Little bit of grooming - leveling and tilling

 After all the storms that rolled through last week and the week previous, the grooming techniques need to change up a bit.  We have to go from "packing things down" and being able to soft-groom things, to putting the tiller and leveling bar down, which is slower and a bit more tedious, but produces that nice smooth corduroy surface we all love... and the firm, deep classic tracks.  

We also started packing in and tilling out the big meadow loop, which is just now starting to take shape.  It also needs a lot of tiller passes before it's 100% smooth, but we'll get it there.

Tom went and rolled the edges of the trails that had gotten narrow, then the meadow loop, then switched to the G2 to till out some ridges (Tuesday evening).

Last evening, I got the G2 tracksetter motor-powered actuator installed (the old one broke), set a few classic tracks on Camp May for practice, then went back out after dark to run the tiller and leveling bar on the upper meadow trails.  I made 5 passes and got things even wider in spots, and the new meadow loop is starting to smooth out a bit.  It'll take another 5 before it's really in good skiing shape because it was just so lumpy and bumpy out there, and the snow was setting up hard in the frigid cold.

Speaking of cold -- I probably would have run more passes, but even with a little heater in our little "Kermit" snowcat, it was FREEZING and I was getting cold, so I had to pull the plug and get back home.  It was definitely a cold one last night!  

I'll go out Friday night to till up the trail, then set the "best line" classic track for the Chuck Calef Classic club fun race on Saturday.  You don't need to be in any sort of race shape to participate, and it's free.  We just do it for the challenge and to celebrate our old friend, Chuck Calef.  Be sure to wear your most awesome outdoor wool sweater to commemorate Chuck!

Overall, conditions are still awesome with lots of snow and cold temperatures.  This is what we live for, so go ski!!!

Grooming Report 1/25/2023

 We're back to updating the grooming and conditions blog.  It's hard to figure out which site/media source people use most frequently, so we try to keep the "members" email list (become a member!) updated first, then move to the Facebook page and this report medium, the "grooming/conditions" blog.  We hope you enjoy reading these!

After all the snow since January 1, we've been keeping on top of the roll packing and grooming, but it's a volunteer operation so sometimes it takes a day or two, and isn't always perfect, but we try.  We have had a few equipment issues, as per the usual, but we get them fixed as we have time.  We should have the main grooming implement's (the Tidd G2) tracksetter back in operation by the weekend.  It sets the best track.

Travis and Nick went out Monday evening to do more rolling and make a pass with the old Tidd (the "Trail Tenderizer"), which does a decent job of grooming the trail.  

We'll be using the G2's tiller and leveling bar a bit more to flatten and smooth the trail out, so it should ski pretty smoothly in the coming days.  That was a nice period of snow, so we now have something to work with to level and smooth things out.

Tom went out again last evening to bust in the meadow trail, then roll-packed it a lot and generally widened everything around the system.  He followed up with the G2 to smooth out a few ridges.  More grooming to come Thursday and Friday.

Remember that we'll be hosting the "Chuck Calef Classic" club fun race this Saturday (first skier off from Point B at 9:30 AM), with a "best line" classic track.  That means it'll be somewhat out wide, near the middle of the trail, so skating will not be any good until we erase the track later in the evening.  We'll re-groom for normal skiing configuration on Sunday.

Get out and enjoy these super-great conditions!!!

Resolution Classic Results - January 5, 2020

Conditions were fantastic for this year's Resolution Classic "Tourace" - we call it that because it's hard to give it 100% when you're just out there having fun.  You're kinda racing, but also looking at the views and just enjoying the conditions, so it's halfway between a race and a tour.

Speaking of conditions, there was plenty of snow that had just a bit of transformation from what had been pretty much new snow conditions for two weeks, to a more frozen and faster type.  Some of the course was rocket fast, but some sections were still cold and grippy.  The day before was fairly warm, but it froze up hard overnight and didn't warm up much during the race, keeping things firm and fast.

