2017 New Mexico Outdoors Calendar

Galisteo Basin

The 2017 Race/Outdoors Calendar has been brought up-to-date (see Tab at top of page ^). The one significant addition for the current year is the return of the U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships to Albuquerque. U.S. pros had a huge haul of Olympic hardware across several distance events in Rio and will no doubt be gunning for more at this summer's World Champs. U.S. Indoors is the season's first shakeout at the elite level.

Deserving of a highlight - two additions to last year's outdoors calendar that stood out as welcome events to the area race scene were Ultra Santa Fe and the Bull of the Woods Trail Run in Taos. If you couldn't make either event last year you ought to make plans to do so this Fall.

At least one event falls off the calendar, the Ragnar Relays in Angel Fire does not look like it's returning in 2017. An entertaining writeup in Outside published recently comes to mind. I didn't run at Angel Fire either year however the website was on the receiving end of several emails about promoting and volunteering for the event.

Two great events that always come and go before I can get my bearings set for the new year are the Chama Chile Ski Classic and Santa Fe WinterFest (beer!). Fast approaching as I type.

Related Posts:
 - 2017 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2016 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2015 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2013/2014 Outdoors Calendar

Santa Fe's First Snow of the Season - 2016

Aspen Vista Trail - Sun. Nov 6
courtesy Eric Peters

The season's first snow arrived on the peaks one weekend past. Last year myself and the family were out of state at a wedding and this year I was in baseball euphoria after the Cubs win, but let's not let a timing issue keep us from adding the new data to the list. 

We've tracked the mountains' first snow fall each year back to 2010. This year's snow fell in the high-country on Sat. and Sun. of our last weather event (Nov 5th and 6th). From the many images of folks up running, biking, and skiing it looked like accumulations of up to 6"- 8" 

The date of this year's first snow is on the later end of our trend the last seven years. Weather reports are predicting a dry El Nino winter and my hope is that these calls are based in nonsense and professional incompetence. 

Moar snow plz. 



Related Posts:
 - Santa Fe's First Snow 2015 - Oct. 21st
 - SFe's First Snow 2014 - Oct. 21st
 - SFe's First Snow 2013 - Oct. 12th
 - SFe's First Snow 2012 - Nov. 16th
 - SFe's First Snow 2011 - Sep. 10th
 - SFe's First Snow 2010 - Nov. 10th 

Plaza2Peak - Sun April 24th

This year's 2nd Annual Plaza2Peak event has been organized for this Sunday morning (4/24), 830am. If you haven't been receiving the emails all Race Director details are below:

Inaugural start - Santa Fe Plaza

Plaza2Peak is Santa Fe's best race. It was started in 2015 after Maddawg found the idea in the bottom of a bottomless marg. Starting with a hot lap around the plaza, toping out over 12,000', and finishing with an SEC-style tailgate, it is the only way to spend a gale-force spring day. 

Fill out this application

0) There will be a $15 entry fee to help cover the cost of the tailgate and ~prizes~. Find me on venmo @Madeleine-Carey or bring cash day of.

1) Race will start at 9 AM SHARP from the plaza.

2) The "ski" will go to the summit of Deception, not to the sign in the saddle that says Tesuque (not the Towers, not the top of the chairlift). Descend to parking lot for event tail-gater. 

3) Racers may either run or bike, no combined division. Michael Dax will be the first and the only champion of that division. 

4) There will be no requirement to carry your skis on your bike. 

5) If you carry your skis on your bike, you will be awarded a handicap. Contact Bryan Rogala for help attaching your skis to your bike.

Bryan - pioneer of awesome

6) Pre-race meeting/briefing and ski drop at the Fort Marcy Parking Lot. Look for the big white truck. EVERYONE MUST BE THERE!!

7) Wear a helmet on your bike

    wear a helmet on your skis

    wear a helmet when you hike

    wear a helmet at all times please! 

8) I will send a detailed email on April 21st so if you ask a question, I will answer it on that day. Unless you want to sponsor this, then ask away!

