This weekend was a take-advantage-of-the-snow-in-New-Mexico-while-it's-still-here kind of weekend.
Saturday we drove up to Pajarito to do some cross-country skiing in the forest near the Valles Caldera. It was gorgeous with snow-covered trees and an occasional view.
(The hills were a bit steeper and curvier than in my previous experience in Michigan and Arizona. In other words, I fell a lot.) I also managed to drop my camera in a snow bank - hence we look like we were in a blizzard.
But it was actually a gorgeous, sunny, bright blue sky day. When we were leaving the parking lot looking down on the valley of Los Alamos with mountains behind, the sky was pink and blue. It really was like both kinds of cotton candy right next to each other. We didn't actually see the sun set, but the effects were outstanding.
Today KGS and PS drove down from Santa Fe and met us on the back side of the Sandias. First stop - Capulin Snow Play Area. This place was crazy - two separate fenced off areas with stairs of sorts to get to the top. One was a bunny hill for the kiddies, and one was a rather big hill (not as big as Waters) for the big or brave kiddies. And we weren't the oldest ones there. (Although the other ones might have had kids.) However, the snow coverage was not that great and some people (not naming names) couldn't take it. After 4 runs we called it quits.
Stop two - Sandia Crest. We strapped on our snow shoes and headed out to the trails. The mountain and the views were so gorgeous with snow everywhere. I liked it better than I did before. (Hopefully KGS will send me some pictures for illustration.) We tramped over to the Crest House and on the way back played some sort of snowshoe ultimate frisbee golf gambling game. Right as we were about to go for our last target, we saw a guy running off the trail below us yelling, "Help! Talk!"
I immediately sent Matt to the car to get a cell phone in case we needed to call 911, but we discovered that the girl was really cold and possibly borderline hypothermic. She was not terribly responsive, which was why the guy was yelling, "Talk!". We helped get her up to the Crest House where she could go inside and have something warm to drink, and PS got her to talk by asking her questions along the way. This is how we learned she was from Panama.
We had previously passed this group while we were coming back from the Crest House and they were going out to it. We were wearing snow shoes and running all over the place. They were wearing tennis shoes and probably getting their feet pretty wet. (Well first I thought she had cozy boots on, but I think it was just normal shoes with some furry leg warmers.) After we got her to the Crest House and she took her shoes and socks off and drank some tea, she was doing much better. No medical help needed and we took off. Another guy had helped as well, and he left with us.
So her group consisted of the one white boy, presumably her boyfriend or husband, and we think her parents and possibly some siblings. On the way down the mountain we pieced together their entire lives. He looked military and had a Navy jacket, so we suspect that perhaps he met her in Panama. Then her family came up to Albuquerque to visit and he decided to take them on the tourist trip to the Crest. Between altitude, dehydration, and the temperature, it is not too hard to see how a girl from Panama without proper attire could get so cold. Her lips were so blue. On the way back down we heard it was below freezing in Albuquerque, so it must have been quite cold on the Crest.
Nothing like a little excitement in the day. Right now I'm sitting in my house and my fingers are so cold that I can barely type anymore. So I'm going to sign off.
Remember, if you go play in the snow, be prepared. There might not always be people around to rescue you. Be prepared if you go play outside at all actually. Now I sound like a Boy Scout. Or a Girl Scout. Whatever. You know what I mean.
