2021 GHOST RANCH WORKSHOPS ~ contact Ghost Ranch to register

Hiking The Enchanted Land of Ghost Ranch – 2021

Welcome Letter, Items to Bring & Itinerary 

Hello and welcome to ‘Hiking the Enchanted Land of Ghost Ranch’. My name is 

Connie B Burkhart and I am thrilled to have you join me for this unique experience as we hike and explore the heart and soul of Ghost Ranch.  With over 25 years of instructing various workshops at Ghost Ranch and decades of leading wilderness/archaeology/geology expeditions with other organizations through the 4-corners region, I am excited to have the opportunity to share this amazing location in the high desert of northern New Mexico with you. Ghost Ranch is indeed a place that begs for exploration, so here we go!

This workshop will be a blend of hiking, stories of the land and it’s people, a campfire, a visit to the museums at the ranch, and adventure through exploration of rare sites of Ghost Ranch and the surrounding area.

You will be led off the marked trails with stories of the history, geology and archaeology of the region. Hikes will be between 2 to 5 miles in one day. You will be on uneven terrain over 6,500ft elevation. 

Time will be given to find quiet space in the wilderness, where the experience is often more about the journey rather than the destination we are heading toward. There will be time to breathe and sit in silence to hear the songs of the desert on the wind.  We will pay attention to the ancient stories of the land and people and there will be opportunities to explore and discover the treasures of this land, possibly finding fossils or artifacts that speak of ancient days.

The day you are scheduled to arrive, we look forward to meeting you at evening orientation after dinner where we will circle together and discuss the days to come. Our adventures will start the following morning with an overview of the geology of northern New Mexico and a walk through our museums of anthropology and paleontology. We will then hit the trail and eat lunch on the trail. We usually arrive back at the ranch around 3pm. Depending on the weather we may be away from the dining hall for lunch on multiple days, which means that we will pack our sack lunches after breakfast before we head out in the van for our destination of the day. Of course food is provided for us, but if you want extra 'snacks' on the trail you may bring them along. When we have lunch out on the trail we should arrive back to the ranch around 3pm so you will have some free time before dinner. During the week you might enjoy the O’Keeffe Landscape Tour or a horse back ride – find tour or ride info at ghostranch.org

Please find below a list of things that would be good to consider having for this adventure.  Some items are available to purchase at the Ghost Ranch trading post, down the road at Bodes store or at the Family Dollar store you’ll see as you near Abiquiu. Also included below is a SAMPLE itinerary. Weather will dictate our final itinerary and length of time out on trails. Hikes will range from 2 to 5 miles with spring storms being our main focus of concern and safety.

We are going to have a wonderful experience together.  I look forward to sharing some of my most cherished areas and stories of the ranch with you. Please don't hesitate to contact me for any other information that you may need.  

Take Care and enjoy your day,

Connie Burkhart ~ 505 484-9887  rdrckwmn@msn.com

connieburkhart.com 

ITEMS TO BRING FOR 

HIKING THE ENCHANTED LAND of GHOST RANCH

Multiple water bottles for long hikes

Flashlight or head lamp

Sunscreen

Bug Spray

A hat or bandana

Good shoes for off trail hikes. Heavy duty tennis shoes are fine.

At least one long sleeve shirt (for sun protection if needed)

Rain poncho or jacket

Light weight fleece or jacket – wind and evenings can get chilly

Baggies & TP for sometimes needed ‘bush breaks’ out on the trail

Lip balm

Sunglasses are a great idea too

Camera / Phone : A note about cell phones. We know a lot of us use our phone as a camera, but now that there is more phone coverage at the ranch and the surrounding area, we ask that you turn off your ring and/or notification of texts while on the trails. It can be a HUGE distraction in the wilderness.  Thank you! 

SAMPLE ITINERARY:

Daily Options may vary due to weather or ranch road access

DAY 1 / ARRIVAL DAY:  Evening orientation AFTER dinner and a break out circle to meet one another and begin our journey together. We'll go over the schedule for the week as well.

DAY 2: 9 am – 3 pm Pack a lunch after breakfast then meet at 9am. Geology overview lecture, visit museums, then hike. Bring your water, lunch, rain gear if needed and prepare to be out in the wild and return to the ranch for the afternoon free time.

LECTURE - Where am I? A brief orientation of the lay of the land, the rocks, the rivers, and the volcanoes  - let the stories begin.

HIKE - Visit one of several AWESOME destinations. Pack a lunch. Prepare for good things!

EVENING – Free (This is a good day to book evening horseback rides)

DAY 3: 9 am – Noon: (This is a good day to book extra desired afternoon activities like horseback riding or the O’Keeffe Landscape Tour)

HIKE - Out on one of the spectacular trails and locations - back for lunch at the ranch. Afternoon free.

EVENING 7PM - Campfire / S’mores & Songs - weather permitting

DAY 4: 9 am - 3 pm Pack a lunch, bring your rain gear, water, etc and prepare to be out until about 3pm.

HIKE / SITE VISITS - All day adventure to several AWESOME destinations. Pack a lunch. Prepare for good things! 

EVENING – Free (This is a good day to book evening horseback rides)

DAY 5: 9 am - 3 pm Pack a lunch, bring your rain gear, water, etc and prepare to be out in the wild until about 3pm.

CIRCLE UP/ 4:30 pm- Giving Circle before dinner

DAY 6:  DEPARTURE after Breakfast – I know, I always want it to last longer too!