Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area reopens following storm damage

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A northern New Mexico ski area has reopened after a December storm. It ripped through the Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area near Red River and knocked down more than 30,000 trees.

"As we walked around doing our initial assessments, clambering over trees, crawling over trees, and sometimes we were ten feet off the ground, walking from fallen tree to fallen tree, just trying to find out where the trails were," said Mike Ritterhouse, the general manager for the ski area.

For the last month, workers and volunteers spent countless hours cutting branches and moving downed trees. Pair that with this week’s snowfall, and the Enchanted Forest finally got to a point where they felt like they could open.

The general manager said he can’t thank the community enough for coming together and helping clear the trails.