9) Forward away!!! 

Plaza2Peak - 2015

Related Posts:
 - Candide Thovex - Freesking the French Alps
 - Santa Fe's New Ski Shuttle
 - Santa Fe's First Snow of the 2015 Season - Oct 21.15

Ski Season Gets an Early Start - Santa Fe, NM

Quad Chair and Tesuque Peak with a 40' base of early season snow

Most New Mexico ski areas will open for Thanksgiving thanks to last week's giant storm. I got up to check conditions last Saturday and found them to be rather good. Good not just for mid-November but for mid-season. I'd found a sweet deal on climbing skins to use with an old pair of tele-mark skis I've had stored in the garage, and I got it all working and stomped my way up Open Slope to try them out. Worked like a charm though descending (as always) was a bit more trying. Though the snow coverage was great the ski trails were un-groomed (packed but chunky) and I flailed all the way down. Very enjoyable flailing though, and I was happy to see how easy it is to skin up a trail. In past years I've used my beefy nordic skis to track up the catwalks then tele-mark down. Climbing time with skins was nearly identical, ~25min from the base to the top-of-the-quad. A helmet is recommended for either option. Free-heeled skis can result in some fairly violent and uncontrolled crashes.

Conditions at NORSKI were hard to beat

There was a fair number of folks like myself climbing to ski. As I was heading down the mountain around 830ish, I saw what looked like dozens more skiers on their way up. People are excited.

I brought along my nordic setup just in case I'd failed sizing my skins or some other overlooked gear problem, and ended up skiing a loop at NORSKI where the snow was fantastic. I found three downed trees that have since been removed by the More-ski NORSKI organization. Had never heard of these guys but sounds like they're on top of things up there.

Hoping for a bit more snow to come along and really establish a lasting base of snowpack. Sounds like the northern areas may get a bit this weekend so we'll see if any of it carries south to our end of the Sangres.

Related Posts:
 - Santa Fe's New Ski Shuttle
 - Cross Country Skiing NORSKI trail
 - Santa Fe's First Snow of the Season - 2015
 - Ski Touring Deception Peak






View Norski Trail - Santa Fe, NM in a larger map

Santa Fe's New Ski Shuttle - 2015

courtesy of The Santa Fe Reporter

Although the season's first snow arrived in the mountains three weeks back, this year's much hyped El-Nino-fueled ski season is only now at our doorstep. Can't say I was the only one roaming REI this weekend looking to upgrade gear and compare lift pass deals.

Right, so this winter also marks the rollout of the city's first mountain ski shuttle. Often discussed through the years, never seriously planned or proposed due to the problem of funding. In a continuing effort to promote Santa Fe as more of an outdoor destination the funding problem has been overcome via a patchwork of dollars sourced from the city, county, RTD, and Ski Santa Fe itself. Planners are expecting 11,000 trips during the winter season and hoping demand for the shuttle can support it's viablity for future seasons.

So I ask myself, would I use the shuttle? I think so particularly if I wanted to ski a few more runs and Mrs. Dirt wanted to head home early. I could also see myself riding up with the nino who could appreciate the whole thing as an adventure. As a kid of the '80s we would have loved this shuttle. Many of us would be dropped off by our parents on lower Artist Rd on weekends where we'd hitch to the top. At the end of the day we'd often ski Big Tesuque down to the campground, throw snowballs at the fleets of Baptist Church group vans, then hitch down to Ft. Marcy where we'd lineup and call our parents on the pay phone. My guess is that this shuttle will be used heavily by those who can't drive (kids) and those visiting from out of town. I'm optimistic it will work.

