The history includes the Pueblo Indians, who lived under various rulers while trying to keep as much of their culture as they could. Once you visit the pueblos, you’ll see that they were extraordinarily successful even through cultural intrusion and forcible control. First came the Spanish, then Mexican, and finally Americans. The Pueblo Indians eventually lived next to and with Anglos (sometimes) and Mexicans. We used to hear about how these three groups formed a tricultural community, but the area’s population is more complex and varied than that simplified view would have you believe. The region’s history saw revolts and reservations, barbed wire and cattle, six-shooters and bows and arrows, priests and outlaws, land grants and mining, bears and llamas, miners and hippies. Northern New Mexico is a melting pot of different cultures. Now, the region bends to tourism, with hundreds of thousands from around the world visiting each and every year, and it’s only growing in numbers.
WEATHER
The region enjoys over three hundred days of sunshine a year and generally has a moderate climate, although it ranges from the dryness and heat of the high desert to the cool summers and bitter cold of the alpine mountains. The weather changes quickly here, so be prepared. In summer, it can be pleasantly cool in the morning, hot during lunch, rain and cooling in the afternoon, hot again before dinner, perfect temperature for outdoors eating by supper. In winter, you may see many bluebird days that reach into the fifties (degrees Fahrenheit), even sixties, but before you can blink, a snowstorm will have moved in and dumped a foot of snow. Again, be prepared.
July and August, the so-called monsoon season, are rainy months with almost daily afternoon showers. Make your plans accordingly. Mornings don’t usually have as much rain as the afternoons. Visitors should carry rain gear. Daytime temperatures in the summer range from highs in the fifties to seventies in the higher elevations, and seventies to high eighties in the lower. Breaking ninety is not common, but it can happen. Many places have air conditioning, though you’ll be surprised by how many do not. Adobe walls tend to keep temperatures inside cool and constant after all.
Magical winter snowfall in Taos.
Temperatures can drop dramatically when a storm moves in. Nights are cool, worthy of a jacket, and by fall they’re occasionally below freezing. Snowfall usually begins in early October. If you are hiking, beware of lightning on the ridges. Since you will probably be the highest point around, get off the ridge if thunderclouds are overhead.
Be sure to take proper clothing. Temperatures can drop suddenly in all seasons. Wet clothing can chill the body quickly. You can wear the space-age wicking materials, shells, or old-fashioned wool. But cotton next to the skin will keep the body damp and will actually wick heat away. That means jeans. Dress in layers that can be added or removed as the temperature changes.
Remember, the weather is sort of like the Enchanted Circle laid-back vibe. No hurry. You’re on New Mexico time. Climate is perfect, and if it’s not sunny at that moment, wait a few minutes; it will be soon.
DANGERS
ALTITUDE SICKNESS
Your body is not used to higher elevations, and if you try to do too much too soon, you’ll likely suffer the effects of altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is a group of symptoms that range from headaches to vomiting.
The pressure of the air that surrounds you is called barometric pressure. When you venture into higher altitudes, this pressure drops and there is less oxygen available. Your body needs time to adjust to the change in pressure. There are three kinds of altitude sickness: acute mountain sickness (the mildest form), high-altitude pulmonary edema (a buildup of fluid in the lungs), and high-altitude cerebral edema (fluid in the brain).
Signs of altitude sickness:
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue and loss of energy
• Shortness of breath
• Problems with sleep
• Less appetite
Symptoms usually show up within twelve to twenty-four hours of reaching these higher elevations. You typically get better within a day or two as your body adjusts to the change in altitude. If you get a headache and at least one other symptom associated with altitude sickness within a day or two of changing your elevation, you might have altitude sickness. Rest and drink lots of water; if your symptoms are more severe, you’ll need medical attention.
The best way you can lower your chance of getting altitude sickness is through acclimatizing to the elevation slowly. Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and tobacco, and don’t do much strenuous activity until the second day.
FROSTBITE
Frostbite is a serious condition where parts of your body actually freeze due to being not properly protected in frigid temperatures. Your extremities are at the biggest risk since they are further away from your warmer core. Frostnip, the first stage of frostbite, is when your unprotected skin gets red and sore. Take this signal as a serious warning to bundle up, get inside, and ward off progression to more serious stages. Frostbite can happen in minutes, so there isn’t much time to play around with warning signs. Once frostbite begins it’s tough to realize how serious the damage is due to lack of feeling, so noticing the color of your skin is telling as to how deep and damaging the frostbite has progressed. Blue and black is the most advanced stage, and damage has likely gone all the way to the bone.
First signs of frostbite:
• Skin has pins and needles feeling.
• Skin turns a pale color.
Later signs:
• Skin hardens and takes on a shiny or waxy appearance.
• Blisters form as skin thaws.
More advanced signs:
• Skin turns a dark blue or black color.
• Skin feels cold to touch and is hard.
Seek medical attention quickly if you or anyone you know is experiencing frostbite, especially at the late and advanced stages. If that’s not an option right away, then get to a warm place immediately. Do not rub the affected skin. Soak affected areas in warm (not hot) water or place a warm washcloth over the frostbitten area. As the skin thaws you’ll feel a prickly, stinging feeling coming back to your skin. Keep the area covered with loose, dry dressings and place gauze between toes, for example, to keep them separated. Use caution so you don’t break any blisters that may have formed.
Frostbite is a bad deal, so do what you can to avoid it:
• Take frequent breaks from the cold.
• Cover your extremities, ears included, with a good hat, gloves, and socks that wick away moisture.
• Wear loose, layered clothing with a first layer of moisture-wicking material.
• Dry off if your clothing becomes wet from sweat or snow as wet clothing makes the likelihood of frostbite higher.
HYPOTHERMIA
Hypothermia develops when a person’s core body temperature falls below ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit, and severe hypothermia develops at a body temperature of eighty-two degrees or lower. Hypothermia is usually caused from extended exposure to cold temperatures, and that risk increases during the cold winter months. When exposed to cold temperatures, our bodies lose heat at a faster rate than it can be produced, so staying out for too long in cold temps uses up our body’s storehouse of warmth. This