New Mexico's long and distinguished skiing history began with the miners of the late 19th century and its pioneer settlers. Ski area development was launched in the 1930s in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque and quickly spread to the southernmost range of the Rocky Mountains--the Sangre de Cristos, north of Santa Fe. Students of a boarding school, the Los Alamos Ranch School, took up the sport in the Jemez Mountains, and when the school was occupied in the 1940s by American and international scientists like Neils Bohr working to create the world's first atomic bomb, they enthusiastically pursued skiing in their rare spare time. Taos Ski Valley's founding in 1955 elevated the scene to world-class status, and today, there are eight major downhill ski areas and one cross-country center stretching from the deserts of south-central New Mexico to the Colorado border.

This invaluable book tells you everything there is to know about skiing and snowboarding in the Land of Enchantment, with thousands of helpful details on the state’s downhill ski resorts and cross-country and backcountry venues. Each ski area is profiled in a separate chapter, including details on facilities and services such as childcare and instructional options; statistics like average snowfall, vertical drop, and lift capacity; transportation options, including shuttle and bus services; and prices of lift tickets, rental equipment, and lessons. Gibson also includes historical facts about each ski area and its founders, suggestions for best runs by type of terrain, activities off the slopes, and notes on his favorite places to stay and eat. Separate chapters on cross-country and backcountry downhill skiing are equally informative.

New Mexico's long and distinguished skiing history began with the miners of the late 19th century and its pioneer settlers. Ski area development was launched in the 1930s in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque and quickly spread to the southernmost range of the Rocky Mountains--the Sangre de Cristos, north of Santa Fe. Students of a boarding school, the Los Alamos Ranch School, took up the sport in the Jemez Mountains, and when the school was occupied in the 1940s by American and international scientists like Neils Bohr working to create the world's first atomic bomb, they enthusiastically pursued skiing in their rare spare time. Taos Ski Valley's founding in 1955 elevated the scene to world-class status, and today, there are eight major downhill ski areas and one cross-country center stretching from the deserts of south-central New Mexico to the Colorado border.

Climb every mountain—and ski and snowboard the world’s most amazing slopes, from Aspen to Zermatt. Includes color photos. Based on interviews with leading experts, Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die chronicles the rich history of these sports and the people who’ve mastered them, including Tommy Moe, Jonny Moseley, Billy Kidd, and Greg Harms, and takes you to the fabulous mountains you’ve visited—or have always wanted to visit. Explore the world’s most inspiring skiing and snowboarding destinations: Chugach Mountains (Alaska) * Aspen, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs (Colorado) * Tuckerman Ravine (New Hampshire) * Rusutsu (Japan) * Chamonix (France) * Portillo (Chile) * Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia) * Mammoth Mountain and Squaw Valley (California) * Kashmir (India) * Taos (New Mexico) Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Stowe (Vermont) * Jackson Hole (Wyoming) * and more! Chris Santella brings to life the gorgeous scenery, the glamorous ambience, and the always-thrilling experience of visiting mountains from the Alps to the Rockies, whether it’s après-ski in Cortina or helicopter rides into virgin Alaskan powder. If you’re jetting off on your next getaway or just armchair-traveling this season, this guide will inspire beginners and black-diamond experts alike.

Writer Susan Tweit and her economist-turned-sculptor husband Richard Cabe had just settled into their version of a “good life” when Richard saw thousands of birds one day—harbingers of the brain cancer that would kill him two years later. This compelling and intimate memoir chronicles their journey into the end of his life, framed by their final trip together, a 4,000-mile-long delayed honeymoon road trip. As Susan and Richard navigate the unfamiliar territory of brain cancer treatment and learn a whole new vocabulary—craniotomies, adjuvant chemotherapy, and brain geography—they also develop new routines for a mindful existence, relying on each other and their connection to nature, including the real birds Richard enjoys watching. Their determination to walk hand in hand, with open hearts, results in profound and difficult adjustments in their roles. Bless the Birds is not a sad story. It is both prayer and love song, a guide to how to thrive in a world where all we hold dear seems to be eroding, whether simple civility and respect, our health and safety, or the Earth itself. It’s an exploration of living with love in a time of dying—whether personal or global—with humor, unflinching courage, and grace. And it is an invitation to choose to live in light of what we love, rather than what we fear.