Wolf Creek in January, suggestions?

Looking for comments about Wolf Creek.  Thinking of going for 2-3 days after skiing Taos for a week in January.

What I know is that Wolf Creek is independent, about 4 hours drive from Albuquerque, and my ski buddy is is willing to do a short trip.  We'll go right after he gets back from Steamboat and I do a Taos Ski Week during MLK week.  (He's part of a hot air balloon crew that gets invited to Steamboat for MLK weekend, free lodging and cheap lift tickets.)  He skis double-blacks at Taos while I enjoy the blacks at Taos (when there is snow) and a lot of terrain at Alta, including Catherines and the Backside.  Working my way up to Taos double-blacks after experiencing a couple two seasons ago.  The steep, long bump run was okay but steep tight trees . . . maybe after a couple more Ski Weeks.

Last season we went to Telluride after Taos in mid-Feb.

Sounds like a one day will be enough

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6679&p=33187&hilit=wolfcreek#p33187

Never been, but, it's known as an early season powder haven. Then, as someone told me, it "fills up" and flattens, if that makes any sense.

Is it on the Ikon pass?

Benny Profane wrote

Never been, but, it's known as an early season powder haven. Then, as someone told me, it "fills up" and flattens, if that makes any sense.

Is it on the Ikon pass?

Nope, not on Ikon.  In fact, Wolf Creek is not connected to any other ski area/resort of any sort.  That's part of the appeal to go check it out since it's about a 4-hour drive from my ski buddy's house in Albuquerque.  Now that I'm hooked on Taos Ski Weeks, chances are that I'll be flying Southwest to ABQ on a fairly regular basis.  TSV has become my second favorite destination after Alta for completely different reasons.

https://coloradosun.com/2018/09/03/colorado-ski-pass-wars/

" . . .
And then there’s Davey Pitcher. The resolute owner of Wolf Creek ski area isn’t playing the pass game. His 1,600-acre snow magnet is the largest ski area in the West that hasn’t signed a pass deal with any partner ski areas, a tactic that resorts large and small are adopting — sometimes reluctantly — as the two resort Goliaths grapple.

“It’s definitely a great thing for a lot of skiers, and I think it’s a welcome change for the industry. But it’s not for us,” Pitcher says, climbing into a decades-old Chevy as he inspects the construction of a new chairlift that will expand beginner terrain and expedite expert access to his steeper stuff.
. . ."

JasonWx wrote

Sounds like a one day will be enough

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6679&p=33187&hilit=wolfcreek#p33187

Thanks for the link.  Pics are helpful even though they are from late March.

I realized that if I can talk my ski buddy into dropping me off at DIA, we could go check out Crested Butte or A-Basin or Loveland after Wolf Creek.  More driving for him.  But after we did the trip in May to Bachelor and Mammoth, he dropped me off at the Las Vegas airport and drove to A-Basin for a few more turns before he went home.  Bill is an older bachelor with the financial resources to ski as much as he feels like.  Would rather drive 2000 miles than fly, even during the summer.

Bill also went to North Country School and graduated a few years before I did.  Difference is that he was an advanced skier in middle school.  He and I both were born and raised in New York City before settling somewhere else as adults.  He drives to Lake Placid from Albuquerque every August for the alumni gathering.

Taos ski weeks are cool. Where do you stay? The Taos Inn in town has been offering a four night for the price of three deal the last few winters. Great bar and restaraunt with music every night. Ansel Adams slept there.

Benny Profane wrote

Taos ski weeks are cool. Where do you stay? The Taos Inn in town has been offering a four night for the price of three deal the last few winters. Great bar and restaraunt with music every night. Ansel Adams slept there.

I found the Columbine Inn a couple years ago.  Around $115/night if staying 6+ nights that includes a good hot breakfast, 1 mile from TSV base, with the option of a free shuttle in the morning and afternoon for a full ski day.  So that's my go to lodging for me and my friends.  Usually get my own room, but this time have a friend to share with.

Met an old man from the midwest in 2017 who rents a house in town for a month during ski season.  Was solo one afternoon and I did a few runs with him after riding the lift up together.  Fun conversation.  He takes the bus in his ski boots most of the time on days he skis TSV.  He and his wife learned to ski as adults working for IBM.  They retired relatively early and did a lot of skiing all over.  She stopped because of RA.  All he does at Taos is ski the groomers . . . really fast, on carvers.  We did the sides of the terrain park a couple of times.  Never occurred to him to try a Ski Week.  He's outlasted his ski buddies.  As I remember he was in his late 70s.