Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 25 minutes ago
By January eleventh, the wind had finally laid down—and if you've spent any time in New Mexico, you know that's cause for celebration. The wind here has personality, often cranky and relentless, capable of turning a pleasant winter day into an ordeal. But on this particular Saturday, the air hung still and the snow had begun its inevitable melt under the intense high-altitude sun.
The afternoon temperature had climbed to a pleasant 45 degrees by the time we headed out. In the bright sunshine and still air, it felt downright balmy. I grabbed a sweatshirt—years of living at altitude have taught me to respect the weather's ability to change its mind—and we headed out.
The Santa Fe Rail Trail holds a special place in the heart of our community, and for good reason. This isn't just another recreational trail—it's a living connection to the past, following the historic route of the old AT&SF Railway (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) that once linked Santa Fe to the main rail line in Lamy, New Mexico.
For those unfamiliar with the area, Lamy sits about 18 miles southeast of Santa Fe, a small community that grew up around the railroad in the 1880s. The main transcontinental line bypassed Santa Fe due to the challenging terrain—those steep grades and tight curves that make our landscape so spectacular also made it impractical for heavy rail traffic. So a spur line was built from Lamy up to Santa Fe, and for over a century, this route carried passengers and freight to the territorial capital, later the state capital.
nmosg.com
By January eleventh, the wind had finally laid down—and if you've spent any time in New Mexico, you know that's cause for celebration. The wind here has personality, often cranky and relentless, capable of turning a pleasant winter day into an ordeal. But on this particular Saturday, the air hung still and the snow had begun its inevitable melt under the intense high-altitude sun.
The afternoon temperature had climbed to a pleasant 45 degrees by the time we headed out. In the bright sunshine and still air, it felt downright balmy. I grabbed a sweatshirt—years of living at altitude have taught me to respect the weather's ability to change its mind—and we headed out.
The Santa Fe Rail Trail holds a special place in the heart of our community, and for good reason. This isn't just another recreational trail—it's a living connection to the past, following the historic route of the old AT&SF Railway (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) that once linked Santa Fe to the main rail line in Lamy, New Mexico.
For those unfamiliar with the area, Lamy sits about 18 miles southeast of Santa Fe, a small community that grew up around the railroad in the 1880s. The main transcontinental line bypassed Santa Fe due to the challenging terrain—those steep grades and tight curves that make our landscape so spectacular also made it impractical for heavy rail traffic. So a spur line was built from Lamy up to Santa Fe, and for over a century, this route carried passengers and freight to the territorial capital, later the state capital.
nmosg.com
