Hawk Media

Publishing

Ski Areas Face Climate Change

by

Change often seems a slow thing in the southern Rockies. Take, for example, our reverence for the ancient community of Taos Pueblo, which has seemingly stood still (its inner core remains unchanged) for a thousand years, making it the oldest continually inhabited community in the country. Truly, adaptation is survival. On the other hand, time Read More

Revolts and revolutions thrive on rebels

by

A riot, revolt or revolution never remains complete without a rebel(s) to fuel the situation. These controversial leaders usually maintained an unsavory reputation as “troublemakers” at the time of their escapades. In time, northern New Mexico and southern Colorado history sometimes changes this viewpoint, honoring the leader through public memorialization. The reason for the rebellion, Read More

Mountain Memories

by

In charting a course for a future Memory Lane – paved with images, impressions, and travel-tread keepsakes – we offer you a gilded inventory, what you might call “the Blueprint Special,” which runs the recreational gamut in northern New Mexico and the southern Rockies. Switching Gears Your personal scrapbook may include a snapshot of you Read More

Wild Horsepower

by

STRAIGHT FROM the HORSE’S MOUTH: There is no shortage of myths, superstitions, and fun obscure facts when it comes to horses. From the vaults of equestrian trivia: The first historically recorded horse race—between fool’s golden boy Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (see: Chasing El Dorado) and one of his soldiers, Rodrigo de Maldonado — took place Read More

The Wild Ones

by

Seeing wildlife is like seeing celebrities, only better. – Tania Andrews Fun Wildlife Factoids: New Mexico’s state bird is the roadrunner; Colorado’s is the lark bunting. Roadrunners can fly, though they spend most of their time on the ground. The golden eagle is North America’s largest bird of prey. The American Bison is the largest Read More

Riders In The Sky

by

Summer. Just the word makes spirits soar. Later, it’s back to the daily grind, but in the meantime, I figure a change of attitude (and altitude) might do a body good. Who knows? Fresh perspectives can change things forever. When I got the chance to take a hot air balloon ride (always on my bucket Read More

Wild Horsepower

by

  They have become symbolic extensions of the Southwestern landscape, four-legged representatives of grace, thunder, freedom, and majesty. Horses of varying breeds have starred as romantic icons in the Wild West chapter of the American saga, and without them the fierce and independent spirit of Frontier-Tough, U.S.A, would have been an altogether different story. Yet Read More

Santa Fe Through the Eyes of a Native

by

Legends, lovers and lawyers spike stories of Old Santa Fe – Visitors get more than points of interest when Ramona Argueta Allocca conducts a walking tour of Santa Fe. She spices everything with facts about food, music, dance, famous fandangos and Spanish folklore. Walking along the river, she’ll tell stories of La Llorona (the wailing Read More

The Art of Falling

by

The snow gives us a glide And the slope, a slide. In winter, the mountains of northern New Mexico are not just so much pretty scenery, white handmaidens who serve as decoration. Some people find them seductive. I like to think of them as fierce goddesses who will rip you out of your car even Read More

Snowboarding: An American Tale

by

During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, America once again dominated snowboarding, bringing home five medals. Shawn White’s epic gold medal halfpipe victory run, and Seth Westcott’s come-from-behind gold in the snowboard cross helped define US snowboarding. Snowboarding is as American as apple pie, classic cars and Facebook, with its roots founded as much Read More

Fat Boys Dig Cats – Extreme Skiing Monarch Style

by

Monarch’s extreme snowcat tours of Colorado’s Great Divide are heaven for snow carnivores –  Above me on the mountain steeps, I could hear the guides call to each other as they swept through the trees making sure there were no stragglers. “Clear… Clear.” Clear, my butt. I’m upside down in this hole, wedged between a Read More

Tiwa… Keeping Language Alive –

by

Tiwa is not a written language – and out of respect, many speakers don’t wish to provide written translations. Other traditions may differ from that of Taos Pueblo, which speaks northern Tiwa, as does Picuris The white stuff falling softly from the sky is the world’s most beautiful sight, no matter what you call it. “Nieve” I recall, in Read More

