Enchanted Forest Ski Trails - Red River, NM

The ski lodge at Enchanted Forest

The prognosticators are saying we will get at least one more pass of winter weather before Spring arrives for good, 4"-8" of fresh cold stuff predicted for the mountains this evening. So, before the skis are ceremoniously stowed away for next season I thought it would be appropriate to highlight a recent trip up to Enchanted Forest ski area with Todd and John. If you're looking for a last round of spring ski runs you'd be hard pressed to find a better place in northern New Mexico.

Owners Geoff and Ellen Goins have done an admirable job of building this nordic ski and snowshoeing destination a couple miles east of Red River, which sits about 12mi east of Questa, which sits about 30mi north of Taos. Such is the reason I hadn't visited before now, but the trip is well worth the drive. This is the best nordic skiing in northern New Mexico. Beginning from the full service ski lodge, 20mi of groomed and tracked trails fan out under cover of pine forest. Additional signed and mapped trails exist for snowshoeing and hiking with the dogs. It's a pretty well laid out place. 

Over and through miles of trail

The Captain cresting a hill

Intersection with the snowshoe system

The fellas and I had picked up complimentary ski passes at the Chama Chile Ski Classic in January, which provided all the incentive we needed to make this trip. I get a fair amount of flak from these two for bailing on group downhill days in favor of my early morning xc sessions, but on this day it was those two clumsily free-heeling along while I powered around on my skate-ski setup exploring all of the fantastic groomed track. We kept to the easy and moderate trails and saw several groups enjoying the favorable ski conditions we've had this year. Saw a few deer too, wondering what we were up to in their neck of the Carson forest.

One section of the trail system affords clear views of the upper Red River valley and the saddle between Wheeler Ridge and Gold Hill. I had stood up on that same ridge (in these same skis!) not three weeks before, looking down into this valley wondering what on earth was down here. Wouldn't you know it if it wasn't miles of heavenly ski tracks gliding through the woods. How's that for an unexpectedly cheers-worthy coincidence? I'll take more of that please.

The lower Wheeler Ridge from a distance

 

Dude and trail

A major benefit of the drive to Taos is the increasing number of micro-breweries in the area. We chose Eske's Pub for an apres-ski stop over the Taos Ale House and the Blue Heron Brewery in Embudo. Nothing quite completes a day on skis like stories with friends over a beer.

Eske's, a Taos establishment

Enchanted Forest Ski Area: Day passes $7-15, ski and snowshoe rentals available as well as waxing and tuning services. Seasonal events include the Low O2 Challenge NM Nordic Cup, national snowshoe race qualifier, ski and snowshoe clinics, and moonlight tours. There are even overnight yurt accommodations offered in a backcountry setting several miles up-trail (reservations required). 

See also:   
 - Area Nordic Trails Listing




View Larger Map

Big Tesuque Trail Run Preview

Myself, the triple chair, and the valley below

It's that Big Tesuque time of year. A fine time. My initial try at a race preview was defeated by Comcast and their network of doom. I'm good for a second effort though. A quick look back then before writing up today's race report.

Herman and I got up on the trail at the end of August. It was beautiful. Don't think we saw many people up high but the trailhead was packed on our return. I think it was Herman's first time up on Aspen Vista which sounded ridiculous to me. I just don't believe you sir! A conversation about the strange lack of wildlife up there was followed by a deer sighting, a little family of grouse (ptarmigan) that scooted by, and then a noisy group of wild turkey hanging out in the trees. It snowed up there the following weekend.

Herman at the summit, with (l-r) Baldy, Deception Peak, and Penitente

New Mexico's highest outhouse, just below the towers (11,950ft). Reassuring to
know that that fellow stands guard up there just in case duty calls.

Good stuff. Well, we made it up there once again this last Sunday to make sure we were familiar with all the turns and rock-placements. No sign of the wildlife or the snow. We scouted the trail with a group of the Santa Fe Striders, Jim brought paint to spot and mark up the old mile markers stakes for Saturday's race. Chatted it up with Herman and Todd, Vinnie, Syd, Mariam, Sheila and her dog Kaya. We saw Vince Hesch up there on his way down. Made the summit in 1hr8min and down in 2hr which were the exact times Herman and I had done four weeks earlier. What are the odds of that happening? Pretty badass. Another nice day to be up in the Hills.

Striders crew hiding in a wind-shadow at the tower out-building

My man Uffe, originally from Denmark, rocking the minimalist gear at the summit. The guy is a seriously legit minimalist runner. He stood up there at the summit and gave us all grief about our weak-assed running shoes. Tough crowd.

