PEÑASCO WINTER SPORTS

Snowing on U. S. Hill - Between Taos and Peñasco Circa 1938

First - Me riding La Potranca and Pulling Lloyd Bolander Up Hill

Second - Lloyd - then me - then La Potranca Going Down Hill!

It was in the middle of the winter of 1938 in Peñasco. Rafael Abreu, Lloyd Bolander and I were always in the vanguard as far as winter sports were concerned in our little village. Well Lloyd was, he could ski. Rafael and I were learning. Wooden skis were the only thing available then. Rafael and I did not own any, we borrowed from Lloyd, or Lloyd's uncles. Ski boots did not exist yet; the wooden skis attached to regular shoes. We did not have ski slopes right in Peñasco so we improvised. We used a horse to pull sometimes two of us with long ropes behind the horse. Sometimes one of Lloyd's uncles would pull us behind one of the Forest Ranger's vehicles. Sometimes we went sledding or ice skating, that is ice skating without skates.

On this particular Sunday we went sledding. My first life could have ended, but for the Grace of God on that day. We chose the slopes of La Cañada de Tia Reies. We tied our sleds together; Rafael in front, Lloyd in the middle and me in the rear. We came down the snowy slopes in tandem, "dog sled" fashion, we called it. It was great fun. We tried a steeper slope in the same order. Rafael blinked and got stuck on a snow bank, Lloyd and I piled up behind him. The runner of Lloyd's sled was stuck in my face.

The scar under my left eye is the ever present reminder. I was a chubby twelve-year old at the time and I was bleeding profusely. They thought my left eye was gone. They took me to Grandma Cecília's and she treated me and told me that I was going to be alright but that I could have ended up tuerto.

This represents the first fork in my life; had I lost my eye I probably would not have served in the US Navy during World War II and I certainly would not have been appointed to West Point. The choice I had was not to engage in Winter Sports in Peñasco.

Map of Peñasco Valley Area

Lloyd Bolander made winter sports in Penasco his life vocation as well as his avocation. He owns Sipapu Ski slope and campground. Rafael's mother moved her family to Walsenburg, Colorado and I never again heard about him.

In a way though, this was smelling the roses, bleeding red roses they were, me.

Read On! Enjoy!

God Bless America




By José Andrés "Andy" Chacón, DBA