Oh, When The Saints –

by

Carving a place in history – Whether celebrating the beneficence of San Francisco (St. Francis), petitioning San Ysidro for rain during a drought (St. Isidore), or honoring the virtues of Guadalupe, saints have been and remain an essential part of the spiritual and cultural fabric of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. When Spanish settlers Read More

Durango Ski Town –

by

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is located in the rugged San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, and 25 miles north of historic downtown Durango. Averaging 260 inches of snow annually, Purgatory is known for consistent, dry powder from frequent storms, which are followed by sunny, bluebird days, creating perfect conditions for pure alpine nirvana. Purgatory Read More

Disney shoots Lone Ranger –

by

Our fascination with movies begins when we are young, and for most never completely disappears. They transport us, they awe us, they inspire us and they linger somewhere in our subconscious, much after the final credits have faded. With the dramatic landscapes and seemingly unending abundance of light and sky, filmmakers have flocked to New Read More

Hot Springs & Cold Spots: Taking the Waters

by

Who doesn’t long for water? – Especially the essential luxury of hot water on a cold winter’s day, with snowflakes falling on your face while you soak in an outdoor 103.5-degree pool (my personal favorite temperature). But since I’m a Methodist/hedonist, I prefer to earn my comforts first. Here is my perfect fantasy day: First Read More

Southwest’s largest ski operator adds more mountains

by

Purgatory at Durango Mountain, Arizona Snow Bowl, Sipapu Resort and Pajarito Resort – Sipapu managing partner James Coleman adds Pajarito, Durango Mountain Resort, and Arizona Snow Bowl to the fold, forming the largest ski mountain collective in the Southwest. After nearly 15 years as the managing partner at Sipapu (near Taos, NM), Coleman understands how to Read More

by

For the past 20 years we’ve worked with a diverse range of clients on a wide range of projects. Focusing on print and online projects, we have tackled topics as diverse as ecotourism, statewide charter schools, towns, chambers, visitor centers, various festivals, Native American tribes, national and global sports associations, historical associations, resorts and ranches, Read More

http://www.hawk-media.com/highcountry/

Angel Fire Visitor Guide

by

Angel Fire Visitor Guide is the primary response piece for the Village of Angel Fire, New Mexico, containing comprehensive visitor and relocation information guide covering Angel Fire and the greater Moreno Valley. Offered in print and online versions, with option for DVD standalone version.

Storms

by

We all love to tell stories of monster storms. – There was a child who was picked up by a tornado, whirled about and then returned to earth. He ran to his grandma, with dirt up his nose, in his eyes. You can bet he had a changed perspective. And you know the saying about how Read More

Caballeros, ciboleros & wild buckaroos

by

Arnold Sturdy rode into Miami, NM, in 1912 on a little grey. Every time he told the story his left hand would go up instinctively to his waist, as if he were still holding the reins. Of a Saturday he and his buddy Kennedy would catch them a couple of green ‘uns, unbroken horses, hop Read More

The Pacing Black Stallion of Antelope Springs

by

Range historian J. Frank Dobie had a great affinity for horses, especially the wild horses or mustangs that roamed the American Great Plains. Among the stories he collected in his celebrated book, “The Mustangs,” were those devoted to the courage, endurance and beauty of several white stallions and their heroic efforts in avoiding capture by Read More

Rio Grande… An American Classic

by

Hope Springs Eternal It was one of those culture-shock moments where urban East meets rugged West. Several of my friends and my sister, all who had come from Brooklyn to Taos to attend my wedding, found themselves hiking a rocky trail down into the night-darkened depths of the gorge. My friend, Paul, a “regular” at Read More

World’s Fastest Indian – Ross Anderson, Speed Skier

by

Sherman Alexie may not have been thinking of Ross Anderson when he wrote the novel The World’s Fastest Indian,  but the de facto world’s fastest Indian is a truth stranger than fiction. At his Taos condo, Ross Anderson, the Cheyenne/Arapaho, Mescalero Apache with a Swedish last name is not what you’d expect, especially from the very Europeanized world Read More

Silver City and The Gila

by

Welcome to “The Gateway of the Gila.” Silver City, embraced by the Continental Divide and the foothills of the 3.3 million acre Gila National Forest, rests at 6,000’ elevation, with mild temperatures, low humidity (13-30% average except during the summer monsoon season), 360 days of sunshine and 4 gentle seasons (snow usually melts by 10 Read More

