1/4/19

Snowbound community makes the paper


We were under a red flag warning the day before the first round of back to back winter storms so if it's not snow it's a wildland fire. Note the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above Santa Fe in the background of this image. There is an aspen community below the ski basin holding the snowpack even as the conifers are absorbing heat sending snowmelt into the Rio Grande.

Thankful that we have been able to reach our snowbound neighbors, the Red Rock Road/Baja Waldo community is still digging out on its own. Thanks to Speaker of the New Mexico House Brian Egolf for getting help to those most in need. Precipitation in any form is always welcome here.
Matthew Smith latched on a pair of snowshoes Thursday and headed west from his home on rural Baja Waldo Road to his neighbor’s home up a steep hill across some cross-country terrain. “We’re trying to be self-reliant; we just got drilled,” said resident Larry Kurtz, who hired the plow driver. “This was a completely unexpected event.” [Snow strands residents for week in area west of Madrid]
Neighbor Luca walked three miles to NM 14 for his heart meds.

We had the casita booked for the entire week but asked our guests to cancel and rebook at later dates not just because of the snow and shitty road but because the water system is at risk of freezing.

Emergencies like ours happen all the time on the pueblos and reservations without reportage but when it happens to white people the shit really hits the fan.

1 comment:

larry kurtz said...

It wasn't cheap but thanks to our private backhoe contractor the folks on Baja Waldo and on Red Rock Road are out! It was only after he plowed the entire length of Red Rock did the county show up with a chained up motor grader.