Taos Ski Valley 1/20 - 22

When I planned for the trip to Taos in early December, I was hoping for conditions like these:  North Face 12/31/09

What I got was a substantially below normal base and barely an inch of snow in the past week or so.  In spite of the less than desirable conditions, I was extremely impressed at how well the mountain skied.  Great snow preservation and limited access to parts of the mountain goes a long way.  My first time visiting Taos was a blast, and it certainly lived up to its slogan, "Taos: a four letter word for steep".   I would love to return someday when conditions are more favorable.



Taos Ski Valley has an old-school feel.  There is limited on-site lodging, no grooming on black terrain, and the best runs require a 10 - 45 minute hike.  The facilities at the mountain are utilitarian, and the lifts are old and slow.  The mountain only started allowing snowboarders as recently as 2008.

The three days spent skiing were sunny with generally fast conditions. The only exception was the Highline Ridge where the snow was soft and refreshed with windblown snow off of the ridge above.



While the hike-to terrain yielded the best snow, you had to work for it.  At 12,000 feet, it was easy to get winded even if the hike was only a couple hundred vertical feet.  I took three runs off of the Highline Ridge each day.  Most of my runs were down Juarez because I was skiing by myself, and I was advised that it wouldn't have been smart to ski solo down the more remote terrain.







A few times, I was able to join up with some groups and ski further out along the ridge-- specifically Corner Chute and Two Bucks.  Both runs started wide and then funneled into some open glades.  There was some untracked snow off of the top with soft, packed snow further down chutes.

There were bumps to be found all over the mountain, and even the blue runs had some bumps left ungroomed on the side.  This was no Gore or Whiteface!  Of the lift served terrain, my favorite was Lorelei-- a series of steep mogul fields punctuated with glades that softened nicely with the morning sun.





I tended to avoid the parts of the mountain that were in a perpetual shadow-- notably the lower main face above the base.  The fast snow, flat lighting and massive moguls made it extremely challenging for someone with my skill set.  I took one run and that was enough for me!  Aside from the steeper chutes along the ridge, this is the part of the mountain that could have benefitted the most from some fresh snow.

While my ski trip to Taos wasn't ideal, I tried to make the best of my time there and enjoy my first trip to New Mexico.  The people were extremely friendly, the food was delicious, and the surroundings were beautiful.  Plus, the trip was extremely affordable.  I'd like to go back-- I just wouldn't book the trip so far in advance.

Thanks for the report and excellent pix. Most people from the northeast always stay on the beaten Utah/Colorado path and don't bother to check out the Land of Enchantment, which is a shame. But as you found out, booking a New Mexico trip months or even weeks in advance is a roll of the dice. Great to hear that you made the best of less than optimum conditions. Where did you stay/eat in Taos?

On my last trip there two years ago, I had the opposite problem: a big dump of snow accompanied by high winds that shut down all but the front of the mountain. It was a pow day, but with limited terrain and lots of avy bombs blasting away in the distance. Instead of only skiing Taos that week, I was committed to hitting all of the northern NM ski areas in six consecutive days (Sipapu, Taos, Angel Fire, Red River, Santa Fe, Pajarito), which ended up being a great idea. We booked several months ahead of time and hit the jackpot with conditions. Here are two articles from that trip: about the Enchanted Circle ski areas and another about a lesser-known place, Pajarito, that you drove past on the way north from Santa Fe.

interesting read...thanks for taking the time.

I stayed at El Rincon Inn, in the town of Taos.  It was a bargain-- clean & eclectic w/ fireplace, kitchen, washer/dryer, and hot tub.  Worth every penny if one isn't looking for something too fancy.

Had dinner at Doc Martin's (okay), Dragonfly Cafe (great), El Meze (amazing), and Orlando's (okay).

Initially, I thought about skiing some of the other Enchanted Circle ski areas because I was accompanied by a friend with limited skiing experience.  I suggested some of the other nearby areas knowing Taos's reputation, but to my amazement he loved TSV and refused to ski elsewhere.

great report..I have always been interested in Taos. I think my wife would really enjoy New Mexico, , but Taos snow volatility scares me away..

Takeahike, track down the coffee-table book "Ski Pioneers: Ernie Blake, His Friends, and the Making of Taos Ski Valley” by Rick Richards. It's an amazing story.

I would think a resort like Taos that is further south than Utah, etc, would have noticably longer sunlight. I went from here in Queensbury to Tampa one February and I wanna say......it was like 45 minutes more daylight for that day. Very noticable.

The Weather Channel used to have sunrise/sunset times for locales.

Loved the report. Thanks for taking us skiing with you. Next time, please include dinner.