January 2013 18
Enchanted Forest Cross-Country Ski Area is one of my favorite places for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Enchanted Forest features groomed ski trails, along with snowshoe trails and even trails where you can ski with your dog! Enchanted Forest is located 3 miles east of Red River, and it is situated near bobcat pass at a high elevation, which brings it more snow than other places nearby.
www.enchantedforestxc.com Another great snowshoeing spot is the 89,000 square mile Valles Caldera National Preserve. You can trek all over the huge volcano caldera and up into the surrounding mountains. Wander down to the Jemez River, a great place to view wildlife. Valles Caldera is 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe. www.vallescaldera.gov
Albuquerque is home to the world's largest ice surface, CooLLoop, which is open for skating and ice-hockey. They offer a learn to skate program, and birthday parties. www.outposticearena.com Santa Fe has an ice-skating rink at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center. www.chavezcenter.com Northwest of Santa Fe, the Los Alamos County Outdoor Ice Rink ahs been open since 1936, and is the only NHL regulation ice rink in New Mexico, and offers hockey and skating in the afternoon and evening from late November through February. www.losalamosnm.us/rec/rink
Colorado
Snow Sports abound in Colorado, with beautiful snow-capped Rocky Mountains. Colorado has many ski resorts.
Vail Resort is one of the top ski destinations in the Country, and is the Largest Ski Resort in the USA. Vail has dozens of great trails for every skill level, a new half-pipe, terrain parks, snow tubing, cross country, and snowshoeing. Vail is considerably more expensive than smaller resorts, but a trip to Vail should be seriously considered. www.vail.com
Despite its name, Purgatory Ski Area near Durango is a great place for family skiing, but also has plenty of trails for experts. The Moonlight Snowshoe tours are a great experience for all ages. www.durangomountainresort.com
Steamboat Springs Ski Resort has almost 3,000 acres of ski-able terrain, and has produced 69 winter Olympians. You can ride a gondola to 3 restaurants perched on the mountain, with fabulous views of the surrounding country. The skiing is great, with plenty of nice trails from green to black. www.steamboat.com
The Crested Butte Nordic Center is one of the best cross-country areas in the state, with trails for every skill level, and beautiful scenery. You can even rent a ski-hut there. www.cbnordic.org