Cooler air, myriad activities provide an escape from the heat

Go! summer fun

Yes, most people call them “ski areas,” but the places we love to play in the winter have plenty of summer action as well.

“Certainly there is more variety of activities in the summer,” says Stacey Glaser, the marketing coordinator for Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort. “It’s cooler in the mountains, the river runs right through the property and there’s a little something for everyone.”

Glaser said one of the most popular activities at Sipapu is fly fishing in the stocked trout pond or on the Rio Pueblo. And the resort offers free fly fishing clinics on Saturdays.

Glaser said the resorts of Northern New Mexico all have activities geared for families. And the small-town feeling makes it the perfect place for a close-to-home getaway.

Several of the “ski towns” also have entertainment of the more artistic variety. Sipapu’s 3rd annual Music on the Rocks music festival returns Saturday, featuring Albuquerque favorite the Cali Shaw Band. Entry is free.

Taos also features a concert this weekend. The Taos School of Music will celebrate 50 years “training talented musicians and presenting stellar concerts to Taos” at the Hotel St. Bernard.

Most of the resorts offer summer scenic rides on their chairlifts (prices vary; check websites listed for details) to making hiking, picnicking or mountain biking on the top of a mountain a little more accessible.

Other activities include disc golf (Angel Fire, Taos, Sipapu), tubing (Red River) and ziplining (Angel Fire).

Or challenge yourself with the “Up and Over,” one of the most challenging trail runs in the country held at Taos Ski Valley at the end of August.

Here’s a partial rundown of what you will find on New Mexico ski areas for your summer pleasure. Check the websites for further information, including prices.

ANGEL FIRE RESORT (angelfireresort.com):

Activities include mountain biking, golf on an 18-hole PGA championship course, ATV tours, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf on the highest-altitude course in New Mexico, rock climbing wall, river rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and art exhibitions.

Just opened this July is the three-hour Rocky Mountain Zipline Adventure Tour starting at the 10,600-foot elevation summit of the Angel Fire ski mountain. See separate story.

SIPAPU SKI AND SUMMER RESORT:

The 20-hole disc golf course is free to all guests. There is also fishing (free Saturday fly fishing clinics throughout the summer). You also can geocache (the outdoor treasure-hunting game in which participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or other navigational techniques to locate “treasures” or”caches”). There are a number of hidden caches throughout the mountain.

RED RIVER SKI AREA (redriverskiarea.com):

Hiking, biking, fishing, golf and white-water rafting on the Rio Grande.

New for 2012 is the summer tubing area. Summer tubing is like tubing on the snow – they even use the same tubes in the summer as they do for the winter tubing.

The area claims the longest summer tubing lanes in the country on the “Gold Rush Hill,” which is serviced by the Gold Chairlift. These two lanes are both 800 feet long. There is also tubing on “Baby Blue”; both lanes on this hill are 400 feet.

Also new is nine additional disc golf “holes” specifically designed for beginners and novice disc-golfers.

TAOS SKI VALLEY (taosskivalley.com):

Taos has what most other resorts have: mountain biking, hiking, festivals, rafting, fishing, horseback riding. It also has a full-service spa, Edelweiss Lodge Spa, right in the ski village. On Aug. 11, the Edelweiss will present “Wine and Dine With the Stars.” Geoff Goins and Night Sky Adventures will show participants the night’s universe, in real time, through one of the largest telescopes in New Mexico.

The Taos Ski Valley 10K Up and Over Trail Run’s start line is at 9,207 feet, with a 2,612-foot elevation gain in the first three miles.

PAJARITO MOUNTAIN (skipajarito.com):

Pajarito is open for Bike & Hike some weekends. (check calendar online). Lift runs 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Food and beverage service is available, and there is an outside grill.

SANDIA PEAK SKI AND TRAMWAY (sandiapeak.com):

Tram open daily (from Albuquerque to top of mountain). The summer chair and mountain bike trails will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day. Food and beverage service available.