The Mountain Trail Shuttle, as it is officially named, has planned stops in town and all along Hyde Park road including most trailheads (w/ the exception of Borrego and NORSKI), and including Ten Thousand Waves. The RTD website shows there's an app to track shuttle location, here, however I'm seeing that the 255 Mountain Shuttle hasn't yet been added (as of Nov 17) and I have no idea how well this might work. The ride schedule shows three planned weekday trips, and seven on weekends. Best parking options are Fort Marcy at Murales Rd (next to the Zozobra kick-stand), and Dale Ball at Sierra del Norte. Bikes won't be accommodated for the time being which people are griping about, but I mean it's winter - there's a lot of snow about, so if that's your thing than Winsor MTB ascents will remain part of the deal.

Cost looks to be $5 per trip (each way), with corresponding discounts provided by both Ski Santa Fe and Ten Thousand Waves. Meaning that lift passes for shuttle riders will be discounted $5 at the top with proof of ridership, and stops at the Waves on the way down appear to have the same benefit. Apres ski for the win (I'm looking at you Izanami).

Mountain Trail Shuttle stops_.pdf
Schedule and pickup map
Mountain Trail Shuttle Details
Shuttle Tracker app

Update (6.30.16):
Winter ridership in the mountain shuttle's pilot program totaled approx. 5,000. Considered 'very successful' per the SFCounty Economic Development Director. Funding and operation of the shuttle will continue in the 16-17 winter season, and bike racks will be installed for the summer season July 1 - Aug 31. SFNewMexican Article (6.30.16)


Related Posts:
 - Santa Fe's First Snow - 2015
 - Trading the Downhill Skis for Nordic
 - French Alps Freeskiing - Candide Thovex

Santa Fe's First Snow of the Season - 2015

First snow with the last of the Fall's aspens, Oct 21, 2015, courtesy Clyde Mueller for the SF New Mexican

A bit late with this but we've tracked the mountains' first snow fall each year back to 2010 so we're not going to let an out of state wedding and Halloween holiday break our streak. Snow fell in the high-country on Wed. and Thr. of our last big storm (Oct 21, 22). As much as 9" was reported by folks that made it up to play. More snow followed with accumulation last Friday (Oct 30). I happened to witness the year's first snow while driving through Flagstaff, AZ. Snow on Humphries towering north of town.

The timing this year lined up well with last weekend's Ski swap. As can be seen from the previous 1st-Snow dates below we're right about at the median date this year. Folks at every party and get together I've been at the last few weeks are all talking snow and skiing. There's a good snow vibe out there and hopefully it will carry through in the weeks preceding the Holidays.

Related Posts:
 - Santa Fe's First Snow 2014 - Oct. 21st
 - SFe's First Snow 2013 - Oct. 12th
 - SFe's First Snow 2012 - Nov. 16th
 - SFe's First Snow 2011 - Sep. 10th
 - SFe's First Snow 2010 - Nov. 10th

Fat Man

Dawn patrol with Tesuque Peak and day break

I'm only now emerging from a long dark spring. It's almost May actually, I don't know how many people know that. And it's all very bright outside. From the sun.

On the tail end of my exile I found a few precious hours to get out on my skis on Easter weekend. It was lovely though it was also the last 36hrs of the ski year which can be inherently sad.

An eclipse greets me on the first morning. Seriously, the moon was in fucking eclipse as I drove up to the basin and started my laps. Strangely, this happened a few years prior and I was literally doing the same thing.

Then after camping in front of a computer for twelve weeks straight (literally seven days a week for most of that), I got out on the bike and onto the Winsor and a funny thing happened. Completely not predictable in any way. I can assure you there was less smiling on my part.




Turns out, I'm fat. I'll need to lean on my friend Strava to get this straight.

Related Posts:
 - Lunar Eclipse at Dawn
 - Drink Beer - Support Local Trails
 - Last day of the Ski Year - 2011

Plaza2Peak - Sat. April 11th

Daybreak at the top of the Triple Chair - Towers just beyond

One of our local hard-chargers has developed the brilliant idea of a DIY enduro race from the Plaza to Tesuque Peak. Run or Bike to the ski area, then skin or ski to the Towers, and finish back down at the parking lot for the post-race bash and casual apres-ski. More importantly, Mady has pulled together plans, a date, entry forms, and multiple emails encouraging friends to promote the genius mountain foray.

