on the eyes, with a flair for good times marking its character. There are 76 ski and snowboarding trails, suitable for all skill levels, and the resort also plays host to snowshoeing, sleigh rides and snowmobiling. The Polar Coaster, the largest tubing park in the Southern Rockies, gives children of all ages a chance to experience a live-action “polar express.” Notable events include Wild West Weekend (January 23-25), and the Angel Fire Winter Carnival and Shovel Race World Championships (February 6-8), in which participants plant their fannies in a steel shovel and race down the mountain in the name of fun, money, and bragging rights. Take the Polar Plunge New Year’s Day in icy Eagle Nest Lake. It’s been a while since anyone seriously mined Baldy, and gambling here is a thing of the past, but there’s still gold in Eagle Nest – the lake sports some of the best trout fishing in the state. Kokanee salmon join recordbreaking rainbows, cutthroats and other fish in an effort to beguile locals and visitors alike. Red River, the “Little Texas” of New Mexico, known for its down-home vibe and a gold-mining past, keeps its winter fun centrally located, with the ski base in the middle of town. The bursts and flares of a fireworks spectacle are part of the 45th annual Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade, and families can usher in 2015 at the Old-Fashioned New Year’s Eve Party. Other seasonal highlights include: The Winter Carnival & Parade of Ice, January 9-19, which features ice sculptures along Main Street; and the Red River Songwriter’s Festival (January 23-25), a three-day celebration of music and song. The village of Chama lays claim to a rough and rugged boomtown past, when gold-fever possessed the hearts and minds of many would-be “lucky strikers.” Set in the breathtaking Rio www.hawk-media.com
Chama Valley, winter fun includes skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and ice fishing on the Heron Reservoir. The Chama Chile Ski Classic, a cross-country ski event, takes place on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend in January. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains, Durango’s postcard-charm and winterfriendly disposition earned it a ranking as one of America’s “Top 10 Christmas Towns” by HGTV (Home & Garden Television). Purgatory, in Durango-speak, means 35,000 acres of mountain terrain where skiers and snowboarders can
which includes South Fork, Monte Vista and Del Norte, is rich in outdoor recreation and all-natural splendor. South Fork’s annual “Winterfest” takes place December 12 and 13. It takes a little imagination to see Clayton as a mountain town in the literal sense of the word. It’s high enough in altitude, though, higher than most mountains east of the Mississippi. It was the jumping-off place for Santa Fe Trail traders, who knew that in another day from Rabbit Ears, they’d see the mountains that were their destination.
PHOTO: JANET SAILOR
get their velocity on. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which has been in operation for over a century, plays host to the Polar Express throughout the holidays, in which children are encouraged to don their pajamas and enjoy a leisurely trip to the North Pole. Mid-winter mirth and kicks comes in the form of “Snowdown 2015,” a week-long event featuring a costume ball and street parade, with this year’s theme being “Steampunk Snowdown.” Known as the gateway to the San Juan Mountains, Rio Grande County,
The St. James Hotel in Cimarron offers a celebrated window into an unruly past. Legendary visitors such as Blackjack Ketchum, Kit Carson, Clay Allison, Jesse James and Buffalo Bill Cody have become part of its dramatic fabric, and ghosts of all shapes and sizes have allegedly remained active occupants. John Biscello lives and writes in Taos. His books, Freeze Tag and Broken Land: A Brooklyn Tale, are available through www.amazon.com 13