Taos Ski Valley, NM
Quick Links:
Description:
Taos is without a doubt the best resort in New Mexico and contains a vertical and terrain variety that rivals most Colorado resorts! I will warn you ahead of time that this resort is not the best mountain for beginners. However, the ski school here is one the best and will get you from entry level skiing up to the point where you can conquer most of the mountain's greens and blues. As a note, Taos blues can be similar to groomed blacks or blue-blacks you would find at the more family friendly Colorado resorts. Also, it was only recently that Taos opened up its resort for snowboarders in the season of 2008. Since then, they've added in several features at the resort that make it more snowboarder friendly. One of the main attractions being the newly revamped, Maxies Terrain Park.
Maxies Terrain Park is massive park that includes several levels of difficulty; flat boxes, curved boxes, rails, and ends with three big airs. It is almost undoubtedly the largest terrain park in New Mexico. Unfortunately, Angel Fire still retains the status of having the only half pipe in New Mexico. Taos also has a small, beginners terrain park called Bambi's Glade. Bambi's Glade includes a box, small jump, and a rail to learn on. However, despite the quality of their terrain parks, Taos's main attraction continues to be its world class terrain, which was made all-the-more accessible by the new Kachina Peak Lift. This lift eliminated the 45 minute - 90 minutes for Texans - hike from Lift 2 up to top of the resort.
If you're a beginner to intermediate skier, the easiest terrain can be found underneath Lift 4 and Lift 8. For everyone else, the following are some of the most iconic runs at Taos Ski Valley. Al's Run, beneath Lift 1, was named one of Travel and Leisure's scariest slopes. It has a vertical drop of 1,800 feet, monster moguls, and is in full view of lift number one giving visitors a perfect view to some of the most entertaining yard sales at Taos. If you're looking for steep and narrow, look no further than West Basin; the site for part 1 of a Free Ride World Tour Qualifier event. A mere 10 minute hike from the top of Lift 2, West Basin holds some of Taos's steepest lines at pitches up to 50 degrees. If the regular chute lines are not enough for you, look into the Bamboo Spine. Located between Stauffenberg and Zdardsky, this spine has gnarly cliff drops and is oftentimes the line of choice for FWQ participants.
Taos is without a doubt the best resort in New Mexico and contains a vertical and terrain variety that rivals most Colorado resorts! I will warn you ahead of time that this resort is not the best mountain for beginners. However, the ski school here is one the best and will get you from entry level skiing up to the point where you can conquer most of the mountain's greens and blues. As a note, Taos blues can be similar to groomed blacks or blue-blacks you would find at the more family friendly Colorado resorts. Also, it was only recently that Taos opened up its resort for snowboarders in the season of 2008. Since then, they've added in several features at the resort that make it more snowboarder friendly. One of the main attractions being the newly revamped, Maxies Terrain Park.
Maxies Terrain Park is massive park that includes several levels of difficulty; flat boxes, curved boxes, rails, and ends with three big airs. It is almost undoubtedly the largest terrain park in New Mexico. Unfortunately, Angel Fire still retains the status of having the only half pipe in New Mexico. Taos also has a small, beginners terrain park called Bambi's Glade. Bambi's Glade includes a box, small jump, and a rail to learn on. However, despite the quality of their terrain parks, Taos's main attraction continues to be its world class terrain, which was made all-the-more accessible by the new Kachina Peak Lift. This lift eliminated the 45 minute - 90 minutes for Texans - hike from Lift 2 up to top of the resort.
If you're a beginner to intermediate skier, the easiest terrain can be found underneath Lift 4 and Lift 8. For everyone else, the following are some of the most iconic runs at Taos Ski Valley. Al's Run, beneath Lift 1, was named one of Travel and Leisure's scariest slopes. It has a vertical drop of 1,800 feet, monster moguls, and is in full view of lift number one giving visitors a perfect view to some of the most entertaining yard sales at Taos. If you're looking for steep and narrow, look no further than West Basin; the site for part 1 of a Free Ride World Tour Qualifier event. A mere 10 minute hike from the top of Lift 2, West Basin holds some of Taos's steepest lines at pitches up to 50 degrees. If the regular chute lines are not enough for you, look into the Bamboo Spine. Located between Stauffenberg and Zdardsky, this spine has gnarly cliff drops and is oftentimes the line of choice for FWQ participants.