It was a day to apply a slightly warmer grip wax, somewhere in the violet/purple range, or a very thin and short section of universal klister - that's what I opted to use, but very thin and very short under my foot.  It provided solid kick when my technique was good, while also allowing my skis to glide well.  The snow was the type that would have allowed a pretty good range of things to work, depending on where on the course you really wanted the best kick.

The track was set in a "best line" path in the trail, which made for a smooth course that is quite a bit easier to ski than when it is groomed for both skate and classic (classic track way over on the low side of the trail).  It skis quite a bit differently when it is set like that with wider turns and straighter lines.  It was kinda sad to go groom it out after the day was over.

So, here is the tale of the tape.  Great job to everyone who came out to enjoy pretty much perfect classic conditions.  You've achieved your New Year's Resolution!

2020 Resolution Classic Tourace
10km Course
Name	Start Time	Finish Time	Race Time
Clay Moseley	00:50.0	29:16.0	28:26.0
Sanna Sevanto	01:40.0	31:54.0	30:14.0
Travis Gibson	02:05.0	32:45.0	30:40.0
Scott Baily	00:00.0	31:22.0	31:22.0
Zach Leonard	01:15.0	33:30.0	32:15.0
Liz Quinney	03:45.0	36:04.0	32:19.0
Andy Jones	05:00.0	42:11.0	37:11.0
Tarik Saleh	04:35.0	42:48.0	38:13.0
Kevin Reid	04:10.0	44:13.0	40:03.0
Siobhan Niklasson	02:30.0	42:55.0	40:25.0
Dina Pesenson	00:25.0	42:21.0	41:56.0
Paul Gooris	03:20.0	50:54.0	47:34.0
Steve Venturoni	02:55.0	57:22.0	54:27.0
5km Course
Levi Gibson	06:25.0	25:36.0	19:11.0
Mila Moseley	07:15.0	26:42.0	19:27.0
Zach Gibson	07:40.0	28:27.0	20:47.0
Diego Leonard	06:00.0	28:38.0	22:38.0
Madalyn Baily	06:50.0	32:12.0	25:22.0
Chris Michel	09:20.0	35:33.0	26:13.0
Axel Niklasson	08:55.0	35:58.0	27:03.0
Anders Niklasson	10:10.0	38:03.0	27:53.0
Lindsay Gibson	09:45.0	39:04.0	29:19.0
John Ullman	10:35.0	40:08.0	29:33.0
Phoebe Reid	08:30.0	38:51.0	30:21.0
Aida Saleh	08:05.0	38:48.0	30:43.0
3km Course
Luke Gibson	12:00.0	29:21.0	17:21.0
Quanah Moseley	12:50.0	32:37.0	19:47.0
Harper Reid	13:15.0	36:13.0	22:58.0
Liv Niklasson	13:40.0	37:21.0	23:41.0
Samantha Baily	12:25.0	****	****

January 6, 2020 Grooming Report

Trails were groomed (sadly) after yesterday's great classic-only "Resolution Classic" event.  I think everyone who came out to pre-ski and do the event all agree that our trails are hard to beat when groomed for classic skiing.  They were so much fun like that.

Anyway, temps were warmish for a couple of days and that means that a few sun-exposed segments saw some snow transformation for the first time in a while, but mostly it's still nice mid-winter crystals conditions.  We had to finally "grind" some of it up, which makes for some nice faster skiing.  

So, everything has been re-groomed, business as usual, for both skate and classic.

Grooming Report(s) Catch-Up for NEW YEAR - January 2, 2020!

Very sorry for not having kept up with this grooming reports blog.  There has just been NO spare time to do that this past month or so.  There was a LOT of industrial work just to get the trails functional again after the crazy storms of late winter last year, over the summer, and then this fall.  We didn't get much snow in November, until that hurricane snowstorm hit over Thanksgiving that left us with yet another big mess of trees down, etc.  It has been nothing but catch-up ever since.

