Winter Wonders in the Land of Enchantment: Discovering New Mexico's Snowy Side With Guest Nicole Barker

Join hosts Heide Brandes and Nicky Omohundro as they explore an unexpected winter wonderland on this episode of Untethered and Wanderwise. Most travelers picture New Mexico as a desert landscape with adobe architecture, but our special guest Nicole Barker reveals the state's spectacular winter offerings that make it truly the Land of Enchantment during the colder months.

Nicole, a former photojournalist whose adventures have taken her from East Africa to New Zealand, moved to New Mexico in 2017 to work with Outside Magazine and fell in love with the state's wealth of outdoor activities. With her background in journalism and marketing experience in the ski travel industry, she shares insider knowledge on:

Episode Highlights:

• New Mexico's Surprising Ski Scene: Discover nine diverse ski resorts across the state, from small, charming operations to world-renowned Taos Valley
• Perfect for Beginners: Learn which resorts offer the best learning experiences for women trying skiing for the first time in their 40s, 50s, and beyond
• Beyond the Slopes: Explore unique winter activities including scenic gondola rides, zip lining, and cultural celebrations
• Cultural Experiences: Experience the magic of farolitos (paper bag lanterns) lighting walkways during holiday celebrations
• Culinary Delights: Indulge in green chile cheeseburgers, posole, blue corn enchiladas, and the Santa Fe Margarita Trail
• Wellness Retreats: Unwind at Japanese-inspired hot springs or participate in authentic sweat lodge ceremonies
• Budget-Friendly Options: Find affordable alternatives to traditional ski destinations with insider tips

Whether you're an avid skier looking for uncrowded slopes, a beginner seeking a welcoming environment to learn, or someone who prefers cultural experiences and relaxation, New Mexico offers a perfect winter escape that goes well beyond your typical ski vacation.

Listen now to discover why New Mexico should be your next winter destination!

Resources Mentioned:

• Ski New Mexico
• New Mexico Tourism

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• Subscribe and leave a review to help other adventure-seeking women find us!

Transcript

Winter Wonders in the Land of Enchantment: Discovering New Mexico's Snowy Side With Guest Nicole Barker

Nicky and Heide: Welcome to Untethered and Wander Wise, the podcast where we explore extraordinary destinations and share authentic travel experiences for women who aren't afraid to chart their own path. I'm your host, Heide Brandes. And I'm Nicky Omohundro, we are so excited to take you on another journey of discovery today as we explore a destination that might surprise you for its winter offerings. 

That's right. When most people think of New Mexico, they picture desert landscapes, adobe architecture maybe Breaking Bad, but today we're uncovering the winter wonderland that New Mexico transforms into during the. Colder months from world-class skiing to unique culture celebrations that make the Land of Enchantment truly magical this time of year.

And who better to guide us through New Mexico's winter scene than someone who's traveled the globe, but chose to put down roots in Santa Fe.

Our guest today is Nicole Barker, a former photojournalist whose passion for storytelling has taken her from East Africa to New Zealand.

Now Nicole moved to New Mexico in 2017 to work with Outside Magazine and quickly fell in love with the state's abundance of adventure, all fueled by breakfast burritos of course. 

With her background in journalism and marketing experience in the ski travel industry, Nicole brings a unique perspective on what makes New Mexico special during the winter months. Today, I'm excited for her to share her insider tips on the state's best ski resorts, cultural winter experiences, and maybe even some spots for those looking to escape the cold weather altogether. 

 Nicole, we're so thrilled to have you join us today on Untethered and Wander wise. Welcome.

[00:01:51] Nicole Barker: Thanks so much for having me. I'm so excited to talk about all things Winter in New Mexico.

[00:01:57] Nicky and Heide: I know what's funny is as we're recording this here in Oklahoma City, it's in the seventies. Last week we had negative degrees, so it's fun to talk about cold weather again.

Can you tell us what makes New Mexico a standout winter destination?

[00:02:13] Nicole Barker: Here in New Mexico we have nine ski resorts and they range quite a bit from maybe a smaller mom and pop type place to a world renowned, Tao Valley. So we get quite a range when it comes to both your on snow experience as well as your amenities besides skiing. 

[00:02:35] Nicky and Heide: A lot of people don't know that New Mexico has these world class ski resorts and these amazing offerings during the winter time. Do you have any personal favorite winter memories from your time in New Mexico so far?

[00:02:50] Nicole Barker: Well, I had one just about three weeks ago. We had a really big snowstorm hit, the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains, which are located in Northern New Mexico. So at Ski Santa Fe, we got about 21 inches of fresh powder over a couple days I got to enjoy the best morning of that storm and those memories really stick with you.