Ok this was more a collection of recent Aspen Vista trail stories than a race preview. For a better preview head over to Jacob's writeup at SantaFeTrailRunner - Big Tesuque Trail Run Preview (9/25).

For last year's race report try:   
Big Tesuque Trail Run Report - Oct 2nd, 2010

For a list of recent top times, maps, and other stuff try here:
SF Striders - Big Tesuque Trail Run Page

random photo of wild turkeys

a grouse and its characteristic sinister disposition

View Big Tesuque Trail - Aspen Vista Trail in a larger map

Santa Fe Century - Ride Report

North through the Galisteo Basin, Sangres on the horizon

Pedaled like a freaking demon on Sunday trying to get the road bike out to Cedar Crest and Stanley and back just so we could hoist a few cold ones at the Eldorado SF Brewing Company Tap Room. The annual Santa Fe Century is a helluva lot of fun but I'm not going to pretend like 100mi isn't a haul because it is. The mileage might actually be 103mi in total. I logged ~97mi because I met my riding group en route and got a late start by a few minutes. About the ride itself, I don't care how fit you are an event like this is going to ding you up a little bit, unless you're Todd who rides into work from Eldorado everyday and didn't really seem phased by the whole thing. I saw Todd for a total of about 9min. during this 6+ hr ride. The guy was killin' it. Or maybe I was doggin' it? No, not possible - I was killin' it too just at a slower velocity than guys that prepared properly for the ride.

Our crew was myself, John Lumley, Todd Schroeder, Byron Rudolph, and ringer Liz Sponagle. Liz rode along with us to the 75mi loop cutoff out on NM 14 then circled back to head to work. I rode this event for the first time back in '09 and had a great time. Lumley has ridden the thing for five or six consecutive years now and has the jerseys to prove it. Tons of people get out for this ride and the aid stations are stacked, plus the cost of entry is $26 so you can't really beat that. Back on my first ride I had a real piece of work with downtube shifters and squeaking gears but somehow made it through. This year I rode a Greg-Lemond-detailed Schwinn loaner bike and managed just fine. People with awesome bikes get kinda surly when you cruise past on a hand painted beaut all buckled into a CamelBack but that there is stealth technology at its finest.

Todd and John wasting sandwich eating time at one of the aid stations

The test that is Heartbreak Hill, up and over the Cerrillos Hills

Galisteo Village Church

Back to the ride then - what a ride! The guys came up with the ingenius idea of starting and ending in Eldorado this year to take advantage of the new Tap Room location. We pretty much talked about beer throughout the entire ride. Aid stations were at Madrid, Golden (before Heartbreak Hill), Cedar Crest, Stanley, and Galisteo. I guess there were stations in Eldorado and St. Vincent's but we didn't stop there. Unlike on some running adventure suffer-fest, on a bike tour there are aid stations stocked with unlimited peanut butter sandwiches and fig newtons and trail mix and orange wedges and gatorade refills to woof down that you actually finish the thing feeling rather full. I guarantee I gained weight during the day, very counter-intuitive.

Todd, John, and Byron showing some fatigue

John mashing gears

I didn't see as many familiar faces as I did in '09. It may have been the time we got on the road, perhaps we didn't mill about the aid stations for quite as long. The wind was a bit rough so maybe that dampened rider-to-rider conversation. I did meet a rider from Florida that told me she did her hill training back and forth on bridge ramps for hours a week to simulate the climbing. Nonetheless I saw her walking the bike up Heartbreak - oh the heartbreak. Gotta own that one to make it count I think. The steady climb up and over the Cerrillos hills beginning in the village of Cerrillos and ending on the top of Heartbreak (20mi?) was a bit of a grind. But after that it's flat and fast all the way to Galisteo baby.

Todd & wife Jenn canvassing the day's events at the Tap Room patio

John and Susan, post-ride, mid-pint

The timing of the Century was great in that it got me ready for Ride-to-Work Week (four out of five days sons!) and was my main training for this weekend's Cochiti 100MTB, part of the NM Endurance Series. Todd, Jim, Byron and I are planning to ride 67fmi of the 108mi course but I have little doubt that Cochiti is going to destroy me and most likely my one-foot-in-the-grave mountain bike. Gotta bust out the mad biking skills and defy the gods. 

For a listing of other area road rides try here - Santa Fe Area Cycling Routes
For better photos of the actual ride try this report here.