Desert Oak

by

“Estas en tu casa.” “Mi casa es tu casa.” It’s easy to accept one of these traditional Spanish greetings at Desert Oak, a private vacation home: “Make yourself at home” and “My house is your house.” The state’s Hispanic roots reach deep into the ground here in Northern New Mexico, which means among other things Read More

On Shovel Racing

by

It was February of 1984, having arrived in Moreno Valley, just four months earlier. Hired initially to run the retail operations at the ski area, my rental shop staff asked if they could work through the night into the wee hours on Sunday morning. With the help of our pilot and current Angel Fire Ski Read More

Higher Ground

by

Training at altitude in northern NM | Wheeler Peak lies majestically in the middle of the Enchanted Circle at a dizzying elevation of 13,161 feet, the highest point in New Mexico. Each summer many who summit complain they experience shortness of breath as they approach the top. This is because there really is less oxygen at Read More

Women with an angle

by

As many anglers have discovered, fly-fishing is a socially well-regarded pretext for grownups to play in the water. While images of the sport are still male-dominated, large numbers of women are discovering the joys of tempting fish with flies and showing up on calendars and magazine covers. Of course that isn’t much of a reason Read More

Heart of the Pueblo

by

The little river with the big history. Visitors to the Taos area readily find their way to the area highlights – Taos plaza, the much-photographed St. Francis de Asis Church at Ranchos de Taos, the breathtaking Rio Grande Gorge, and the Pueblo. These markers offer newcomers a glimpse of the ancient history of the Taos Read More

Under the Command of 1st Lieut. Geo M. Wheeler

by

If a man can be king of all he surveys, the lieutenant was king of the West.      Presiding over northern New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle is Wheeler Peak, the tallest mountain in the state. For years it went unnamed, even by the surveyors, and Truchas Peak, just north of Santa Fe, was thought to Read More

Ridin’ The Range

by

…a special section dedicated to the once and future riders of New Mexico’s wild and woolly Southwest   Wild, dry, rugged country, criss-crossed by ancient trade routes, where buffalo used to run in herds that stretched to the horizon. Comanches and Apaches sped across it like the wind. And the volcanic soil was so rich Read More

Black Jack’s Gang

by

The story of a cowboy gone wrong                                                                 Along the walkway leading to the museum at Philmont Scout Ranch sits a large boulder with Read More

When in doubt, go higher

by

“When in doubt, go higher.” That’s my favorite cliché. And Taos Ski Valley’s about to crank up a new lift that definitely goes higher—up to 12,450’—just shy of the Kachina Peak summit. Otherwise, it’s a sublime hike, but strenuous. Few students are willing to take on the hour-long ski-toting trek over a rocky spine in Read More

Wilderness Bumming

by

The Colorado-New Mexico border area offers a stunning array of federally designated wilderness areas for all your tramping needs. I’ve often heard it said that when God takes a vacation, She goes to Colorado. But I ran into Her on the trail one fine summer day when the Canadian violets were popping flowers all along Read More

Moonshining On The Mesa

by

Out on La Otra Banda there is no water – no lakes, no rivers, no creeks and no springs. The closest water is several hundred feet down, beneath the basalt bedrock that blankets the entire plateau. The water has always been elusive. Water does come on occasion, in brief torrents dropping from silver-tipped clouds that Read More

Clayton

by

Stomping ground of dinosaurs, first Americans, railroad moguls, cowboys… and Black Jack Ketchum The site of Clayton has been a crossroads since time began. About 100 million years ago it was a home for dinosaurs on the edge of an ancient sea, and dinosaur tracks and bones are found throughout the area. The most impressive Read More

Black Jack Lives

by

Black Jack Lives Reenactors bring Clayton history to life for Black Jack Ketchum Centennial This year marks the wild life and surprising death of Tom “Black Jack” Ketchum, northeast New Mexico’s favorite outlaw hung in Clayton, NM, April 26, 1901. Clayton will celebrate the occasion with the Black Jack Ketchum Centennial Festival June 1-2. Black Read More

