by Bob Ackenhausen | Mar 20, 2020 | Footnotes
Road Trip.
Calling all ski bums! The road trip from Santa Fe to Durango and Purgatory is a must. Do not take route 550. This is the route everyone from Albuquerque takes and it will get you there a bit faster. But the journey is a big part of a road trip and the 550 route does not offer much. So you may ask, what path should I take? Head north on 285, through Espanola, Abiquiu and Chama. Up over the continental divide and into Pagosa Springs. The road, the views and the mighty rockies make for an incredible journey. Head on over to Durango and you have arrived in a unique little western town.
Durango.
On arriving in Durango you must stop at the historic Strater hotel and have lunch in the Diamond Bell. The waitress are dressed in period tight little corsets, fishnet stockings with a feather in their hair. Oh, and the food’s good too.
Purgatory.
The drive to Purgatory ski area will continue the impressiveness of the road trip. Massive mountains rise up on both sides of the road. The Sangre De Christos around Santa Fe seem puny in comparison.
Now for the skiing.
Purgatory is a big ski area and I will be honest, I was a bit intimidated. I have skied many big areas but not for several years. This was my first road trip to Purgatory and I was totally unfamiliar with the mountain. But I gave it a go. The snow was hard packed which is not my favorite but you take what the mountain gives you. The sun came out, I was on the mountain and life was good.
Brew Pubs.
Two hours of skiing and it was time to call it a day and find a good Durango brew pub. The Steamworks proved to be the perfect place. Good food and good beer. Just a short walk from the Stater down charming Main Street so no bothering with parking and driving back after sampling a variety of their excellent brews.
Full Ski Day.
The next day was a full ski day and the final day of the Durango road trip. The sun was out and the sky blue. A great ski day. The only down side was the hard packed snow. I had planned to ski all day but by 2:00 my legs were telling me ‘It’s time to call it a day’.
Back to Santa Fe.
The next day my Durango road trip came to an end. The drive back to Santa Fe was impressive as always. A herd of Pronghorn Antelope close to the road added an unexpected bonus to the incredible mountain scenery.
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by Bob Ackenhausen | Feb 4, 2020 | Footnotes
‘You take what the mountain give you! You must enjoy the experience’.That is a quote from a guest on one of my Santa Fe Footprints ski tours. The mountain was angry that day. The fog was thick and the wind was high. We did the lower mountain and it was not bad. As always, the runs at Ski Santa Fe are fun and can challenge you. I saw a small patch of blue sky and we decided to go up top. We rode the lift to Tesuque Peak. The view from the top is normally magnificent. Not today. The fog limited visibility to 20 feet. The wind blew me over. With skill and care we all made it down.
When I apologized for the mountain a guest set my mind at ease. This is skiing and you take what the mountain give and enjoy the experience.
I took guest up several days later and the mountain was much kinder. This day was what a Santa Fe ski experience normally is all about. No lift lines. Sunshine. 100 mile visibility. The mountain was still holding back. A bit of wind. I found the snow a bit hard. Not the normal white fluff that is Santa Fe’s calling card.
As I look out the window the snow is falling. The mountain is saying, ‘Come on! I got what you need!’
Don’t miss the Experience !!!!!
by Bob Ackenhausen | Dec 22, 2019 | Footnotes
Farolito Walk on Canyon Road on Christmas Eve.
Christmas in Santa Fe is one of my most favorite times of the year. Christmas in Santa Fe is magical. The trees in the plaza are filled with beautiful lights of many colors. There are free performances in the Cathedral by such groups as the Apprentices of the Santa Fe Opera. The famous Desert Chorale performs and numerous locations around town. Loretto Chapel, home of the miracle stairway, has a Christmas concert on Christmas Eve.
On of the most beloved events is the Christmas Eve walk up Canyon Road. The road is lined with farolitos. Not the plastic ones with electric lights but real ones. Paper bags with sand in the bottom and a candle burning in the middle. Many of the art galleries are open with bond fires out front with hot refreshments.
