

SKI

Get up at 6 a.m. and check the snow report. Ski Santa Fe, just above town, and Taos Ski Valley often get extremely different snow totals depending on how the jet stream blew in the night before. If there’s powder at Taos, that’s Storm’s first choice due its extreme terrain — which he says is better than anything in Colorado, but would be on similar levels as hike-to style runs at Crested Butte or Telluride.
Fuel up with a cheap but hearty breakfast burrito at either old-school El Parasol or New Mexico fast-food icon Blake’s Lotaburger (yes, they do breakfast), both of which have locations in Santa Fe and Taos. You can easily hit first chair in Taos if you get on the road from Santa Fe before 7 a.m.
If Santa Fe got the dump, it’s a lazier morning, and you can ski groomed terrain lower on the mountain at Ski Santa Fe or harder stuff off the mountain’s top two triple chairs, Millennium or Tesuque. Storm’s favorite areas for challenging skiing include Chile’s Glade, Big Rocks and the infamous Tequila Sunrise run. If you wrap by midday, Totemoff’s at Ski Santa Fe’s mid-mountain is a nice reprieve for grub and live music, especially come spring.
After a full day on the hill, après-ski options are endless, but Storm prefers local breweries like Draft Station, most of which do skier-appreciation discounts with a flash of a lift ticket. For easy, authentic and filling food on the go, Storm sometimes hits his favorite local food truck, Bambini’s Steaks and Hoagies, currently parked at his ski shop.
MOUNTAIN BIKE

Turns out that their idea of a mountain bike adventure around Santa Fe is not so mellow. The shop’s self-proclaimed part-time slave, H.C. Potter, who handles Mellow Velo’s merchandising, likes to go hard on his days off. An epic full-day ride right from town is the Winsor, a classic 25-mile out-and-back with 3,000 feet of elevation gain if you start right from town. It can also be shortened with a shuttle to the ski basin.
A more “mellow” option, according to Potter, is the Santa Fe Rail-Trail with a loop along Galisteo Basin Preserve, where you can log 40 rolling miles right from Santa Fe’s reinvented Railyard district.
The departure point is perfect, because upon return you can ride directly to Potter’s go-to hangout, Second Street Brewery, where he recommends the local IPA. Another nearby option with a locals’ vibe is the Tuneup Café, tucked away on Hickox Street, where they serve up some interesting handmade New Mexican and El Salvadoran dishes.

“It’s usually considered a little rockier here than most places,” Potter says. “There are loose rocks and arroyos [sandy dried creek beds]. You just sort of surf through it. Don’t hit it with a lot of speed.”
BOAT

Gontram relies on a solid, super-fresh green-chili breakfast burrito from Zuly’s in the tiny town of Dixon to hold him through a full day of boating on the Rio Embudo, a special liquid stretch that draws locals from all over northern New Mexico. ”
Embudo means ‘funnel,'” Gontram says. “Picture a 4-mile, super-challenging and wonderful granite gorge.” After he’s had enough of Class V rapids on this wicked-fun chute, Gontram might head over to the “racecourse” section of the Rio Grande for some play boating to wrap up the day.
What’s on tap after a complete day on the water? A cold brew at Blue Heron Brewing, right off the river along Highway 68. The brewery recommends the full-bodied Embudo Gold Golden Ale, complemented by some smothered fries. Gontram also occasionally splurges on a satisfying meatwich at Five Star Burgers, with locations in Santa Fe and Taos.
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