OUR TOWNS 2011

by

Then followed that beautiful season… Summer … Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood. — Henry Longfellow A Midas-touch talent combined with geological flair make New Mexico a magical summer playground. Rivers run through it, mountains silently hold Read More

Our Towns – Summer 2014

by

Mirror, Mirror “The sun never knew how wonderful it was, until it fell on the wall of a building.” — Louis Kahn With all due respect to Mr. Kahn’s architecturally-inspired view of the sun, it was Nature’s skyscrapers, the mountains, that were the sun’s original vanity-mirrors. This is supremely evident in the landscape-defining mountain ranges Read More

The Churro Trail

by

A young man’s heart is stirred with a vision of the past. He wanders among the flocks of sheep raised by his family for generations, remembering a time when these animals were the economic backbone of northern New Mexico and a man’s wealth was measured by the size of his flock. In 1977, Antonio Manzanares Read More

Fire and Ice: Christmas Eve at Taos Pueblo

by

The longest night of winter in the most beautiful place on earth | by Michelle Potter It is just about the coldest, longest night of winter. It is just about the most beautiful place on earth. If Dante’s inferno is supposed to be some sort of earthly burning hell, this must be the place, except Read More

Ecotourism New Mexico

by

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference – from The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost In drawing a parallel to the poetic compass of Robert Frost: Read More

Mud and Adobe

by

The womb of birth, which is of water And the womb of death, which is of earth. — Lise Goett But for the living, mud. And if mud is what we’re made of, those of us in northern New Mexico are very down-to-earth. Mud: it is a kind of cultural and architectural recipe. There’s mud to Read More

The Historic Taos Inn

by

Southwestern charm and history in this quintessential NM inn located in the heart of Taos’ historic district Since 1936, The Historic Taos Inn has welcomed famous folks like Greta Garbo, D. H. Lawrence, and Pawnee Bill. More recently, celebrities such as Robert Redford and Jessica Lange have been spotted sipping margaritas in the lobby. When Read More

Kit Carson Home & Museum

by

Trapper, guide, military scout, Indian agent, soldier, rancher – Kit Carson had a long and illustrious career Kit Carson’s 3-room Taos adobe home displays artifacts, antique firearms and other pioneer belongings The familiar figure of frontiersman Kit Carson, with his rough-hewn features and fringed buckskins, is an American icon everyone knows. The fascinating facts of Read More

Flying High For The Fun Of It

by

Presumably the tale of Icarus strapping on wings and flying too close to the sun is meant to be a cautionary tale of the folly of hubris but it might as well be a snapshot of the human need to take flight. Even if you never leave the ground, skiing and snowboarding – now conveniently Read More

Hard Twist

by

The western expression “Hard Twist” refers to the old-time Manila hemp, tightly-twisted lariat rope—hard twisted. The term also refers to a small, compact, physically strong person with resilience, rather like rawhide, which expands and stretches when wet or shrinks and tightens up when dry but almost never breaks. The role of women in the settlement Read More

Navajo Saddle Blankets: Weaving a Tough History

by

All over what is now New Mexico, you could once find Navajo saddle blankets—on actual horses, not just on the walls of upscale collectors. They were essential equipment for cowboys, a calling card. How could you get hired on as a cowboy if you didn’t show up with a genuine Navajo saddle blanket? These saddle Read More

Abiquiu Monks – Study, Pray, Brew

by

It’s easy to find the Monastery of Christ in the Desert — just cross the Rio Grande in Española, and head west on Highway 84. Proceed past Abiquiu and on the right lies the Ghost Ranch. The surrounding majestic landscapes inspired Georgia O’Keeffe and contain the bones of obscure dinosaurs. Then after another mile or Read More

Red River’s Gold Mine: A Town Remembers Its Roots

by

As we ease our way into summer, you can feel the excitement build as the change of seasons blossoms throughout the Enchanted Circle. Within this area of unmatched beauty and geological diversity lies the Town of Red River, just north of Eagle Nest on Highway 38. Tourists flock here each summer for its wealth of Read More

