Most of us know of Ashley Pond. And no. Douglas isn’t his lesser known brother. If I asked you to meet me at the Los Alamos Ice Rink, you’d probably know exactly where I meant. But have you ever wondered why the Ice Rink is located in the bottom of Los Alamos Canyon?
There are always more than a few urban legends here in Los Alamos about where things are and how they got their names. I’ve talked about things like Peggy Sue Bridge and the Denver Steels neighborhood. In fact, I recall speculating with friends that the canyon bottom location of the Ice Rink is perfect because it’s so much colder and shadier down there than other places in town. Everyone knows if you want to cool off in summer you head down to a canyon bottom to take advantage of the lower temperatures. Why wouldn’t that indicate a great place to stash a slab of frozen water?
Where Did it Come From, Where Did it Go?
The search for ready water sources has always been part of life on the Pajarito Plateau. Prior to the Cerro Grande Fire, back to when I was growing up here in Los Alamos, we took the Los Alamos Reservoir for granted. We would hike or drive up the rocky road with friends. Once at the reservoir we could fish or swim and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere. For a long while post fire, the reservoir was closed to the public. Even now, it’s open to foot traffic, but driving up isn’t an option. There have been clean up efforts going on to bring the reservoir back to its former status.
What you might not know is that the reservoir was developed by the occupants of the ranch school. To be fair, they were only continuing the work of settlers who had long been in the area. Homesteaders on the plateau had built a series of low dams throughout the canyon to create ponds large enough to supply nearby cabins. The ranch school boys worked to enlarge the reservoir and eventually used a huge pipeline to run water to a holding tank down by the Big House. The overflow from the tank went into the nearby depression that had been a traditional spot for water to collect. The depression became Ashley Pond. But Ashley Pond wasn’t the only pond created by the dams in Los Alamos Canyon.
Back to Douglas Pond…
We remember stories of ranch school boys skating on Ashley Pond. You’ve probably even seen old black and white photos of the boys skating in their camp shorts! But Ashley Pond wouldn’t be useable all that often for skating thanks to its location.
In 1937, boys from the ranch school did some digging on the deepest of the small ponds created by the dams in Los Alamos Canyon. Nearby homesteaders had always used this particular pond for ice skating, but the ranch school boys really put in some extra effort. A couple of the boys even asked their folks to help out. The parents of Donald and William Douglas donated funds toward the skating pond project and that got the boys calling their new skating venue “Douglas Pond” in remembrance of the people whose cash helped buy supplies.
Over the years, Project Y improved the reservoir to help provide for a steady water supply to the Manhattan Project, but they weren’t about to overlook Douglas Pond. The original Manhattan Project staff needed diversions like golf courses, ski hills, theaters, and of course ice rinks!
Throughout the Years
The original Douglas Pond was actually about 100 yards from its current location. The rink was really popular with residents of Los Alamos in the 1940s, who created a Los Alamos Skating Club. The club operated the rink for over 40 years before Los Alamos County stepped in to run the operation. The rink is currently the only land in Los Alamos Canyon not owned by the Laboratory
The rink’s first Zamboni was a rather historic piece. It toured with the Ice Capades in 1952 before being purchased from the Iceland Skating Arena of Albuquerque in 1961. The old Zamboni survived a garage fire in 1971. Popular legend has it that Zamboni operator Ted Dunn actually ran into the burning building to save his precious machine. A machine that now resides in the US Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Outdoor Life
Here in Los Alamos we have hockey teams of all ages competing in the regional hockey league. The ice is set upon a concrete pad with refrigerated piping allows the ice to remain consistent and frozen even when the outside temps soar into the 70’s during our variable winters. The availability of ice allows hockey season to thrive for families participating in the league. And during the warm months when the ice is gone, the rink is used for our local Roller Derby League. Yes. In case you didn’t realize, Los Alamos has a crazy awesome group of roller derby players from all age and skill levels.
Kids and adults alike enjoy the public skate sessions regardless of skill level. The rink offers skate aids for those who need a little help getting used to the ice. It’s a fun place to gather in an atmosphere unlike anything else you’ll see here in New Mexico. The Los Alamos Ice Skating Rink is the only outdoor ice rink in the state of New Mexico. Not really a surprise if you stop and think about it, but how awesome is that? Just one more totally unique thing about Los Alamos!
In fact, if you’re looking for something cool to do, check out the county Parks & Recreation website for the latest goings on at the Ice Rink. And when you’re ready to join the community on the hill, give me a call! I’d love to chat real estate in Los Alamos with you!
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