We cycle between giddiness and overwhelmed exhaustion today. Even at our slow pace we pace places we’d love to explore, like the rock spires of the Organ Mountains east of Las Cruces. Ann drives the rig, which is highly stressful for her still, while I experiment with using the computer in the passenger seat. It…

It seems a little too easy to leave Santa Fe with all our possessions when Ann gets off work on Friday, and it is. But we’re eager to go before the next round of predicted snowstorms roll in, and we’re unbearably excited about our nomadic future. So we fill tanks and head south, everything apparently…

Figuring this may be our last hurrah in the snow for a while, we head up the mountain in heavy snowfall. Ann has held a grudge against Raven’s Ridge ever since our six-hour posthole trudge last May, and wants a rematch in some real snow. Real snow is what we get, dumping all day long.…

I usually shy away from repeating outings, but I must admit that I improve and learn things when I do it. I’ve always been impressed with how friendly people here are to us, the uphill traveling minority. At other areas we’re subjected to the endlessly witty, “You’re going the wrong way!”, all day long. Here…

The snow is still good, and we enjoy the mood booster of a deep blue sky and warm sun as we climb the ski hill in Ann’s best time yet, about 1:20:00. The run is great as well, and it’s so nice to have our home waiting at the base with dinner and a warm…

We’re “embracing the snow” while we can before we head south. I truly enjoy huffing up the ski area under my own power just to bomb down again. Ann may be doing it more for the exercise, but that’s good too. I get two laps in while it snows just enough to keep the bumps…

Aaron takes me up the mountain for another lap on Heaven Hill. Conditions are cloudier and a little cooler today. Our route takes us up to the top of Raven’s Ridge after leaving the ski area, where we start to feel the bite of some wind. Treeline on Raven's Ridge The ridge has changed quite…

Ann won’t say what we did exactly, but we had a nice outing in the neighborhood. I went barefoot 🙂 [gpx_viewer]

As we’re getting ready in the morning, a familiar-looking guy in the parking lot says, “Hey, didn’t we see you last night? My wife’s arm was in a cast…” He’s headed up to do a backcountry run with some friends. While I’m still thinking back and realizing Aaron’s wife did only have one ski pole,…