13 Best Women's Skiing Socks

Bestselling Women's Skiing Socks in 2023

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Fitness Fun... Snow Sports Abound in a Town Known to Work Hard and Play Hard

Downhill or cross-country skiing, skating, playing hockey or sledding, getting outside during the winter months can be challenging exercise, and good fun.

The main winter activities that Los Alamos has to offer - downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice-skating -- will be included here, and especially, the devotees who help people find their winter sweet spot.

Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding - Pajarito Ski Area and Ski Club
Benefits: Downhill skiing (and snow boarding) are high-energy and physically demanding, but with some skill and practice can be relaxing as well as great cardio exercise.

"Los Alamos has a real 'sporty' feel to its population. Locally as well as Nationally skiing and snowboarding have seen continual growth over the last several years," says Tom Long, General Manager of the Pajarito Ski Area. "Snowboarding enjoyed a very rapid growth spurt at it inception and recognition, but has slowed to match the annual growth of skiing."

Long, who has been skiing since the age of two, has a long history of skiing, racing, coaching and teaching skiing. He is a full-Certified member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and was an Examiner and Clinic Conductor for the Rocky Mountain Division of PSIA. Long has worked full-time in the ski industry since 1966. He came to Pajarito Mountain Ski Area in September of 2004 from Sandia Peak where he worked for 38 years.

"I had skied at Pajarito over the years since I was a child. I had also come here to conduct clinics and training events for the ski school staff over the years," Long says. "The terrain and unique culture always drew me to this place."

Attractions: On almost any given day, out-of-town visitors to Pajarito Ski Area rave about the slopes, the grooming, the facilities and the personnel that make it all work. We take it all for granted, but should appreciate our family-friendly little ski area with a charming history that's part of the Lab itself and at the heart of the character of Los Alamos.

"Pajarito Mountain compares very favorably with our contemporaries in New Mexico," says Long. "We have a lot of challenging terrain and some great terrain to cruse. We have very nice terrain park, an excellent Ski Patrol and Ski School. We have an extraordinary culture and history that is hard to match in our industry."

"Visitors are amazed at the scope and variety of our mountain," he says. "We have a lot of lift capacity so lift lines are virtually non-existent, and we can challenge the best skiers and have a lot of terrain for the neophyte. The regulars are always happy to have a variety of conditions groomed runs and great moguls to challenge themselves."

Facilities: The Los Alamos Ski Club owns and operates the ski area, which measures 750 acres, including 300 cleared acres. Just 5 miles from downtown, Pajarito has 5 lifts, 40 named trails, a terrain park, rental, retail, café, a ski school and a volunteer ski patrol. The steepest slope is 37 degrees, and 50% of the trails are intermediate level. The lowest point is 9,000 feet in elevation, the highest 10,440 feet.

In the 1940s, during the Manhattan Project, a group of scientists, mostly Europeans accustomed to skiing, created a ski area using explosives to clear the trails. The ski area was moved to the current location in the early 1950s and maintains a bulletin board history in the café that includes some of the biggest names in science on its 1943 membership rolls. Right there, on paper.

"Snow fall and the quality of the skiing experience are usually indicators of the strength of the season," says Long. "It seems that Pajarito Mountain Ski Area has a very strong 'core' of members that has been growing on an annual basis since I've been here. Still, our memberships have not reached the zenith years some 20 years ago."

Cost: Ski passes range from $304 to $552, but are greatly discounted before November 3. Day passes are $31-$50.

Instruction/Gear: Two-and four-hour lessons are available on-site, as is rental equipment. Also, Los Alamos Ski Club hosts a Ski Swap in October.

Website: skipajarito.com.

Cross-country Skiing
Benefits/attractions: Excellent cardio-vascular exercise, builds muscle, flexibility and overall fitness. It's also a great way to build friendships, according to long-time Mountaineer Richard Opsahl.

Opsahl came to Los Alamos when he retired in 1999 because of its "outdoor ethic," and "we have the only free, groomed cross-country area in New Mexico." Opsahl is still very active in the Los Alamos Mountaineers club, doing 5-10 excursions each year.

The Los Alamos Mountaineers (LAM) have had an active presence here for more than 55 years. Their primary winter activities are cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. The club organizes outings, monthly meetings and programs like slide shows of recent trips and talks, and the annual climbing school, and hosts an online Swap Meet. The website, , has a collection of accounts of adventures of members, reflecting the focus of the club on its members. Membership is just $15/year for individuals, $20 for families.

Recommended trails: The Los Alamos County Golf Course, Pipeline Road and Canada Bonita from the Pajarito Ski Area parking lot. There are no Nordic trails actually on Pajarito Mountain, but there is a network of trails to the north in Santa Fe National Forest maintained by the Southwest Nordic Ski Club (SWNSKI), and more trails in the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP). The SWNSKI trails are accessed from the west end of the ski area parking lot, while the VCNP trails are reached from the Visitor Center in the Valle. If you want to get to know the local spots, get to know some Mountaineers.