Anyway, trails have been groomed all December, and we recently opened the Upper Caldera Loop and the Outer Limits Meadow trail!  They look great, if not still a little bumpy.  We seem to perpetually be short on grooming volunteers, so we make do with the very few hours spread among two or three guys.  Things are groomed pretty well as of today, but will be groomed again for this weekend's SWNSC Resolution Classic club events.  Hopefully this quick little storm will leave us with just a nice topping to go over the tracks from the high volume of traffic we've had over the holidays.

Come out and join in the fun this weekend: 

Saturday - skate sprints in the meadow (leave trail head by 10am, meet in meadow about 10:30 or so)
Sunday - Resolution Classic (no skating), best line tracks, ~3km, ~5km, and ~10km loop options; first skier off from Point A promptly by 9:30 AM.  Just show up to put your name on the list!

NM Cup Flier and Release Forms are Posted!

See the Google Drive location for the NM Cup Flier and Release Form!

NM Cup Flier and Release Form

Also, we have the first pass of our new [working] version of the club website:

www.swnskiclub.org

Check it out!!!

Wanted, SOUTHWEST NORDIC SKI Club Members!!!

Thanks to everyone who has registered to be a Southwest Nordic Ski Club member.  Your membership is more than just a donation, it's also part of a movement that helps us acquire resources for trail development and maintenance programs (not just winter ski season, and not just the Nordic trails).  It's also an influential political body as well.

This year, we've done a lot of trail work, acquired a new groomer that does SO much better than what we had before (and keeps us old guy groomers from wearing out our backs so much), maintained a lot of high-mileage equipment, etc., etc.  We've also developed a quickly-burgeoning kids outside fitness and ski program (all-season club activities).  Check the pictures on FB.

Wednesday afternoon SWNSC Kids practice at the Los Alamos golf course!

But, we need memberships and involvement, so please be sure to become a member (no other commitment required!).  It is tax-deductible.  

http://www.newmexicosportsonline.com/events/details?id=29230

Jump drills for the kids ski practice at the Los Alamos golf course

If you're up for helping with the kids ski program, please contact:

swnordicski-board@googlegroups.com

Resolution Race 2016! This Saturday at the end of the Pajarito Mountain Parking lot

Time to wax up the skis and don the lycra suit (if you can still fit in it after the holidays). Conditions are fantastic and we'll have the course groomed out nicely for our little club training race.

We'll start right at the end of the parking lot this year, and will have two distances for adults (about 15 km and 10 km), and several short distances for the kids. We'll also do a few technique exercises after the event to add some teaching to the day.  

Adults will start (promptly) at 10am, and we'll run the kids events at noon.

The downhill area will be open, so keep that in mind for parking and timing to get signed up and warmed up, etc.

It'll be fun and beautifully groomed!

Hope to see many of you there!!!

New equipment coming!! Want to help us groom?

OK, so we've been busy getting grants, donations, selling junk, etc., etc., so that we could pay off our debts and build up an account to cover the cost of some better stuff and more sustainable grooming equipment.

That being said, we just spent a ton this fall on the groomer (~ $7,500), some auxiliary stuff like a trail utility trailer,  a couple of lightweight grooming implements for certain conditions and situations, and assorted maintenance items that had to be purchased to get things back in order.  The chainsaws have also taken a lot of abuse and suck up some money to keep running!  Even without the grooming expenses, we've had to make a bunch of runs around the trails to keep things clear.

It has taken several years of miserly spending and a lot of effort and to build up the account to something we were comfortable with, but now it is going to be a little bit fragile until we get some more grants, donations, sell some more junk, etc., etc.  We got off to a pretty good start this year with everyone's generous donations and memberships.  Hopefully, El Nino will kick in and we'll see a bunch of great snow, which will be groomed to perfection with our new high-tech groomer.

We don't have a lot of grooming help, so we'll see how the schedule works out.  There may be some gaps in the grooming if no one is available.  If you're able and willing, we could use some help here and there.  Even if you can't groom, go out after snowstorms and ski pack (or snowshoe pack) the trails.  That really helps, actually!