Loosely organized last December the tentative date for Plaza2Peak is now set for Sunday Saturday April 11th, 10am start. A date that may even work for harried tax accountants.

Many of us talk of setting something up like this. Several of us have even sent town-to-towers in one form or another (running from the Tesuque trailhead off CR 72A to the Towers via Winsor is about 13mi, takes about 3hrs), but it's rad that someone has added organization to an interesting idea that usually goes solo or in isolated groups of two or three. Katie Arnold moved this type of idea forward several years ago with the Dale Ball Buster.
Moar Plz!

Entry forms can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/kkchax7

Race Director-provided motivational training video here:


Related Posts:
 - Freeskiing the French Alps (extra motivational)
 - Taos Ski Valley Bought Up by Hedge-Funder
 - Ski Touring Deception Peak

French Alps Freeskiing - Candide Thovex

This last weekend was tailored made for the mountains after that slow moving storm came through and left us with a fat new blanket of accumulation. Unless of course, you didn't make it to the mountains. Ahem.

Right, but that's where the internet can smooth things over until the next storm systems rides through. Instant inspiration. The video below went viral a few weeks back. French skier Candide Thovex crushes an afternoon in Val Thorens, France, accompanied by his GoPro head-cam. It's brilliant. 


Related Posts:

 - Urban MTB Downhill - Taxco, Mexico

 - Winter MTB Descent of Rio en Medioj

 - Art Filled Sky - Bird Ballet

Trading the Downhill Skis for Nordic

Setting down tracks in Pagosa

The nordic/cross-country ski scene in New Mexico is not well established. Trails are sparse, the knowledge base is sparse, ski partners are few. For these reasons there's a frustrating dynamic in that decent and affordable used gear is simply not available for a newbie looking for an inexpensive entry to the trails. Alpine Sports or NM Bike N' Sport are great places to pickup a nice starter nordic setup for $400 and up, but there aren't many that will make this leap when you can flip that same coin for a seasons pass at the local mountain. A serious economic barrier to entry.

There is however one fine resource in town to bridge this cost/knowledge gap - Mr. Kelly Kellstedt. A one man outdoors shop with loads of used gear, personal tech services to swap out bindings or boot pairings, and the occasional buyer for un-used equipment laying around in storage. If you've ever browsed the nordic selection at the annual Santa Fe Ski Swap, Kelly's the guy selling 90% of what's available. He's an annual fixture there and he'll gladly talk you up and give you one of his cards because selling directly is better business than working the Swap. The man's also got a wealth of stories about river trips and general adventuring. I've prodded him in hopes of learning of unknown 'secret spots' in the backcountry. He offered several superlatives for the Colorado River. Not so secret, but hard to disagree with.

I think this season is going to have solid snow cover up here in the sierra norte, and I think I'll be out on my skinny boards quite a bit. I think other outdoorsy types want to be out there too if only they had the beta to make it work. I think this will help.

Related Posts:
 - Cross Country Skiing Santa Fe
 - Enchanted Forest Ski Trails
 - Ski Season Cometh - Santa Fe Ski Swap
 - Area Nordic Trails Listing

Ski Season Cometh - Santa Fe Ski Swap

New terrain at Taos Ski Valley

Stopped by the ski swap this morning. I love the swap if only just to get fired-up for the coming winter wonderland. Chatted with friends, mostly loads of unsupported speculation on this season’s snow estimates; quick conversations about yurt trips and Colorado trips that may not happen and general super-psychedness… Good stuff. Picked up a helmet for the two year old. He now looks like a two year old astronaut. His helmet already flashing a fresh new decal for Crested Butte. The ambition appears to be high with that one.

Lots of New Mexico ski news this off-season including new lifts at Wolf Creek and Taos (Kachina Ridge!), and the change of ownership at Purgatory which was bought by the ownership group that owns/manages Sipapu, Pajarito, and Sunbowl in AZ. Their marketing team was at the swap giving out vouchers for a free day at Sipapu in exchange for email and contact info. SOLD! Worth the price of admission.

