Time to Ski The Land of Enchantment
As you drive on straight roads through red dirt and pinyon pines, you may wonder if New Mexico’s high desert counts as “ski country.” Hang a left on Highway 150, past adobe neighborhoods marked by a refreshing absence of bluegrass lawns, and things will become clear. At the end of the road, up a steep valley in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, you’ll find Taos Ski Valley.
Pioneered by an avid Swiss German skier named Ernie Blake, who envisioned Taos as we know it from his Cessna 170 in the mid-1900s, New Mexico’s largest ski area occupies its own niche in an increasingly homogenized ski industry. Steeped in Pueblo and mining history and flanked on all sides by interminable swaths of sage brush, the place has stayed weird. Its pickup-drawn shuttle trailers remind you of tamale trucks. Bavarian culture fuses with Southwestern panache. Hayduke lives. Stubborn locals still bark about the chairlift up Kachina Peak, which was accessible only by foot until 2014. The difference between a “ski area” and a “ski resort” is thrown into sharp relief. Taos is…just…magical, first-timers say.
And, in the days of the mega pass, Taos is accessible with an Ikon Pass. What a time to be alive.
Here in our backyard on Colorado’s Front Range, we’re an easy five-hour drive from this southwestern skiing oasis. As a ski destination that blends stellar terrain with just enough culture to feel like you actually travelled somewhere, Taos is difficult to beat.
Here are some insights from the Powder7 crew to help you chart your first Taos visit.
(Editor’s Note: Per state and local guidelines, Taos has a limited operational plan for the remainder of the 2020-21 ski season. Pay close attention to resort mandates, and follow guidelines closely).
The Skiing
Vertical Drop: 3,281 feet
Runs: 110
Lifts: 14
Skiable Acres: 1,294
Similar to Crested Butte, Taos feels like a big pile of rocks. Advanced and expert skiers revel in its buffet of steep chutes both in the alpine and in the trees. During a low snow year, or if you get ambitious on a pow day, your bases may find some sharks in the water. But, hey, “tools not jewels” right?
At Taos, any skier can find something to get excited about. If you hunt powder and gnarly lines, West Basin (hike-to), Highline Ridge (hike-to), and Kachina Peak (lift-accessed or hike-to) offer some of the best chute skiing you will find anywhere. Winding groomers wrap around the mountain from the backside. Long tree runs drop off the frontside. And when the New Mexico sun starts burning goggle tans, slushy bumps and the porch at The Bavarian beckon.
Looking for where to leave the kiddos while you go exploring? Lessons are available through the Rio Hondo Learning Center.
The Aprés
At Taos, you get a unique fusion of European ski culture and southwestern flavor. That means a tall Hefeweizen on the porch at the aforementioned Bavarian is just as legit as the base area margaritas.
Our top pick? The bar and porch at the St. Bernard may be some of the best aprés real estate in skiing. The low ceiling, the indoor fire pit, the build-your-own green chili burgers on the porch, European tastes in the dining room—it’s all part of the mystique. Unfortunately, the St. Bernard is closed for the 2020-21 season, so put this one in your back pocket. In the meantime, grab a La Cumbre IPA slopeside from Rhoda’s and watch the sun sink over Al’s Run, a legendary 1,800-foot bump-fest where a Taos ski instructor skied with an oxygen tank after suffering a heart attack.
Where to Eat
If you’re staying on the mountain, you can stockpile reinforcements for meals, and score epic breakfast burritos, at Bumps Market.
If you’ve decided to hole up in an adobe fortress at the entrance to the valley, however, Taos’ eclectic array of restaurants are all fair game. We recommend ordering takeout from Orlando’s. Whatever you get, smother it with “Christmas” chili, a mix of red and green.
Where to Stay
Did we mention adobe abodes? Well, our staffers love snapping up an AirBnB or VRBO rental in nearby Arroyo Hondo and Arroyo Seco (between Taos proper and the ski valley). The sage-side hot tub, open-air floor plans, and high desert sunsets make this a dreamy option. If you’re fine with a 15- to 20-minute commute each morning, this is also a great way to save some money.
On the hill, the answer to your question is The Blake. Housing 80 rooms at the base of Al’s Run, The Blake serves up slopeside accommodations in the middle of everything. It’s hard to argue with a two-minute walk to the chairlift.
Need another dreamy Ikon destination? Ski Banff.
