December 25, 2024

A Guide To Skiing In New Mexico – Taos

skis & poles in snow

Taos Ski Valley is a hamlet and alpine ski resort in Taos County, New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. Taos is a ski resort in the state of New Mexico (USA). There are 113 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding. The guests are transported using 14 lifts. The winter sports area is located between 2,805 and 3,795 m above sea level. For other great ski holidays click the link.

Ski statistics
Elevation: 2805 m – 3795 m (Difference 990 m)
The total length of ski slopes: 113 km
27km of easy running
28km Intermediate
58km of challenging terrain
14 ski lifts
18500 passengers per hour total capacity
The total lift length is 8 km.
Artificial snowmaking 15 % of the slopes can make artificial snow
Valley run is an option
Fun park/snow park
Half pipe
Late November to early April is the general season.

What is Taos ski resort like?
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel with the same group of friends every year. We’ve made it a point to get together now and then. After hearing such great things about the terrific runs and the epic El Nino snowfall this year, we decided to give Taos Ski Valley a try.

Taos Ski Valley has a small, hidden town vibe, and the remaining facilities still have the lovely look and feel of the early 1970s. The area’s rich culture, with a strong sense of remembrance for New Mexican and Pueblo heritage, accentuated the sensation that it resided in its different bubble isolated from the world.

The best place to stay in Taos
The Wilderness Lodge served as an excellent home base for us and is one of the nicest places I’ve ever visited. The house looked like it came straight out of a Civil War movie, thanks to recovered wood from the original Winchester Gun Factory and a potbelly wood fire. Overall, the house was comfortable, with great views of Kachina’s backside. The great sun deck, where we’d lounge out in the afternoons, was one of our favourite features.

Taos Ski Valley
Taos Ski Valley’s altitude is no joke, and your lungs will remind you of it frequently! But the slopes are well worth the effort, and if you’re willing to hike a little, the possibilities for new routes are unlimited. The vistas were incredible—living in the United States’ highest municipality has its rewards!

Taos is similar to Wyoming’s Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee Ski Resorts
I’d put Taos Mountain’s slopes somewhere between Wyoming’s Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee ski regions on a scale of atmosphere and difficulty. On the other hand, Taos exists in its sphere, with the outside world rarely penetrating the Taos bubble. As a result, the slopes were seldom congested, and we never had to wait in a lift queue.

There are plans for further development, which include a sizable investment in the evolution of this wonderful asset. Taos Ski Valley, I believe, will be attracting a lot more attention in the coming years.

Taos Ski Valley is a bucket list destination not to be missed
Even though Taos is a reasonably tricky mountain with lots of steep trees, rocks, and chutes to discover inside the lift-serviced terrain, even our non-expert skiers had no trouble finding entertaining ways down the mountain. Taos wasn’t just for the experienced and courageous, despite its reputation as a bucket-list ski destination. In our unique ways, we were able to experience the excitement of Kachina Peak and the bizarre mountain landscapes.

Overall, our trip to Taos Ski Valley was one of the greatest we’ve ever had. It was a tremendous opportunity to enjoy good food and drink, marvel at the grandeur of the American Southwest, and, of course, ski some incredible terrain!