Pajarito Mountain Ski Area in Los Alamos faces the wrath of nature
Las Conchas fire, which is the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history, continued to wreck havoc by adding Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, located in the Jemez Mountains near Los Alamos, New Mexico, to its list of casualties this week.
The fire crept up to the ski hill but the valiant efforts of the fire-fighters were able to put it under control before it ended up dealing a huge damage. While they were able to protect the lodge and the buildings, the chair-lifts did not go unharmed. Of
the five chairlifts that the mountain has, at least one fell down after taking a hit from the fire and getting its cable broken.
While it is not the biggest and most popular ski area in America, it is valuable because of the uncluttered backcountry laps. This makes the resort really appealing for the skiers and snowboarders who love to ride powder.
Therefore, even though some people feel that it is really not worth the effort to put in so much to save the ski area and the management should rather focus on collecting insurance, the fire crews are working around the clock to save the mountain in order
to save the mountain.
Los Alamos fire chief Doug Tucker said in a press conference on Tuesday that, “[The fire] made a run for the ski hill last night, and we fought fire last night on the ski hill from about ten o'clock. We continue to put out spot fires there now. It ran to
the ridge, it ran over and spotted into the ski hill.”
According to Tim Kelton, an employee of the Los Alamos National Laboratory who often visits the mountain to fulfil his downhill BMX passion, the mountain may have something good to offer, but it is not even close to the likes of Jackson Hole and other ski
areas.
The Pajarito Mountain opened in November 23rd, 1957. While it had a very modest early years, it has developed over the years and now has a privately owned 300-acre ski club and 5 chairlifts. With a skiable area of 280 acres and 40 trails in total,
with 20% for beginners, 50% intermediate and 30% for experts, the mountain does hold a decent appeal for skiers, snowboarders as well as BMX riders.
The wildfire that currently haunts Los Alamos started on June 26th in the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico. After burning for almost five days, it increased in intensity and ended up becoming the largest fire in the state’s history. It had
burnt 103,000 acres by the end of June and had only been contained up to 6%.
The residents of Los Alamos have been ordered to evacuate the area since June 27th. While it has not been officially confirmed, preparations are underway to allow the residents to return home.
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