Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! This week we’ll be traveling down to New Mexico. Now I know what you’re thinking, New Mexico? Really? Isn’t it too warm there? Well, despite popular belief, New Mexico has some of the best skiing in the country. Taos Ski Resort, nestled in the mountains of the Taos ski valley, is one of the most authentic skiing experiences North America has to offer. This authenticity is seen with Taos’s motion to prohibit snowboarding up until 2008! Not that they had anything against snowboarders, but again, this is a very authentic ski location which means it’s rooted in tradition and history. And if history tells us anything about snow sports, it’s that snowboarding wasn’t always highly-regarded by the community. With that bit of history, let’s get started!
Level of Difficulty
Taos, like many resorts out West, has some very daunting back bowls, but also some spaces for beginner skiers. 15% of Taos’s runs are green runs and 18% of them are intermediate runs, so about a third of the runs are perfect for type I and type II skiers. Taos’s trail percentage is actually majority expert runs with double black trails coming in at 37% and 30% of the runs being advanced. This isn’t bad for intermediate skiers because
if you’re there for an extended period of time, finding a less difficult advanced run will be easy, considering how many options there are. Unfortunately there’s only 1 terrain park but on the bright side it is in the middle of an intermediate trail which means that landing tricks will be easier because of the decreased incline of the landing zones. Coming back to the expert and advanced runs, the majority of expert runs will be off the Highline Ridge and the West Basin Ridge, located behind the first main peak. With these runs, skiers have to be extremely cautious about avalanche conditions. To actually get to these runs, skiers have to take a lift up to the top of the highest peak, Kachina, and then
ski along a ridge trail, traversing the top of the mountain range. The one run where avalanche danger would be most prevalent is the single run that starts at the top of Kachina Peak at over 12,000 feet. Because of this danger, Taos does daily avalanche control and then releases an avalanche report for the day so that skiers can go at their own discretion.
Family-Friendliness
With a mountain of this size (111 trails!), Taos is able to incorporate 15+ ski “lesson” programs. These programs range from women-specific programs, to a Ski Week program designed for participants to make life-long ski friends, There are also programs specifically for “steeps and bumps” and sunrise skiing. Taos certainly puts a new spin on the words “ski lessons”. While adults are busy making all of those friends during ski week, they can enroll their kids in the same program, just for younger people. Taos also has Child Ski Week which helps them meet other kids on the mountain and allows them to take part of the tradition that’s been at Taos since its early years. Taos additionally offers childcare for kids 2 months old through 3 years old. The childcare center is newly renovated, and exciting programs are planned for the kids who are brought here during the day. Lastly, Taos has an adaptive program for disabled skiers and snowboarders. All people enrolled in this program are given an individual instructor to ensure one-on-one safety and supervision.
Apres-Ski Activities
One of the stand-out aspects of Taos Resort is that it has one of the few sustainable ski lodges in the country. The Blake, which sits at the center of the bottom of the mountain “redefines future development”. The lodge has been awarded LEED Silver certification and has a geothermal heating and cooling system. By 2020, it is estimated that Taos will have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. In addition to this impressive lodging option, Taos has many different restaurant options such as quick ski-in ski-out cafes and luxury restaurants such as 192 at The Blake. Fun outdoor activities include Big Al’s snowmobile tours, cross country skiing through the Enchanted Forest, horseback rides and llama trekking (when the snow isn’t too deep), and lastly, Ojo Caliente which is a mineral springs resort and spa. Although this spa is about 30 miles south of Taos, it’s worth the drive because of the 11 revitalizing mineral pools it offers.
Weather/Snowfall
Because it is so far south, Taos does not receive as much snow as some of the resorts up north but it does receive a good amount. Typical snowfall for Taos is around 120 inches per winter. In past years, Taos’s snowfall had been all over the place, some winters the largest snowfalls have been in the spring, around March and April, and other years, the biggest snowfalls have been in December and January. It varies from winter to winter, but it’s sure that this resort will never be short of snow because they do have snow machines along their trails.
Accessibility
The two major airports near Taos are Santa Fe Airport which is 100 miles away from the resort and Albuquerque Airport which is 159 miles away. Both of these airports service major airlines. The closest airport to the resort is Taos Regional Airport which is just 19 miles away. This airport is for private and charter flights if coming in on private aircraft. There is also Taos Air which services flights from Dallas Love Field Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. If driving in to the resort, Taos suggests taking the High Road, literally. This byway is known for its scenic spans through the desert, mountains, and tiny Hispanic villages established in the 1600s and 1700s.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a resort deeply rooted in tradition, Taos is for you. They have programs that have been around since the resort’s beginnings and if you’re a classic skier who doesn’t like to deviate, make this your mountain.
I love how friendly and inviting all your posts are! I honestly never thought New Mexico had skiing, so it was really cool to read about. The pictures you use are so pretty, too. Also, I thought it was cool to hear about the lodge having a geothermal heating and cooling system and how it’s pretty eco friendly. That was really interesting additional information to add. I really liked it!
Your posts always have so much valuable information and it makes me want to take up skiing. I definitely wouldn’t think of New Mexico to go Skiing, but it’s pretty cool. I love how eco friendly the resort is, I’m all for helping out the environment. Just by the pictures I can tell this resort is really nice!