Welcome To Taos Ski Valley – Carson National Forest
We stealth camped in downtown Taos last night, and, after a sunrise dog walk around town, we headed out early this morning for the Sangre de Cristo mountains surrounding Taos.
It was a gorgeous day – after shaking off the cold morning, it was sunny and 50, with no wind.
That’s Wheeler Peak (13,167) the highest peak in New Mexico in the background of the photo above and below.
No way we even attempt that hike through Wheeler Peak Wilderness, particularly this time of year as record snowpack (over 300 inches of snowfall) has not yet melted out, avalanche risk still exists, high flowing stream crossings are required, and there are several thousand feet elevation gain in a 16 mile round trip. (But I think we will try what looks like a more modest walk to Williams Lake tomorrow morning).
We parked the bus at the end of the road and walked in to the ski resort. Had the place almost to ourselves, as we enjoyed the music from the sparsely attended outdoor restaurant and basked in the sun in the shadow of Mt. Wheeler and the ski lifts.
Came back to the bus for lunch and 15 minutes later, storm clouds rolled it, the temperature dropped 20 degrees, and we got hit with intense thunder, peas sized hail and snow, for over an hour.
Despite local merchant participation in a campaign to “PROTECT OUR WINTERS” (from the impacts of climate change), locals here told me they had 7 inches of snow last week, which they attribute to El Nino:
When planning your trip or hike check the National Weather Service forecast for Taos Ski Valley for an idea of what to expect. The long range forecast shows a good chance for above average precipitation throughout the spring and summer thanks to an ongoing moderate El Nino event – a welcome change from last year’s historic drought!
But I say it’s just more CLIMATE CHAOS.
Like we said, welcome to Taos Ski Valley.
Just yesterday, we were off a US Forest Service Road 76 in Santa Fe National Forest, just outside Coyote, NM (the real town name, and Bouy barked all night for 3 nights at the yipping of the coyotes).
As you can see, we have radically different gorgeous landscapes.
view from FS Road 76
Can a geologist out there tell us what those tits in the background are?
