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



 

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