Ski Season
I did not go skiing this winter. I had planned to. Having a major ski area just outside of town, Ski Santa Fe, was one of the reasons we picked this town to move to, rather than moving to a warm winter place like Arizona.
Ski Santa Fe is 18 miles from Santa Fe, in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, which are the very southern tail end of the Rockies. The ski area is visible from town all winter long. It's the slash of white in the center of this shot, and I see it every day when I am out.
The rounded white peak on the left is Mt. Baldy. It's over 12,000 feet high, and for part of the winter it had natural snow. The ski area is also 12,000 feet high and did get natural snow, but in this dry winter they had to make much of their base, and it was a struggle for them to keep all trails open.
Because I can see the ski mountain every day from our neighborhood, I kept feeling guilty that I wasn't getting out there. Look at it! Some snow! I should go! But I had no one to go with, and that intimidated me when considering I'd have to scope out a new area, and a big one, by myself.
Jim and I joined the Newcomers Club here, and in addition to all the other activities it organizes (it's a really active, well run social group of mostly older newcomers who moved here 10 or 20 years ago), there is a skier's group that meets at the ski area every week. At a luncheon recently I got talking with a couple and although this season is pretty much gone by, they got me excited about going next year.
They also mentioned that there is an informal group that just shows up at the base lodge coffee shop each weekday morning at 8:30 to ski together. I asked who they were, and was told " Old people. Elder skiers. Just show up and you'll have people your age (I'm elder??) to ski with."
I could do this.
In Connecticut I had my younger sister to ski with and we'd meet once a week in the winter to spend a couple hours at a small local area. But she refused to move to New Mexico with us, and so abandoned me (I think she feels it was the other way around). Now I think I can find some people my age to ski with, if I can just get my act together to go next season. I do miss my sister as ski partner though : (
But I'm still a little intimidated. The road there is a long, twisting, winding mountain snake through canyons and I don't really want to tackle it, even in dry weather. But there is a $5 shuttle bus that leaves from a park downtown and makes the long trip twice a day. I might try that.
Also, I'm daunted by the altitude. I've adjusted to life at 6,900 feet, but Ski Santa Fe's base is over 10,000 feet and the top is 12,000. Would I be able to handle that?
And I'm concerned about the whole concept of skiing in a drought in a warming climate. A lot of their snow is man made, and although they harvest water and recycle it carefully, it feels weird to go skiing on it when I'm lugging shower water out to my trees and turning off the faucet when I brush my teeth in order to conserve every drop. Something about the whole snow making enterprise feels wrong.
Still, I should do this. I felt bad about not being more adventurous this year, but Jim assures me we didn't have to do everything in our new environment all in the first year here. And now that I am starting to socialize with skiers my age and I could find partners to go with, I'm getting my nerve up for next season.
If only it would snow more in the Sangre de Cristos next winer.
Ski Santa Fe is 18 miles from Santa Fe, in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, which are the very southern tail end of the Rockies. The ski area is visible from town all winter long. It's the slash of white in the center of this shot, and I see it every day when I am out.
 |
| The white slopes of the ski area are visible anywhere in town. |
The rounded white peak on the left is Mt. Baldy. It's over 12,000 feet high, and for part of the winter it had natural snow. The ski area is also 12,000 feet high and did get natural snow, but in this dry winter they had to make much of their base, and it was a struggle for them to keep all trails open.
Because I can see the ski mountain every day from our neighborhood, I kept feeling guilty that I wasn't getting out there. Look at it! Some snow! I should go! But I had no one to go with, and that intimidated me when considering I'd have to scope out a new area, and a big one, by myself.
 |
| Driving into town, you face the white caps of the Sangre de Cristos. |
Jim and I joined the Newcomers Club here, and in addition to all the other activities it organizes (it's a really active, well run social group of mostly older newcomers who moved here 10 or 20 years ago), there is a skier's group that meets at the ski area every week. At a luncheon recently I got talking with a couple and although this season is pretty much gone by, they got me excited about going next year.
They also mentioned that there is an informal group that just shows up at the base lodge coffee shop each weekday morning at 8:30 to ski together. I asked who they were, and was told " Old people. Elder skiers. Just show up and you'll have people your age (I'm elder??) to ski with."
I could do this.
 |
| The snow looked pretty decent in this facebook ski area shot from March 8, with the city of Santa Fe spread out below. |
In Connecticut I had my younger sister to ski with and we'd meet once a week in the winter to spend a couple hours at a small local area. But she refused to move to New Mexico with us, and so abandoned me (I think she feels it was the other way around). Now I think I can find some people my age to ski with, if I can just get my act together to go next season. I do miss my sister as ski partner though : (
But I'm still a little intimidated. The road there is a long, twisting, winding mountain snake through canyons and I don't really want to tackle it, even in dry weather. But there is a $5 shuttle bus that leaves from a park downtown and makes the long trip twice a day. I might try that.
Also, I'm daunted by the altitude. I've adjusted to life at 6,900 feet, but Ski Santa Fe's base is over 10,000 feet and the top is 12,000. Would I be able to handle that?
 |
| Another facebook shot from the ski area, showing the snow making going on. |
And I'm concerned about the whole concept of skiing in a drought in a warming climate. A lot of their snow is man made, and although they harvest water and recycle it carefully, it feels weird to go skiing on it when I'm lugging shower water out to my trees and turning off the faucet when I brush my teeth in order to conserve every drop. Something about the whole snow making enterprise feels wrong.
Still, I should do this. I felt bad about not being more adventurous this year, but Jim assures me we didn't have to do everything in our new environment all in the first year here. And now that I am starting to socialize with skiers my age and I could find partners to go with, I'm getting my nerve up for next season.
If only it would snow more in the Sangre de Cristos next winer.
Comments
I really do miss my ski partner very much too!!