View Santa Fe Century Bike Tour - 103mi. in a larger map

Cycling Medio Dia Trail - Santa Fe

Cochiti Canyons from a distance

With snow conditions deteriorating by the day, I drove out to the Cochiti canyons on Sunday. I figured there would be plenty of snow up on the shaded Medio Dia and Bland Canyon trails but it'd be a better snowy ride than any spotty skiing I could find. John and Todd were supposed to be there with me but we sort of flubbed the planning and coordinating part, so I drove up alone. Got up to Dixon's at noon and there was only one other truck. The lady that walked over to talk was just a sunbather that came out to read and marvel at the canyon walls. She gave me a small gift of chocolate for the ride. Nice lady.

Entering Medio Dia on FR 89

The first creek crossing by log

The second creek crossing

Climbing up FR 89 from the apple orchards it might have been an Oct/Nov afternoon except my hands were a little cold. Ah! but some other kind soul sought to it to leave a glove behind on the trail. Very generous and giving people in these parts. I had ski gloves in the Camelback but didn't feel like using them this day. As the trail dropped into the trees and creek crossings I found lots of snow. Round a bend and into some sunlight and it was October once again! then snowy February, then October!  One creek crossing followed immediately by an ice bridge crossing. A fun ride.

February to my right

October to my left

The junction to Medio Dia and Bland Canyon

Icy creek and cliffs

I'd planned on riding up Medio Dia to the cut off to Bland, then down FR 268 but the post-holing and hike-a-bike got to be a bit too much in the last mile so I turned it around and came rocketing down what I'd just gone up. Riding Medio Dia is like riding Bandelier if you could ride the Monument trails. Some of the best mountain biking trails in New Mexico. Probably some of the best trail running in New Mexico. Beautiful beautiful single track, ponderosas stretching skyward, towering cliffs and blue sky, I had chocolate in my bag - all systems were go. Couldn't have planned for a more lovely afternoon.

Winding singletrack with an audience of ponderosa

Fall colors with cliffs

Defiant tree

Creek crossing otra vez

The Cochiti 100, part of the NM Endurance Series, is held up on these trails in May. The varied loops climb Medio Dia almost all the way to Highway 4 before circling back down to Dixon's on the Dome Rd. You know who plans on blasting those trails and recovering in the meadow afterward with a cold one? This guy, that's who. Also Todd and John because we're going to plan that one better.

Returning to the truck - Tetilla Pk and the Cerrillos from the north, Dixon's orchards down below

UPDATE:  A sad follow-up to this trail post. The entire Medio Dia canyon system was burnt out by the Los Conchas fire in June of 2011. Subsequent rains and serious flash flooding added to the severity of the damage. The canyon and neighboring canyons remain closed due to serious flood risk and are very likely un-rideable/un-runnable/un-hikeable for some time.

UPDATE (6/16/12):  I believe the Forest Roads near Medio Dia have been re-opened, as of last week. This includes FR 289 that connects north to NM Hwy 4 (and St Peter's Dome Rd), and FR 86(?) up Bland Canyon. I'd imagine the trail along Medio Dia Creek is destroyed like everything else prone to flashing and erosion last fall. I'd appreciate a note or comment on the trail/road conditions if you make it out to take a look. - HDD


View Medio Dia Trail - Santa Fe in a larger map

Chama Chile Ski Classic - Race Report

I was fortunate enough to be up in Chama this weekend for their annual Chama Ski Classic. It was the first time I'd made it to the event but probably not the last. There was all kinds of madness going on with races, clinics, costume contests, backcountry tours, a beer sampling table....impossible to not have a good time at an event like this.

Jim, Todd, and I made it up on Saturday evening so we missed the freestyle ski racing from earlier in the day. My man Marc Esposito skied to a second place finish in the 7.5K race, edged out by Mark Seaton of Colorado. Tove Shere of Santa Fe skied to a second place finish in the women's race.  Podium results were as follows:

15K Overall: 1) Caleb Thompson, 49:18; 2) Clay Mosley, 49:55; 3) Ken Kisiel, 52:56.  W1) Sanna Sevanto, 54:21; W2) Jessica Kisiel, 1:00:12; W3) Brianne Marshall, 1:03:24
7.5K Overall: 1) Mark Seaton, 34:12; 2) Marc Esposito, 36:42; 3) Dave Wykoff, 39:35;  W1) Dina Pesenson, 41:15; W2) Tove Shere, 42:52

