Riding in Los Alamos, NM

[Roxtar]

Possible move.
What is the riding like? Is there a lot out there?

[concretejungle]

Possible move.
What is the riding like? Is there a lot out there?

Yes, it's better than Hell, IN. Be sure to go visit first as NM isn't for everyone.

Do you have kids? LA might be fine for public schools but NM in general is a bit different.

[Roxtar]

No kids. What do you mean, "not for everyone"?

[Soups]

No kids. What do you mean, "not for everyone"?

It can be a weird fucking place, people wise. I have no experience with LA though, but can't imagine it's much different.

Rent "The Hills Have Eyes" ;-)

[Pig Bodine]

New Mexico is really fun, and LA is a great, unique town. Not super familiar with the riding right around town but some great classics right across the valley near Santa Fe, Rio en Medio, Winsor, etc. Taos South Boundary within striking distance. I think the people are less weird then real, much preferred to your average resort town crowd.

[Meadow Skipper]

Riding in New Mexico:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...HOS-and-MORONs

[brettf]

Los Alamos is strange not because it's New Mexico, but because it's this weird little island of crazy smart physicists and tons of people with very advanced degrees that work at the lab. New Mexico is a bit strange in general, but a lot of that 'strange' is in all the right ways; just quirky, interesting, different than anywhere else you'll find.

There is actually quite a lot of good riding right in and around Los Alamos. There are also many great rides within a short drive in the Jemez mountains. Accross the valley, Santa Fe has some great rides, you're not a terribly long drive from Taos/Angel Fire (Angel Fire!!) the Sandia Mountains (some very good riding and some ahem, shuttle rides on the backside of the Sandias from Albuquerque, and tons of other riding around Cedro, Otero, and on.

The riding up in LA interesting. Lots of Tuff riding (funny igneous rock), some super fast trails, some shady, Ponderosa riding, some very warm exposed riding due to a large forest fire a while back. Guaje Ridge used to be this epic ride through tall timber and dark earth - now it rides like Buffalo Creek; decomposed granite, rock slabs, fast, and dry.

You won't be handed a lot of that beta on a silver platter, and there is a bit more wild west style to some of the trails and the building, but it's rad. I love riding there.

Oh, and White Mesa is like riding on the moon - rad.

Random thoughts:

• This will be a HUGE departure for you from Indiana's landscape, climate, people, everything. In my humble opinion, it's a huge upgrade in many respects - especially with regard to being outdoors!
• The drivers in NM suck. I don't know what it is, but they just do. Bad drunk driving problem, too.
• The Northern part of the state has many beautiful areas that I used to take for granted, but love to visit now. Some areas to the south are less so, but the state is super underrated I think.
• Los Alamos is very quiet and kind of strange. If you're after nightlife at all, you'll be very disappointed.
• Los Alamos has a ski area (Pajarito). It's steep and I don't think they groom an inch of it. It's rad when it snows a lot - really rad.
• Pajarito runs the lifts on some weekends during the summer and has some DH stuff - I have no idea what it is like, but just FYI. I've never managed to ride there.
• There are so many fewer people out there doing things like riding.
• Wolf Creek is about 3.5 hours driving or less.

There are a few others who live in NM now or just moved here on the board - hopefully they chime in.

Hope this helps a bit? Good luck.

[brettf]

I also happened to click through the thread linked above and skimmed. Hilarious. There is a certain chillness in NM that you don't get in CO... which is funny, because CO is pretty laid back compared to much of the country.

Also, no idea how old you are or if you have family or anything like that, but think about schools - LA is decent with public schooling, but I don't hear great things about the Espanola Valley below. Lots of private schooling going on down there.

Santa Fe will blow your mind. The people watching can be amazing.

Also from what I gather the riding community is smaller than say here in Colorado. That's either good or bad depending on your take.... I have a handful of good friends down there that ride together in this funny group - nuclear scientists, bro-truck-flatbill-MX guys, crotchety framebuilders, and uptight ultramarathon XC types... they all get along and are really nice.

If you move, just enjoy the spectacle that is New Mexico for what it is. Seems like a lot of people enjoy it for a few years and are ready to bounce, or they get sucked in and love it.

Anyway, good luck.

[Roxtar]

Is Santa Fe pretty much the same vibe or not?

[concretejungle]

Is Santa Fe pretty much the same vibe or not?

No, weird scientists versus rich, white retirees.

You might want to visit or just move to Espanola.

[Hugh Conway]

Is Santa Fe pretty much the same vibe or not?

The same vibe as what? No, it's nothing like Los Alamos (and from my experience, Los Alamos is really nothing like the rest of New Mexico, which is in and of itself varied) You live in fucking Indiana there's no way in hell it isn't an upgrade - aside from the ongoing malaise/dismantling of the lab.

[Roxtar]

Upgrade from Hell isn't the question.
Anything west of the Mississippi is an upgrade from Indiana. Hell, anything north, south, east, or west of Indiana is an upgrade from Indiana. O-fawking-hio is an upgrade from Indiana, for God's sake.
The question isn't whether to move or not. We want/need to move. I'm looking at possible business opportunities in Utah, Colorado, and NM and this is an attempt to gather beta on one of these opportunities.

[Hugh Conway]

There's business that isn't at the lab in Los Alamos? There's lots of killer outdoors within a reasonable drive in that part of the US, easily enough to keep most anyone happy. I almost moved there for a job... and it would have been a killer place for access to the outdoors working 4 10s. But the actualities of living in Los Alamos or commuting from Santa Fe to Los Alamos are "interesting". I'm not going to say it's good or bad, but it's an odd corner of the US. Like was said, visit.

[Roxtar]

There's business that isn't at the lab in Los Alamos?

Yea, considered buying the lab but it was a little out of my price range.

