An early pre-Halloween snowfall in Santa Fe sent us all scurrying into our sweater drawers and required the reluctant firing up of pilot lights around town. While November returned us to more moderate temperatures, the snow on the mountain leaves no doubt: The first official day of winter isn’t until Dec. 21, but we’ll be fully into the swing of that picturesque season by then.
And what will that season bring? Lots of chances to enjoy indoor and outdoor recreation, for one, with backcountry skiing, ice-skating, snowboarding, skiing and, if you’re really brave, some renegade snow shovel racing. The winter months also are a great time to look up, as in be sure to check out the Geminids meteor shower and other night-sky attractions. For a different kind of light show, head to Madrid for its historic Christmas parade. Of course, you don’t have to leave the city boundaries to enjoy the holidays. In addition to the ever-popular Gustave Baumann marionette show at the New Mexico Museum of Art’s Holiday Open House, there are concerts and shows all season long—so be sure to pick up a print edition and hold on to our guide. Some cold winter days will require staying in the cozy warmth of your home. When you do, you’ll want to have great snacks on hand; we’ve got recipes from local Santa Fe chefs for you. In or out, be sure to stay warm and check out our winter shopping tips to keep you cozy—and chic—until spring.
—Julia Goldberg
Browse the digital edition HERE or check out the articles below.
In 1984, Mark Mortier and a few friends crossed over the top of Santa Fe’s Lake Peak in flimsy leather ski boots, with skinny, 7-foot-long telemark skis thrown over their shoulders. They clipped at the top of a sub-peak on the other side and dropped into a small piece of heaven.
The day before riding the Star Train, I sat down to lunch with Peter Lipscomb and Robert Hoyle, two self-proclaimed “astrononerds” who spend their days talking about the skies and their nights gazing into them.
Fifteen sets of skates for 15 pairs of stockinged skaters’ feet make a 50-mile journey three to five times a week. This is the story of prospective ice-skaters’ introduction into the high-stakes world of US Figure Skating. It’s also a story of not taking such things too seriously.
The dark, chilly days of winter and the often attendant desire to remain inside belong to those of us who know that settling in with a good book or staying in bed are the best plans. Of course, those leisurely, lingering activities come with a de facto pit stop: the indulgent break for needed sustenance, the winter snack.
There’s evidence Americans are under the erroneous impression that puppet shows are only for kids. But if the minds behind the Holiday Open House at the New Mexico Museum of Art have their way, adults will get over it and enjoy toys just as much as children do.
The history of snow sports is one of tragedy, folly and regret. But some things hurt more than others. When 30 fun-filled years of mayhem and drunken horror is robbed from the public because of “liability,” the only choice is to go rogue.
Razelle Benally considers snowboarding—like filmmaking, skateboarding and underground hip-hop—to be more than a hobby. For Benally, it's integral to life.
Madrid, NM, and its Christmas light displays were known all over the world during the first few decades of the 20th century. Even Walt Disney is fabled to have been enamored of Madrid, thrilled by its devotion to luminescent displays around the holidays; he spent time in northern New Mexico while filming The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca in Cerrillos in the ’50s
Boots, gloves, sweaters, hats and lotion for staying warm and protected in the coming ice age.