Also scooped up something called the New Mexico Extreme Ski Card. It offers buy-one-get-one lift passes at Taos, Pajarito, Sipapu, Angel Fire, Purg, Crested Butte, and a free pass at Enchanted Forest, all for $89. A spot-on deal for a guy that can only get out for a few days of downhill each season and likes to hit the xc trails. Plus, the card’s transferable to my dirtbag friends. SOLD!

Related Posts:
- Taos Ski Valley Bought up by Wall St. Financier
- Colorado Yurt Trip - Neff Mountain
- New Mexico Ski Season Arrives Early (2013)

Santa Fe's First Snow of the Season - 2014

Aspen Vista Trail Oct 13, 2014 - courtesy of NM Bike N Sport

This year's first snow fell lightly on the high peaks along during Friday and Saturday's storm. Perhaps only just cold enough in the high-country for snow though nearly as cold here in town.

Accumulation was not obvious from lower elevations other than early morning views of Santa Fe Baldy. As always, the excitement of first winter marks the abrupt end for peak aspen colors. As such, the bad tempers the good, or good tempers good if you're a snow-hound.

We've been making note of the first fall for the last few years. In some cases I've noted the first fall in town rather than at 12,000 feet. If you're mobile it's all the same - pre-winter has made its mark. One added mark that parallels the snow gauges - HDD notched its four year anniversary on Oct. 1.

Yay snow!

Related Posts:
 - Santa Fe's First Snow 2013 - Oct. 12th
 - Santa Fe's First Snow 2012 - Nov. 16th
 - Santa Fe's First Snow 2011 - Sep. 10th
 - Santa Fe's First Snow 2010 - Nov. 10th
 - High Desert Dirt Turns Three

Snowpack at Santa Fe and Taos Fall Short of Last Season

Sunday was the final day of the ski season up at Ski Santa Fe. The final day as well up at Taos Ski Valley including the final day the resort will be operated by the Blake Family since its founding.

Not a great year for skiing in northern New Mexico due to the dry weather and light snowfall. Continuing a trend of below average years, this season's snowpack came in below last season even though the snow arrived a month early for us. Pajarito Mountain never opened. The departure of Santa Fe Mountain Sports marks the second ski retailer to close up shop in the last four three years. All a bit sad for those with memories of snow and wintry seasons of years' past.

Below are some interesting year-over-year comparisons, from this season and last, of reported base depths at Ski Santa Fe, Taos, and Crested Butte, CO. They're sourced from onthesnow.com , my go-to snow/ski app for tracking ski conditions (which is not at all helpful in NM since the next ski season is nine long months away). The base totals in red for Santa Fe and Taos clearly show the large early accumulations in Nov/Dec then very meager additions for the rest of the season until late the final month. Colorado saw quite a bit more in the way of moisture and storms beginning in February that just didn't sweep south to our end of the Rockies. Last year most of the Colorado snowpack tracked fairly evenly with ours, an average base depth at the Butte of 40-50in (not an impressive amount).


Lots of other cool snow stats to click through for recent years at the website, showing a highwater mark of 258in of total snowfall in calendar year 2010. Just 71in in 2007. Last year's snowfall, which mirrors this one, recorded 147in of total accumulations.

Related Posts:
 - Taos Ski Valley Bought up by Wall Street Financier
 - Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works Closes its Doors
 - New Mexico River Levels Spike to 30 times Average

Sochi Olympics Trance

Ligety running a gate at a horizontal 50mph

can't. stop. watching. Olympics...

The Olympic Games as I see it, is this giant parade of total badasses. They show up every few years in their colors and banners on the world's biggest stage, showcasing one's certain perfected style or specialized technique, mad-skills in specific disciplines (I'm looking at you Netherlands and Norway), and in some cases their victory is so incredible and sudden that it's cast in carbonite, forever iconic. Sometimes their effort ends in failure so devastating and complete that it achieves similar status.

