Snow has long been the wintertime ruler of the mountains of Northern New Mexico. Heavy, wet snow and unpredictable winds have swept through the valley and whipped along the high ridges and peaks, a reminder that living in the high country has its seasonal realities. Gold prospectors in the 1880's came in the spring and worked the stream beds for color, heading down the mountain to less severe climates at the first serious signs of arctic chill in the breeze. To get caught in the mountains was a death sentence. The early founders of Red River City, the Mallette brothers from nearby Fort Garland, Colorado, spent the winter of 1894-95 on their homesteads in the valley and were busily working their claims when the prospectors began swarming into the valley in the Spring of '95. While most mining efforts were warm weather propositions, the pattern was established: head down to warmer climes at the first hint of snow. There were a few individuals, however, who chose to stay the winter and work. One industrious and dedicated soul built his cabin over the mine shaft and worked all winter. (There is no record if his efforts were ever rewarded.) For those rugged few who did stay from November through March, the Red River Literary Society was established to provide stimulating conversation and literary discourse, operating a book lending system, making reading a much valued form of recreation. The most treasured form of recreation, however, seems to have been the saloons and dance halls of Red River, which offered distraction from the grueling work of hard rock mining. It was not uncommon for individuals from nearby Labelle, Elizabethtown, Franklin City, Hematite and Midnight to attend dances in Red River City. Among the most celebrated dancers were a pair of brothers who raised horses on a ranch near Cimarron: the Ketchem brothers. Tom "Black Jack" Ketchem was a particular favorite of the ladies who valued his dancing prowess. As mining faded as an economic base for Red River City, and miners moved on to the latest gold fields in the Klondike, a new business was developing that would ultimately save the town from suffering the same fate as the other dried-up and blown-away gold camps in the area. As early as 1905, the Red River area was touted in Albuquerque magazines and newspapers as a great place to get away from the summer heat and enjoy fishing in one of the nation's most pristine cold water trout hatcheries. The few Red River locals found themselves renting abandoned miner cabins to out-of-towners. Hospitality was the new game in town. It was, however, only a warm weather industry. In the early days of the town, mail was delivered in winter by hearty men who used long skis - ten to twelve foot in length - to traverse the snowy mountain terrain. The first organized skiing in town, with the help of Leffy Lewis and Red River locals, occurred just before World War II and resumed on a limited basis following VJ Day. By the late 1950's, interest in snow skiing was on the rise and Oklahoma businessman S.E. Bolton began work on what is now the Red River Ski Area and had the task completed in time for the winter skiing season of 1959-60. With the opening of the RRSA, Red River suddenly became more than a summer retreat and a new, modern paved highway in the mid-60's made the valley more readily accessible. The town was on a roll. As the 21st century begins, snow still rules the winter months. Unlike the early days, however, the locals don't mind a bit. Let it snow!