Kissing the Sky

From the moment I arrived in Santa Fe, I have been in awe of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Even from the lowest points in Santa Fe, the snow-covered pines are visible, strikingly so against the lower pines, which have no snow. Because there's supposed to be some snowfall tonight (not just in the higher mountains), I was determined to figure out how to get up there today.

In my usual travel mode, I set off fairly early with no immediate destination. I had thought about going to Taos, but when I started heading north, I realized I didn't care that much about visiting Taos after all. So I turned off the highway and wandered toward Nembe Pueblo. I didn't find much, other than a cool rock formation that didn't come out well in the pictures I took. Not knowing where I was going (and without the benefit of GPS) I just kept driving down the road I was on. I came to a locked gate with a tribal police car on the other side. A deputy who didn't look old enough to shave came over the gate and to my car. I told him where I wanted to go ("to the snowy mountains") and he said I needed to head back in the direction of Santa Fe. He was very nice and explained that the park (Bandolier Monument) was closed except for hunting. That was unfortunate because there are lakes and waterfalls back there that I would have liked to see. Many places are closed (or have reduced their hours) this time of year.

I went through Chimayo, had lunch in Espanola, and stopped at the flea market in Tesuque. Again I asked my question: How do I get to the snowy mountains? I got some not great directions from two men who didn't speak great English. That was fine. I decided to follow their directions (even though I could tell pretty soon that they wouldn't take me where I wanted to go). I ended up on Tano Road, a windy trail along a crest that was a little scary. I saw a sign that said No Outlet, but by then I wanted to see where it went. I am not exaggerating when I say that there was barely enough road for each lane, and no shoulder, and a sheer drop-off on each side. I went through those passes knowing that I'd probably have to go through them again on my way back. I sure did, and they were no less scary the second time.

Rather than drive all over the place without direction -- it was getting late in the day -- I went back to my hotel and asked the super-helpful desk clerk (the same one who offered me her coat when I first got into town). I had ended up in downtown Santa Fe again anyway, so I dropped off some stuff from the car, got accurate directions, and headed up the mountain. It was breathtaking! I felt like I was at the top of the world (I think I was at about 12,000 feet elevation), and I saw the snow-covered pines close up. There were other beautiful views too, and I found myself wishing -- for at least the hundredth time -- that I had a real camera. My phone camera didn't do justice to the magnificence I saw. As I came back down the mountain, the sun was setting and I pulled over several times to try to capture the colors. The photos weren't awful, just not as good as I had hoped. The one above is the best of the batch. It would be nice to have caught on camera the amazing range of color I saw in the sky. I'll always remember it, but I would also have liked to share it.