A few of the many Remarkable Women of Taos –

by

First of Their Kind – The year-long celebration of the Remarkable Women of Taos and Northern New Mexico honors the area’s outstanding historic and contemporary women and focuses in part on their passions and accomplishments. Out of hundreds of remarkable women, this representative selection profiles Mabel Dodge Luhan, Millicent Rogers, Cleofas Jaramillo and Virginia T. Romero, Read More

Native to New Mexico

by

The Best Hot Air Balloon Flight in the World /  Just before sunrise a light breeze picks up and races along the ground rolling miniature tumbleweeds, swirling dust and bringing a shudder to the sagebrush. We are standing on the sharp volcanic rim of the Rio Grande Gorge about ten miles north of Taos, surrounded Read More

New Mexico Trails

by

Fiber Arts Trail There are few main roads in this part of the state, so you wend your way along to the back ones along the river canyons ringed in shining snow-capped peaks, into forested valleys and up over the mountains to the grassy plains that stretch to the horizon. Along the way you’ll find Read More

Smooth Johnson – Master Of The Carve

by

One of the great characters in SkiCountry over the years is Smooth Johnson – Master of The Carve – poster boy for Olin Skis during the 1990s. “Skin-tight race suits? What is this, ballet? When I was young, we wore ski pants and ski jackets. Not some high-tech mumbo jumbo that lowers your sperm count. Read More

Embroiled in Witchcraft

by

What do an author who fostered culture, a mysterious murder suspect and a progressive teacher-administrator have in common? Local residents viewed these three women — Cleofas Jaramillo, Teresita Ferguson and Josephine Córdova — as “remarkable women” during this year’s celebration of the Remarkable Women of Taos. A common underlying theme in each of their lives Read More

Pioneer Women

by

Study history for any length of time and you being to realize how easy it is to get bogged down by the passage of time and events large and small; but history, like politics, is local. The histories of the Moreno Valley and Red River are like that, shaped as they were by tumultuous times Read More

El Monte Sagrado – Earth-friendly design

by

A favorite of international celebs, this green-built luxury resort and spa is also a prized sanctuary for locals From the exquisite accommodations inspired by Native American and global culture to the dramatic art collection from world-renowned and local artisans collected by the Kessler family specifically for the hotel, El Monte Sagrado lures guests into a Read More

The Comanches Are Coming

by

Alli vienen los Comanches | by Michelle Potter | Photo by Geraint Smith Northern New Mexico is a place of stunning paradox, where identities and cultures meld, hybridize, bump up against each other and explode in dizzying profusion. Ritual dances and ceremonies proliferate, especially between September 30, Taos Pueblo’s San Geronimo Feast Day, continuing through Read More

Yurtmania: Who let the hordes out?

by

More than a millennium ago nomadic Mongol hordes terrorized the steppes of Asia at top speed on their tough little ponies, ransacking and pillaging everything in their path. Who knows why, perhaps for the simple pleasure of scorched-earth conquest and having something to talk about over drinks. They brewed yak yogurt in their saddle bags, Read More

The Sheriff of Hunziker Bowl

by

By Mountaineer & Taos Ski Valley Patroller Dave Hahn. I thought the house down the road was on fire, and went down to take a look. Turns out it was on fire, and since this was in June when the whole state was drier than dinosaur bones, I was a little concerned. Huge forest fires Read More

Ski vacation: Enhanced torture by cheese

by

Most people I know don’t love old goat cheese. I don’t know what’s wrong with them. My cousin Billy didn’t love it, learned not to love it. It wasn’t really his fault. It had more to do with genetics; he was victimized by relatives. A bystander. I got sucked into the deal. Billy fell asleep Read More

Planks to Parabolics

by

The Evolution Of Skis: What A Long, Strange Trip It’s Been – The snow on the High Sierra was 16 feet deep. Cabin fever was the most common ailment among the miners in the high country around Lake Tahoe. Any time of year the mining camps of California and Nevada seemed to be worlds away Read More

One-Liners

by

For these New Mexico actors, it’s not what you say, but how you say it But this trio of local film actors – just three of some 300 New Mexico actors who belong to the Screen Actors Guild – love movie work, whether is consists of a line or two of dialogue or a featured Read More