That's absolutely fantastic. You said there's nine ski resorts in the state. What would you say makes them unique? Is it the elevation? Is it terrain? 

I think what makes New Mexico Ski Resorts unique is that they're all different from each other and they definitely are a unique experience when you compared with some of the more popular or more mega resorts around the West. In New Mexico, most of our ski resorts are in Northern New Mexico where the Southern Rocky Mountains end.

[00:03:47] Nicole Barker: However, we even have a ski resort in Southern New Mexico. It is one of the southern most ski resorts. In the US, it's actually owned and operated by a local Native American tribe. I believe that's also only one of two in the states. So it's really cool that we have indigenous owned and operated ski slopes right here in New Mexico.

[00:04:13] Nicky and Heide: Yeah, and I had no idea that there was a ski resort that far south.

[00:04:20] Nicole Barker: Fun fact about Ski Apache is it's also home to the fastest skier in the world on record. He was clocked in at a hundred and 56 miles per hour. Don't quote me on the exact speed, it's just so cool that we have that kind of skiing in. You know, the sometimes forgotten.

[00:04:45] Nicky and Heide: I've never gone 150 some odd miles in a car, no less skis. And , to be honest, both Nicky and I are rather beginner skiing fanatics now. But how beginner friendly are these ski resorts? A lot of our listeners include women who might be trying skiing or snowboarding for the first time in their forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond.

[00:05:10] Nicole Barker: I think really, to be honest, all of our ski resorts are beginner friendly. It depends what kind of beginner experience you want. If you want world class instruction. I highly recommend the ski school at Taos Valley. have incredible instructors, some of which who have been teaching there for decades. Certainly can't go wrong there if you wanna get going quickly with skills. 

If you're looking for something in a little more laid back and enjoying the scenery, maybe, stopping for some scrumptious treats along the way, well, really that's pretty much the rest of our ski resorts.

 A couple places that come to mind that I think are a great fit for women learning to ski is Red River and Angel Fire. They're both north of Santa Fe. They have great little towns where you can grab a drink and a bite after skiing. Super safe and easy to navigate, fun little mountains where you can progress quickly on the slopes.

[00:06:15] Nicky and Heide: I will say that some of the best hiking I've ever done, and granted it was during the summer months and the fall months was in Red River. I just love that area. It's so picturesque and beautiful, but I've never been in that area during the wintertime. 

See, and I've had neighbors here in Oklahoma City that they always go to Angel Fire.

Oh yeah. Angel fire's gorgeous. Even in the summer, like I said, I'm dying to see it in the wintertime. 

[00:06:39] Nicole Barker: Yeah, I feel like Angel Fire is maybe a little bit more family leaning and Red River's where I would choose if I was going maybe with girlfriends. Now, I know that solo ski trips aren't super popular, but I'll tell you, New Mexico would be a great place for a solo ski trip because in a little town like Red River.

You go to the, after everyone's chatting with everyone you know, very friendly and.

[00:07:07] Nicky and Heide: Fantastic. Thank you for that tip. Yeah. So now for those that don't ski or just want to do something other than skiing, you mentioned Red River for their brewery and their Apres ski environment, but what other winter activities are available in New Mexico?

[00:07:24] Nicole Barker: Off slopes, ski Apache has a really great scenic gondola. It whisks you to 12,000 feet at the top of Sierra Blanca. So that's a must do whether you're skiing or not, just to enjoy those views. Then are unique in that they offer wintertime zip lining.

So this is definitely The thrill seekers, and I hear that they have two lines that are side by side, so you can kind of like go at the same time as your bestie and actually race her which sounds fun. I wanna challenge you.

[00:08:01] Nicky and Heide: I'll win. I'm gonna, no, I'm gonna win. No, I'll win. I'm gonna win. If you lose, you have to do a snow angel in your bikini. I've done it actually. I I can do that. I actually did it two weeks ago. Yeah. 

You know, one of the things I love about travel is you get to experience the local culture and New Mexico has such a unique culture. So how does New Mexico's vibrant cultural heritage come alive during the winter months?

[00:08:31] Nicole Barker: During the winter we have events and festivals. It kind of is cool to see how the vibe changes over winter. Being a local here, I can say that there's really not a bad time of ski season to come and enjoy either skiing or apre. So during the festive holiday season, we have a unique tradition throughout New Mexico where we light up our walkways, with farolitos, which are candles placed in paper bags to create kind of a DIY lantern. This has been happening here for hundreds of years. So there's some really cute events you can go to, such as the Canyon Road Walk on Christmas Eve and Santa Fe, where this historic winding road that is completely lined with art galleries on. On both sides. They also have alitos and it's so dark that you're really walking by candlelight. It's a beautiful experience. There's events like that all throughout New Mexico over the month of December and then, in February now we're enjoying kind of the culinary time. There's restaurant weeks. 

