Mountains

It's almost official, the Taos Ski Valley 2010 Development Plan has been approved by the U.S. Forest Service. Specifically, Alternative 2 has been approved which includes the Main Street lift on Kachina Peak and Ridge lift on the West Basin Ridge. The official Record of Decision was published and a 45 day Appeal Period began on August 23rd, 2012. Information on who can appeal and how to appeal is described in the Record of Decision.

Hey, ski resort. I know we haven't seen much of each other for a few months but the mornings have been getting cooler and I was thinking about you. I want us to be together every winter, but we need to talk. I love the great times we've had together but we can't keep going on like we used to. We could talk about the weather all the time: When will it snow? How much? Will it be light, fluffy powder or a heavy, wet blanket of snow? But things have changed and I'm worried about our future. We need to talk about CO2 and climate change.

We are well into the heat of summer in the Northern Hemisphere (I hope the skiing is great South of the Equator!) and warm weather mountain sports are in season. Heading to the mountains is a great way to escape the heat and find other ways of earning your turns. One of my favorites is Mountain Biking, just a whippersnapper compared to skiing, but it has been around since the early 1970's.

Dust Blows! Then dust lands on snow and the snow melts off faster. Why is this a problem? Faster snowmelt leads to early spring runoff and reduced river waterflow. Dust on mountain snowpacks amplifies the problem of warmer and drier weather in the Southwestern US brought on by climate change. What can be done about it? The Center for Snow & Avalanche Studies (CSAS) needs funding to research this dusty problem.

Backcountry, sidecountry, slackcountry. Call it whatever you like, it's skiable terrain that is not managed by a resort or patrol organization. Once you duck a rope, step through a gate or start skinning up a slope you are taking a risk with the snow you will slide down.

Slowly but surely the Taos Ski Valley 2010 Master Development Plan progresses. The Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Taos Ski Valley's 2010 Master Development Plan - Phase 1 Projects was published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2012. A 45-day comment period began the day after the publication date of the NOA (the Comment Period ends February 27, 2012).

Experience an Adrenaline-Filled and Thought Provoking Mountain Film on 01/31/12

WHAT: All.I.Can – an environmental ski film by Sherpas Cinema
WHEN: Tuesday, January 31, 7:00pm – One Show Only!
WHERE: Santa Fe Farmer's Market Pavilion, 1607 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM
TICKETS: $10 at the door, $8 with a Winter Fiesta Adventure Pass

January is a great time to head up the mountain and learn to ski or snowboard. With the holidays (SolstiChristmaHanukKwanzivus) past your local ski areas are a little less crowded and perfect for beginners. Maybe you have a son, daughter, nephew or niece who would love to try snow sports. Ski resorts across North America are offering great deals (and prizes) for beginning skiers and boarders.