A while back we packed up the car and headed north for a quick getaway to Taos. I’d been craving some mountain air, a good hike, and a visit to a few fiber shops. Taos delivered on all fronts.
We camped near the ski village, just along the stream. Even in summer, the night air up there gets chilly, and I was grateful for my hand-knit layers. After setting up, we roasted marshmallows for s’mores. It was a simple, relaxing way to end the day.
The next morning, he set out to hike Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico. The peak is 13,161 feet tall, and the hike is about 14 miles round trip with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. He described the hike as one of his favorites, with alpine meadows and blooming wildflowers. The was hoping to see some bighorn sheep, but they were nowhere to be found.
During his hike, I explored Taos. The downtown has a quiet charm with adobe buildings, colorful murals, and lots of local art. I stopped in at Mooncat Fiber, a cozy, welcoming yarn shop tucked just off the plaza. Their selection includes lots of indie-dyed skeins, and I couldn’t resist picking up a skein of hand-spun worsted weight in deep blues, purples. This was spun by Kimberly Darling in color Such A Night, a mix of 80% blue faced leicester and 20% silk. I also stopped at the Taos farmer’s market where I picked up some green chile cheddar muffins.
On my way to meet him after the hike, I stopped at Taos Wools in Arroyo Seco, a small town just north of Taos on the way to the Ski Village. Their yarns are made with wool from regional flocks, mainly Churro sheep. I picked up a few skeins of their natural black Churro wool, and admired the baskets of wool fleece (some day I’ll learn to spin!). The owners were friendly and full of knowledge about the sheep, which I learned are part of the Navajo-Churro heritage and have been raised in the Southwest for centuries. There’s something really special about yarn that’s so deeply connected to the land and its history.
To end the trip, we drove to Ojo Caliente for a quiet afternoon at the mineral hot springs, one of the oldest natural health resorts in the country. The pools are filled with different types of mineral water, believed to have various healing properties. After a few packed days of hiking, camping, and exploring, it felt good to soak in the warm water and let our muscles recover. We moved between the pools, relaxed in shaded lounge chairs, and enjoyed the calm pace of the day. I brought my knitting and worked a few rows between soaks, a peaceful way to wind down before heading home.
We only spent a couple of days in the Taos area, but it was full of camping, hiking Wheeler Peak, exploring town, and making a few fiber stops along the way. A quick getaway, but a good one.