There's wine festivals with New Mexico wine and different, things like that. Further afield from the ski resorts, there's the Red Rock balloon rally in Western New Mexico. So if you're looking to get a little adventure scenery outside of the snow, that is an amazing event where [00:10:00] you get to float up above Red Rock formations and a hot air balloon at sunrise.

[00:10:05] Nicky and Heide: Oh fun. I bet that's stunning in the wintertime and cold.

[00:10:09] Nicole Barker: the snow will dust the red rocks and it's, it's To see that.

[00:10:14] Nicky and Heide: Hmm. So now you touch on food. So after a day on the slopes, nothing beats a great meal or even a cocktail. What are some must try dishes or dining spots that you would recommend that showcase New Mexico's rich culinary heritage?

[00:10:30] Nicole Barker: Well, New Mexico cuisine is definitely where it's at for filling comforting, sating food. 

After a day on the slopes, I love to get a green chili cheeseburger. Some of the other like really locally loved dishes we have that are part of our culinary heritage is. Posole, which is like a hominy, often with red chili or green chili and a little bit of pork , just piping hot. It really brings you back to life. 

Then of course we have blue corn enchiladas, all sorts of tasty treats. And then for drinks, we do have a whole New Mexico wine scene. We're really becoming increasingly known for our sparkling wine.

So if you like bubbles, this is your spot. Then there's a Santa Fe Margarita Trail. One of my favorites is a prickly pear margarita. If you need a little sweet balance out your salty entree. Then of course we have a really great craft beer scene as well, so it's. You know, the choice is yours.

There's many options.

[00:11:36] Nicky and Heide: Hmm. Yeah. And of course you've got this nice full belly. You've got that. Good. I will have to say New Mexico has some of the best food I've ever had worldwide. Nothing beats New Mexico green chilies, but also our listeners are looking for that perfect balance between adventure, relaxation, and wellness.

[00:11:56] Nicole Barker: Are there any like spa resorts, hot springs, wellness retreats you'd recommend, especially in the winter? 

Absolutely. New. Mexico's home to an interesting array of healing and wellness experiences, and a lot of those really are not too far of a drive from our ski resorts as well. In Northern New Mexico, we have three different completely iconic hot springs resorts. One is a Japanese onsen inspired Hot springs resort with IMI style dining and onsen style pools. Then we have two, ojo spa resorts that are completely New Mexico. All of these have outdoor pools where you're just soaking in incredible scenery. And enjoying a truly inspired spa treatment. 

[00:12:48] Nicole Barker: Some other things we have around the state is a couple of really culturally immersed We now have healing sessions with a shamanic healer at Bishop's Lodge, which is outside of Santa Fe. And then at Ojo Santa Fe. Each Friday they do a ceremony, which is a sweat lodge experience. It's led by a really revered local So imagine doing that after a day on the slopes

[00:13:19] Nicky and Heide: Oh, that sounds amazing. How does someone reserve something like that?

[00:13:23] Nicole Barker: There, you have to call the book. I think it's pretty sought after, and I, you know, they can only have a few folks, so, um, yeah.

[00:13:31] Nicky and Heide: plan ahead? Far, far and ahead. 

 What specific advice do you have for women our age planning a winter trip in New Mexico outside of booking well ahead of time for that shaman experience?

[00:13:45] Nicole Barker: I think when it comes to planning a trip to New Mexico, there's just like a couple things to keep in mind. A lot of New Mexico getting between the ski resorts and towns and airports can be a little bit rural. So if you have dietary needs or preferences, stock up on snacks that you can have on hand, in case you don't find what you're looking for maybe until your next meal. Even when it's snowy here, the air can be quite dry. So definitely be prepared with sunscreen for sure, super rich moisturizer. I drink a ton of water in New Mexico and a lot of our towns and ski resorts are of course at really high elevation. For example, Santa Fe, the capitol, is at 7,000 feet.

It's not uncommon for folks who are coming from sea level to maybe need a day or two to ease in. And that could look like mindful of your caffeine and alcohol intake and just, you know, taking it easy. Maybe that's the day you go to the spa.

[00:14:47] Nicky and Heide: That's some great tips. Now, when do you normally have snow? What's like the early snow date versus your last snowfall day?