Where to get gear: Los Alamos Ski Club hosts a Ski Swap in October, and retail shops in Santa Fe include Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works, Alpine Sports and Cottam's Ski Shop. Also, see LAM's online Swap Meet.

Who provides training: Both the Mountaineers Club and the SWNSKI Club offer trips with experienced members.

Websites:

Snowshoeing
Benefits/Attractions: This must be the easiest way to really get out into the woods. It's a low cost gear investment, no training is required, and no snow-grooming (or even trails) are required. It's also great aerobic exercise, according to Barranca Mesa Elementary School PE teacher Lynne Higdon. "New Mexico has those beautiful sunny days in the winter that are great for getting outdoors," she says.

"One of the benefits of snowshoeing is that you don't have to give up hiking in the winter when the snow falls," says Higdon. "It's fun to get out and play in the snow without sinking down or turning your ankles on a rock."

Higdon got a grant from the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation last year to buy snowshoes for all her classes so she'd have an outdoor activity for them when the snow fell. "The students have a great time putting on the snowshoes and going all around the playground," she says. "It gives us a chance to get outside in the winter to play. "

Higdon was raised in San Diego, and has lived in Seattle and North Carolina before coming to New Mexico eight years ago. "I think snowshoeing is well suited to Los Alamos since there are so many people that love to get out in the canyons and hillsides to enjoy the beauty around us," she says.

Recommended areas: Golf Course, playgrounds, alongside cross-country ski trails and hiking trails in general. Any open space with deep snow.

Where to get the gear: Most sports stores, and Los Alamos County has snowshoes available for rent.

Who provides services, training, etc.: LAM offers group trips with experienced members.

Website:

Ice-skating and Hockey - Los Alamos County Ice Rink
Benefits/Attractions: Balancing on skates and practicing the grace of stability in motion is just harder than it looks. And for those more skilled, the challenges of figure skating or hockey playing are great exercise and a lot of fun.

Facilities and amenities: The Los Alamos County Ice Rink is a community outdoor Rink established in 1936. It is the only refrigerated, NHL regulation, outdoor ice rink in New Mexico and it is used for competitive ice hockey and recreational skating. Group reservations are available for skating parties and games. There's also an "Adults only" skate during lunch hour. The warming hut has a concession stand and big windows for viewing the skaters.
"Recreation brought me to Los Alamos," says Diane Marquez, who has been the Rink Manager for seven seasons. "I was hired by the Los Alamos County Recreation Division in 1994, took a break to work in Colorado from 2000-2003, and jumped at the chance to come back in 2003. I enjoy the people and they way they are invested and involved in the community. I love my job and am fortunate to do something I love everyday and live in a beautiful community like Los Alamos."

"Los Alamos is a friendly community and people want to be here, and though we are a transient community with people coming and going, people enjoy being here because of all the outdoor recreation activities," she says. "The Ice Rink is a community gem we're lucky to have. I enjoy working with our staff, and I couldn't ask for a better hockey association. The Rink been here over 60 years so it's an institution."

The Los Alamos Hockey League offers hockey teams for ages 4-19, and provides training for coaching, camps and clinics for all levels, and "Stick and Puck" - an informal introductory session available on select Tuesdays on a drop-in basis.

Marquez says since this is an Olympic year the rink will likely see an increase in ice-skating lessons, and nationally hockey is increasing in popularity but it the program is at capacity here.

"People are crazy about hockey in Los Alamos," Marquez says. "And other outdoor winter sports too. All of the outdoor recreation opportunities allow families to get out as a unit and do activities together."

"We have people that come to Los Alamos from all over the country and internationally, and they bring with them the activities they are familiar with," she says. "Los Alamos has many people from the mid-West and eastern states who grew up with hockey and ice skating and brought it with them to Los Alamos and so it continues to thrive."

Where to get the gear: The Ice rink rents skates, but helmets are not provided. LAHA rents hockey gear to registered participants for the season.

Instruction: Ice skating lessons for adults and children are offered.

Website:

Sledding
Benefits/attractions: Easy, family-friendly and fun. The exercise is in walking back up the hill.

Where to get gear: Metzger's and Ace Home Improvement carry sleds and shovels. A helmet is also a good idea.

Favorite spots:
-- Bayo Canyon trailhead at the traffic circle (San Ildefonso and Diamond Drive) has a wide and varied area built alongside the trailhead.
-- Urban Park (Urban and North Road) south side has a small slope.

Note: Los Alamos County Police request that residents do not sled on streets, even after a big snow with 'no one' out on the roads. Also, sledding is not allowed at the Ski Area during ski season.

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