Of course, there is the shopping. Shopping in Santa Fe is unequaled. But, Christmas in Santa Fe is magical and for the reasons above and many more it should not be missed.
When you need to take a day off from the fantastic skiing or the incredible shopping, consider a tour of this historic city. Click here for more information about a great Historic Walking Tour.
by Bob Ackenhausen | Dec 13, 2019 | Footnotes
Window shopping in New York
New York City. This no place like it in the world. We did a stop over in New York City for a few days there before our trip to South Africa. The big new thing is ‘The Vessel’ in Hudson Yards. The Vessel is a public art project meant to attract people to Hudson Yards. It worked !!
Hudson Yards is the new high end (this is New York after all) mixed use development. The Vessel is this amazing thing and you can climb to the top, if you dare. It is eleven stories tall but climb is easy and fun. There are many landing areas as you go up. Each area give you a different view of the city, the river (Hudson) and the surrounding area. The stores at Hudson Yards are the same old high end stuff and frankly, not that impressive but the Vessel is a must see item.
Walking Down Fifth Avenue.
We of course walked down Fifth Avenue and there the shopping is, well very New York. The picture above is a display window at Bergdorf-Goodman. Now, as I said, there is no place like New York but the same is true for Santa Fe. We lived in New York City, Brooklyn actually, for three years but when the time came to leave we had the entire country to chose from and we choose Santa Fe.
New York vs. Santa Fe
I like to say Santa Fe is just like New York minus the crowds and super high prices. Come see us this Christmas season. You will not be disappointed ! Of course, if you do get the chance, you must do a stop over in New York City!
While you are out here in Santa Fe and you need to take a day off from the fantastic skiing or the incredible shopping, consider a tour of this historic city. Click here for more information about a great Historic Walking Tour.
by Bob Ackenhausen | Dec 10, 2019 | Footnotes
First Day skiing at Ski Santa Fe
The first ski day of the season has begun and on a good note, so far as the snow is concerned. As of December 10th, Ski Santa Fe has had about 40 inches of snow.
Ski Santa Fe opened on November 28th. This was Thanksgiving Day. I had broken my toe back in September and it was still a bit tender. Most likely because I have walked on it for a month before finally having it looked at. With this in mind plus the fact that only the bottom runs were open, I delayed my first ski day of the 2020 season until today.
I arrived at about 9:00am and parked in the upper right lot so I could ski to the lodge. This seemed like a good idea because at the end of the day I could ski to the lot and have only a short walk to the car.
I was meeting a friend named Joe. This was the first ski day for both of us. We met in the lodge and after he got his gear on we were ready to hit the slopes.
The Snowboarder and I
This was the first day for both of us so we agreed to just take it easy. The first two runs were good. Now it was time to head for the lifts to the upper mountain. On the run to the lifts a young snowboarder hit me from the side and completely wiped me out. I rolled down the hill for about 20 or 30 yards before coming to a stop. One ski near me and one way up the hill. I hadn’t bucketed my helmet strap and it went sliding down the hill. Everyone was asking if I was OK and after a minute or so I could tell I was fine. A ski patrol guy brought my helmet and another skier brought down my ski and I was up and ready to go. The young board gal never said sorry, boo or anything for that matter. I think I came out of it with only a bruised rib, I hope. This was the biggest wipe out I have had in many a year, maybe ever. For the rest of the day I was very leery of snowboarders !!
A Good Lunch and Final Runs
We Stopped for lunch at 11:45 or so. A nice bowl of hot chile was just what we needed to warm us up. We both decided that we would do a few more runs and call it a day. The legs are just not as young as they were! It was a good sunny day, cold but with the sun out, who cares? It was 16 degrees at the start of the day but I never felt cold. That is one of the great things about skiing in Santa Fe on a sunny day. That sun just keeps you nice and toasty.
More Snow on the Way
More snow is on the way this weekend so next week will be even better. The legs will be stronger and the powder deeper! Can’t wait!
When you need to take a day off from the fantastic skiing or the incredible shopping, consider a tour of this historic city. Click here for more information about a great Historic Walking Tour.