[00:14:56] Nicole Barker: Well, I've seen it snow as late as April -may and as early as October, however, no one's game that snow yet. So, would say really booking anytime from December Early April is pretty safe if you are more of a beginner and really just going to be staying on groom. 

If you're looking to maybe get into the trees, a little bit more of an advanced skier, then you might wanna stick more to February and March.

Every winter is a little bit different.

[00:15:33] Nicky and Heide: Okay folks, you got a couple months to book that last minute ski adventure trip to New Mexico. But then again, you know, winter weather can be unpredictable and especially this year we've had some kind of wacky weather.

What do you think women must pack? When they're coming to Mexico or do you have any tips for staying comfortable besides the altitude sickness and the take it slow.

[00:16:02] Nicole Barker: Definitely. I think something that's often misunderstood is even though a lot of our days are bluebird sunny days, it can still, of course, be cold. So while our snow tends to be on the drier side, you may not need full waterproof outerwear. 

Layers are great. I personally love wool based layers. I am a believer and just being ready to kind of adjust as you can throughout the day.

You might be warm one hour and, and pretty cold the next. So I think that packing as much as you can for the unknown is a great way to go.

[00:16:41] Nicky and Heide: Oh, fantastic. What are some lesser known winter destinations in New Mexico that would offer visitors something really unique? Like you mentioned the ski resort in the south. What are some others? 

[00:16:54] Nicole Barker: For active travelers who maybe wanna bypass the winter vacation and maybe feel like you're in spring, I'd recommend heading to Southern New Mexico to Las Cruces. There's great hiking that is typically dry and not too cold in the Oregon Peaks, which are these beautiful super craggy dramatic peaks that are just outside of the city of Las Cruces. So that's a lovely place to explore really cool plant life. it's also really close to White Sands National Park.

[00:17:28] Nicky and Heide: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:30] Nicole Barker: Looks like virtually endless white stand dunes. So a great place to snap some pics and to maybe feel like you're in the snow, but staying on the warmer side.

[00:17:42] Nicky and Heide: Yeah, and there are so many charming small towns in New Mexico too. I mean, everybody thinks of santa Fe and Albuquerque and Las Cruces and Taos, but what are some of the smaller towns that are especially magical to visit during the winter months?

[00:18:01] Nicole Barker: There's a couple of special small towns that come to mind. The first is Ruidoso. It's in Southern New Mexico, but it's kind of an anomaly because it's a high elevation town that is literally nestled into Lincoln National Forest. So it's surrounded by pine trees, and this is actually one of the closest little towns to ski Apache. It's just got this awesome Main street, super walkable. First you can grab a local bite, hit up some art stores, and there'll be live music on the deck. Then you can head to a New Mexico wine tasting room called Noisy Waters. Enjoy some of the best sips in the state. 

Another thing that comes to mind is the back route between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Whether a day there or you just take a little bit longer to drive through is just studded with little villages. It's called the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway. And there's this great little town called Madrid that's full of shops per vain antiques, special local arts, jewelry, obviously turquoise jewelry, and there's a really cool little roadhouse there we can get, you know, again, a great green chili cheeseburger.

[00:19:20] Nicky and Heide: Hmm Hmm. That does sound really good. It sounds filling too. So for those that may be flying into New Mexico, what's the best way to get to the ski areas and the other winter attractions? 

[00:19:35] Nicole Barker: So when it comes to flying into New Mexico, the Albuquerque International Sunport is the main hub, but this is definitely a time to do your research. If you're going to Angel Fire, for example, you can fly into Albuquerque and then hop on a little flight to Angel Fire directly, or get a rental car if you wanna enjoy some, you know, some cool, roads up north if you're [00:20:00] comfortable. Of course, driving in winter conditions. 

I will say that if you're gonna come in winter, you should be prepared for, for winter driving conditions. if you really wanna minimize your driving TAs is a great solution because you can fly on JSX directly into Taos, and then from there they'll, shuttle you to your accommodations.

And I, from what I hear at JSX, is essentially feels like a private flying experience.

[00:20:29] Nicky and Heide: Oh wow. Very nice. Yeah, and you know, speaking of private lines and renting cars and having the whole ski experience. How does New Mexico compare to other popular winter destinations in terms of affordability? Are there any budget friendly tips you can share with us?

[00:20:50] Nicole Barker: Definitely. I think the thing about skiing and ski vacations in New Mexico is you really get to pick what you want. You can do the low high here for sure. it's still totally possible to get weekend lift tickets for less than a hundred bucks in New Mexico. Or you can go high end and enjoy slope side lodging at Taos Valley at the Blake.