Hope for some snow!!

Snow Fence Hanging Party THIS Sun Oct 25th, 9:30am!

 

 

We just now found out that our faithful snow-fencing-party organizer from previous years, Paul Graham, has chosen personal life over the our trail's snow fencing needs ;) He is available at end of Nov but we are hoping to be burried in a good amount of snow by then!

 

SO! we are going to try to round up some volunteers to hang as much as we can THIS Sunday Oct 25th.

That's you (and anyone you can wrangle into it on our behalf :) !!!!

 

Let's meet at 9:30am at the ski club shed (across from Canada Bonita trailhead).

If you come up later, just walk on up the trail and join a group.

Dress appropriately, bring gloves if you would like them, water, snacks, and wear layers. We will have Clay distribute the fencing rolls and bring up zipties. Something to hold your share of zipties for easy one-hand access will make things much better (regular pants pocket are NOT great as when you have to bend/squat and the ties will poke you and fall out).

 

Those of you who have participated before - you know it's a lot of work, but also quite a bit of fun with a good group of folks and is totally doable with kids helping or playing around, so come on up and bring out the whole family!!

We'll see how far we get this Sunday and then plan next weekend accordingly.

Hope to see you up there!

PS Mila says she (we?) will make really good cookies for those who come up! :)

Enchanted Forest season passes 50% OFF for club members until Nov 15th!!!

Did you know that our long time friends and sponsors and our favorite ski area Enchanted Forest Cross Country and Snowshoe Area has started their early season passes deals?!

Their passes are currently 25% off to the general public as early season price, however, for current Southwest Nordic Ski Club (SWNSC) club members the passes are 50% OFF! What a deal! That means that a full season family pass (which also comes with a 10% off merchandise and special events discount!!) is only $150!!

see full prices here (50% off price is NOT listed since it's only for our club members) http://www.enchantedforestxc.com/prices/season-passes

WHEN: 50% off discount to SWNSC members is only good until Nov 15th. That means you need to RENEW your SWNSC membership (or join) by Nov 13th to allow time to get your coupon code (see below) in time to purchase your discounted pass by Nov 15th.

HOW TO GET YOUR 50% OFF COUPON CODE:

1) Renew or join SWNSC online  here

2) within 2 days you will receive coupon code and instructions to purchase from us. Please contact us by messaging our facebook page or comment on this blog post right away if you do not receive it in 2 days.

3) make sure to use coupon code by Nov 15th to get your 50% off discount.

4) Feel good because SWNSC is a 501c3 non-profit so all membership fees and donations are tax deductible!

5) Feel even better because you are supporting a lot more than our club and our ski trails: SWNSC is also a contractor with USFS which allows the club to procure federal money to use to improve trails in our area (NOT just our ski trail!).

6) Tell your friends, like our facebook page and follow our blog!

Thanksgiving Camp by Crested Butte Nordic - Sign up now!

Hey folks,

I'm sure most of you know of the Thanksgiving Nordic camp put on the Crested Butte Nordic center. A fairly large group from our club goes every Thanksgiving.

 

Beautifully groomed trails with Crested Butte in the background. Quick ski before Thanksgiving dinner: 2014 camp.

 

sledding hill!!!!!

Getting around town for kids is easy :)

The house rentals in town are the best prices of the year (summer season is over but downhill skiing hasnt quite started yet - although there is often FREE downhill skiing on the early snow conditions that weekend, so you can take your downhillers and they'll have fun too). So you can get a great place right downtown and have a great time enjoying what is the most fun and best way to start your ski season by taking the awesome clinics Crested Butte Nordic Camp provides (they even have Intro clinics, so bring on your beginners!).