[Hugh Conway]

Oh, you're buying into the lab alright.

[f2f]

he's probably buying the one outstanding liquor license at the canyon: http://www.lamonitor.com/content/canyon-bar-set-close (oh the memories, or lack thereof).

Roxtar, check this before you join in the lab for some shenanigans: http://llnlthetruestory.blogspot.ca

It's not the place it once was.

as far as riding, there are plenty of trails right in the middle of the town. plenty of places to get away or lost.



(i haven't been there since 2007, no idea if things have changed since. the friends i have left there don't bike)

[Roxtar]

That was a joke. I have nothing to do with the LANL.

[Canada1]

That was a joke. I have nothing to do with the LANL.

I ws raised there and in other NM locales. Fell free to PM me any questions. Still have lots of family and friends there.

[character zero]

Los Alamos is strange not because it's New Mexico, but because it's this weird little island of crazy smart physicists and tons of people with very advanced degrees that work at the lab. New Mexico is a bit strange in general, but a lot of that 'strange' is in all the right ways; just quirky, interesting, different than anywhere else you'll find.

There is actually quite a lot of good riding right in and around Los Alamos. There are also many great rides within a short drive in the Jemez mountains. Accross the valley, Santa Fe has some great rides, you're not a terribly long drive from Taos/Angel Fire (Angel Fire!!) the Sandia Mountains (some very good riding and some ahem, shuttle rides on the backside of the Sandias from Albuquerque, and tons of other riding around Cedro, Otero, and on.

The riding up in LA interesting. Lots of Tuff riding (funny igneous rock), some super fast trails, some shady, Ponderosa riding, some very warm exposed riding due to a large forest fire a while back. Guaje Ridge used to be this epic ride through tall timber and dark earth - now it rides like Buffalo Creek; decomposed granite, rock slabs, fast, and dry.

You won't be handed a lot of that beta on a silver platter, and there is a bit more wild west style to some of the trails and the building, but it's rad. I love riding there.

Oh, and White Mesa is like riding on the moon - rad.

Random thoughts:

• This will be a HUGE departure for you from Indiana's landscape, climate, people, everything. In my humble opinion, it's a huge upgrade in many respects - especially with regard to being outdoors!
• The drivers in NM suck. I don't know what it is, but they just do. Bad drunk driving problem, too.
• The Northern part of the state has many beautiful areas that I used to take for granted, but love to visit now. Some areas to the south are less so, but the state is super underrated I think.
• Los Alamos is very quiet and kind of strange. If you're after nightlife at all, you'll be very disappointed.
• Los Alamos has a ski area (Pajarito). It's steep and I don't think they groom an inch of it. It's rad when it snows a lot - really rad.
• Pajarito runs the lifts on some weekends during the summer and has some DH stuff - I have no idea what it is like, but just FYI. I've never managed to ride there.
• There are so many fewer people out there doing things like riding.
• Wolf Creek is about 3.5 hours driving or less.

There are a few others who live in NM now or just moved here on the board - hopefully they chime in.

Hope this helps a bit? Good luck.

You've spilled a good bit of good info there. I travel there a couple times a year at least and love NM, but work keeps me in TX.

Pajarito is where I learned to FR. It burned last year or the year before, but they've rebuilt a fair amount. It is very much a small ski mtn that caters to the town, but the amount of wood there makes it spectacular - more skinnies than Trestle, keystone and Angelfire combined. Fast runs due to small elevation change, but so much fun. Look for some 'tube vids.
Angelfire has stepped the fuck up. Hogan K has headed up a capable crew and they've added TONS of new trials. Hell, I think they added 4 between my two trips there this past year. Lots of new-style FLOW trails, with big berms/hips/jumps. not much for wood, but lots of fast dirt. The trails like CHILLIN and WC are very much old-WC style DH, break your back on the rocks if you fall type trails - again tons of fun.

Shuttles @ RioEnMedio are awesome, bring your 6" bike for a 3k descent over 10ish miles (iirc). Awesome terrain, some great features/log rides, and flow. So much flow.
Shuttles @ Sandia are kick ass. Incredible riding.

That's all I got. hit mtbr for some vids from the bandolero crew.

Oh, and proximity to other locals isn't to be taken for granted. TX sucks for proximity, but AF/Paj/Sandia gets me to drive 10 hours each way just to play for the weekend.

Pajarito vid I made back before the burn:



Oh, the TRASHPIT in StaFe is awesome too. Great place to go 1 hr from Paj if you get rained out there.
Hope that helps.

[Gripen]

I ws raised there and in other NM locales. Fell free to PM me any questions. Still have lots of family and friends there.

I was raised there as well, spent lots of time on mountain bikes when I was a kid but haven't been back since the late 90s.

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[stuckathuntermtn]

I'm interested in hearing thoughts on Santa Fe. Just 'cause.

[concretejungle]

I'm interested in hearing thoughts on Santa Fe. Just 'cause.

With your love of good customer service I don't think you'd like it.

[Meadow Skipper]

I'm interested in hearing thoughts on Santa Fe. Just 'cause.

Okay. I think it's a nice place to live.

[skinnyskier]

We looked at jobs there and ultimately were turned off by the meager level of aesthetic charm in the town itself, little snow fall, and the fact that the hospital is for-profit and made no effort to better itself. All the hospital's margin was sucked off to somewhere outside of Nashville rather than invested in the community. There was no medical staff cohesiveness that we could detect. It is very clearly a company town.

On the pro side, I thought the way trails wrapped in and around the residential neighborhoods was super cool. Pajarito was beautiful in the summer. The schools and library were awesome. The rock climbing near by seemed really good.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Isn't it the capital, shouldn't there be a bunch of state jobs and other stuff?

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