Incredible to watch all this, NBC commentary aside of course. My favorites are the skiing events, alpine or nordic, doesn't really matter. The amazing strength required to rocket down those alpine courses! Did anyone else see how technical and vertical those downhill/super-G courses were!? Good Lord. The other-worldly endurance and power of the nordic racers and biathletes - the Scandinavians are absolutely mesmerizing. To be a champion Norwegian skier is to be a modern day Norse God.

Team Norway crushing the collective dreams of several nations

It was nice to see Bode Miller stand on the podium one last time. I'm more of a Ligety guy, but Bode is hands-down the most successful American skier of all-time (he and Lindsey Vonn that is). Long ago I worked with a Swiss chef and he was big on alpine skiing. That was his sport. Every Sunday during the winter months he'd pass through the kitchen with the Boulder sports page hanging out of his back pocket asking us all rhetorically if we'd seen 'what da' hell' Bode had done in Europe the day before (pronouncing his name BOE-dey MEEL-ah). Chef was crushing hard on Bode because he was single-handedly preventing the Austrians from total domination on the World Cup circuit. My man Suissa couldn't stand his rival Austrians and he was equally appalled at the complete collapse of the Swiss alpine team. Bode allowed him to read the WC results and season standings for several years without crying in his espresso. Twelve years later the Swiss still suck, and Bode is still rocking championship podiums. USA...USA...USA...

Related Posts:
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 - The Summer Olympic Vortex (London 2012)
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Los Alamos - How Physicists Once Cleared a Ski Hill

Niels Bohr out on the hill, January 1945

I've been reading an interesting book about life in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project. There are several sections that talk about recreation and how the principal physicists and engineers would spend their time outside the labs and away from their calculations.

When the British contingent arrived in 1944 they brought with them most of the brightest minds who had fled the continent, included were nobel laureates Niels Bohr and Enrico Fermi, as well as (future laureate) Hans Bethe who were all big skiers. Sort of a precursor to the 10th Mountain Division men, who would return from the war and build European inspired ski hills across the U.S. Bohr and Bethe would skin up the hills, then free-heel back down, and actually got a few other non-skiers interested in doing the same.

By the winter of 1945 there was a need for a greater variety of ski slopes. Someone felt that Sawyers Hill southwest of town was a decent location (just west of the present day intersection of NM-4 and Hwy 501). Trees had to be cleared though, so skier and demolition expert George Kistiakowsky took it upon himself to clear the hill. He brought in his explosives team, the team who would ultimately be responsible for designing the proper charge for the world's first fission reaction weapons, and together they rounded up some detonation cords and C-4, wrapped the trees marked for clearing, and with one blast, cut them all to the ground. Fittingly, this was Los Alamos' first purpose-built ski hill.

The now widely used image of Bohr (above), went unseen until the 1950's since it was strictly classified who was involved with the Project, or who might have been jaunting around the hills of the Pajarito Plateau on skis during the winter of 1945.

Related Posts:
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Taos Ski Valley Bought up by Wall St Financier

Some eye-popping news out of Taos. The Blake family has agreed in principal to sell the family owned business to a billionaire east coast hedge-fund fella.

Family patriarch Ernie Blake first scouted the valley and built out the ski resort in the 50's, modeling it after the ski villas in his native German Alps. To this day Taos is far and away the best ski experience in New Mexico - steepest terrain, charming european feel, professional alpine trained staff and ski-school, cozy old-world bars to end the day.  

A potential plus to the deal is the needed influx of capital to open terrain with another lift or two. One has to imagine that the new owner, Louis Bacon, has lined up some type of continuity agreement with the Blake family not to blanket the place with condos and soul-less real estate developments. The guy touts himself as a conservationist so perhaps he sees this venture as a rewarding personal interest rather than just another business model in need of streamlining and optimization.