 

2014 kids thanksgiving clinic at CB Nordic

The list of instructors is amazing and the cost of clinics is more than reasonable (and is a fundraiser for the non-profit nordic center - great cause). You get a LOT of attention in all the clinics as well as video analysis for the intermediate/advanced clinics. This year, they also have a FREE kids ski camp which your kids can attend (grades K-6) while you are taking your clinics. They also have lots of gear rentals so you can try skating or classic, if either are new for you. Kids rentals are usually free during camp!!!

 

 

 

 

Here is the link for the camp: http://cbnordic.org/thanksgivingnordicskicamp/

And here is the link for the rental place we usually use for houses (or vrbo works well too). And we ALWAYS recommend the wonderful Cristiana Guesthaus (and their spectacular breakfast!!) they have been longtime sponsors and supporters of CB Nordic and they give 20% off to the camp participants (see camp page for details at right side under Lodging Deals).

Usually, even if going separately etc, we do try to hold thanksgiving day dinner at a larger house with all of us as a potluck. If you are interested in participating, let Dina (see email) know soon so we can arrange the potluck food etc.

Hope to see you out here!! 

So what are you waiting for?! Sign up today!!! :)

More blood, sweat...and money: TrailWork, Fees/Donations, NEW WEB DOMAIN!!!

from our club prez, Clay:

Photo courtesy of Lynn Bjorklund

OK, I'll admit that the club is loosely a charitable organization that continually asks for blood, sweat and tears...and your money, but it is great to be able to xc ski when there's good snow, right? There would be no possible way to have any of the skiing if we didn't have all of the above from all of you, so please help in any way you can by volunteering and/or renewing your memberships.

 

Just so you know, the club does function beyond just local XC skiing by maintaining the trails up at Canada Bonita and beyond. Club equipment is used by and donated to other local trail organizations, as well as club volunteerism, and the list goes on. We're all connected, so it is a good cooperative organization.

Club membership is mostly a charitable donation, but it also adds a bit of "political" clout to our cause and helps us to be in the running for grants and so forth. So please renew!

 

Here is the link to the renewal registration (don't forget, we are 501c3 organization and your donations and club fees are both tax deductible!! - you can request a reciept for your records when paying via link below):

http://www.newmexicosportsonline.com/events/details.aspx?id=29230
 

Also, we have a new website domain (still hosting our old website for now):
www.swnskiclub.org   ...as you may have noticed, the old one got hijacked by an unsavory group who has held it ransom. Shame on them!

We'll be producing a new website over the next few weeks with more up-to-date information and etc. Thanks for your support and patience.

 

Lots of trail work has been completed by a few hardy volunteers, but there is more to be done. We'll be cutting brush and fixing fencing some this coming Sunday (Pajarito Trail Festival is on Saturday). Come November, we'll be doing the "all hands" trail weekend to hang the fencing, so please set aside some time on the second weekend in November to help out with that if you possibly can. Info will be coming...

 

Thanks to all of you!

Snow Fence take-down party this Sat 4/11/15

Hi all,

Help volunteer so that we can pay for trail projects!!!  Your volunteer hours all count in our trail construction funding projects!  All those trail crews you've seen around the County have been paid for through a cooperative agreement with the Forest Service and the Southwest Nordic Ski Club.

Spring is definitely here, and for sure, we won't be doing any more trail grooming.  But, we do have to keep the Canada Bonita trails maintained.  We'll be taking the shade fencing down this coming Saturday, so please come up and help, even if it's just for a little while.  It all helps.  All you need to bring is a pair of clipper pliers (diagonal pliers) or even a pair of needle-nose pliers.  We'll have a few pairs extra, but it's easier if people bring their own.

It's not a hard job and is a good volunteer opportunity.  If you do come up to help, please send me your volunteer hours so that we can enter them into the Forest Service volunteer cost-share register. Or you can enter them yourself by going to our homepage and clicking the red hexagonal "VOLUNTEER, enter hours here!" button.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with everything over the years.  It's been a tough few years with the droughts and fires, and now more drought and falling trees!

Hope to see folks on Saturday!

(read Paul Graham's email for the details below...)