The Taos Rebellion

by

150th Anniversary of the Taos Rebellion In the first six months of 1847 the concealed anger of Spanish-Mexicans and Pueblo Indians erupted into violence. The Rebellion claimed over 200 lives, extending from Taos to Mora and Las Vegas. The uprising changed the life of Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell, a mountain man from Illinois who married the Read More

Ojo Caliente Hot Springs

by

Ojo Caliente remains a sacred gathering place for health and wellness to thousands by W. Gelfound In the 1500s, the Spaniards, in their quest for gold and the Fountain of Youth, discovered these unusual mineral springs. One explorer’s record cites, “The greatest treasure that I found these people to possess are hot springs which burst Read More

Rio Grande Country of Colorado

by

Life as it was for cowboys, Indians, Spanish colonists, and miners in Rio Grande country of Colorado by Josephine S. Pierce South Fork, Monte Vista, and Del Norte, Colorado During 1882, Theodore C. Henry, who was looking for new canal ventures, arrived bringing investors from the east. In 1884, Chauncey S. and Henry J. Aldrich Read More

The Return of Blue Lake to Taos Pueblo

by

Taos Pueblo’s sacred Blue Lake is a symbol of cultural strength and determination The Return of Blue Lake to the Red Willow People From the Taos Pueblo Governor’s Office… Taos Pueblo commemorated the 40th Anniversary of the return of its sacred Blue Lake and surrounding lands on Sept. 18, 2010. This remembrance and celebration observed Read More

Historic Taos, NM Walking Tour

by

Welcome Visitors and Taoseños! Explore the diversity of this region through a self-guided tour. The two-hundred-year-old Taos Plaza and the streets that radiate from it like spokes form the National Historic District of Taos. It contains a number of national and state landmarks that are testimonials to the rich and complex cultural history of Taos. Read More

Chama, New Mexico

by

The history of tiny Chama, NM is packed with Western adventure by Jill Lane The tiny village of Chama, New Mexico, sits at the base of 10,000-foot Sangre de Cristo Mountains in one of America’s most spectacular settings. Today, a charming tourist town, Chama exists predominantly for its historic narrow-gauge steam railroad. This same railroad Read More

New Mexico Ghosts

by

Want to add a little chill to your summertime travel plans? Here are five spine-tingling haunts of Northern New Mexico | by John Biscello – The St. James Hotel (Cimarron): The Overlook Hotel from The Shining and The Bates Motel from Psycho have taught us, if nothing else, that not all lodgings guarantee a restful Read More

Bison Wranglers

by

Caring for the remaining herds of North American buffalo | by Steve Zimmer | Photos by Joe Zinn The sun breaks over a ridge and floods a mountain meadow with early morning light. A cowboy reins his horse toward a clearing on the far side of the park in order to see if his mother Read More

Frontier Landmarks

by

Fascinating historic landmarks carry abundant stories of northeast New Mexico – by Steve Zimmer – Webster’s Dictionary defines a landmark as “a prominent identifying feature of a landscape.” In the early days of the Southwest, trappers, traders, settlers, and soldiers used landforms to guide them across the vast deserts, mountains, and plains of the region. Whenever travelers Read More

Chicken Coop For Rent

by

RED RIVER, NEW MEXICO in the (REALLY) OLD DAYS | by Ellen Miller-Goins Several years back, a Red River property management company ran an ad showing a dilapidated old cabin with the caption “Not what you expected?” spacerToday’s visitor to Red River does expect such luxuries as indoor plumbing and heating (and hot tubs and Read More

Red River, New Mexico

by

NEW MEXICO’S RED RIVER VALLEY HAS A RICH AND FASCINATING PAST | by Lynn T. Nolan The Red River Valley has a fascinating past. Footprints of those who walked here before are deeply embedded, and the paths are many. Pioneer days here were forged by difficult living conditions. Red River boasts a colorful history complete Read More

Orphaned Wild Elk Calf Gets Royal Treatment

by

…before wearing out his welcome. Sometimes at night in the mountains, strange sounds startle you from sleep: coyotes baying at the moon, hoot owls, bear growls, horses sparring and the bugles, grunts and whistles of elk. Stories circulate of herds of hundreds of wapiti – 700, 800, 900 – toppling fences as they cross a Read More