snow.snow.snow.

Dust of Snow

 Robert Frost
 
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
 

   After a somewhat questionable start to winter in terms of the snow, we recently got a substantial snowstorm here in Santa Fe.  Last weekend I made it up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin for the second time this year and was able to experience fresh powder and get some practice on the moguls.  The next evening some friends and I went to the Valles Caldera for moonlight snowshoeing under the full moon.  Unfortunately the night was overcast and windy, so it turned into headlamp-lit snowshoeing instead, but I had been looking forward to it for a month and we still had a good time!

Santa Fe Ski Basin

Santa Fe Ski Basin


   What is a Caldera, do you ask?  I wondered the same thing.  A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption.  The Valles Caldera is located in the Jemez mountains, about an hour and a half from Santa Fe.

The Valles Caldera, from the National Parks Traveler website

   Today I got out my cross country skis for the first time since moving to Santa Fe and headed up to Pajarito mountain, where the Southwest Nordic Ski Club maintains several miles of groomed trails.  Unfortunately it was too warm and the snow was slushy, but I bought myself a Shamrock Shake on the way home and it turned into a good day afterall!

Pajarito

Cross Country Ski Trails

Cross Country Ski Trails

   Although I look forward to spring flowers and sunshine, I'm happy to have a few more weeks of winter! 

Cool license plate in the parking lot at Pajarito



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Pacific Northwest Bachelorette Party

Image
I just returned home from a memorable weekend in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, celebrating my sister, Katie, who is getting married in just a few short weeks.  Four years ago she, as my Maid of Honor, planned the most unforgettable and fun-filled bachelorette weekend for me:  San Francisco and Sonoma Bachelorette , and now it was my turn to do the same for her!  We gathered together a group of twelve women from Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Manchester, Santa Fe, Denver, and Seattle to celebrate the Bride to Be.  I wanted to have some organized, pre-planned group activities, but also plenty of down time for games, lounging, and drinking wine.  While we wanted most of the weekend to be spent at a cozy cabin overlooking the serene water of Puget Sound, we wanted one exciting night out on the town, and I think we achieved that balance.  Here's the breakdown of our weekend events: 1)  Night Out in Capitol Hill We arrived in Seattle on Thursday and checked into the
Read more

High Altitude Baking: Coffee Cake

Image
Happy January!  I have two weeks left of my maternity leave and I'm trying to make the most of it by spending lots of quality time with Baby Ady before she starts daycare.  It's going by so fast!  While I'm home I've been using my crock pot a lot, working on some yarn projects, taking long walks with Ady and Kua, reading, and doing some baking.  I have struggled with high altitude baking since moving to Santa Fe 5 1/2 years ago.  Cookies turn out okay, but I usually have to make some adjustments with cakes, and my breads are often mushy in the middle and crispy on the ends.  I can get by okay with a few of my favorite recipes that I have practiced multiple times, but it's often hit or miss.  For Christmas, my secret santa got me this amazing cook book, Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes, that explains the chemistry behind high altitude baking and gives suggestions for adjustments to make at various altitudes.  Ingenious!  The idea for the book ac
Read more

My Bachelorette Party: San Francisco and Sonoma

Image
I have the best Maid of Honor in the world!   Between grad school, work, and preparing to move into a new apartment, she miraculously found time to plan THE BEST bachelorette party ever (and 3 time zones away, I might add).  I had such a fabulous time being surrounded by (and loved and adored by!) all my best friends for four days. The weekend started at 4:30 a.m. Thursday when my Santa Fe friends and I drove to Albuquerque (a 50 mile trip made possible by Panera breakfast) to catch our early flight to the Bay Area.  After a 2 1/2 trip (complete with Bloody Maries, Tequilla Sunrises, Coffees with Baileys, gossip and a few bridal magazines) we landed in Oakland!  One of my dear bridesmaids from Chicago who had arrived a few days earlier picked us up and we headed into San Francisco.  We met up with the other gals, checked in early to our hotel (Parc 55 Wyndahm in Union Square) and set out to explore the city by foot.  Some locals recommended Mama's in North Beach fo
Read more