Clay

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Paul Graham

Hello everyone,

We are hoping to recruit folks to please help take down the Nordic trail snow fencing this Saturday (4/11).

With a large turnout we can make short work on this project. If possible plan at least even a small bit of your time to help. No effort is to small.

The routine by now is pretty much known: Cut zip-ties, roll fence, leave rolls on trail edge.

I will plan to be on the trail around 9:30 starting at the far fence line end (lower road) .. (but you can pick any spot along the fence line to take down fence if you need to limit your time and walking to the far fence line ends).

See you Saturday, Paul G.

NMCup xc ski races and fun events Sat-Sun March 7-8th.

This coming weekend (Sat-Sun March 7-8th) our Southwest Nordic club and Enchanted Forest will hold NM Cup XC Ski races at Enchanted Forest XC Ski and Snowshoe Area!! Info is below. The list of events this year include a pace race relay, great for newbies and mixed ability participants! Come up if 
you can, should be a lot of fun!! Race courses will be groomed especially for these events.

Never been to EFXC? Here is a first-timer info post we have on it including driving and rentals info: click here.

Don't want/aren't ready to race? Just come up to check EFXC and the events out and see how much fun it is (and see that anyone can race, even those learning how to walk often race :). Kids will have others to play with after and before events, it should make for a very fun weekend! Still not comfortable? Take a private or group lesson from EFXC's knowledgeable staff! Call ahead about lesson times.

Registration is day of each event at the EFXC base lodge. 

8:45-9:15am for adult races and until 11am for kids races and relays 

You will sign a waiver and get a race number. If participating both days please save your number to use it both days.

COST: each participant will need to buy an EFXC day trail pass for each day they are racing. Races are free with purchase of trail pass.

Althea racing with her grandpa

List of events!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday March 7th

--5/10k classic races (individual/time trial start, 30sec apart), 

--0.25/0.5k  kids races (flat, 1/2 laps around the base area), 

--3k kids race using blue and green trails (out Powder Puff back on March Hare loop, has hills and downhills)

--Pace Race relays: 2 people per team. Guesstimate your time and the winner is the team whose total time is closest to their own guesstimate. Length of each leg will vary from 0.25-1km based on each participant's ability. All loops are around base area. Great for cheering each other on and a fun way to mix participants of all abilities together! If you have an odd number of interested folks, we will find you a pair just before the race :)

Sunday March 8th

--7.5k/15k skate races

--0.25/0.5k  kids races (flat, 1/2 laps around the base area)*

--3k kids race using blue and green trails (out Powder Puff back on March Hare loop, has hills and downhills)*

*kids who know how to skate are encouraged to skate in the Sunday races, but classic will be fine as well for kids races.

FREE entries to nordic events in the Pagosa WinterFest Feb 14-15th.

Happy Snow day!!!

We have a limited number of free entries to give out courtesy of our neighbors in Pagosa Springs, CO, Pagosa Nordic Club. They have a set of very fun events suited for any ability over President's day weekend. 

Best part: 

- plenty of xc ski rentals for kids or adults available in Pagosa. 

- Hot springs are killler (this one is our fave esp with kids: http://www.pshotsprings.com/ - you dont have to stay there to use the hot springs).

- organizers and volunteers are great folks!

- Pagosa Baking Co!

- can't promise this, but in the years past they always had a large amount of swag from local shops to give away, so everyone got something rather than just a winner :)

events:

Sat Feb 14th: Red Ryder BB Gun Biathlon. That's alternating shooting targets and skiing laps, total ski distances (all laps added in) are 'kid' km, 6km, 12km (with 3 opportunities to shoot targets between laps). I'm pretty sure from past years that 'kid' k means whatever distance the particular kid is up for :) They are very flexible and beginner friendly adjusting events for participants on the spot!

Possibly relays and sprints as well.

They are so much fun especially for groups/families with all different abilities!

Sunday Feb 15th: 30k/60k races (or hot springs for the rest of us :). Not something to do 'off-the-couch' but gorgeous, fun and not as hard as some races of that distance!