Both are B Corp certified. So, they're doing a lot of good and that's, you know, it always feels good to know where your, where your coin is going when you're staying somewhere. 

As far as affordability, there's a couple good insider tips that I wanna share. At Pajarito, which is by Los Alamos, if you book your lift tickets in advance, you can get some really great deals and they also give you a voucher off of your food that you can buy that day. So that bit helps. We know how expensive eating on the mountain can, can add up real quick.

[00:21:51] Nicky and Heide: Oh yeah.

[00:21:52] Nicole Barker: that's also true at Sippa poof. So on certain weekdays, you can get a lift ticket for, I mean, less than 50 bucks. 

And then in Santa Fe, if you wanna head up to Ski Santa Fe, and actually this is a good solution for those who maybe aren't comfortable driving in winter conditions. There's a free bus that takes you from the Santa Fe Plaza all the way to the steps of the ski resort.

[00:22:21] Nicky and Heide: That's a good way to bypass having to drive on the snow. Yeah, I'm one of those people. I'm not comfortable with winter driving, so that would be my option I think. I've gotten much more accustomed to it, so yeah, I don't mind it so much anymore. 

We've kind of flip flopped on that one. Yeah, it's funny.

So when it comes to experiences when people are visiting New Mexico, what would you recommend the top three things women check out when they're in the state?

[00:22:48] Nicole Barker: Top three things for women traveling in New Mexico. I mean, you can't leave New Mexico without going to one of our hot springs resorts. There is a great little historic hot springs town called Truth or Consequences, which is on your route from Albuquerque International Sunport down to Ski Apache. And that's really eclectic and funky. 

Or of course you can go quite, you can go quite high-end and even stay at one of the hot springs resorts like Ojo Caliente Northern New Mexico, which is situated kind of conveniently between Taos Ski Valley and Ski Santa Fe.

Number one, hot springs. two, you definitely have to enjoy some new Mexican cuisine while you're here.

There are even gluten-free options, such as the red chili posole. Can't go wrong there.. 

 And the third is shopping. New Mexico has really eclectic, fun shopping. I'll be honest, I'm actually not a shopper and this is the one place where I love to just wander and see, see what's around. you know, Santa Fe is one of the biggest art markets in the us so if you're an art lover, you can just, , peruse Canyon Road and historic downtown Santa Taos Ski Valley their plaza has really cool, locally made New Mexico goods as well as highly curated global goods as, well.

[00:24:19] Nicky and Heide: I think all that sounds amazing and. Like I said, I've been to New Mexico, but never in the winter and I absolutely love New Mexico. I think it's one of those highly underrated states that sometimes people overlook. 

So what message would you like to leave our audience with about why they should consider New Mexico for their next winter adventure? Whether they ski or not.

[00:24:46] Nicole Barker: I think New Mexico's a great winter destination. If you're thinking a little bit more than your typical ski vacation, if doing a few runs and a whole lot more sounds good to you, this is the place to come. For foodies, for art lovers, for folks who just really wanna feel connected to the local culture of the place they're visiting, rather than, you know, kind of beaming in getting yours and taking off.

This is a place where you can dig a little deeper without even necessarily spending a whole lot of time or money.

[00:25:22] Nicky and Heide: That's a great message. 

So for those that want to come visit, where can they find information about winter travel in New Mexico, where to book ski passes, plan their trips, et cetera?

[00:25:34] Nicole Barker: Yeah, there's a couple of great resources for ski specific information. Check out skinewmexico.com and for more General travel information, including about winter adventures, check out Newmexico.org.

[00:25:52] Nicky and Heide: Well, Nicole, thank you so much for taking us on this virtual tour of New Mexico in the winter. You've certainly opened our eyes to this incredible experience and everything the state has to offer beyond the desert landscapes it's known for. 

And I'm definitely adding New Mexico ski trip to my winter bucket list and can't wait to take another ski lesson I had one two weeks ago. Can't wait to do it again. So for our listeners who want to learn more about New Mexico, be sure to follow the links that we'll put in our show notes. 

Yeah, and if you enjoyed today's episode please subscribe to untethered and wander wise on your favorite podcast platform, and leave us a review. It helps other adventure seeking women. Find us. 

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram at untethered wander wise for travel tips, and let us know where you'd like us to explore next. Until next time, this is Heide Brandes. And I'm Nicky Omohundro reminding you to stay untethered, wander wise wisely, and never stop exploring.

Thank you, Nicole, so much for joining us. It was a pleasure.

[00:27:05] Nicole Barker: Thanks, Nikki and Heidi.