67 WINTER 2021 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 02 SNOWGOER . COM 68
The Endless Playgrounds Of CHAMA
playground we ’ ve ever seen . Big rolling hills at varying angles almost look like berms , and just when you ’ ve completely tore up one meadow , there are miles and miles of meadows ahead .
Under brilliant blue skies , the magic white carpet was decorated mainly with patches of tall , deep green conifers – this area appeared unaffected by the pine beetles that devastated forests throughout much of the Rocky Mountain west . By Chama standards , the snowfall totals on the year of our visit were disappointing , but it was still incredibly deep .
The host San Juan Mountains here are ancient , dating back 40 million years . That accounts for their more rounded tops and less jagged features . For that reason , this is not necessarily a high-marker ’ s paradise . There ’ s certainly stuff to climb , but those with the big turbocharged one-off super-mods may want to look elsewhere . Riding in the Chama area is all about endless playgrounds , where carving , sidehilling , jumping and boondocking seem limitless .
“ That over there is Grouse Mesa ,” Unser explained on one stop , pointing off to a flattopped high area on the right . “ If you ever get crossed up out here , you just look for Grouse Mesa and you can figure out where you ’ re at . Now you see that area right next to it , between Grouse Mesa and the next high spot ? That ’ s called Unser Saddle : It ’ s called that because we were the first ones to get up there on snowmobiles .”