Wax Clinic, Kids Lessons, Enchanted Forest, this week 1/29-2/1!!!

1) Thursday: FREE Ski Tuning clinic with SWNSC president Clay Moseley at (and courtesy of) Fusion Multisport, this Thu (tomorrow!) Jan 29th, 6pm. They are across the street from CB Fox in Los Alamos.

2) Friday/Saturday: Ski free rest of the dat at Enchanted Forest XC Ski Area by helping them out with timing UNM Ski team's homemeet there Friday and/or Sat mornings (and it is so fun to watch and cheer, there will be quite a few world class skiers!). And don't worry, the races are just in the morning, there will be plenty racer-free time to ski yourself.

3) Sunday: FREE kids' xc ski play-lesson at Canada Bonita trailhead this Sunday Feb 1st and 10am. Details below.
**Storm forecast for Fri-Sat, so this is weather contingent. Watch our facebook page (its a public url, you do not need to log in) for updates Fri and Sat.** 
FREE Kids' xc ski play lesson is set for this Sunday Feb 1st at 10am. We will meet at the Canada Bonita trailhead (just past the big rocks blocking Camp May road at the far end of Pajarito Downhill Area's parking lot). The plan is to play some games on Camp May road for about an hour to build comfort with ski handling and confidence. After that, we may take older and more experienced kids who are willing, to do some skiing on the Canada Bonita trail. All ages and ski abilities are welcome but plan to stay with your child if they are younger than 5. You will need to have your own equipment and it is very helpful if adults also wear their skis, more fun for the kids and very good practice for the parents :). Here is a list of rental places, make sure to call ahead (today!) with foot sizes, height and weight to make sure they have what you need. (Please share any experiences renting or any additional resources for this by replying all or just send them to me. We desperately need more info on rental availability to get folks started):
Albqq: Sport Systems http://www.nmsportsystems.com/
Albqq: REI http://www.rei.com/stores/albuquerque.html
Taos: Adventure Ski & Snowboard Rental Shop's http://www.adventureskishops.com/
Santa Fe: Cottam's Ski Shop http://www.cottamsskishops.com/#/LOCATIONS/
REI in SF does NOT rent.
Abiquiu: Ghost Ranch: 505-685-4333 ext. 4196

More views of the trails this past weekend:

Winter events to plan for now!

Lots of great fun nordic events in our area, almost every weekend is taken up! He is a quick list with links for more info so you can plan and sign up soon!

Jan 16-19 Chama Chile Ski Classic, loads of events every day with the flagship events on Sunday. Easy drive from Los Alamos, but we highly recommend staying over night and enjoying all the events and live music!

Jan 24th Durango Langlauf races (kids race too). Great events and across the road from Purgatory, so your downhillers can get some time in too!

Feb 7th Crested Butte Nordic's famous Alley Loop Marathon and races. 

Feb 14th the famous Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon! Totally EPIC. Started over 30 years ago by then UNM Ski coach, the venerable Klaus Weber. An amazing event. Must do. Great way to preview the course and how it works is to volunteer for it, which incidentally is a fun party all in and of itself! :) Note the event now features a QUAD KIDS for kids ages 3-13- check out the website for more info.

Feb13-15th Pagosa Springs Winterfest! Includes BB gun biathlon event. Need we say more?! Great set of super fun events, and who can beat soaking in the hot springs at the end of each day?!

Visiting Enchanted Forest XC Ski and Snowshoe Area for Dummies.

All the info you really need is of course on Enchanted Forest XC Ski and Snowshoe Area's website www.efxc.com. However, here are some highlights of that info that you might want to review before heading up for the first time.

- TIMING/DRIVE: drive from Los Alamos to the base lodge is 2 hours (slightly under even). It is a gorgeous drive with Taos about half way. If you are doing a 1 day trip, you could stop for breakfast/dinner in Taos on your drives. Plenty of amazing places to eat there. See below for our faves.

snowshoes for kids too!

rental skis for kids, toddlers and adults!

