Discussion: Event suggestions - New Mexico in February

So, I'm finally getting to take a trip out of New England, and I'm heading down to a conference in Taos, New Mexico for the weeks of the 21st-25th February. Can anyone suggest some cool events I might be able to take in on the trip - so either the weekends of the 19th/20th or the 26th/27th?

I've looked at the Tucson Box Canyon B meet and that looks like fun. What are my chances for getting from there to Taos on a Sunday do you think? Hire car the only option? It's a very long way for a British person to drive!

The Box Canyon event will be fun - check out the terrain.

You can get from Tucson to Albuquerque on the afternoon non-stop flight on Southwest for ~$100, which is probably better than renting a car and doing the drive. Of course, then you'd have to get to Taos, which is not easy without a car. Given that this is on the way to the conference, perhaps there's arranged transport or car-share options? There's also apparently a shuttle service based in Taos (http://www.goservices.com/shuttle/shuttle.php) but I can't imagine it's very budget-friendly.

Also, there's it the infamous Mt Taylor Quadrathlon on the 19th, which starts in Grants, NM, about 80mi west of Albuquerque. It looks like quite an event and anyone doing it would get tons of badass points.

I've done the ski legs of the Mt Taylor Quadrathlon twice, many years ago - it was the beginning of my career of winning or placing well due to small age groups rather than actual skill.

If you've only got a week just do some sightseeing in northern NM. Its beautiful there. Santa Fe, Abiquiu, Los Alamos, Bandelier NM. The Rio Grande gorge. Vales Calderas or Bobcat Pass above Red River for XC. In Albuquerque take the tram up to Sandia and XC up on the ridge. Downhill skiing at Sandia, Santa Fe, Pajarito (Los Alamos), Red River, Angel Fire (boring :), and of course Taos. Pajarito is run by the local ski club...highly recommended. Just go to Taos a few days early and do some skiing. Spend at least an afternoon walking around the square in Santa Fe. Lots of interesting galleries and architecture there. Visit the Kit Carson Museum in Taos. If the weather is nice drive the whole loop from Taos through Red River, over Bobcat pass and back through the Val Verde.

I've got a chance to do some sightseeing during the conference - it's one of those "work early and late in the day, and do fun things when it's light in the middle ones." I'm not a downhill skier but will try and XC one day, then join some of the organised sightseeing tours other days.

They're running a shuttle service at a "bargain price" from Albuquerque, think I would just have to get there before 9pm to make use of it. That will be paid for anyway, as part of my conference costs. Are those flights likely to go up much Cristina? Will have a think over the next few days, but $100 seems was better than driving! And that terrain looks like fun!

Keep in mind there's not a whole lot in the town of Taos. Even less up at the ski valley. In winter especially its mostly hotels and restaurants for skiers. Just make sure you have some form of transport for the afternoons of the conference.

Yeah, if you don't have a car be sure to get in on those organized excursions.

It's a holiday weekend, so I'm not sure how long the price will stick. It's Southwest, though, so you can always change the ticket or "bank" the money to use later without paying any fees. BTW, that's just the one-way fare (and it is higher than usual, presumably b/c it's the holiday week) , and I assumed you would be able to fly directly to Tucson and then out of ABQ or Santa Fe...

Where's Una when you need her? :-)

Thanks Cristina, you're right, one way would be the plan. Will discuss travel with Advisor tomorrow and try and get things booked. Would I be okay to stay with you if I came down for that weekend? I hear I would have to beware of evil kitties.

And yes Guy, I was thinking the very same thing! Must be out doing fun things!

Box Canyon B Meet? I don't see that listed on AP yet... Which weekend is it?

http://www.tucsonorienteeringclub.org/index.php?op...

The first one I mentioned - 19th/20th February. Looks fun!

Feb 19-20 by the Tucson OC website. Hmmm.

Taco, make sure you take Becks out to at least one of the cactus maps! They are such a crazy experience. Arthur Pack was a particular favorite...

Looks like we were looking up the info at the same time...

Taco will unfortunately be in Swissland, so I may have to wait a little longer for a Cactus map!

Right, I should have picked up on that once I saw the dates... Maybe you can convince mikeminium to take you around if he is in town then?

Box Canyon is ~1hr south of central Tucson, and Arthur Pack (also my favorite of the desert maps) is ~30 min north, so it would be a long day to do both. But definitely worth it! There are, of course, many other cool things to see in Tucson that don't involve orienteering (gasp!), like Saguaro National Park and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. And finding volunteers to accompany Becks would probably be pretty easy. -I'll just tell all the guys that she's got an accent.

I'm sure the guys have an accent too.

Woah! No one pinged me!?

New Mexico Orienteers is hustling to organize a snow O in Valle Grande on the Valles Caldera National Preserve. We are considering setting up a couple of courses for the whole season. They would be white/yellow technical level, on groomed trails for both snowshoes and skis. Physical challenge would be on the high side, on account of the course length and altitude. The caldera is always beautiful and sometimes sublime, almost surreal. You would buy the map from the VCNP at their visitor check in station, and could e-mail or mail in start/finish/splits/route data.

On March 12 we are holding a training event on a new sprint O map in the Los Lunas area south of Albuquerque. Spring will have arrived there by then. Before then, and possibly starting in January, we will be doing some map field checking and maybe some very casual small test sprints.

We have old course maps we would like to distribute to anyone who just wants a map to run on ... if we can clear this with the international ARDF folks. ARDF rules differ from IOF rules concerning embargo prior to competitions and at this time all our maps are under embargo.

If you let us know when you are coming, we may organize a map hike with you. Most of us don't get nearly enough orienteering.

Does any of this appeal to you? Give us a holler.

Thanks for all your responses! I have booked my travel and I will go to Box Canyon on the first weekend (19th/20th), and then I have a weekend in Albuquerque the next weekend. A map hike (and maybe a place to stay) then would be amazing!

I have been ultra busy lately, so not checking in here daily. E-mail me.