Kachina Peak, the East Ridge and The Bavarian Lodge

 - Outside Online - Adriana Blake on Selling Taos Ski Valley

 - Santa Fe New Mexican - Investor to buy Taos Ski Valley from Founding Family
 - NYTimes Dealbook - Bacon buys Taos Ski Resort

New Mexico Ski Season Arrives Way Early

Neff Mountain Yurt

I've got a fair amount of snow in my yard as I write this, and Thanksgiving is still a couple of days away. A big Gobble-Gobble to the pernicious winds of recent drought. The higher elevation running/biking trails (above 8,500ft) which are generally snowed out by the first or second week of December are probably done till April. All area ski resorts will open this weekend (Pajarito excepted) and the free-heel crowd has been at it for the last couple weekends.
A couple of area winter guides have already published, including the NewMexican's Winterlife Magazine insert which came out three weeks back and November's winter layout in New Mexico Magazine. I mention these two specifically because I had a few quotes published which duly impressed my in-laws.

Whitney Dreier covers the snowshoeing and winter sport opportunities in northern New Mexico, noting the Chama Chile Ski Classic and the Mt Taylor Quadrathlon as the highlights of the winter calendar. Daniel Gibson writes about the growing network of in-state backcountry yurts. He profiles the Southwest Nordic hut system in Chama and Taos noting that rarely are the winter backcountry visits dangerous or do parties encounter epics due to weather. This made us laugh. But without the occasional turn of adversity what kind of stories are you going to tell at the next get together? Boring ones, and who wants that?

Fresh snow on Cumbres Pass

It bears mentioning that Enchanted Forest up in Red River built out two new yurts on their trail network for this season. Now that we have a small tyke with us, the backcountry options are not practical whereas the groomed track criss-crossing Enchanted Forest are a diamond in the haystack welcome alternative. Also un-mentioned in any of the stories I've read: Taos Ski Valley offers daycare for the kiddies. It ain't cheap, but there may be greater cost to sacrificing a decent winter snowpack than a few greenbacks. Winter memories are lasting.

 - Daniel Gibson writes a regular winter column in the SFNM Outdoors section - worth a follow
 - Whitney Dreier is an associate online editor at Outside, wrtiting about running & skiing - worth a follow
 - Enchanted Forest XC almost always has updates and upcoming events - worth a follow.

Related Posts:
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 - Neff Mountain Yurt - Chama
 - Bull of the Woods Yurt - Taos

Santa Fe's First Snow of the Season - 2013

The Sangre de Cristos above town,
Monday September 23, 2013 - courtesy of Luis Sanchez Saturno

After a rather dramatic electrical storm Sunday night, most of northern New Mexico woke up to see our high mountains with a wintry coat of white fluffy cold stuff. It was only a dusting, but excited anticipation for the winter season has begun in garages across the mountain west, where stowed ski gear has sat quietly for months.

The first snowfall Team Dirt saw this year was actually back in August. The peaks above Telluride, CO saw snow on Aug. 10th. No joke.

Webcams at Taos Ski Valley yesterday showed snow over its ski runs and the Wheeler ridge towering to the east. The webcam at Ski Santa Fe is fogged over, because, who knows.  I want to like you Ski Santa Fe but you make it hard sometimes.

A cool photo album of the storm and snowfall across the mountain west can be found here (firsttracksonline).

Al's Run, Taos Ski Valley - 9/23/13

Snow capped Wheeler Peak high country east of Taos - 9/23/13

Telluride, CO looking toward Yankee Boy
and Imogene Passes - August 10, 2013

Related Posts:
    - Santa Fe's First Snow 2012 - Nov. 16th
    - Santa Fe's First Snow 2011 - Sep. 10th
    - Santa Fe's First Snow 2010 - Nov. 10th

The Off-Piste Pope

Super Pope - John Paul II (1920-2005)

So if you haven't heard, the Pope is stepping down. This news is quite the departure from papal historical norms, but all-in-all a welcome move for the better. The current Pope scores low marks for charisma, he is often socially awkward during appearances and can be tone deaf in Vatican media releases. His style projects the sterile coldness of doctrine and orthodoxy rather than the wonder of faith. Not much of a well of inspiration to his Catholic flock around the world, practicing or not-practicing. These shortcomings are magnified several fold by the unique brilliance of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

