Spectacular view Saturday from Ma Bell on the west side of Pajarito Mountain Ski Area of the Los Alamos fall colors. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
The view from the deck outside the Pajarito Mountain Ski Lodge Saturday morning looking up the Beginner Hill toward Lumberyard. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
The fall colors at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area are in their prime and General Manager Tom Long is inviting the community to come and see them.
Just a few miles from the Los Alamos townsite, the ski area provides a convenient and accessible place to enjoy the changing of the seasons.
Saturday was clean-up day at Pajarito and there were volunteers hauling downed branches off the runs and putting them in piles so that they could be burned. In other areas, chainsaws were whining as people cut dead and downed trees cleaning up the slopes and unblocking trails where trees have fallen.
Members of the Pajarito Mountain Ski Patrol were at the lodge all day for part of their annual refresher training which included hands-on simulation of care in various scenarios. The Patrol trains all year round not just in emergency response but also transportation, left evacuations, snow mobiles, ski area risk management and accident investigation.
Also Saturday morning, the movie crew of “The Brave” was packing up their gear and making sure they were leaving the mountain as they found it after filming the eighth episode of the NBC series on the Aspen run and other parts of the ski area.
In the midst of all that activity, Pearl Yeast and Dina Rabanal practiced a traditional Hawaiian hula dance called “The Legend of Pearl Harbor” on the deck in front of the lodge. The two have danced for several years and were happy to explain the background of the dances and the words sung by the artists.
Ron Mariner was on hand throughout the day to direct volunteers to areas in which they could work. He has been employed at the ski area for three years but said he has volunteered there for most of his life. He was ready to call Los Alamos Fire Department to let them know he was ready to commence the controlled burning of the woodpiles the crews have been constructing.
Mariner said people can bring their trucks and trailers to the ski area and haul off wood as long as they check in with staff at the office, which is on the west end of the deck area at the lodge, and get directions on the areas they can go to get wood.
Long said the Almanac is forecasting a rough winter so he is hoping for lots of good snow for the ski area.
“Meanwhile, we hope the community will take advantage of the perfect fall temperatures and come up here to see the incredible colors we have right now,” he said.
Long said there has been no change in access to the ski hill whatsoever. He said the signs people are discussing were placed a few years ago when some of the access gates were left open for official access.
”We started to see a plethora of people just joyriding on the hill, which causes damage to the slopes and trails,” Long said.
He said the signs are only located close to the drive-in points and there are log sheets for people to sign in so that ski area staff knows when there are people on the mountain before they lock the gates.
“Pajarito Mountain Ski Area is built on people and we encourage people to come in and out,” Long said. “So come on up and spend a few hours. The café is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and of course those hours will be extended when ski season begins.”
For more information, call 505.662.5725 or visit skipajarito.com.
Beautiful fall foliage is visible along roads and trails just a few minutes walk from the lodge. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Hula dancing on the deck at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area Saturday morning are Dina Rabanal, left, and Pearl Yeast. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Movie crew members for NBC’s ‘The Brave’ remove the last of their equipment and supplies Saturday from Pajarito Mountain Ski. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Pajarito Mountain Ski Patrol instructors, from left, Diane Minfa, Pearl Yeast, Greg Cagle and Eric Schaller enjoy a laugh during refresher training Saturday morning at the lodge. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Colorful foliage next to the Pajarito Mountain Ski Patrol Room. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Beautiful views of Los Alamos can be seen from the trails on Pajarito Mountain. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
Volunteers work at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area Saturday getting ready for the upcoming ski season. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
One of many parts of the ski area from which hazardous dead trees have already been removed offers a vista of Los Alamos. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com