- GEAR: EFXC has skate and classic xc ski rentals, as well as snowshoes (snowboots included). They have all gear for kids and adults including kid pulks. They also have quite a bit of merchandise, including nice socks, mittens, gloves, hats, sunglasses and more, so if you forget the small stuff, you'll be all set.

- DO I NEED 4WD?: last 400m or so to the area parking lot from the highway is a steep hill. You will need 4WD for it. If you do not have 4WD or are uncomfortable driving that part, you should park on the large pullout off the highway and call the base lodge (large EFXC sign with their number and info at the pullout). They will pick you up and drop you back off at the car as well. You can also walk that 400m if you prefer.

- FOOD: EFXC has a nice warm base lodge with tables, a microwave, cold water, hot water, coffee. They sell microwavable burritos, soups, hot chocolate and cider, bars and candy. They also usually have Nature Valley granola bars out for free as Nature Valley sponsors xc skiing and sends lots of samples out to xc ski areas. We usually bring a lunch and snacks. There is also a warming yurt out on the trails. It has a wood stove in it, a couch to sit on, some table and chairs, so it's warm and cozy. Makes for a great 'picnic' lunch or warm up stop while out skiing/snowshoeing. They also  have a fire pit outside which they get going for some days and tables outside for particularly sunny lunch times (gotta love the NM sunshine all winter long!!)

- OTHER TIPS: if you are traveling with small kids and worried about slow process of getting going, it is really helpful to either stop in Taos to eat on way up, or packing food with you and handing it to the kids just after you pass Taos so they are fueled up and ready to go as soon as you get to the area.

- There are many awesome places to eat in Taos, but in case you are really unfamiliar with Taos, here are the ones we tend to use most often (all right off the main road you'll be on, except El Gamal):

-- for burrito or other to-go breakfast: The Coffee Spot.

-- for sitdown amazing breakfast/lunch: The Taos Diner (either location is convenient off the main road and yummy).

-- famous (and awesome) dinner spot: Taos Pizza Out Back.

-- all around, breakfast, lunch, dinner, bakery, great NM style food and more: Michael's Kitchen.

-- vegetarian-only option with a spectacular kid's toy/play room and floor seating: El Gamal.

WINTER FUN: Enchanted Forest XC Ski and Snowshoe Area also offers ski lessons (both classic or skate) and snowshoe tours. They hold spectacular special events including the super famous Just Desserts Eat and Ski at the end of Feb. They also have two warm yurts you can rent. Great way to winter camp or glamp (glamour+camping :), with the groomed trail access and even an additional option of having them deliver and pick up your gear, it's an easy way to try out a winter adventure!  (you can also rent the yurts in the summer and hike or mountain bike on the trails!) Make sure to check out their site for more details and don't hesitate to call them if you have any questions: www.efxc.com

PPS if you have avid downhillers in your group, you can easily xc ski in the morning and downhill at Red River on the way back, or just drop them off at the downhill on your way up to EFXC!

SWNSC Trail Update 1/8/2014

Trail is still mostly covered, but has taken a beating with a lot of foot traffic and the very warm days earlier in the week.  There is now a big bare spot where the fencing stops on the front hill, so be careful above and below it.

Lots of debris on the trails have left things in sort of a mess, so keep that in mind if you go ski, and pick some up and toss it off the trail if you can.

Trail may be bladed to preserve the base until we get more snow.  That cold front with the fog didn't quite reach the higher elevations, so it may not be as icy up there as it is down here in town, but the snow did transform a lot during the warm spell, so it'll be icy unless it's groomed.

The UNM-LA ski class is this weekend, so new track will be set on the Camp May Rd.

Hope for snow next week!

Remember, the SWNSC kids' clinic will be this Sunday at 10:30 A.M. at Enchanted Forest.  The clinic (games, relays, obstacle course, etc.) is free, but regular trail pass and rental fees are still in effect.