Meet the Chachere Family
The Chachere family, in front of their namesake trail, on their 50th
consecutive Christmas at Sipapu.
Photo by Frank Lopez
In 1960, “Dub” Chachere wanted to give his wife, Eva, a special
Christmas. The Corpus Christi, Texas family had never seen snow. Dub’s
friend, a meteorologist, said he would find snow in Tres Ritos, New
Mexico (located just a few miles from Sipapu).
That year, the Chachere family drove to Sipapu to experience their
first white Christmas. Dub never would have guessed that this new kind
of Christmas would become the family tradition for generations.
Linda Chachere-Chalker took her first trip to Sipapu at age seven. She
remembers her heavy ski boots, the beautiful scenery and, of course, the
snow. She can still recall the friendliness of the resort owners (Lloyd
and Olive Bolander – the Chachere family affectionately calls them “Mr.
and Mrs. B”), ski lessons and the three runs at Sipapu: Don Diego, Salt
Lick and Bambi. That year, the family made their traditional Christmas
dinner, cut down and decorated a tree, and sang carols with Mr. and Mrs.
B in the lodge. It was a new kind of Christmas, one the Chachere family
would never forget.
In 1960, the Chachere family totaled four; in 2009, nearly 40 family members from four generations were there.
When you ask Linda why the family has returned to Sipapu for 50 years,
her answer is simple: “Sipapu is Christmas to us. We love it – it’s a
family resort, and they truly care about our family.”
