Thursday morning in Red River opened with frost on the rooftops — 31 degrees at sunrise — and it is shaping up to be a classic October mountain day: blue sky, bright sun, and a high near 67. This is the season of frosty mornings and warm afternoons, and the weekend keeps the pattern going. Saturday looks mostly sunny with a high of 62, Sunday partly cloudy and 63. Mornings will stay in the 30s, so pack the layers even if the afternoons feel like summer is lingering.
The biggest ski news in the valley is bittersweet. Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area, the beloved Nordic trails on Bobcat Pass, will not open for the 2026-27 season. After forty years, owners Ellen Miller-Goins and Geoff Goins announced the decision in early September, saying last winter — the worst in the ski area's history, with too little snow to groom at all — made it impossible to take the financial risk of another season. Enchanted Forest remains up for sale, and the owners hold out hope that a buyer could give it a second life. Meanwhile, Red River Ski & Summer Area is in full prep mode for its November 25 opening day. There is no snow on the mountain yet — October is for tune-ups and snowmaking prep, not lift lines — but the countdown to winter is officially on.
On the trails, conditions could hardly be better for fall hiking and mountain biking. The high-country aspen show is in its tail end — the Sangre de Cristo color window typically runs from late September into the first half of October — so this weekend is a good last call to catch lingering gold along the lower stretches of the Enchanted Circle and Red River Canyon. Trails are dry, the air is clear, and wildlife is on the move as elk season winds down; early risers may be rewarded with bugles echoing through the canyon.
Around the region, conditions are calm. The 525-acre El Valle Fire in Taos County is fully contained after weekend rains aided fire crews, Forest Road 207 has reopened, and there are no fire-weather watches anywhere in the state. Visitors in the Taos area may notice some drifting smoke, as Carson National Forest crews are conducting pile burns northeast of Taos while the damp conditions allow it.
Looking ahead, keep an eye on the sky: showers arrive Sunday night and linger into Tuesday, temperatures slide into the 50s by the middle of next week, and there is even a chance of snow showers at elevation late next week. It is a gentle reminder that winter is closer than it feels on a 67-degree afternoon. For now, enjoy the golden light, the empty trails, and the quiet weeks before the lifts start spinning.