listen on the radio for you.

Gotta love that call sign (K5FJC) - that should be easy to remember!
 
Bonnie and I will be there and we are planning to get a tree. I am OK with Paliza.

[Attempt at managing expectations]

The last time that I was on Paliza there was significant erosion on the North side of the saddle in an area where turning around 10-15 vehicles will be exciting to say the least. The group lost Danny's FJC in that same section. We will be descending that area late in the day if we don't keep the group moving.

Note for those that are going mainly to get a tree... There have been years where the tree selection was very limited in Paliza canyon. One year I had to return on Sunday and go to another area to get a decent tree. Another year we exited Paliza at the top and went to yet another area off Hwy 4 to cut trees in the dark.

The lower part of Paliza is now fairly dense with trees and bushes so bring out the shrink wrap. :D There was a huge tree that fell across the trail that my truck would barely get under without a rack; no way that I will get under it with the rack on if that tree is still there. We need to have at least 1 chainsaw with us.


... one more thing before Ash starts badgering me :D .... My winch is still not wired up and won't be unless I get really lucky tomorrow. So if I roll my sorry butt off the side of the trail I will need one of you guys to have some way to get my truck along with me, Bonnie, and our dogs back to Albuquerque in one piece. Thanks in advance.

-Mike-
 
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If we are taking Paliza I'm out. I don't have enough ground clearance for that trail and the last time I went on it there was snow that covered up a rock that bashed the hell out of the bottom of my truck. If we take one of the roads that somewhat parallels it I might be ok with that. But you'll have a hard time getting above 8,000 ft on that trail, which is the general cutoff where you start to find the nicer trees.

My preference would be to go to an area off the north/west end of 126, around the area by San Gregorio Lake. There are a bunch of different roads to take off 126 past Fenton Lake That also gets you higher and into more fir and spruce trees.
 
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I'm in and I hope Emma and Liam.
 
Well guys, where would we like to go? I tossed out Paliza for a few reasons -it's a fun trail and it will likely be closed soon. But I also just wanted to get out for some driving in the dirt, and I'm not planning on cutting a tree.

Marc would prefer something other than Paliza and it sounds like Beowulf (and Marc) would suggest there are better areas for tree cutting and that Paliza has its own challenges. As always, this is a consensus decision, but I did hear some others saying that Paliza would be fine with them. One option is to show up at the North Portal and decide there where we should go among who shows up. Or maybe we split up into a Paliza group and a tree-cutting group. I'm open to suggestions. I just want to go drive in the dirt.

After re-reading Mike & Marc's post, given that this is a "Tree Run", maybe Paliza's not our best option. I don't know that many trails in the Jemez. I think at this point, I will just plan to show up at 9:00 on Saturday morning at the North Portal and see where we decide to go. I'm fine with whatever the group decides, but let's go wheel! :steer:
 
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Well guys, where would we like to go? I tossed out Paliza for a few reasons -it's a fun trail and it will likely be closed soon. But I also just wanted to get out for some driving in the dirt, and I'm not planning on cutting a tree.

Marc would prefer something other than Paliza and it sounds like Beowulf (and Marc) would suggest there are better areas for tree cutting and that Paliza has its own challenges. As always, this is a consensus decision, but I did hear some others saying that Paliza would be fine with them. One option is to show up at the North Portal and decide there where we should go among who shows up. Or maybe we split up into a Paliza group and a tree-cutting group. I'm open to suggestions. I just want to go drive in the dirt.

After re-reading Mike & Marc's post, given that this is a "Tree Run", maybe Paliza's not our best option. I don't know that many trails in the Jemez. I think at this point, I will just plan to show up at 9:00 on Saturday morning at the North Portal and see where we decide to go. I'm fine with whatever the group decides, but let's go wheel! :steer:

My vote paliza, and no tree cutting here either.
 
Having a separate Paliza crew and a tree crew sounds fine. If it turns out most everyone wants to go on Paliza, I'm ok finding my own roads just to have a day in the mountains. There are some FS roads I've wanted to explore and haven't done it yet. The only complication I have at the moment is that both kids are getting over colds so I'll have to see how they feel in the morning before we make the final decision to go.
 
Well, I've been holding back because a FJC acquaintance was interested in going, but he didn't get off work until 10:00. Moot point now. He is going to the gun show instead.

I'm up for Paliza before they close it down. But, as I said before I need to blast back. I really should be home by 5:30. Six at the latest.
 
I'm up for Paliza before they close it down. But, as I said before I need to blast back. I really should be home by 5:30. Six at the latest.

Famous last words...

I'm in ABQ but not going on the run.

As always, I will be available recovery operations on Sunday as always.

:)
 
I'd also like to do Paliza before they close it, and I am fine with a fairly quick run and then get home before it gets too late. For those who aren't getting a tree, we could skip Walatowa and get an earlier start. For those who do want a tree, maybe Paliza's not the best option anyway. It's starting to look like maybe we have a Paliza group and a tree group. Or everyone who wants to run Paliza quickly can do so, and then those that want a tree could still pick one up afterwards if we get done early enough.
 
As somebody already said ...

"Vallescaldera is still selling Christmas trees every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. The cost is 20.00 bucks a tree. Come on up and enjoy the view while you buy a tree. Enter the preserve at mile marker 39.2 on NM Highway 4."
 
I'd like to go too. I'll be driving down 4 from Los Alamos, where and when should I meet up with you all? Not planning to bring back a tree and need to be back by 3pm.
 
Not looking good for me guys. Emma needs to be back here by 2:30 and I have to watch Liam, but I'm looking at logistics right now. I'll
Update first thing.

Onur- you want those axles while you're here?
 
Not looking good for me guys. Emma needs to be back here by 2:30 and I have to watch Liam, but I'm looking at logistics right now. I'll
Update first thing.

Onur- you want those axles while you're here?

Lets hold off for now....
 

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