The magnetism of John Paul - previously Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland - was manifest in the way he humanized the seat of St. Peter with natural charm and ease of grace. That, and the man had balls. He waded into the tension of the Solidarity movement in the early 80's in open defiance of the Soviets and the Iron Curtain that veiled off eastern Europe. He publicly lent his (and Rome's) support to the cause, even holding an open Mass during his first visit as Pope to several hundred thousand of his countrymen. The ruskies unsurprisingly tried to knock him off for this stunt, but like a badass the Pope shook off four gun-shots wounds, later recovered, and eventually pardoned his would-be assassin. And a big papal middle-finger to the KGB when the Soviet state toppled and fell nine years later.

The Pope on vacation in 1984

What made the guy seem real to me were the stories of his youth, wandering and adventure-seeking in the Tatra mountains of Poland. Hiking, kayaking, exploring. He was John Muir with a funny hat. It was oft publicized that his first love was skiing.

When asked, "Is it befitting a cardinal to ski?" his reply was, "What is unbefitting a cardinal is to ski badly."

Undoubtedly the best ski quote of all-time. Upon his passing, several of his closest confidants revealed that in his early days in Rome the Pope engineered several clandestine trips to the slopes, having his bros help him sneak through the guarded gates of the Vatican then back again. They'd head off in a borrowed car, no security detail, no cellphones, no one on the planet knowing their whereabouts, trunk loaded with parkas and wool sweaters I assume, and the Pope - with all the many burdens of heaven and earth on his conscience - would then spend his morning, hidden there in broad daylight, waiting his turn in the lift line and bombing down runs with a smile on his face.

Happy Ash Wednesday. Find time to get some turns in this week if you haven't already.

The New Mexico Cup Winter Race Series

Snowshoe racing above Santa Fe - Norski trail

The first race of the new year is scheduled for this Saturday, Jan 12 - the Santa Fe Snowshoe Classic - a 6km looped course up at Norski Trail. We usually have decent weather on race day and it can be nice catching up with friends and faces that you haven't seen since the Fall.

Together with Geoff and Ellen Goins up at Enchanted Forest (Red River), Clay Moseley and the SWNSKI crew up on the Mesa (Los Alamos), Kris Peterson and the Striders (Santa Fe), and Mary Ann DeBoer of the Chama Chile Ski Classic up in Chama, northern New Mexico's big winter events have been tethered together as the the New Mexico Cup Winter Race Series. Racers will receive points for top three age-group finishes or an overall win at these three winter events - the Santa Fe Snow Shoe Classic, the Chama Chile Ski Classic, and the Low O2 Cup Challenge. Accumulated points at the end of January will be tallied to determine the overall Cup Champions and Age Group Winners in three disciplines - nordic, snowshoe, and combined. The award ceremony is to-be-determined although it's probable that it could be at the Enchanted Forest following the final Cup event on January 27th. Point details and Cup scoring rules can be found here. 

Nordic and snow fairies in Chama

Ski track in Chama

 The idea behind the Cup Series was to build participation and word of mouth for the winter racing scene similar to a summer triathlon series. Geoff and Ellen pushed the idea forward to the race directors then Clay and SWNSKI cobbled the prizes together. The Sandia Snowshoe Race was to be included in the series but for a schedule overlap, so it will likely be included for next season. All of these Cup Series races provide a nice lead up to the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon in early February, the winter's oldest and most prestigious event. If anything, the Series provides a compelling reason to travel to Chama or Enchanted Forest (or to Santa Fe!) for a weekend of snow and hi-fiving. It's worth it, these weekends are fun.

For the full calendar of New Mexico trail racing and outdoor events - see the tab above.
  - Santa Fe Snowshoe Classic - Race Report
  - Chama Chile Ski Classic - Race Report
  - Enchanted Forest, NM