Waiting for liftoff

I don't recall if this one was before the race or the after-party

Snow fairies leading the way

We were helping with the timing of Sunday's races, the Classic 10K and 5K events, the 5K snowshoe, and the combined events.  All of these were running concurrently. It was a blast. There were snow fairies, I saw an astronaut, there were at least two guys racing in dress suits, one racer had his kid strapped to his back in a kid carrier, Southwest Nordic out of Los Alamos had a large contingent, there were young and old and everyone was having a great time.  One guy had a killer fake mustache that stayed affixed to his face during the entire race and after-party.  A true thing of beauty.  Podium results were as follows:

10K Overall: 1) Clay Mosley, 44:11; 2) Steve Ilg, 47:30; 3,W1) Sanna Sevanto, 49:01; W2) Jessica Kisiel, 53:34, W3) Dina Pesenson, 1:04:45
5K Overall: 1) David Wykoff, 34:35; 2) David Burdette, 36:27; 3,W1) Janie Miller, 37:12; W2) Dana Price, 38:13; W3) Donna Berg, 38:20
5K Snowshoe Overall:  1) Jurgen Montgomery, 33:12; 2) Daryl Dagel, 37:49; 3) Robert Parks, 39:14;  W1) Annie Sewell, 39:44; W2) Tove Shere, 45:43; W3) Samantha Fernandez, 47:01
King of the Mountain (10K Combined Champ) - Daryl Dagel, 1hr 29:19
Queen of the Mountain - Graciela Perez, 2hr 42:52
Prince of the Mountain (5K Combined Champ) - Kirik Reinhart, 1hr 23:13
Princess of the Mountain - Tove Shere, 1hr 30:20

King of the Mtn - combined winner Daryl Dagle

10K champ Clay Mosley

The folks on the front end were moving.  Many of the Southwest Nordic crew were there for business and they were killing it out on the race loop.  I got out on my skis at day's end and the best I could muster was a 41min loop (5K).  For reference, the top ten 10K finishers all came in under 50min, so I would have had my backside handed to me by this field.

On the course looking east

Groomers heading north towards the pass

Race director Mary Ann DeBoer and her crew of volunteers did an absolutely first-rate job. Awards were announced and given out at the High Country Restaurant and Saloon in town. The place was great - packed with racers and snow-mobilers and people in costumes, a blue-grass band playing, terrific beers with New Mexico and Durango microbrews all on tap. The owner of High Country even skied in the race and took home his age-group title for the second straight year, (Che Johnston, 41m34s). That is badass. Medals and chile ristras were given out to the winners.

Spoils of the victors

Next year I'm racing this thing and bringing home some hardware although I'll need to think of a decent costume that will incorporate a fake mustache. I'll also need to get faster.

Freestyle Ski Results can be found here (.pdf)
Classic Ski and Snowshoe Results can be found here
Photo Album can be found here






View Chama Chile Ski Classic in a larger map

Related Posts:
  - Trail Racing Calendar - '11
  - Cross Country Skiing - Cumbres Pass, CO
  - Colorado Hut-to-Hut, Neff Mountain

Related Links:
  - Chama Race Report - Southwest Nordic
  - Pagosa Springs Winterfest
  - Feb 13th NM Cup - Low O2 Challenge

Glorieta Baldy

Photos of a recent ride up Glorieta Baldy with John and Todd.  Earlier this summer we had taken the forest access road all the way to the fire-lookout on top and descended the switchbacks to the Baptist Conference Center.  I had a crappy phone then and the few photos I shot were garbage, but now I have a few good ones to work with.

Riders on the storm

This ride took us back behind the Conference Center, following an old track up Baldy that Lumley had found and cleared.  We found that it eventually connected to the switchbacks after long steady climbs through a pine forest and soft pine needle track. We didn't have it in us to climb the rest of the way from that point, especially knowing there would be a lot of hike-a-bike, so we sailed down the rock-free path behind us.

Bear approved

Back at the Center, we ventured up towards the Glorieta Ghost Town.  Todd and a couple of horses got to see me pitch wildly from my bike and land in a heap.  A cheap pair of running tights that I'd been taking a ribbing about saved me from losing all the skin on my lower left leg.  Function over form sons! Waffles and beer for recovery when we got back to the house.  ~2hrs, ~20mi.

Lumley pulling gears

Todd & the ghosts of Glorieta

 Related Posts:
  - Apache Canyon Trail
  - Glorieta Mesa
  - Craft Beer in New Mexico

 A clickable map of the Lookout ride below