To round things off, the ridge line connecting the top of West Basin to Kachina Peak is scattered with multiple chutes, glades, and wide open steeps that will keep you busy for days. Then, there's the famed Kachina Peak, a double black from top to bottom. With multiple hucks, couloirs, and powder stashes, this mountain has endless lines and is an absolute dream on powder days. Some other double blacks to note are Walkyries Chute, St. Bernard, and the newly added Wild West Glades. Indeed the only thing Taos Ski Valley is missing is a night life. Unfortunately, the town of Taos Ski Valley is very unorganized and has nothing in the way of a night-life with the exception of a few bars and restaurants (be sure to hit up 5-Star Burger). Then again, if you are going to Taos for the night life, you're going for the wrong reason.
Trail Maps:
Mountain Stats:
SEASON DATES:
November 27th-December 12th, 2014
Thursday-Sunday only
December 13th, 2014 - April 5th, 2015
Open Daily
AVERAGE ANNUAL SNOWFALL:
305 inches
AVERAGE DAYS OF SUNSHINE:
300+ days
TOTAL ACREAGE:
1,294 acres
NUMBER OF TRAILS:
110 total: 24% beginner, 25% intermediate, 51% expert
NUMBER OF LIFTS:
15 total: 4 quad chair lifts; 3 triple chairs lift; 5 double chair lifts; 3 surface lifts
BASE ELEVATION:
9,200 feet / 2805 meters
SUMMIT ELEVATION:
12,450 feet / 3795 meters
VERTICAL DROP:
3,250 feet / 990 meters
HOURS OF LIFT OPERATION:
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
UPHILL CAPACITY:
More than 15,000 skiers per hour
SNOW MAKING CAPABILITIES:
100% of beginner and intermediate slopes
MAXIE'S TERRAIN PARK:
Terrain park located on Maxie's run under lift #7. The park is groomed nightly.
SEASON DATES:
November 27th-December 12th, 2014
Thursday-Sunday only
December 13th, 2014 - April 5th, 2015
Open Daily
AVERAGE ANNUAL SNOWFALL:
305 inches
AVERAGE DAYS OF SUNSHINE:
300+ days
TOTAL ACREAGE:
1,294 acres
NUMBER OF TRAILS:
110 total: 24% beginner, 25% intermediate, 51% expert
NUMBER OF LIFTS:
15 total: 4 quad chair lifts; 3 triple chairs lift; 5 double chair lifts; 3 surface lifts
BASE ELEVATION:
9,200 feet / 2805 meters
SUMMIT ELEVATION:
12,450 feet / 3795 meters
VERTICAL DROP:
3,250 feet / 990 meters
HOURS OF LIFT OPERATION:
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
UPHILL CAPACITY:
More than 15,000 skiers per hour
SNOW MAKING CAPABILITIES:
100% of beginner and intermediate slopes
MAXIE'S TERRAIN PARK:
Terrain park located on Maxie's run under lift #7. The park is groomed nightly.
Lift Ticket Prices:
Regular 1 Day 12/20/2014 - 3/22/2015 Regular 2+ Days (Per Day) 12/20/2014 - 3/22/2015 Novice Lift Tickets (Beginner Lifts Only) Discount Lift Tickets 11/27/2014 - 12/19/2014 (Thurs - Sun only through 12/12/14) and 3/23/2015 - 4/5/2015 Half Day - Regular Season 12/20/2014 - 3/22/2015 Half Day - Discount Season 11/27/2014 - 12/19/2014 (Thurs - Sun only through 12/12/14) and 3/23/2015 - 4/5/2015 |
Adult (18-64)
$86.00 $78.00 $34.00 $59.00 $68.00 $59.00 |
Military/Senior (65-79)
$71.00 $68.00 $34.00 $49.00 $53.00 $49.00 |
Travel Route, Distance, and Time: