Autumn in Northern New Mexico

the bittersweet beauty of fall

Aspen Vista, on the way to the Santa Fe Ski Area

Welcome to Postcards from New Mexico!
Three Sundays a month, I share beauty, stories, and culture from this region that has been my home since 2008.

It started a couple of weeks ago.

Almost imperceptibly summer began to loosen its strong grip on us. The searing heat of July and August ever so slightly faded in intensity and the nights are starting to cool off.

In this moment I’m looking out my bedroom window, the last official day of summer, and watching as dark gray clouds laden with moisture transit across the sky. Tomorrow is the autumn equinox and fall will finally be here.

I adore fall, it’s my favorite season. Here in Northern New Mexico the leaves are already beginning to turn colors and by the time we reach October they’ll be in full golden glory. Where I live, the cottonwoods along the rivers and creeks are the stars of the show. If you head up to the mountains, aspens take the lead mixed with oaks at lower elevations. You might even see some maple trees turning red. The higher you go in elevation the earlier the colors start to happen. As of today, September 22, colors are already unfolding up in the Sangres de Cristos mountain range to the north and east of Santa Fe and Española. Check out this great Fall Foliage Map from Explore Fall.

To me there’s something so bittersweet about this season. It signals the end of the bountiful summer harvest and the expansive energy of long days full of sun, moving into a quieter time of going inward and preparing for the deep cold of winter. Leaves turn brilliant colors and then quickly fade away, to fall to the ground and turn into the matter that makes up rich soil. All of it connects to the new life that will come next spring, but first we have to trust in the darkness and wisdom of winter to get there.

In the meantime, though, we are gifted with this most glorious season when things cool down and kids return to school and families prepare foods from the summer harvest like posole, calabacitas, chicos, and atole. Fall is more than leaf-peeping here, there’s a whole vibe to it in Northern New Mexico with traditions that go back many generations. It’s a wonderful time of year to visit!

A few suggestions for a fall visit:

• Abiquiu Studio Tour (Oct 12 and 13)

• Ghost Ranch

• Ojo Caliente Hot Springs

And here are some favorite autumn photos from my collection. Wish you were here!

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